Posted on 08/03/2014 9:04:43 PM PDT by AlmaKing
Dumping Beretta
Last month, the Army announced plans for an "industry day" at which gun manufacturers such as Smith & Wesson , Sturm, Ruger , Colt, and Glock would be invited to show their wares and compete for a new contract. Its objective: to replace the M9 Beretta semiautomatic pistol.
The U.S. Army holds more than 200,000 M9 Berettas in its inventory. If it proceeds with plans to use a new handgun, tentatively monikered the "Modular Handgun System," all of these M9s could soon be replaced. In fact, Military.com reported that if other armed services follow the Army's lead, one lucky gun company could soon receive an order for as many as 400,000 handguns -- a significant contract in an era of declining civilian handgun sales .
According to Military.com , the Army's main concerns with the M9 are that it's insufficiently accurate, lethal, and reliable for the service's purposes. That's not entirely Beretta's fault. Project officer Daryl Easlick at the Army's Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, Georgia, was quoted in the Military.com article as saying that many of the Berettas it has in inventory today are "old," adding that "it's costing us more to replace and repair M9s than it would cost to go get a new handgun."
Some critics cite a lack of killing power in the M9. Simply put, the 9mm full-metal jacket round fired from a Beretta M9 isn't big enough to stop and drop every opponent a soldier encounters. This raises the odds of the Army's next standard-issue handgun being a .45 caliber weapon such as the M1911, which Beretta's M9 replaced in Army service in 1985. Lots of companies make .45 caliber weapons that the military could consider and companies might be submitting news designs for the Modular Handgun System.
(Excerpt) Read more at nasdaq.com ...
I have owned several P-226s, a single P-220 and a single P-225
The Sigs fit my hands better than anything other than the Browing Hi-Power. The Browning is still a fine pistol but it’s time has passed. No decocker, single action only, a bit of a complex trigger but that trigger is what allows that great grip.
I would be happy as an iced hog with the Sig P-227 in .45 auto. One of the advanced H&Ks in .45 might also be the right thing.
Oddly enough, the PK was .32 caliber, used by police and the PPK .380 a favorite of Nazi party wheels.
You might look at the Kel Tec 9 mms and Ruger LC9, or the even smaller LCP if you like that caliber. I have a Beretta Tomcat .32 I like very much, DA/SA.
Or the Springfield XDS in 9 mm. The trigger on the Walther is circa 1944. Otherwise a classic piece, but heavy.
yes the specs show heavy i like the smooth.
I’m with ya.
I’ve had my Beretta for almost 20 years, and it still is a great shooting weapon.
And, I CCW it almost every day.
Yes, it is in the Geneva Convention under use of expanding or “dum dum” bullets as they used to be called.
Interesting. But with fmj you lose some of the advantages of a larger caliber. I suppose there is more penetration, if that’s what they are looking for.
Geneva Convention requires FMJ ammo. Thus the movie. I have many rounds of mil-surp ammo in many calibers, it is all FMJ.
Maybe the author will read this thread. And cry.
The Dem/libs have been engaging in a steady push to infringe on our right
to keep and bear arms for decades. And this is how it has been working out
for them in the last two decades...
And in the last two months... (Nov. 2012 and Dec. 2012)
And it continues...
And there is more...
And more...
MOLON LAVE! WE'LL BUY MILLIONS MORE. ;-)
“What kind of tests did the Pentagon put the Beretta through that they couldn’t figure it out before they decided to buy it?”
I have read that the major criterion was that it had to be “compatible” with the NATO countries. Since they all use 9mm, we settled on that round. Beretta makes fine guns, but 9mm was a step backward for our military.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for these facts!
“Apparently, it’s been fine since 1986 or so according to the article. Then, all of a sudden, it’s not good enough.”
It was never fine. They discarded the 1911 for one reason: women couldn’t handle it.
Bring it back, and keep women 500 miles from combat.
“It might even be required by some treaty or convention.”
It is.
“Declining civilian handgun sales? Say what?”
Just look at the stats! Last year there were 21 million background checks done by the feds. Since most states don’t require a BG check to by a rifle or a shotgun, most of those checks were preparatory to the purchase of a handgun. Our local gun retailer has a 50 unit backlog on the new Glock 42 and Glock is only able to supply two guns per month. From what I have seen, if the gun you want isn’t in the dealer’s inventory, you’re in for a wait. And last year, AR’s were in such short supply that the manufacturers wouldn’t even give you a delivery date. Here in California, with all of our nonsensical gun laws, citizens bought nearly 700,000 guns last year.
i think they’ve had field complaints about the open slide and sand and crap building up in them quickly.
lcp comes in both 38 +p and 357
Not to be a buzzkill, but that could have been done with a flintlock from a couple centuries earlier.
An effective military sidearm is not an emotional choice or should it be one based on tradition. Unless it is a damn good tradition, like stone cold reliability and effectiveness.
Someone ought to develop a semi-auto in 45 caliber.
That should have some stopping power.
Congress should conduct a study!
They should get a phased plasma pistol in the 40 watt range.....
I think the old M1911A1s I worked on before we switched to the M9 were all pretty much worn out junk, but what do I know? I just repaired them. We definitely saw fewer M9s come through my shop after the switch than we did M1911s before. It was not even close. The only M9s that I remember working on were ECOD jobs that were crushed by tank turrets and stuff like that. M9s have been very accurate and very reliable in my experience. The biggest problem is that they are 9mms but that is what the military required. The only reliability issues I know of with M9s were early model slide failures that occurred after 20,000 rounds (beyond the specified life of the firearm) and feeding issues because the military decided to go cheap and bought non-Beretta magazines that did not do well in the sand. I believe that both problems have since been rectified. I personally own a couple of fairly high end 1911s and a stock civilian M9 (Beretta 92FS). I have not shot either 1911 in a couple of years but the 92FS goes to the range with me pretty much every time and I tend to shoot very well with it. YMMV.
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