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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 ...
Now to pictures. Haven’t been the best at it. Great if anyone beats me to it.
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(img src=”http://media.townhall.com/_townhall/uploads/2015/7/1/14.jpg";>
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Detonics is either the bought name or remnants of an old company that made possibly the first of the mini-.45 ACP 1911s.
Cool - even has a bottle opener!
I wonder if they offer a phased plasma rifle in the 40-watt range?
If only Smith and Wesson would make a modular version of their M & P pistol, I think it would be the front runner.
Is that a bottle opener sticking out the back?
Some of the requirements look suspiciously like attempts to make the gun friendly to small stature soldiers.
Other things, just about any pistol can meet or be easily adapted to. For instance the ability to handle different capacity magazines is inherent to nearly all current automatics.
Obama will make sure it only shoots Blanks
Cool - even has a bottle opener!
You can use the mag latch on a Ruger .22 auto for a bottle opener.
It looks like they’re all striker fired or LEM, no hammer. Seems like they’re making a gun that will be compromise for women and men (especially with the grip that will fit 90% of hand sizes.)
Not pretty but at least I wouldn’t feel bad about using it to pound in a tent spike.
caliber specific .45 acp
When only the best will do.
Combat Commander clones required.
No, that’s a shoehorn
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