The Beretta M92 ranks at the bottom of all the firearms used by the U.S. Army and Air Force—but it'll take the Pentagon years to field a replacement.
The Department of Defense will soon chose three finalists in a competition to be the U.S. Army and Air Force's new sidearm. One of the three finalists could go on to outfit all of the services, with total sales of of 500,000 handguns—but not before the Pentagon bureaucracy makes it as long and complicated as possible.
The Modular Handgun System (MHS) is a $17 million dollar effort to replace the aging Beretta M92 handgun. First adopted in the 1980s, the U.S. Army's Berettas are beginning to wear out. The M92 is also a product of another time, and hasn't kept up with recent advances in pistol technology.
The first requirement is that the new handgun surpass the M92 in accuracy, reliability, ergonomics, durability, and maintainability. In a 2006 report on U.S. infantry weapon reliability, the M92 scored at the bottom compared to the M4 carbine, M16 rifle, and M249 squad automatic weapon. In every category, from handling to accuracy to maintainability, the M92 came in dead last—or tied for last. Twenty-six percent of soldiers polled reported their weapon jammed while shooting at the enemy. Forty-six percent reported they didn't have confidence in their pistol's reliability.
The MHS will also incorporate new advances in infantry small arms. The pistol will have a modular grip system, a recent development that involves interchangeable, different-sized grip panels to accommodate larger or smaller hands. This has become an important feature as the percentage of women in the military—who tend to have smaller hands—has jumped 50 percent since the 1980s when M92 was adopted.
The handgun will have an integral MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny Rail underneath the barrel, allowing the attachment of gadgets such as flashlights and lasers. It will also have a threaded barrel to accommodate a suppressor and should have low recoil.
Currently there are twelve bidders for the contract, including the Beretta APX, Ceská Zbrojovka's CZ P-09, FN Herstal's Five-Seven Mk 2, General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GDOTS) and Smith & Wesson's M&P polymer handgun; the Glock 17 and 22; and Sig Sauer's P320. An updated version of the M9, the Beretta M9A3, was rejected by the Army and won't be involved in the competition.
The pistol's caliber is still up in the air. Nine-millimeter and .40 Smith & Wesson appear to be the top contenders, with FN's 5.7-millimeter pistol also in the running, shooting a bullet that hadn't been invented when the M92 was first fielded. The venerable .45 ACP round, used for decades with the M1911A1 pistol, appears to have been disregarded due to the round's perceived heavy recoil.
The selection process—beset by the Pentagon bureaucracy—is progressing at a snail's pace. First begun in 2015, the MHS program will chose three semifinalists in August, with a nine month evaluation process to follow. A winner will be picked afterward, with the winning entry to go into "low rate production." That means it will be at least another thirteen months before any pistols are delivered to the military.
The program's complexity has been stifling, prompting complaints from the Army's top general and Congress. The paper outlining the MHS's requirements runs a ridiculous 350 pages. Senator John McCain described the handgun selection process as "byzantine", and Army Chief of Staff General Mark Miley complained in March, "We're not figuring out the next lunar landing. This is a pistol. Two years to test? At $17 million?" Miley claimed he could walk into a Cabelas outdoors store with $17 million dollars and buy a handgun for every person in the military.
Miley may be exaggerating on how many pistols he could buy—even with a 20 percent bulk discount, $17 million would still only score you 40,000 Glock 17 pistols—but he's not wrong about the guns themselves. Practically every entrant for the Modular Handgun System is already on the lucrative civilian market in the United States, owned by thousands—in some cases, such as the Glock 17—by millions. The selection should be a fairly easy choice.
For most gun owners, buying a new handgun is a quick process that takes no more than a few hours scrutiny. For the Pentagon, it's a process that requires hundreds of pages of paperwork and years of hand-wringing before even finalists can be named.
#1: Gatlin To: Willie Green (#0)
Gatlin posted on 2016-06-01 19:54:03 Reply Private Reply
#2: Stoner To: Willie Green (#0)
But, I would choose .45 ACP, not the 9mm. Maybe .40 S&W. But I am a 1911 guy.
Stoner posted on 2016-06-02 07:14:35 Reply Private Reply
#3: GrandIsland To: Stoner (#2)
I personally prefer the .45 acp... but the .40 S&W is a good compromise between satisfactory energy levels and sliming a double stack handgun grip down for the smaller hands.
GrandIsland posted on 2016-06-02 08:04:30 Reply Private Reply
#4: Justified To: Willie Green (#0)
Spray and pray(large mag)
Penetration(magnums)
One shot stopping power(caliber and weight).
45cal would be best
40cal is suitable
9mm is status quo
5.7mm is specialty round IMHO
Justified posted on 2016-06-02 08:17:15 Reply Private Reply
#5: Stoner To: GrandIsland (#3)
So, I guess in some cases a 9mm is still OK, but not for front line duty.
