Army looking for a new handgun

Nemo288

Nemo288

Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2011
Messages
2,385
Reaction score
1,530
Location
Badgerland
Army Wants a Harder-Hitting Pistol

Makes me wonder what will happen to the 200K Berettas.
Given the present "thinking" in Washington, they will probably melt them down.
Now if the Army is in charge of this maybe they will sell them.
And what will happen to availability if S&W wins this contract?
Why not a 7 or 8 shot 357 Mag revolver? Or a Coonan?
Coonan .357 Magnum 1911 Semi-Automatic Pistol
Whatever, this is going to be interesting to any handgun enthusiast.

---
Nemo
 
Last edited:
Register to hide this ad
S&W already has just what the Army needs:
trr8.jpg

Of course, they will need FMJ 357 ammunition.
If you can't get it done with 8 rounds of 357, it isn't going to get done with any handgun.
 
Last edited:
Another article I read on this said that the Berettas were pretty much at end of life. They've been repaired and rebuilt a number of times since they were introduced and it's felt that there service life is over.

I take that to mean that they will be surplussed for scrap only. Whether or not that's a political or military decision is something upon which I will not touch.

I wonder if they will require an all metal gun or a polymer frame? If they go with an all metal, S&W can dig out the build documents for the 3rd generation guns and have at it!
 
Last edited:
Nemo288 said:
Army Wants a Harder-Hitting Pistol
Click to expand...

Isn't there a rather lengthy thread on this already on this forum from just a week or two ago? Yes, of course there is.

But I'll throw my two cents worth in again, anyway.

The military never should have gone with the 9mm in the first place. There, I've said it again. Wonder how many people I've made mad at me this time?

The military traded stopping power and reliability for greater mag capacity, and a smaller pistol.

Time to return to the .45 acp. I used to couldn't stand Jeff Cooper, okay? His bullheadedness, his politics, and his in-your-face constant hyping of the .45 turned me against the pistol and cartridge. I stayed away from it for years and years.

Last year on a whim, I bought a new Colt Series 70 Mark IV. Then this year, I bought a 71-year old Remington Rand WWII .45. After hundreds of rounds through both of them without a single malfunction, guess what?

Jeff Cooper was right.
 

Attachments

  • 2.jpg
    2.jpg
    80.9 KB · Views: 86
The US militaru ordered almost one million of the M9's when they originally placed the 1st order. The Camadian Army is also replacing around 40,000 of our Browning pistols as well with a 45 cal I believe. I know they are being produced in Canada in Kitchener Ont at a Colt factory. They are reportly scrapping the Brownings which is wrong. Shpi;d be sold to us cheap.
 
Whatever it is it won't be anytime soon. Handguns in the military are largely symbolic and those that have been used have been a last resort. I highly doubt they're moving away from 9MM. It's the NATO round and they probably have over 10 million rounds in inventory. It sure won't be a striker fired either. Military likes safeties and TDA systems

If the berettas they have e are trashed then scrap them and buy more. They already have tons if mags and holsters. Why bother going to something new? I think they should go to the Vertec. Light rail and shorter backstrap. Same mags as the M9. What's not to like?
 
GaryS said:
Another article I read on this said that the Berettas were pretty much at end of life. They've been repaired and rebuilt a number of times since they were introduced and it's felt that there service life is over.

I take that to mean that they will be surplussed for scrap only. Whether or not that's a political or military decision is something upon which I will not touch.

I wonder if they will require an all metal gun or a polymer frame? If they go with an all metal, S&W can dig out the build documents for the 3rd generation guns and have at it!
Click to expand...

1911s were in service for over 70 years. M9 isn't going anywhere
 
ericlw said:
i don't see any reason why they can't use the 1911. why fix what isn't broke?
Click to expand...

Single action won't be coming back. And when the 1911 was issued you had to carry chamber empty and hammer down. At least the M9 allowed a chambered round
 
kbm6893 said:
It's the NATO round
Click to expand...

