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Old December 7, 2018, 04:50 PM   #1
bp22
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military handgun choice discussion

I thought I would start this discussion and see how other shooters view my thoughts, would it not make a lot of sense to put glock or m&p 2.0 the military handgun, my basis for this is low cost firearms that go bang all the time and if one needs repair it's relatively easy to fix. they are both combat accurate. just a thought , lets hear your thoughts.
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Old December 7, 2018, 05:30 PM   #2
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The Sig is a fine gun. But I also think the Glock or M&P would do exactly the same thing. I'll end up with one of the Sigs eventually, I did rent one and tried it out.

Other than being different I don't see that it offers anything over the M&P. The military specified a thumb safety. M&P does offer that option and both of mine have it. The Glock does not normally, but I understand the version tested by the military did. I'm waiting for a civilian version of the Sig with the safety just like the military version. I've seen one, but it was priced pretty steep compared to the standard 320.
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Old December 7, 2018, 06:05 PM   #3
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Based on the parameters of the question, if I had to choose between a Glock17/19 and the S&W M&P9 2.0, I'd choose the S&W every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

The S&W is just all around a better gun than the Glock, with better ergonomics, a better trigger, equal capacity, better than or equal accuracy and reliability, for significantly less money. Also, I like the fact that at no time during the take-down process do I have to pull the trigger on the S&W. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

If I could change one thing about the S&W, it'd be the length/width of the thumb safety; it should be about a quarter-inch shorter and about an 1/8th of an inch narrower, IMO. Lower profile, I guess. Which is nit-pickery really, but after having put nearly 7,000 rds through my two M&Ps, that's just how I feel.

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Old December 7, 2018, 06:19 PM   #4
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Yeah it makes sense, those pistols also have longer track records than the Sig does. The Army brass liked the Sig because they thought switching frame sizes, barrels, etc. was modular when really all the military needed was a pistol with a rail that you could swap a threaded barrel onto in two frame sizes: full size for combat and compact for guards, officers, and women.

I think the Sig P320 will work fine, but I think a caliber change is necessary. The military wants longer range, better barrier penetration and 9mm doesn't do it. That 7.5FK BRNO cartridge fits the bill and why every pistol manufacturer is not coming up with a polymer pistol in that chambering befuddles me.
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Old December 7, 2018, 08:23 PM   #5
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It might "make sense" but that's not how US govt procurement works.
If the total procurement cost is $$$$$$$, then picking a gun that's
"low cost firearms that go bang all the time and if one needs repair it's relatively easy to fix. they are both combat accurate" is only part of the acquisition calculus.

And if the acquisition is $Billions, then it gets incredibly political.
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Old December 7, 2018, 08:56 PM   #6
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Glocks have been in use by several elite US military units for some time. The US Marines MARSOC issue the Glock as their duty sidearm. Since 2015. Designation 'M-007'. Pretty wise choice, as you can't go wrong with having 17-20 rounds of 9mm on your calf ready at a second's notice during the heat of a firefight.

Quote:
It might "make sense" but that's not how US govt procurement works.
If the total procurement cost is $$$$$$$, then picking a gun that's
"low cost firearms that go bang all the time and if one needs repair it's relatively easy to fix. they are both combat accurate" is only part of the acquisition calculus.
Historically, governments have had a tendency of being behind the times. Always. For some reason, decision-makers who are removed from the front lines and give orders exclusively from climate-controlled rooms and big wooden desks always have the tendency to go the route of "I am right...You don't know anything.......I know what is best".

In 1863, the US Department of Ordnance had two handguns to choose as their official sidearm: The Colt 1860 revolver or the Remington Model 1858. The Ordnance Dept. went with the Colt, even though front line officers and soldiers, frontier scouts, law enforcement officials, prison guards, private security contractors, and many others all attested to the Remington being far more rugged and reliable than the Colt. And the Remington was cheaper than the Colt, by the difference of 9 cents per gun, which during that time was a hell of a big deal. Yet, the Army went with the Colt. Simply because Samuel Colt himself has a private audience with the President and the Patent Dept. And as a stroke of marketing genius, Colt was known to present senators and Ordnance Dept. guys with cased sets of engraved revolvers. Colt won the approval simply because they were better advertisers and the government liked a lot of bling and sparkles.

