US Army wants a newside arm

[Thəorətic Muslim]

The U.S. Army is seeking a new gun.
After about 30 years of using the Beretta as the primary sidearm pistol for the U.S. military, the Pentagon is seeking a new gun contract.

For gun manufacturers, this kind of a contract is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

While the Beretta lasted three decades, the U.S. military's first semiautomatic standard-issue sidearm, the M1911 from Colt, lasted nearly 90 years. It was issued during the U.S. war in the Philippines through the World Wars to Vietnam and beyond.

No wonder manufacturers are already starting to line up. An Army spokesman told CNNMoney that a request for proposal for a new standard-issue sidearm is going out in January.

After 30 years with the Beretta M9, the U.S. Army is looking for a new standard-issue sidearm.


Smith & Wesson (SWHC) and General Dynamics (GD) have announced that they are entering the M&P, a popular pistol, into the competition.

Beretta told CNNMoney that it too is entering the contest.

Related: Gun sales boomed in November

Any contract with the U.S. Army is a big deal, and not just because American soldiers will be carrying them for many years. But guns chosen by the military achieve cult status, used as iconic weapons in James Bond and other action movies, and become highly desirable among civilian gun owners too.

James Bond, played by Pierce Brosnan here, wields a Colt, used by the U.S. Army for 90 years.
The Beretta M9, used by the U.S. Army since 1985, is manufactured by a 500-year-old Italian company, which has a factory in Maryland. The Beretta was the "lethal weapon" in the 1987 box office hit action movie "Lethal Weapon."

Gabriele de Plano, vice president of marketing military sales for Beretta, said his company has sold 600,000 M9s to the Department of Defense, mostly for use by the Army. It currently has a contract to sell 20,000 more.

The aluminum-framed Beretta's main competitor has beenthe Glock, an Austrian-made, partially polymer pistolthat went mainstream with its appearance in "Die Hard."

The lightweight Glock revolutionized handguns, with its innovative design using polymer, or plastic, in the handle and frame, instead of metal or wood. The Glock has since become one of the most popular handguns used by cops, as well as civilians.

The Army has not specified whether it wants these lighter plastic-framed handguns. But it already made that switch for rifles during the Vietnam War, when it swapped its heavy wood-and-metal M-14 for the mostly plastic M-16, and eventually switched to an even lighter and more compact rifle, the currently-issued M4.

Related: Ferguson-area guns sales surge

Smith & Wesson's M&P pistol, which will be entering the competition, is made primarily of plastic.
Smith & Wesson seems to believe the Army would want to go plastic. The company says that its polymer M&P pistol is a good fit for the U.S. Army, which is looking for "a new modular handgun system that can be easily adjusted to fit all hand sizes."

Polymer pistols have become increasingly popular as lightweight and ergonomic,particularly among women, a fast-growing demographic among gun users.



First Published: December 3, 2014: 1:51 PM ET

U.S. Army wants a new gun to replace Beretta - Dec. 3, 2014

 

[Burhan Wani]

Go for FN five seven.BTW S&W is not bad candidate.

 

[C130]

I'm curious on how often a soldier would ever need to retort to a sidearm in actual combat???
there are more pressing needs in the army than a new handgun in my opinion.

 

[Burhan Wani]

I'm curious on how often a soldier would ever need to retort to a sidearm in actual combat???
there are more pressing needs in the army than a new handgun in my opinion.

Sir. A handgun is very important for close quarter combat and surgical strike because of maneuverability and light weight.

 

[C130]

Sir. A handgun is very important for close quarter combat and surgical strike because of maneuverability and light weight.

spec-ops sure. but you always can go in the sub machine gun and M4 and HK-416

but does it justify buying a whole another gun and switching calibers again?

 

[Burhan Wani]

spec-ops sure. but you always can go in the sub machine gun and M4 and HK-416

but does it justify buying a whole another gun and switching calibers again?

To switch caliber is not a big issue USA always have huge budget. I recommended Five seven because it is deadliest and very effective.

 

[Thəorətic Muslim]

I'm curious on how often a soldier would ever need to retort to a sidearm in actual combat???

Usually not many times other than in CQB or to sustain fire on a target.

Sometimes on the shooting range after my magazine runs out I switch to the M9 just to feel cool.

Anyways the Army will send out a Request for Proposal. It might turn out that the Army keeps the M9, which is unlikely, allot of top brass want it changed as they feel 30 is too much to have the same weapon. But this was a long time coming. The Army wants a Modular Handgun System, since 2005.

1. The Army wants a gun that's long lasting and doesn't begin to have it's sides crack. M9's core components, firing, trigger, etc degrade over time. If your going to replace a weapon, why not with something better?
2. The M9 was adopted when the Military was Male oriented, now women are joining. The pistol needs to fit in the hands of more range of soldiers.
3. Some soldiers complain that the 9mm can't drop enemy combatants in CQB now with modern Body Armour.

Anyways the US Military could buy 400,000 of the new sidearms.

 

[AMDR]

FNX .45 would be a good competitor

 

[HttpError]

Beretta looks so sexy specially the silver version, they may find a better performing sidearm but they can't find a better looking sidearm than Beretta

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

how about BB guns?