As a NATO infantry officer (and great friend of USA) I can only say you hit the nail on the head.

With several missions with hundreds and hundreds of other soldiers I've never really come across situations where a handgun made the difference. Oh well not true. Several dogs have been killed with handguns.

In Iraq I often did hold my pistol (SIG 210) in my hand while being in the passengers seat. Mainly because my M4 would be to hard to swing across and fire forinstance out the drivers window. The main concern was a vehicle coming up on the side and starting shooting. But beside that and also when attending meetings with locals where for political reasons visible weapons was not an option, and therefor I carried conceald, I have never seen handguns needed. Sorry I got side tracked. Any way a handgun, for a soldier, is "nice to have" but not "need", however I would not go in the field without one.

A revolver is not in any way interesting for a soldier!

I know all S&W fans will hate this but a Glock 17 or 19 would be a fine replacement. I'm still speaking as a soldier.

Caliber (9 mm versus .45) is not interesting except from what other allied bring to the battlefield so we can realy on each other when it comes to suplyes (excuse my spelling).

I've carried a M9 for some years now but am still issued the SIG 210, but as a firearms instructor I've managed to "testfire" and carry the M9 domestic, while working in the army with securitymatters. It is a fine servicepistol and it does the job (nothing else can be asked). Personaly I would pick something else (you can probably guess), but any automatic handgun in 9 mm, that is develop for service use would be ok with me. If ever it would have to be used it will be in VERY close quarter combat and caliber, stainless or not, night sights, etc. won't matter that much.

If I should address the 1911 A1 (maybe I shoulden't :cool: ) I have to say, our SIG 210 is except for the difference in caliber based on the exact same thecnics (still bad spelling, sorry). A SA only pistol is probably the stupidest thing to give a soldier (or policeofficer). I've seen my share of discharges because of this concept. Soldiers and policeofficers are not all gunnuts. A pistol that has a DA option for the first shot will be more safe:)
 
Last edited:
Instead of seeking a new gun, maybe the Army should train the troops to aim better. Shot placement is everything and a 9 is more than adequate to stop a threat. Just another example of wasteful military spending. The 1911 served splendidly for several decades and the Beretta did the job. If you don't think there's a spending problem in the Pentagon, do some research on the F-35, a boondoggle that has cost American taxpayers well over a trillion dollars. The new jet is the biggest flop since the Edsel.
 
Yes its been talked about for a while now, the Marines want the 1911 45ACP, however it is slow and lacks power and round count for the package...the 40S&W is another choice but the accelerated wear and tear of the smaller guns is a problem.

This why the 10mm would be better suited to their needs...But (poly ticks) meaning Many Blood sucking idiots will push the same bull **** 9mm this and 1911 that and 45 ancient rounds all over again rather than look at the ballistic potential 10mm brings to the shooting platform.

Manufactures would need to bring their best guns designs up to the task of delivering the true 10mm performance and round count capacity, ballistics maybe not as hot as Underwood's ammo, but close.

Then they would need real 10mm designed projectiles, not the thin in the skin 40 stuff to offer a fair contest.

They would be better served by using a quality 10mm brass with small pistol primer pocket and they will probably require a crimped in primer for harsh use.

S&W made a beautiful 10mm semiauto if it had a draw back it was that it could have held a few more rounds of the potent 10mm!

We should be so lucky, that they actually would consider our favorite cartridge for suiting their demanding needs! ;D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

echacon. 96
Army Gun Here
Replies
5
Views
922
offrdmania
offrdmania
1
Looking for production date 52-1 target pistol
Replies
3
Views
282
Model52guy
Model52guy
Golddollar
My Model 41s are getting a new brother
Replies
8
Views
746
Yendor357
Y
Redcoat3340
New to Me 459 and a Question
Replies
7
Views
546
BigBoss3006
B
R
New Life For An Old Model 52-2
Replies
6
Views
754
Dr.Bill
D

Latest posts

Back
Top