Remington Arms Co. on the other hand? They were only concerned about making products that work. The Model 1858 New Army (actually, to be historically accurate, it is the Model 1863) was the Glock of it's day. It ain't pretty, but it is built to get the job done. Many privately funded units in the Union Army, like the Chicago Board of Trade Independent Battery Light Artillery, issued Remingtons to their troops, because they tend to be more closer to the grit and grime of the action and they know what kind of tools work best for the job they are doing.
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Old December 8, 2018, 09:25 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TXAZ View Post
It might "make sense" but that's not how US govt procurement works.
If the total procurement cost is $$$$$$$, then picking a gun that's
"low cost firearms that go bang all the time and if one needs repair it's relatively easy to fix. they are both combat accurate" is only part of the acquisition calculus.

And if the acquisition is $Billions, then it gets incredibly political.
As it did with the Glock vs Sig 'decision'..low ball offer from Sig before the testing complete=sale. Too bad the Sigs needed modifications as soon as they were delivered to the military.

And for the post right below..yup, $ talks..particularly with military procurement...
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Old December 9, 2018, 11:57 AM   #8
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It probably depends on who's getting kickbacks from whom.

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Old December 11, 2018, 08:54 PM   #9
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Old December 11, 2018, 09:56 PM   #10
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Quote:
The military specified a thumb safety. M&P does offer that option and both of mine have it. The Glock does not normally, but I understand the version tested by the military did.
I might be a bit behind on this, but the last test I heard about, GLock didn't enter, specifically because of the requirement for a thumb safety, and they refused to do so.

I have also heard a rumor that GLock does, or did produce one of their pistols with a thumb safety for some small nation's contract. However, I don't have any other details or any shred of proof.

If any of you do, please share.
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Old December 12, 2018, 02:26 PM   #11
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Handguns in the military are primarily status symbols. Secondary self-defense tools at most.
In any case, weapon procurement is a political thing that has little or nothing to do with what the military thinks.
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Old December 12, 2018, 02:50 PM   #12
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I find it a bit humorous that folks are still debating the MHS outcome.

It's never an issue of "what's best." Nor should it be.

The bid that met the contract requirements for the lowest cost won.
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Old December 13, 2018, 08:43 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bp22 View Post
I thought I would start this discussion and see how other shooters view my thoughts, would it not make a lot of sense to put glock or m&p 2.0 the military handgun, my basis for this is low cost firearms that go bang all the time and if one needs repair it's relatively easy to fix. they are both combat accurate. just a thought , lets hear your thoughts.
"What handgun should the US military use?" is a fine morass to get into.

Quote:
my basis for this is low cost firearms that go bang all the time and if one needs repair it's relatively easy to fix.
There's going to be much more to it than that. Logistics, parts support. Soldier tech training at various levels. "Technical package" for the gun(s). Licensing, patents and intellectual property (because other people are probably going to make it too). And, "is it made in Representative X's district?" kinds of considerations..

Quote:
combat accurate
a euphemism
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Old December 13, 2018, 05:47 PM   #14
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There was no reason to switch from the Beretta, in fact it was a massive waste of taxPAYer funds as the entire training, logistic system was in place already. There wasn't any practical gain made by switching, especially with a platform that sees such little use.

PS
As far as glocks 'going bang every time', I've had more than one fail, just as multiple agencies have.
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Old December 13, 2018, 07:02 PM   #15
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The United States puts in “requests for proposal” for all kinds of instruments every year, ranging from MREs to spacecrafts that will go to the Mars. The military decided the old sidearms were too old, and wanted new ones. They also explicitly wanted a modular firearm in the RFP — “a non-caliber specific weapon with modular features to allow for the adaption of different fire control devices, pistol grips, and alternate magazine options.” (Quoted from the Wikipedia page on the process).

One can debate if the military needed a new firearm, or if they really required a modular firearm, but it looks to me that the SIG 320 was the only real modular sidearm that was submitted to the proposal.
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Old December 13, 2018, 09:36 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by grinner View Post
The United States puts in “requests for proposal” for all kinds of instruments every year, ranging from MREs to spacecrafts that will go to the Mars. The military decided the old sidearms were too old, and wanted new ones. They also explicitly wanted a modular firearm in the RFP — “a non-caliber specific weapon with modular features to allow for the adaption of different fire control devices, pistol grips, and alternate magazine options.” (Quoted from the Wikipedia page on the process).

One can debate if the military needed a new firearm, or if they really required a modular firearm, but it looks to me that the SIG 320 was the only real modular sidearm that was submitted to the proposal.
No debate at all, it was/is a waste of money.
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Old December 13, 2018, 10:36 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bp22:
military handgun choice discussion...I thought I would start this discussion and see how other shooters view my thoughts, would it not make a lot of sense to put Glock(s) or (the) M&P2.0 (in) the military handgun (armories?)
It would make so much sense for the Army’s ACO to negotiate IDIQ subcontracts with Glock, S&W, and also Sig for their combat and police sidearm requirements. Set the contracts up with the individual gun manufacturers and then let the individual military commands decide which guns they want to use. It would make so much common sense which is why the military in general (no pun intended), and the Army Acquisition Command in particular, would never do it.

