A soldier fires an M7 rifle during a weapon qualification test at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, on Jan. 30, 2026. The Army expects to begin testing a smaller and lighter carbine version of the weapon as early as October, according to service representatives. (Duke Edwards/U.S. Army)
The Army’s ongoing push to upgrade its handheld firepower isn’t slowing down, as it prepares to introduce yet another new rifle later this year, the service confirmed this week.
The XM8 carbine is the latest weapon expected to be field-tested by soldiers as early as October, an Army spokesperson told Task & Purpose. The Army’s Program Executive Office did not immediately respond to questions Thursday about the rifle.
The service only standardized the M7 as its primary rifle last year, but the XM8 is not intended to replace it. Instead, it is being developed as a companion weapon.
Since awarding a 10-year Next Generation Squad Weapon contract to Sig Sauer in early 2022, soldiers have tested the M7 — formerly the XM5 — and the M250 automatic rifle, intended to replace the M4 and M249, respectively. The “X” designation indicates the weapons were in the experimental phase before standardization.
The program aimed to move away from decades-old 5.56mm and 7.62mm ammunition in favor of weapons that chamber 6.8mm, which the Army’s contract release in 2022 said would “increase accuracy and (be) more lethal against emerging threats.”
The Army began fielding the M7 in 2023, but it was not until May 2025 that the service officially designated it as the standard-issue rifle to replace the M4, according to an Army release.
Still in early development, the XM8 is being designed as a carbine — which is typically lighter and shorter — version of the M7, making it easier for soldiers to move in tight spaces while using the Army’s new 6.8mm ammunition.
The XM8 is about five inches shorter and roughly one pound lighter than the M7 and features a fixed buttstock, a Sig Sauer spokesperson confirmed to Task & Purpose.
Images of the experimental rifle gained traction online Monday after the link to a military weapons website, SoldierSystems.net, circulated on the popular Army Reddit forum.
The website’s article shared side-by-side photos of the M7 and XM8, highlighting the carbine’s more compact design. The site reported that details of the XM8 first surfaced last month, when the Army issued a new national stock number — often an early indicator that an item is entering the service’s supply chain.
As of 2024, the Army planned to purchase more than 100,000 M7 rifles and 13,000 M250s by early 2030. It remains unclear what the timeline would be for adopting the XM8, if it moves beyond testing.
In contrast to the Army’s shift toward larger-caliber weapons systems, the Marine Corps plans to retain its 5.56mm rifles, with officials telling Stars and Stripes last month it will continue fielding the M27.
