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You get to pick next US military sidearm! What would you pick and why?

70K views 572 replies 200 participants last post by  Bud 
#1 ·
You get to decide on next US military sidearm. What would you pick and why? Don't have to stay with NATO standard ammunition. Does have to be a current commercial production sidearm.
Make
Model
Caliber
Capacity
How would you spec it out?
 
#9 ·
my FN57 frame says "FNH USA Fredricksburg, VA" on the side of it. the slide does say "FN Herstal Belgium" on it as well... different components could be produced in different places. the problem with 57 ammo is price.

on the topic of the OP, if i had to decide what the service sidearm would be, i would probably just go with a FNX9 mainly because it is fully ambidextrous... costs basically the same as a glock 17 gen4, has the same capacity, a nicer trigger, and it is already setup for a decocker/saftey, comes with interchangeable backstraps for best hand fit, has a short trigger reset, and its DA/SA so training changes coming off of the m9 won't be significant, and has a nice big trigger guard for use with gloves. Additionally, FN generally has higher sights already installed on many of their pistol variants for effective use with supressors.
 
#8 ·
I'd say a sig 226 tacops 9mm. 20 round of NATO 9mm capacity, mag well, night sights, NO SAFETY only a firing pin block, all metal design, the single action trigger on the 226s are some I not the nicest trigger pull and reset around, what isn't to love although I hear the new M9A3 is gonna be sweet too!
Isn't the "de-cocker" considered the safety?

I like the gun a lot, but the grip is big. Perhaps too big for too many people's hands.

My choices would be...
1. Glock 17
2. Sig Tacops p226 9mm
3. 1911 style either 9mm or .45acp...these would be prohibitively expensive.
4. Beretta m9a4 (steel frame)
 
#10 ·
Glock 20sf or Gen4

Cooper designed 10mm - 15+1


Enough of this 9mm nonsense. If our people are going to war, give them a sidearm that can actually do some significant damage.

Standard Armed Forces bling package:

  • Threaded barrel
  • Raised night sights with rear flat section for racking
  • Multicam frame (area most visible while in holster)
  • American flag custom rear slide cover plate - full color
  • In a nice brown cardboard box because we all know how useful the standard cases are

Give them 180-200 grain ammo with some speed.
 
#13 ·
Glock 20sf or Gen4

Cooper designed 10mm - 15+1


Enough of this 9mm nonsense. If our people are going to war, give them a sidearm that can actually do some significant damage.

Standard Armed Forces bling package:

  • Threaded barrel
  • Raised night sights with rear flat section for racking
  • Multicam frame (area most visible while in holster)
  • American flag custom rear slide cover plate - full color

Give them 180-200 grain ammo with some speed.
while i do have a G20 on my kit and 5 loaded mags with hornady 180 grain xtp, i dont know that it is a great option for a service pistol, it does have a huge frame, plus if you thought 1.6 billion rounds of 40 for DHS was expensive wait until you see how much that same number of 10mm costs ;)
 
#140 ·
Hmmmm ... while very sexy and I also have a Desert Eagle 50AE, the 50 is like a woman with big "tix#s". A lot of people will look and appear impressed but it doesn't necessary make better girlfriend/wife.

I kinda like the idea of my old high capacity Beretta 92F with hollow point spiked with Ebola tips.
 
#18 ·
I think the best way to decide what gun on top of the usual durability/reliability testing should be lightly trained shooters performance. Take some new recruits(no previous handgun training or shooting period) who would be issued a side arm divide them into separate test groups give them the minimum training and then put them a situation similar to what they might face in combat. No standing on a static line with plenty of time to take your shot. Make it easy enough where there will be hits though. No 15yards and moving. Choose the easiest gun for the level of training.


I'd like to say the US made and designed M&P, but I don't think it's the best option. I don't shoot mine well. It's a great gun at the gun store counter but seems laking at the range.


HK VP9 or FN FNS would be better options. They've got good factory texture on the grips and are very ergonomic.

Whatever gun I'd want the removable back straps feature removed and just go with the small or medium sized. Less parts to lose or keep track of.

Trijicon HD night sighs.
9mm
 
#25 ·
Just get all the plastic fantastics on the market and run an evaluation test put together by expert end users from the SOF community rather than some O-5 or O-6 staff weenie looking for that OER bullet statement to get him promoted. Not because the pistol is exclusively for SOF but because they're the only community in the .mil that knows how to fight with guns at a high enough level to design an evaluation system (and as a plus, SF and some other guys have experience training knuckle draggers, so should be able to assess for ease of training new recruits to use the weapon, etc.)

Stick with 9mm, regardless -- it's the indian, not the arrow and all pistol rounds are mostly epic fail on stopping people without luck or repetition -- though someone either needs to sit down and write a JAG opinion allowing use of expanding pistol ammunition against insurgents or needs to spend money to develop some sort of non-JHP round that delivers increased lethality.
 
#26 ·
I would go with the .45 caliber cartridge but I would give my shooters the choice of 3 pistols to use:

#1. Glock 21SF
#2. Ruger SR-45
#3. Sig Sauer P-220

Different shooters have different physical shooting needs. By giving people 3 different pistols to choose from to use, you pretty much guarantee the majority of most shooters a choice of finding a good gun that will work for them. The idea of one size fits all really doesn't cut it in the tactical world. In fact, it might not be a bad idea to also offer a second cartridge as well like say a 9 mm round as a possibility for people who can't handle the .45 caliber rounds.
 
#33 ·
I know better than that, think he was kidding you. My dad carried a 1911, issued to him in '34, it left with him on a Pacific island tour the day after Pearl. He carried that and a Thompson SMG with 2 100 rd drum mags. It then went with him to Korea and Vietnam, he then passed it to me and I carried it from '67 - '94.

Found an old box in a chest after dad died, it had pics of the island tour and it was BRUTAL. On the back were notes he made. The only reason he got back with the pics was because he did not leave the Pacific until AFTER the WWII was over.
 
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