Glocks replace BHP's in the UK

[Texas Star]

I had a PM on another, non-gun board from a friend in the UK. She is a distinguished Prof. Emeritus of History, married to a retired Royal Navy officer, a Sea Harrier pilot in both Gulf wars.

I asked her to ask her husband which sidearm he was issued, as I read somewhere that RAF pilots had gotten Walther PPK .32's to replace their Browning 9mm's. (A RAF pilot I asked denied this, and said that it didn't happen in his unit or any that he knew about.)

The RN pilot confirmed that he carried only the Browning over his career, but added that it was replaced in 2013 by Gen. 4 Glock M-17's. He def. specified the Gen. 4 thing, which his wife hoped that I'd understand, as her firearms experience is limited to shotguns. I assured her that I know what that means...

They added that a firm in Harrogate in Yorkshire got the contract to procure the 9mm's from Glock. The ex-pilot added a list of personnel who are issued the guns, and it includes most RN people in advanced bases in Afghanistan.

Of course, most Royal Navy ships have pistols in their armories for officers leading boarding parties, etc. and the Royal Marine Fleet Defence Force, commandos ,and SBS use them.

Although he reported from a RN standpoint, I suspect that Army and RAF units have followed suit. I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who knows more.

 

[JaPes]

Go to the Glock forum. The news and pictures of it have been up there for weeks.

Just one word of caution: it's a rough crowd over there.

 

[27 Man]

Traded a BHP for a Glockomatic? Blasphemy!

 

[Absalom]

The SAS traded the BHP for the SIG P 226 in the early 1990s; various other units followed suit. For several years it was expected that the SIG would replace the BHP as the standard sidearm in all branches, but relatively recently, the decision was made to instead go with the Glock 17, designation L131A1, first replacing any remaining BHPs and ultimately the SIGs also.
I am not privy to any info on the decision-making process, but it was probably based on cost and logistics. Also, the Glock had been the service pistol of the police forces in Britain and Northern Ireland since the 1990s.

 

[ATF]

The SAS traded the BHP for the SIG P 226 in the early 1990s; various other units followed suit. For several years it was expected that the SIG would replace the BHP as the standard sidearm in all branches, but relatively recently, the decision was made to instead go with the Glock 17, designation L131A1, first replacing any remaining BHPs and ultimately the SIGs also.
I am not privy to any info on the decision-making process, but it was probably based on cost and logistics. Also, the Glock had been the service pistol of the police forces in Britain and Northern Ireland since the 1990s.

Yes this is correct. The Glock 17 was introduced on a trial basis in 2013 to replace Sigs. I believe Glock has been adopted for new weapons now however a lot of Sigs remain in service.

 

[lawandorder]

Now if all of those unloved BHPs will migrate over to the colonies..............