Pictures of Ukrainian SOF guys have recently circulated amid the Russian invasion. Some speculate that these MCXs are in the hands of NATO forces but after some research, we concluded (and verified) that these rifles are contract guns for high-speed Ukrainian troops.

The Sig SRD556QD suppressor used on this build is a discontinued model because of issues with the latch working loose. We have not had problems thus far but maybe that's because it often gets carbon locked and hardly moves at all! While it looks kind of funny, we will say that it's one of the quietest 5.56 suppressors we have shot to the point that our shot timers have to be at the ejection port to pick up any sound whatsoever, so they do work well.

As with duty guns and most of our builds, SureFire is the go-to light. The SureFire M600 Scout is simple, durable, and runs on common CR123 batteries. While there are many aftermarket mounts for the Scout Footprint, the standard Picatinny clamp does the job.

On this particular rifle, we chose to go with the SureFire ST07 pressure pad mounted at 11:30 with the provided velcro. This frees up space on the top rail and still allows for consistent light activation.

This DBAL-A2, also known as the AN/PEQ-15A, is a proven laser from Steiner. The rear-facing switches make this a strong candidate for anyone looking to get into full-power lasers.

The 11.5" MCX barrel has a 1/7 twist. This is a standard twist rate for most professional rifles as the slower revolutions help to stabilize heavier military-grade ammunition like 62gr MK318 SOST or 77gr MK262.

The SD rail that the Ukrainians chose creates more airflow and space between the shooter's hand and the barrel. This keeps temperatures down and allows removal of the handguard without detaching the suppressor. This may not always be needed but when cleaning the adjustable gas block, it comes in handy. Like most rifles, we chose to attach the sling to the rear of the handguard.

Vertical grips are also a bonus for the shooter — this places our wrist at a more comfortable angle to pull the gun back into our shoulder. We opted for the Unity Tactical vertical grip on this setup.

The optic we have seen the most on these rifles is the Aimpoint Comp M4. While it may not be the newest or most compact optic on the market, the Comp M4 is built like a tank and boasts an impressive 80,000 hour battery life.

In addition to the Comp M4, we've been seeing Aimpoint magnifiers. The magnifier we chose is an Aimpoint 3x with their twist mount, so instead of flipping the magnifier to the side the monocular is removed when not in use. As with anything, there are pros and cons — on one hand, the magnifier can't be bumped out of the way or into your field of view by accident. If the magnifier is installed, you essentially have a fixed 3x optic and it's not going to accidentally be anything different.

On the other hand, if you want to make a quick change to your optics, it is not as fast as throwing the magnifier in the other direction. The shooter will need to keep their kit organized so that the monocular can be located and installed in a pinch. Concepts like this always come down to training. If you want to be proficient with anything, you need to train it, get reps, and become comfortable with your tools, because if you suck, you suck.

Whatever you choose to go with, keep in mind that a magnification tool is a force multiplier. If you carry binoculars, a rangefinder, or an optic magnifier, you can gain a lot of information just by seeing further. It is always a bonus when you can shoot with the magnification tool, but that's a topic for a different time.

The MCX platform displays the growth of our industry in many ways. One thing we will note is the acceptance of QD points built into the gun. The lower on this rifle has two QD points milled out. For right-handed shooters, we install the sling to the right-hand side of the gun. This pulls the gun closer to the body when slung and keeps bulk to a minimum.

The MCX iron sights may not be recognized by all these days but with the growing popularity of Sig rifles, we are confident that they will become a staple on military rifles. First observations show that they do lock in the up position and are easy to adjust. They feel a lot like the Troy battle sights but with less bulk.

The stock on this rifle is one of our favorite options for the MCX — this telescoping stock is slim, sturdy, and sits tight against the gun when folded. Some of the other MCX options are nonadjustable, while there is a place for those stocks, we like to have some adjustment when shooting in different positions. This is also a big deal when working with changing eye relief. If the magnifier is removed, we have unlimited eye relief, but when the magnifier is installed we will have to shoot with our eyes closer to the optic to meet the eyebox of the magnifier. With the adjustable component to the stock, we simply have more options.

Keep in mind, nothing is absolute and this is merely our interpretation of a Ukrainian SOF 11.5" MCX gathered from a number of pictures circulating around the internet.

Build List

In addition to this in-depth loadout article, you can watch our full video on it below!

If you have any questions about this build or others you see on our website, please feel free to contact our customer service team at [email protected].