Posted on 07/02/2015 5:49:29 PM PDT by re_tail20
We’re just a week away from the fourth and final industry day where handgun manufacturers will meet to discuss the U.S. Military’s requirements for the XM17 Modular Handgun System (MHS). The XM17 project winner will be a replacement for the venerable, but now worn-out M9s made by Beretta that have been the nation’s top military pistol for 30 years.
The meeting will take place on July 7-8 at New Jersey’s Picatinny Arsenal.
The winner of the MHS contract is expected to be awarded the contract for roughly 280,000 full-size handguns for the Army, more than 200,000 for the Navy, Air Force, and Marines, and perhaps as many as 10,000 compact variants for concealed carry by military and DoD civilain law enforcement and clandestine special operations use.
While numerous companies will be vying for the lucrative contract, it’s going to be very tough for companies to meet the demands of the contract, which are designed to obtain the best handgun possible based upon new advances in the field of combat human factors and anthropomorphic research.
Official requirements for the XM17 program include:
non-caliber specific
modular grips
grip that accepts a wide-range of hand-sizes (5th to 95th percentile)
ability to accept different fire-control devices/action types
ability to accept various magazine sizes
suppressor compatible
ability to mount “target enablers” (lights, lasers, etc) on a picatinny rail
match-grade accuracy (90% or better chance 4″ circle at 50 meters) low felt recoil impulse
You may be surprised at the top contenders… and at which popular companies don’t come close to making the cut.
STI-Detonics STX
Who?
Neither Detonics Defense nor STI are household names, nor are they even particularly well-known among other gun companies. Detonics Defense is primarily a research and development “skunkworks” focused creating designs and patents around combat...
(Excerpt) Read more at bearingarms.com ...
Back to the drawing board!
Given that Sig Sauer’s P226 lost to Beretta’s 92F by a whisker 30 years ago, and the decision to adopt the 92F was on “lower accessory prices”, I’m sort of hoping that Sig Sauer comes out on top this time, and for all the right reasons.
Looks like garbage.
M9A3 - much cheaper to do and fits the bill on what is expected in these trials.
We’re mirror opposites. I love the 1911 for accuracy, and smoothness. Second choice is the Springfield XD. I’ve never fired the Sig that everyone raves about on here, but it’s on my list.
The weapon I don’t like is the Glock. Something in the design fights a comfortable wrist position for me.
You'll lose. I've shot the Sig 320 extensively. There's nothing else in its class.
My experience also.
I pass by the Sig Academy in Exeter NH every day on the way to work.
They have a HUGE showroom in there open to the public.
A GIANT candy store for us adults.
Nice.
Without the benefit of expanding bullets, it boils down to caliber, energy, momentum and sectional density.
I love the 45, I’ve reloaded and shot 10’s of thousands of rounds but as a military round, the 10 mm has some real areas of superiority.
As far as plastic guns, I owned nothing but steel until a few years ago. Polymer is lighter, and feels better shooting. My steel guns will probably be functional a hundred years from now, the polymer guns will probably be in a landfill, I can live with that.
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