 

[jhungary]

I'm curious on how often a soldier would ever need to retort to a sidearm in actual combat???
there are more pressing needs in the army than a new handgun in my opinion.

Very

I have pull my sidearms in almost every encounter i have when i was fighting in Iraq.

Sidearms are good for 3 things

- Hard to grab in close quarter
- Always faster than reload
- Handy when you try to change target. Say you are shooting downrange at your 12, another target show up at your 3, its easier to pin the target at 12 and pull your side on the 3 then to swing your M4 around and engage the target at your 3. They have a word for this move but i forgot about it like years ago

Usually not many times other than in CQB or to sustain fire on a target.

Sometimes on the shooting range after my magazine runs out I switch to the M9 just to feel cool.

Anyways the Army will send out a Request for Proposal. It might turn out that the Army keeps the M9, which is unlikely, allot of top brass want it changed as they feel 30 is too much to have the same weapon. But this was a long time coming. The Army wants a Modular Handgun System, since 2005.

1. The Army wants a gun that's long lasting and doesn't begin to have it's sides crack. M9's core components, firing, trigger, etc degrade over time. If your going to replace a weapon, why not with something better?
2. The M9 was adopted when the Military was Male oriented, now women are joining. The pistol needs to fit in the hands of more range of soldiers.
3. Some soldiers complain that the 9mm can't drop enemy combatants in CQB now with modern Body Armour.

Anyways the US Military could buy 400,000 of the new sidearms.

I think they start issuing female soldier with P226, could be a rumor tho

 

[Thəorətic Muslim]

I think they start issuing female soldier with P226, could be a rumor tho

Issuing different weapons to females than males!?!?!?!?! How dare you, its MEN like you, who think women are inferior that we feminists are fighting against. Sigh this male dominated society can not succeed in the 21st century. What century do you live in?

 

[Penguin]

Five full-sized polymer handguns that should make Glock nervous

 

[black-hawk_101]

The U.S. Army is seeking a new gun.
After about 30 years of using the Beretta as the primary sidearm pistol for the U.S. military, the Pentagon is seeking a new gun contract.

For gun manufacturers, this kind of a contract is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

While the Beretta lasted three decades, the U.S. military's first semiautomatic standard-issue sidearm, the M1911 from Colt, lasted nearly 90 years. It was issued during the U.S. war in the Philippines through the World Wars to Vietnam and beyond.

No wonder manufacturers are already starting to line up. An Army spokesman told CNNMoney that a request for proposal for a new standard-issue sidearm is going out in January.

After 30 years with the Beretta M9, the U.S. Army is looking for a new standard-issue sidearm.


Smith & Wesson (SWHC) and General Dynamics (GD) have announced that they are entering the M&P, a popular pistol, into the competition.

Beretta told CNNMoney that it too is entering the contest.

Related: Gun sales boomed in November

Any contract with the U.S. Army is a big deal, and not just because American soldiers will be carrying them for many years. But guns chosen by the military achieve cult status, used as iconic weapons in James Bond and other action movies, and become highly desirable among civilian gun owners too.

James Bond, played by Pierce Brosnan here, wields a Colt, used by the U.S. Army for 90 years.
The Beretta M9, used by the U.S. Army since 1985, is manufactured by a 500-year-old Italian company, which has a factory in Maryland. The Beretta was the "lethal weapon" in the 1987 box office hit action movie "Lethal Weapon."

Gabriele de Plano, vice president of marketing military sales for Beretta, said his company has sold 600,000 M9s to the Department of Defense, mostly for use by the Army. It currently has a contract to sell 20,000 more.

The aluminum-framed Beretta's main competitor has beenthe Glock, an Austrian-made, partially polymer pistolthat went mainstream with its appearance in "Die Hard."

The lightweight Glock revolutionized handguns, with its innovative design using polymer, or plastic, in the handle and frame, instead of metal or wood. The Glock has since become one of the most popular handguns used by cops, as well as civilians.

The Army has not specified whether it wants these lighter plastic-framed handguns. But it already made that switch for rifles during the Vietnam War, when it swapped its heavy wood-and-metal M-14 for the mostly plastic M-16, and eventually switched to an even lighter and more compact rifle, the currently-issued M4.

Related: Ferguson-area guns sales surge

Smith & Wesson's M&P pistol, which will be entering the competition, is made primarily of plastic.
Smith & Wesson seems to believe the Army would want to go plastic. The company says that its polymer M&P pistol is a good fit for the U.S. Army, which is looking for "a new modular handgun system that can be easily adjusted to fit all hand sizes."

Polymer pistols have become increasingly popular as lightweight and ergonomic,particularly among women, a fast-growing demographic among gun users.



First Published: December 3, 2014: 1:51 PM ET

U.S. Army wants a new gun to replace Beretta - Dec. 3, 2014

Will these guns along with M-16s A1A2A3A4 being given to ANA or Pakistan Police.???

 

[ptldM3]

Why not adopt the same gun the Navy uses or to be more precise the Navy seals and EOD? It is a Navy custom made P226 with some unique features such as anti corrosion coating. Sigs are some of the highest quality firearms there are, not cheap but high quality and with the high orders the price will be cheaper.