US Army moves ahead with handgun replacement programme

[Zarvan]

US Army soldiers training with the legacy Beretta M9 handgun. The service is seeking a replacement weapon under its MHS programme. Source: US Air Force
The US Department of Defense (DoD) will downselect a total of three preferred bidders in the third quarter of 2016 as its Modular Handgun System (MHS) programme continues on course despite recent calls to replace the effort with a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solution.

In April, US Army Chief of Staff General Mark Milley suggested procuring 9x19 mm Glock 19 handguns to replace legacy Beretta M9 handguns instead of a more complicated modified solution in line with the MHS original solicitation. The total programme could comprise a requirement for up to 500,000 weapon systems destined to equip army, navy, and air force personnel as well as the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).

Speaking to IHS Jane's at the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC) in Tampa, Florida, industry sources explained how the DoD had received a total of 12 bids in February in response to the XM17 MHS Request for Proposals (RfP) published in September 2015.

Entrants are understood to include Beretta's APX, Ceská zbrojovka's CZ P-09, FN Herstal's Five-Seven Mk 2, General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GDOTS) and Smith & Wesson's M&P polymer handgun; the Glock 17 and 22; and Sig Sauer's P320. However, sources informed IHS Jane's that the DoD had yet to make a final decision regarding calibre of the MHS, although 9x19 mm and .40 calibre appear to be favourites at the moment.

One defence source suggested that .45-calibre weapons appear to have been discounted because of size, weight, and accuracy issues. Most manufacturers are therefore supplying weapon systems in a range of calibres as part of their bids.

The DoD has now begun an evaluation programme of the 12 weapon systems. A downselection to three is expected to be made in August, leading the way into a nine-month production verification test (PVT) programme. Following the successful conclusion of the PVT, a preferred bidder will be selected ahead of low-rate initial production and first deliveries to US armed forces.

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http://www.janes.com/article/60814/us-army-moves-ahead-with-handgun-replacement-programme

 

[saaditreen]

 

[Amaa'n]

US Army soldiers training with the legacy Beretta M9 handgun. The service is seeking a replacement weapon under its MHS programme. Source: US Air Force
The US Department of Defense (DoD) will downselect a total of three preferred bidders in the third quarter of 2016 as its Modular Handgun System (MHS) programme continues on course despite recent calls to replace the effort with a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solution.

In April, US Army Chief of Staff General Mark Milley suggested procuring 9x19 mm Glock 19 handguns to replace legacy Beretta M9 handguns instead of a more complicated modified solution in line with the MHS original solicitation. The total programme could comprise a requirement for up to 500,000 weapon systems destined to equip army, navy, and air force personnel as well as the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).

Speaking to IHS Jane's at the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC) in Tampa, Florida, industry sources explained how the DoD had received a total of 12 bids in February in response to the XM17 MHS Request for Proposals (RfP) published in September 2015.

Entrants are understood to include Beretta's APX, Ceská zbrojovka's CZ P-09, FN Herstal's Five-Seven Mk 2, General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GDOTS) and Smith & Wesson's M&P polymer handgun; the Glock 17 and 22; and Sig Sauer's P320. However, sources informed IHS Jane's that the DoD had yet to make a final decision regarding calibre of the MHS, although 9x19 mm and .40 calibre appear to be favourites at the moment.

One defence source suggested that .45-calibre weapons appear to have been discounted because of size, weight, and accuracy issues. Most manufacturers are therefore supplying weapon systems in a range of calibres as part of their bids.

The DoD has now begun an evaluation programme of the 12 weapon systems. A downselection to three is expected to be made in August, leading the way into a nine-month production verification test (PVT) programme. Following the successful conclusion of the PVT, a preferred bidder will be selected ahead of low-rate initial production and first deliveries to US armed forces.

Want to read more? For analysis on this article and access to all our insight content, please enquire about our subscription options　ihs.com/contact




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(346 of 590 words)

http://www.janes.com/article/60814/us-army-moves-ahead-with-handgun-replacement-programme

interestingly all the handguns mentioned above are strike fired and not hammer fired -----why ??