" We ain't arming rap stars and gang bangers who spray and pray. " LOL !! Let that bunch kill each other.
Stoner posted on 2016-06-02 08:57:04 Reply Private Reply
#6: Stoner To: Justified (#4)
Would have to agree. It is the most combat proven pistol round. It is what I carry.
Stoner posted on 2016-06-02 08:59:59 Reply Private Reply
#7: misterwhite To: Justified (#4)
1) Made in the USA?
If Trump is President.
misterwhite posted on 2016-06-02 09:06:50 Reply Private Reply
#8: BobCeleste To: Willie Green (#0)
BobCeleste posted on 2016-06-02 09:28:42 Reply Private Reply
#9: BobCeleste To: Stoner (#5)
I am convinced
Stoners Daughter; I am convinced
That as FaceBook, Chobani yogurt, obama and the US Congress bring more an more muslim refugees to the USA, I have a message for all females in the US, white, black, yellow, and red.
Girls, ignore the obamites, the democrat, the gop, the ruling political class, the media, and the police.
Always carry a revolver. Revolvers leave no casing with your finger prints lying around. A H&R .32 magnum is nice as is a .38 or a .22WMR.
Ladies and teen girls, understand and remember this:
Rapist do not have day planners, rapist do not tell family and friends they are going out to find a girl to rape.
Rapist do not rape in crowds or where they think anyone will come along and see the rape or hear your screams.
Girls, Shoot and walk away.
Leave the rapist for the fowls of the air and the beast of the field.
Go home, have a good cry, a glass of wine and thank GOD you ignored the forces of the democrat and the political ruling class, and thank God Almighty that He allowed you to destroy one more rapist. Oh ya, don't forget to clean that revolver and replace the spent rounds.
In the last fifty years there has not been one woman, in the USA, raped who was armed at the time of the attempted rape, NOT ONE.
BobCeleste posted on 2016-06-02 09:31:10 Reply Private Reply
#10: Stoner To: BobCeleste (#9)
Stoner posted on 2016-06-02 10:26:27 Reply Private Reply
#11: redleghunter To: Justified, BobCeleste (#4)
As Bob posted earlier, the ladies in droves are buying guns, getting to certification courses and love shooting on weekends or whenever they can. I am no longer amazed (even in Texas) of the number of women I see at the range who are there because they want to be there and not because their man dragged them there. :)
redleghunter posted on 2016-06-02 10:31:55 Reply Private Reply
#12: BobCeleste To: Stoner (#10)
BobCeleste posted on 2016-06-02 12:35:15 Reply Private Reply
#13: BobCeleste To: redleghunter (#11)
I can find nothing in the Bible that say that a girl is lie back and take it.
BobCeleste posted on 2016-06-02 12:36:45 Reply Private Reply
#14: Stoner To: BobCeleste (#9)
Well, if she does not take the Hi Power, I have several Mod 36's she can can choose from. Loaded with Fed Hydra Shoks, can do a good job. In my AO, only 32 I have seen is a Charter Arms, 2". Does not look bad, priced around $300.
Never shot one. What is it like? Comparable to a 38? Biggest problem, in my AO, is supply of ammo. Can always mailorder I guess. But do not know if it has an appreciable advantage over the 38, which I already have.
Stoner posted on 2016-06-02 13:36:36 Reply Private Reply
#15: GrandIsland To: misterwhite (#7)
GrandIsland posted on 2016-06-02 17:08:06 Reply Private Reply
#16: BobCeleste To: Stoner (#14)
Comes with either a 3.5 or 6 inch barrel. I shot a 80 coyote kill it dead with one round.
BobCeleste posted on 2016-06-02 17:20:44 Reply Private Reply
#17: BorisY To: BobCeleste (#9)
Make
America
safe
great
again
love
boris
BorisY posted on 2016-06-03 14:38:04 Reply Private Reply
#18: BobCeleste To: redleghunter (#11)
I am teaching combat attack shooting to men and WOMEN in sand pits on private property in the middle of nowhere.
My goal is, exactly what happened outside of Orlando Florida in 1967, leave so many dead rapist and drug dealers for the fowls of the air and the beast of the field that the press and the police cannot continue to ignore the dead bodies stripped of all valuables.
No where in God's word are we told to allow women to be raped or our children and grandchildren be subject to mexican drugs.
If the g0vt won't fight back, then we must.
BobCeleste posted on 2016-06-04 07:19:36 Reply Private Reply
#19: BobCeleste To: BorisY (#17)
If you are volunteering to proof read for me, fine, if you are simply being critical, leave me alone.
BobCeleste posted on 2016-06-04 07:28:53 Reply Private Reply