The Army is looking for a new side arm

[GaryS]

And Smith and Wesson is looking to win the contract.

Smith & Wesson takes aim on Army pistol contract

And I got all excited, thinking that surely they'd propose an all metal gun. You know, resurrect the 3rd Gen .45 with all of the late revisions and upgrades.

Then my hopes were dashed,

“In terms of where we’re investing our resources and most of our capital expenditures to increase capacity, it’s all behind the M&P polymer family,” Debney said.
Smith & Wesson has not identified the model it will pitch to the Army but has said it will come from the M&P line.

I'd think that a Melonite version of the 4506 or 4566 would be perfect, but obviously S&W thinks otherwise.

Polymer frames for the military?

 

[Hubcap91]

I know this is blasphemy on a smith forum, but I think the SIG p320 would be the best choice. Imo the modularity of that gun makes it a frontrunner. Replacing a broken frame only costs civilians $50. Hard to beat that.

 

[redlevel]

I heard that a feller name of John Brown, or maybe Browning, had a design that came out a few years back, and that Colt was manufacturing the guns. Supposed to be a fine fighting pistol.

 

[the ringo kid]

I heard that a feller name of John Brown, or maybe Browning, had a design that came out a few years back, and that Colt was manufacturing the guns. Supposed to be a fine fighting pistol.

My sentiments exactly.

 

[GaryS]

Just what the military needs. A gun that never runs right out of the box, is fussy about which magazines it uses, and needs custom work not to jam.

Perfect.

I heard that a feller name of John Brown, or maybe Browning, had a design that came out a few years back, and that Colt was manufacturing the guns. Supposed to be a fine fighting pistol.

 

[Grayfox]

The article wouldn't come up for me. However, from what I've heard before, the Army is looking into a modular design which is readily adaptable to various size hands, missions and easily repaired in the field.
When you consider all the stuff soldiers carry these days, weight is also a factor.
While I don't care for plastic guns, I have to admit that polymer does seem to be the way to go here.
I just hope they go back to something in .45acp.

 

[Bkreutz]

I think the decision has already been made. I don't know who it is, but if the procurement process is the same as it's been for over 100 years, the decision is made before the first prototype is built. All this "competition" is just for show.

 

[e3mrk]

How many 200 year old plastic Pistols do You think there will be?

 

[mstem]

If they do go with an M&P I hope the triggers a better than the one on my M&P9. It should be a crime to let a gun out the factory with a trigger that sorry. Then S&W tells me, yeah, we will fix it for $129.00

I should have gotten a Taurus!

 

[The Last Standing Knight]

Personally, I think all of this is smoke and mirrors.
Battles are not won with handguns. Despite how we all feel about them, this is the plain, simple truth.
While I agree that the Beretta's time has come, most military occupational specialties do not require a handgun as a T.O. weapon. Pistols are more a badge of rank than anything else for most troops. If the military is going to adopt a new one, then EVERYONE should be trained and issued one IN ADDITION to the main weapon; a rifle. The military has NEVER really trained rank and file troops on the pistol. Only billets like Spec Ops and the like receive that.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

Let's not forget that 2016 is an election year, so a new crop of congress critters and administration types will have a lot of say so in any military procurement contract.

Whatever the military decides on will be what politicians decide is best, whether the military wants it or not, and it will be produced by the company having production facilities in places represented by those who vote for the deal (let's not even start talking about campaign contributions or extended "fact finding missions" to exotic locations with fine golf courses, paid for by lobbyists representing manufacturers seeking government contracts. Nobody can lose facts like congress critters and bureaucrats).

I want to move back to America. If anybody hears a rumor about where they hid my country please let me know so I can start packing up my stuff. And save boxes for me, please.

 

[Arik]

How many 200 year old plastic Pistols do You think there will be?

Wait 200 years and find out. It's not like all 1911s are a 100 years old

 

[ATF]

The decision will ultimately be made on which manufacturer provides the best "incentive"

Polymer is the way to go and the M&P is very popular and utterly reliable and simple to strip. Even a full set of spare guts could be carried and changed in minutes. It's a great gun and I'd really like to see it chosen over Glock. Who cares if plastic fantastic high capacity guns aren't around in 200 years. Nobody here will be around either

 

[rwsmith]

I hope they get it.....

The fix is probably already in but I hope they get a gov. contract. At least as long as they don't throw civilian customers under the bus like some other companies do.

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

The military has NEVER really trained rank and file troops on the pistol. Only billets like Spec Ops and the like receive that.

Don't know much about it, but isn't that the same for rifles? I thought that only the Marine Corps took rifle marksmanship seriously for everyone, and I reckon some Marines will tell us that even that isn't completely true.

 

[Abbynormal]

Typical US Army, same old **** we've been hearing since 1986!

 

[The Last Standing Knight]

Don't know much about it, but isn't that the same for rifles? I thought that only the Marine Corps took rifle marksmanship seriously for everyone, and I reckon some Marines will tell us that even that isn't completely true.

It is true in basic training. That is where fundamentals are taught on marksmanship. While during field training at the ITR, other weapons were demonstrated and fired. But in boot camp, it was always the rifle and marksmanship. This even held true when qualification came around in the fleet.
However, the tactical doctorine of fire and maneuver was pretty much more about spray and pray and providing cover rather than precisely aimed shots. Yes, there was room for that, but infantrymen are not supposed to be snipers. And I can guarantee when you are doing an assault under fire the last thing you are going to be worried around is breathing control and squeezing the trigger.

 

[Big Stick]

I know this is blasphemy on a smith forum, but I think the SIG p320 would be the best choice. Imo the modularity of that gun makes it a frontrunner. Replacing a broken frame only costs civilians $50. Hard to beat that.

You don't actually believe that the military is going to get the same low pricing as the civilian market, do you?

As far as a polymer framed gun being around in 200 years? Its not going to rust or biodegrade...... and I can see some salty old Gy Sgt, with a cigar in his teeth, carrying one to back up his phased 200 watt plasma rifle......

 

[DeathGrip]

They shoulda never stopped making the Remington New Army.

 

[ladder13]

Just what the military needs. A gun that never runs right out of the box, is fussy about which magazines it uses, and needs custom work not to jam.

Perfect.

ALL my Colts work straight out of the box with factory mags.

Propaganda coming out of the S&W semi-auto section.

Go to the 1911Forum, you'll hear a whole different story.