 

[Zarvan]

interestingly all the handguns mentioned above are strike fired and not hammer fired -----why ??

What's the difference ?

 

[Amaa'n]

What's the difference ?

one is enclosed, less debris going inside (striker fired) for other one the mechanism is open & exposed to dust

 

[Zarvan]

U.S. Army and Air Force Agonize Over Picking a New Handgun

The Beretta M92 ranks at the bottom of all the firearms used by the U.S. Army and Air Force—but it'll take the Pentagon years to field a replacement.

By Kyle Mizokami
May 31, 2016
The Department of Defense will soon chose three finalists in a competition to be the U.S. Army and Air Force's new sidearm. One of the three finalists could go on to outfit all of the services, with total sales of of 500,000 handguns—but not before the Pentagon bureaucracy makes it as long and complicated as possible.

The Modular Handgun System (MHS) is a $17 million dollar effort to replace the aging Beretta M92 handgun. First adopted in the 1980s, the U.S. Army's Berettas are beginning to wear out. The M92 is also a product of another time, and hasn't kept up with recent advances in pistol technology.


The first requirement is that the new handgun surpass the M92 in accuracy, reliability, ergonomics, durability, and maintainability. In a 2006 report on U.S. infantry weapon reliability, the M92 scored at the bottom compared to the M4 carbine, M16 rifle, and M249 squad automatic weapon. In every category, from handling to accuracy to maintainability, the M92 came in dead last—or tied for last. Twenty-six percent of soldiers polled reported their weapon jammed while shooting at the enemy. Forty-six percent reported they didn't have confidence in their pistol's reliability.

Glock 17.
The MHS will also incorporate new advances in infantry small arms. The pistol will have a modular grip system, a recent development that involves interchangeable, different-sized grip panels to accommodate larger or smaller hands. This has become an important feature as the percentage of women in the military—who tend to have smaller hands—has jumped 50 percent since the 1980s when M92 was adopted.

The handgun will have an integral MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny Rail underneath the barrel, allowing the attachment of gadgets such as flashlights and lasers. It will also have a threaded barrel to accommodate a suppressor and should have low recoil.

Currently there are twelve bidders for the contract, including the Beretta APX,Ceská Zbrojovka's CZ P-09, FN Herstal's Five-Seven Mk 2, General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GDOTS) and Smith & Wesson's M&P polymer handgun; the Glock 17 and 22; and Sig Sauer's P320. An updated version of the M9, the Beretta M9A3, was rejected by the Army and won't be involved in the competition.

Sig Sauer P320.
The pistol's caliber is still up in the air. Nine-millimeter and .40 Smith & Wesson appear to be the top contenders, with FN's 5.7-millimeter pistol also in the running, shooting a bullet that hadn't been invented when the M92 was first fielded. The venerable .45 ACP round, used for decades with the M1911A1 pistol, appears to have been disregarded due to the round's perceived heavy recoil.

The selection process—beset by the Pentagon bureaucracy—is progressing at a snail's pace. First begun in 2015, the MHS program will chose three semifinalists in August, with a nine month evaluation process to follow. A winner will be picked afterward, with the winning entry to go into "low rate production." That means it will be at least another thirteen months before any pistols are delivered to the military.

The program's complexity has been stifling, prompting complaints from the Army's top general and Congress. The paper outlining the MHS's requirements runs a ridiculous 350 pages. Senator John McCain described the handgun selection process as "byzantine", and Army Chief of Staff General Mark Miley complained in March, "We're not figuring out the next lunar landing. This is a pistol. Two years to test? At $17 million?" Miley claimed he could walk into a Cabelas outdoors store with $17 million dollars and buy a handgun for every person in the military.

FN Herstal Five-seven.
Miley may be exaggerating on how many pistols he could buy—even with a 20 percent bulk discount, $17 million would still only score you 40,000 Glock 17 pistols—but he's not wrong about the guns themselves. Practically every entrant for the Modular Handgun System is already on the lucrative civilian market in the United States, owned by thousands—in some cases, such as the Glock 17—by millions. The selection should be a fairly easy choice.