The military wants Commercial Off-The Shelf (“COTS”) standardization at the highest common denominator, with everything it buys, particularly with weapons systems. The gun manufacturer, in this case Sig, will give their guns practically at cost or at a loss, while making a bundle from all of the support requirements that are rolled up into the prime contract. This includes accessories, lights, holsters, cans, ammo, spare parts, training support including instructors, manuals and training aids for the soldiers carrying & using the guns, and for the armorers fixing & maintaining the guns. It’s called logistics lifecycle support and it’s what every military subcontractor desperately wants to get when they support the military with whatever the military buys.
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Old December 15, 2018, 02:22 PM   #18
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Colt M45A1 for the win.
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Old December 16, 2018, 01:33 PM   #19
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Quote:
Handguns in the military are primarily status symbols. Secondary self-defense tools at most.
In any case, weapon procurement is a political thing that has little or nothing to do with what the military thinks
The recent years have seen a drastic change in the type of battlefield being faced by the modern soldier. In a traditional open field fight with equally matched combatants with infantry long arms, pistols are symbols of authority for officers.

Today's battlefield is highly unconventional. You have a lot of combatants utilizing 5th generation tactics. No uniforms, ambushes, blending in amongst civilians. To flush them out involves a lot of close-quarters fighting in urban settings. Today's soldier, especially in the war on terrorism, is more of a policeman and SWAT operative rather than a traditional grunt. I would choose a Glock or a Sig over a M-16 any day if I am doing house clearing operations in Kandahar or Baghdad. That plus a FN-PS90 or another SBR for longer range or AP purposes.

The future of the front line soldier will cross paths with that of a law enforcement officer. Today's soldiers already have to learn to operate far more hi-tech electronics, biometric equipment, scanners etc... than their ancestors.
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Old December 16, 2018, 06:04 PM   #20
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Dude, go .45 hardball ... or just go home.
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Old December 17, 2018, 11:11 AM   #21
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Quote:
Colt M45A1 for the win.
I know you're being facetious, but this is the classic example of project procurement requirements that are completely detached from reality.

Almost as soon as these pistols were adopted, they were essentially withdrawn from service. Just another waste of taxpayer money from a system with painfully little effective oversight.
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Old December 19, 2018, 07:12 PM   #22
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Quote:
Handguns in the military are primarily status symbols. Secondary self-defense tools at most
Not where I was....two man bunkers, slit trenches, 4-holer latrines, shower points, cockpits, jeep rides...and in one instance, up a tree! At enlisted and field grade officer levels, in the jungles where I served, a handgun was life insurance, and arguably, more effective than any carbine in the above listed environs. YMMV, but grant me this opportunity to differ. Rod
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Old December 24, 2018, 03:04 PM   #23
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If handguns are primarily status and secondary self def3nse tools, why did the DoD purchase over 600,000 M9s and continue to purchase M17s? Their view of pistols must be different than the average person.
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Old December 25, 2018, 07:05 AM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Seven High
If handguns are primarily status and secondary self def3nse tools, why did the DoD purchase over 600,000 M9s and continue to purchase M17s? Their view of pistols must be different than the average person.
They have become more than just status symbols, but they are still a pretty small aspect of the military. The "battlefield" dynamics have changed over the years, and the front-lines are much more blurred. Additionally, there are more dynamic roles where handguns become a more appropriate arm...not necessarily the most effective, but more fitting for the roles.

Several occupations don't require a rifle all the time, but I still agree with the premise that service members should always be armed, even if for just the warrior ethos state of mind. My only doubts involve training and trigger time...something most service members don't get enough of and even less so with handguns. Over my career, I would easily spend more time and train with more ammo over a month on my own than I would in a two-three year period with my issued M9.

While the new Sigs are nice, I'm far more impressed with the issued handguns of the Belgian's; the FN Five-Seven. Most of the other coalition forces I work with have issued Glocks (the Germans and Mongolian forces have HKs)...and the Danish are still packing their P210s!

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Old December 25, 2018, 10:21 AM   #25
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A comment made during the selection of the M911 .45 went something like:

"I'll remind you gentlemen, the arm of the Cavalry is the carbine, not a pistol."


Far as I'm concerned, the Army should have stayed with the old Colt/Browning M1911A1 .45 ACP.

Or maybe the M1909.


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