Author Topic: US Military To Bring Back .45 ACP (Read 1013 times)

lgm270 · « **on:** February 02, 2006, 07:18:12 AM »

Good news! The Dept. of Defense is getting rid of the 9mm and returing to the .45 ACP for US military handguns.

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htweap/articles/20060127.aspx

rockbilly · « **Reply #1 on:** February 02, 2006, 12:02:17 PM »

This has been in the works for quite a while. Many of the 1911s that were in storage have been pulled out, serviced, and issued to the troops in Iraq. Several of the special warfare units have purchased .40 Sigs for their troops. There is a very good possibility that the new sidearm for our military will be a motifyed version of the Sig P220. :roll:

farmerboyMT · « **Reply #2 on:** February 02, 2006, 03:26:15 PM »

Speaking of which what was the standard issue military 9mm? My sister is looking to buy a pistol and was showed one by one of her friends. When I asked her what the brand was she said "Its a military gun". So now I have to figure out what exactly that is.

slave · « **Reply #3 on:** February 02, 2006, 05:43:12 PM »

Farmerboy,
I have been out for some time now but Beretta had a large 9mm contract.

cattleskinner · « **Reply #4 on:** February 03, 2006, 08:27:06 AM »

The military's standard issue sidearm is a Beretta 92, or as it's designated for the military it's a M9, 9mm parabellum. Still issuing them in my unit, and doubt that we'll see any changes in makes for awhile. Have a good'un

~~~Amos

Mauser · « **Reply #5 on:** February 14, 2006, 06:17:55 AM »

About d_ _ n time! Now lets hope that the new sidearm can be manufactured in America by an American firm. I don't see where the 1911 as produced today would be such a bad choice (w/ 8 rd magazines). Who cares that its a 100 year-old design? John Browning came up with a winner. Once you get used to field stripping it and the recoil it is a great pistol (of course .45s recoil a lot no matter the pistol). They last almost forever and will keep firing under just about any condition. I like the slimmer feel of them much more than the so-called more compact models which are so "boxy."

hardertr · « **Reply #6 on:** February 14, 2006, 07:02:09 AM »

I'd put money on Glock. They would have won the contract Beretta has now..but they were a little slow on the draw. I'll even go a step further and say we settle on a 40 over the 45. I just don't see many of our "female soldiers" being able to qualify with a 45.

I don't understand the whole "be able to take a silencer" comment. We don't (and doubtedly ever will) use silencers on our main-stream weapons.

PeterF. · « **Reply #7 on:** February 14, 2006, 08:05:53 AM »

This is sort of old news. It was talked over pretty thoroughly in the .45APC/1911 Forum, below, starting back in August last year (although a lot of that discussion got into the efficacy and legality of various types of ammo). It seems SOCOM is looking at buying a bunch of new .45's (initial draft Request for Proposals said something like 600,000). It took me a while to find it (because the title of the procuring agency changed since the initial release), but here's a link to the spec's. http://www.fbo.gov/spg/ODA/USSOCOM/SOAL%2DKB/H92222%2D05%2DR%2D0017/Attachments.html Go to this link and open the first Attachment (it's a Read Only file). For one thing, they're looking for DA/SA or DAO actions ... no Single Action Only, like the 1911 ... and there's various sub-requirements re. decockers, internal safeties, external safeties, etc. Have fun. Peter F.

unspellable · « **Reply #8 on:** February 15, 2006, 07:14:17 AM »

Does this mean that as tax payers we will have the privilege of paying union scale for a crew to cut eleventy thousand Berettas in half with a torch?

hardertr · « **Reply #9 on:** February 15, 2006, 07:27:16 AM »

I'd imagine they will be "donated" to the Iraqi police force and new Army.

Ocsamschainsaw · « **Reply #10 on:** February 15, 2006, 12:27:28 PM »

What Unspellable said.
I'd imagine there are quite a few 1911's in storage around the country-been to a marine base when I was VERY young, I forget the name, was near Oceanside California....they still had more grease guns in there than you could shake a stick at.
Of course they also make this decision after they've been torching 1911's for quite some time...
What a wonderful use of our taxpayer money the cutting torch is!
As for making them American..
if a U.S. company can make the best damned pistol there is for the least amount of money....then yeah, I'd support that. Otherwise, I'd hate to see our troops get shortchanged on a buy american concept...Think, in a truly good administration, the money saved on a better, cheaper foreign design could go towards more body armor.
Of course, reality rears its ugly head once again in that any money saved will probably go towards more slush funds/pork/etc., but...hey..I can dream.

rockbilly · « **Reply #11 on:** February 15, 2006, 03:24:46 PM »

:cry: While stationed at Robbins AFB, GA back in the mid 60s, my troops cut up several 55 gallon drums of 1911s, hundreds of shotguns, carbines, we also cut up several 55 gal drums of .38 snubbies. They were destroyed to the point that not even a screw could be reused. One youngster stole several guns, when we couldn't accout for them a full scale investigation was launched. They spent 50k to find the guns, and then jailed the guy that stole them.

Needless to say, I cried a million tears as I watched all that history being destroyed...........