Testing to replace M9 Beretta to begin again next year

[shawn mccarver]

Here we go again.

Testing of M9 replacement to start next year | Navy Times | navytimes.com

According to an article in Navy Times, by Lance M. Bacon, dated July 23, 2013, "A three-year test and evaluation of commercial, off-the-shelf contenders will determine the best pistol to replace all 239,000 M9s and the concealable M11s."

The article contained a quote concerning how well the troops thought of the SIGMA, and that it was the "low performer" in its family, and if it was good, then the SD is better and the M&P would be the best contender in S&W's line up to replace the M9.

 

[Saudade]

It's asking me to login or subscribe.

 

[gdnagle]

Will they keep with the 9mm or go back to .45 all I get is one sentence. I've heard rumors that they are talking about going back to the .45 or was that just the Marine Corps special units?

 

[Harrison]

Why waste a lot of scarce dollars on testing. The Glock 17 is already used by militaries around the world, including many Nato members. There is already decades of experience with the Glock, it works, it is simple and uncomplicated, and inexpensive. For a compact undercover/concealment pistol there is the Glock 19. Glocks are produced in great quantities in the U.S. Why waste the taxpayers $$ trying to reinvent the round wheel.

 

[PERAZZI]

Your right, they should just give the contract to Springfield Armory.....

1911's in .45 or 9mm, or the XD series...

 

[bonjorno2]

Certain branches like the safeties involved with the M9. I highly doubt they will go away from the Army and Air Force!

 

[M29since14]

Here we go again.

You can stop right there. You just said it all.

 

[SmurfHunter]

Thought the navy was already using the sig mk25

 

[raymo2u]

well they gotta spend all that money somewhere, we dont save money in america we get rid of it faster than it comes.
itll probably get replaced by ed browns or kimbers im joking
personally i would go with the sig p226 or the fnp 45 tactical

 

[rwsmith]

There are others

It's asking me to login or subscribe.

There are other articles that say the same thing.

 

[rwsmith]

It's funny that.....

Funny that at 25 years the M9 is at the end of it's service life. How long has the 1911 been around?

I understand they may go to .40 or above. I think they have been waiting to fix the mistake they made in the first place of adopting a 9mm when ball ammo is a requirement.

 

[raymo2u]

they adopted 9mm for the amount of rounds in the magazine becuase the stress in combat the servicemen were emptying a gun of 8 rounds and hitting nothing...bigger chance with 17 rounds.

 

[OKFC05]

I was in the Pentagon on a different program when the M9 final selection was going on.
The 9mm pistol round was adopted to get NATO to accept our 5.56mm rifle round, which was opposed.
The Beretta did not actually win the testing, but was adopted to reward the Italians for buying F16s.
And if you think the services will individually or collectively agree on a handgun, and award a contract without the whole process being HIGHLY INFLUENCED by politics from the Hill and administration, you obviously never worked an acquisition program.

 

[SmurfHunter]

well they gotta spend all that money somewhere, we dont save money in america we get rid of it faster than it comes.
itll probably get replaced by ed browns or kimbers im joking
personally i would go with the sig p226 or the fnp 45 tactical

The sig MK 25 is a 226.

 

[JustAnotherGunGuy]

I will not gripe one bit, I need a few more Berettas! Get a few of them at a good price and refinish/rebuild them, I'm in!
I carried one for the last 6 years of my Army carrer and shot great with it even though it had larger grips and I have smaller sized hands.
I love my M&Ps but I also have nothing but love for the 92FS. Both platforms are just sexy in my eyes.
Besides, they are gonna find something to spend that money on no matter what. Might as well spend it on something that could have a trickle-down effect for me and fellow shooters.

 

[cb4017]

Hmm, the Army just purchased an additional 15,778 M9s September 2011 and 100,000 September 2012. Seems odd they would do that then start looking for another pistol, again..

 

[WR Moore]

You do have to replace worn out and lost equipment. Besides, some of the articles I've seen about additional orders were, if you read very carefully, orders placed through DOD by third parties-other countries.

 

[George9]

Funny that at 25 years the M9 is at the end of it's service life. How long has the 1911 been around?

I understand they may go to .40 or above. I think they have been waiting to fix the mistake they made in the first place of adopting a 9mm when ball ammo is a requirement.

It's been around for over 100 years and in service till they opted for the Beretta 9mm I think in the mid or late 80's. I seen a lot of men fear it as far as recoil goes.. John M Browning was a smart man way ahead of his time. IMO it is still one of the best close contact fighting tools made. M1 in 30.06 another great tool some fear to shoot needed lot's of training,, There is a lot less training for the Beretta 9mmm and the M4/M16 .223/55.6 NATO rounds as the M4-M16 has almost no recoil and people don't fear shooting them..IMO i would like to see a double stack .45 back in our hands and a lot more 30.06's back in service.. M4/M16 have there place too for sure..

One other thing not only is a 1911 easy to field strip but there are so few parts almost anyone can also detail strip and clean it. Great steel workhorse and fighting tool.I think a lot depends on where you're going to fight as to the tools you're going to need..
George

 

[Cardiff Kid]

The Beretta's have always been a problem in dusty/sandy environments. The open top slide lets crud fall into the magazine leading to mis-feeds. The general purpose military pistol will no doubt be 9 mm to be compatible with our NATO friends. Special Forces units will continue to use a veriety of calibers depending on the task at hand. However, this whole "testing" deal may be as big a waste of time as the trials to replace the M-16/ M-4. After years of testing and big money spent by the contestants, the Pentagon trashed the results and dictated that the M-4 would continue to be the main battle rifle of U.S. forces. It was all politics. So we will continue to equip our troops with a 50 year old design that, as with the Beretta, does not like to be run under dirty conditions and dumps unburned powder and crud into its bolt chamber.

 

[raymo2u]

sorry im an idiot, im apart of sigtalk and own a 226 navy and ive never made the connection, ive always thought it was a "special" model