For most gun owners, buying a new handgun is a quick process that takes no more than a few hours scrutiny. For the Pentagon, it's a process that requires hundreds of pages of paperwork and years of hand-wringing before even finalists can be named.

Via Janes.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/mil...my-air-force-closer-to-selecting-new-handgun/
@balixd

 

[Amaa'n]

U.S. Army and Air Force Agonize Over Picking a New Handgun

The Beretta M92 ranks at the bottom of all the firearms used by the U.S. Army and Air Force—but it'll take the Pentagon years to field a replacement.

By Kyle Mizokami
May 31, 2016
The Department of Defense will soon chose three finalists in a competition to be the U.S. Army and Air Force's new sidearm. One of the three finalists could go on to outfit all of the services, with total sales of of 500,000 handguns—but not before the Pentagon bureaucracy makes it as long and complicated as possible.

The Modular Handgun System (MHS) is a $17 million dollar effort to replace the aging Beretta M92 handgun. First adopted in the 1980s, the U.S. Army's Berettas are beginning to wear out. The M92 is also a product of another time, and hasn't kept up with recent advances in pistol technology.


The first requirement is that the new handgun surpass the M92 in accuracy, reliability, ergonomics, durability, and maintainability. In a 2006 report on U.S. infantry weapon reliability, the M92 scored at the bottom compared to the M4 carbine, M16 rifle, and M249 squad automatic weapon. In every category, from handling to accuracy to maintainability, the M92 came in dead last—or tied for last. Twenty-six percent of soldiers polled reported their weapon jammed while shooting at the enemy. Forty-six percent reported they didn't have confidence in their pistol's reliability.

Glock 17.
The MHS will also incorporate new advances in infantry small arms. The pistol will have a modular grip system, a recent development that involves interchangeable, different-sized grip panels to accommodate larger or smaller hands. This has become an important feature as the percentage of women in the military—who tend to have smaller hands—has jumped 50 percent since the 1980s when M92 was adopted.

The handgun will have an integral MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny Rail underneath the barrel, allowing the attachment of gadgets such as flashlights and lasers. It will also have a threaded barrel to accommodate a suppressor and should have low recoil.

Currently there are twelve bidders for the contract, including the Beretta APX,Ceská Zbrojovka's CZ P-09, FN Herstal's Five-Seven Mk 2, General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GDOTS) and Smith & Wesson's M&P polymer handgun; the Glock 17 and 22; and Sig Sauer's P320. An updated version of the M9, the Beretta M9A3, was rejected by the Army and won't be involved in the competition.

Sig Sauer P320.
The pistol's caliber is still up in the air. Nine-millimeter and .40 Smith & Wesson appear to be the top contenders, with FN's 5.7-millimeter pistol also in the running, shooting a bullet that hadn't been invented when the M92 was first fielded. The venerable .45 ACP round, used for decades with the M1911A1 pistol, appears to have been disregarded due to the round's perceived heavy recoil.

The selection process—beset by the Pentagon bureaucracy—is progressing at a snail's pace. First begun in 2015, the MHS program will chose three semifinalists in August, with a nine month evaluation process to follow. A winner will be picked afterward, with the winning entry to go into "low rate production." That means it will be at least another thirteen months before any pistols are delivered to the military.

The program's complexity has been stifling, prompting complaints from the Army's top general and Congress. The paper outlining the MHS's requirements runs a ridiculous 350 pages. Senator John McCain described the handgun selection process as "byzantine", and Army Chief of Staff General Mark Miley complained in March, "We're not figuring out the next lunar landing. This is a pistol. Two years to test? At $17 million?" Miley claimed he could walk into a Cabelas outdoors store with $17 million dollars and buy a handgun for every person in the military.

FN Herstal Five-seven.
Miley may be exaggerating on how many pistols he could buy—even with a 20 percent bulk discount, $17 million would still only score you 40,000 Glock 17 pistols—but he's not wrong about the guns themselves. Practically every entrant for the Modular Handgun System is already on the lucrative civilian market in the United States, owned by thousands—in some cases, such as the Glock 17—by millions. The selection should be a fairly easy choice.

