Posted on 01/29/2006 11:14:04 AM PST by John Jorsett
After two decades of use, the U.S. Department of Defense is getting rid of its Beretta M9 9mm pistol, and going back to the 11.4mm (.45 caliber) weapon. There have been constant complaints about the lesser (compared to the .45) hitting power of the 9mm. And in the last few years, SOCOM (Special Operations Command) and the marines have officially adopted .45 caliber pistols as official alternatives to the M9 Beretta. But now SOCOM has been given the task of finding a design that will be suitable as the JCP (Joint Combat Pistol). Various designs are being evaluated, but all must be .45 caliber and have a eight round magazine (at least), and high capacity mags holding up to 15. The new .45 will also have a rail up top for attachments, and be able to take a silencer. Length must be no more than 9.65 inches, and width no more than 1.53 inches.
The M1911 .45 caliber pistol that the 9mm Beretta replaced in 1985, was, as its nomenclature implied, an old design. There are several modern designs out there for .45 caliber pistols that are lighter, carry more ammo and are easier to maintain than the pre-World War I M1911 (which is actually about a century old, as a design). The Department of Defense plans to buy 645,000 JCPs.
SOCOM will, with input from other branches, handle the evaluation and final selection. This will take place this year, and if the military moves with unaccustomed alacrity, troops could start getting their JCPs next year. But dont hold your breath.
IPSC PF = wt * V / 1000
Where: wt=weight in grains, and V=velocity in fps
Major is from 175 up. 200 gr. .45 bullet at 900 feet/second = 180 power factor.
Minor is from 125 to 174.999. 125 gr. 9mm bullet at 1000 feet/second = 125 power factor.
Adding the caliber to the formula gives us a yard stick for its defensive potential. This formula favors bigger calibers, and heavier bullets... But then again - IPSC's formula was weight friendly too and people can moan about hydrostatic shock but that fact is bigger caliber bullets make bigger holes.
Springfield's XD45ACP looks like it would fit the bill nicely. High capacity but avoids the problem of Glock's 45ACP grip(which is too large for a lot of people.)
http://www.springfield-armory.com/prod-xdpstl-45acp.shtml
If you're not willing to work on your pistol skills, a .45 would be an excellent choice. But I have no doubt I could "stop" someone with my 9mm just as easily as I could stop someone with my .45.
Again, this is incorrect. A case failure will send gases down the mag well and usually blow the mag out. If any damage is done, it is usually to the mag and mag catch.
A catastrophic failure would be one in which the barrel is split, frame is damage and the pistol is ruined. These have happened to any number of different pistols, H&K, Glock, Ruger... These are always the result of severely over pressured ammo.
Proof of this can be seen in the FACT that H&K pistol have much better supported chambers than do Glocks. And yet they have still had major KB's in them.
It is the ammo, not the pistol.
Makes sense to me. They also make a lot of noise!
It is a war crime. The United States of America is committed by treaty not to use these types of bullets in warfare.
Whether it SHOULD be a war crime is another matter.
"I wouldn't give a dime for one of those 9mm Berettas. I owned one and couldn't hit the side of the barn and they have no stopping power. I'd rather use a 22."
Mine is really accurate, but then again I can shoot.
I find it to be quite accurate.
America Returning To A Legend--John Browning BUMP!
I've got no problem at all with an updated .45. I'd rather have fewer rounds in the magazine if I knew those rounds were going to do something when they hit.
If you want something big.....
http://www.securityarms.com/20010315/galleryfiles/0600/601.htm
Women and pansies. I don't use mine to shoot women and pansies.
A service issue .45, particularly if worn has a main source of inaccuracy. The barrel is aligned with the sights by the barrel bushing which wears. If the .45 with the action closed allows significant movement of the barrel in the slide, then it will not shoot acccurately.
This is very easily remedied by using eitehr a new bushing or a slightly tighter National Match bushing. Less than $10.
It was a NATO thing. Lots more 9mm in the world than .45ACP. The US is the only country that used it.
Damn the metric system!
"MINI-BARRETT".........I wonder how accurate it is? I've got a video of my son at an Israeli firing range shooting a Barrett at 800 yards, very cool.
I understand that in tests in which gelatin was used to simulate human flesh, the 9mm outperformed the .45 auto. Therefore, the .45 is a less effective weapon should we be attacked by jello monsters from outer space.
I have one built by Springfield Armory and it is a pretty good shooter.
"He ain't heavy..."
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