For most gun owners, buying a new handgun is a quick process that takes no more than a few hours scrutiny. For the Pentagon, it's a process that requires hundreds of pages of paperwork and years of hand-wringing before even finalists can be named.

Via Janes.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/mil...my-air-force-closer-to-selecting-new-handgun/
@balixd

depends what they are looking for 9mm vs .40 is a tough call, .40 will knock down the assailant , while 9mm is going to take more --- but then again with 9mm you get 18 + 1 in G17 ..... lets see how it goes , all are best in their class .....

 

[Zarvan]

depends what they are looking for 9mm vs .40 is a tough call, .40 will knock down the assailant , while 9mm is going to take more --- but then again with 9mm you get 18 + 1 in G17 ..... lets see how it goes , all are best in their class .....

Why trigger in Glock seems be divided into two or at least on bottom ?

 

[MilSpec]

interestingly all the handguns mentioned above are strike fired and not hammer fired -----why ??

CZ p09 is DA/SA with Hammer pistol. It's polymer frame of the proven CZ75 legacy.

 

[Thorough Pro]

Hammer fired have external (exposed) hammer that strikes the firing pin. You can fire the gun in SA (single action) or DA (double action modes.
Single Action: Hammer is cocked manually, normally on the first shot and then by the slide action on subsequent shots, pulling the trigger only releases the hammer to strike the firing pin.

Double action: pulling the trigger, first cocks the hammer and then immediately releases it to hit the pin in one action.

If the gun misfires due to hard primer, just cock the hammer manually again and pull the trigger, same round will be fired. If it was a hang fire and it goes off while you are cocking the hammer, you and gun are safe.

Striker fired do not have an external hammer, rather an internal striker which can not be cocked manually, you will have to rake the slide. in case of misfire, you'll need to rake the slide to cock the striker and in the process a new round will be chambered. if it was a hang fire and it goes off while you are raking the slide it will severely damage the gun and may cause serious bodily injury.

What's the difference ?

Trigger safety, gun won't fire unless trigger is pulled

Why trigger in Glock seems be divided into two or at least on bottom ?

 

[Amaa'n]

CZ p09 is DA/SA with Hammer pistol. It's polymer frame of the proven CZ75 legacy.

my bad, i missed out on CZ P09 being there ---- i will call it the updated CZ 75 Phantom or big brother of CZ p07 , both available in pakistan market but at an insane price -----

 

[Arsalan]

interestingly all the handguns mentioned above are strike fired and not hammer fired -----why ??

Consider the places they usually USE there guns
You will get some idea!

Why trigger in Glock seems be divided into two or at least on bottom ?

It not two triggers, the off shoot you see is a safety mechanism, a safety trigger!!
It is quite infamous mechanism in Glock anyway. People do question how much SAFETY it actually provides, nothing really!! Specially in case of a miss use scenario!
On other hand, it is OK when it comes to accidental discharge (which for me is what actually matter, i do not expect someone to grab a gun from my hand and then do not know how to go around the safety of beratta or any other gun ).

What's the difference ?

Surprised you asked that.
EDIT: Already answered. Still i believe you may find this useful. These include some main advantages and disadvantages.

 

[C130]

geeze U.S high command making this harder than it should be.

just buy modernized M1911s

or FNP-45

 

[ali_raza]

depends what they are looking for 9mm vs .40 is a tough call, .40 will knock down the assailant , while 9mm is going to take more --- but then again with 9mm you get 18 + 1 in G17 ..... lets see how it goes , all are best in their class .....

i used smith n wessen.it got locked automatically after fire.my friend said his gun is also same is it designed like that or just setting issue plz help

 

[Amaa'n]

i used smith n wessen.it got locked automatically after fire.my friend said his gun is also same is it designed like that or just setting issue plz help

any picture of the shell getting stuck?? is it a Failure to feed - next ammo not loaded into chamber or Failure to Eject - the empty case gets stuck by the extractor?
which ammo are you using,
one common problem was also coming in MP9 related to FTE