SIG selected as new service handgun

[Brad69]

Trust me the safety is a needed item.
I was the NCOIC of an M9 range once where all the medical personnel in the hospital came out to qualify.
I don't know which were worse the Dentists or the Veterinarians!
We spent more time doing remedial training than qualifying.
I blame that range for me losing my hair.

 

[oldpink]

They did adopt the 1911 in 1911!..

I can personally say that the famous and much loved 1911's were wore out.
Most of them were mixmaster specials that functioned about as bad as they looked.
I fired the M9 for the first time around 1992 we were amazed that it didn't malfunction like the 1911.
you could make it though qualification without alibi fires.

BTW it's not uncommon to see SIG P226/228 most aviation units are issued them.
Some units issued Glock 17/19,s as a stop gap because of lack of pistols.

Pistols are a secondary weapon in some units only the CO,XO,1SG carry a pistol.
I carried one for years and took it out of holster twice.

For our civilian members you are issued weapons based on the job you do.
You are normally assigned the same weapon or weapons for you time in the unit.
They are "rack grade" if you are issued pistol #17 you would get a M9, three used mags, and cleaning kit.
Its kinda like a lottery you may get a like new one or one that is just about to be retired.
The last one I was issued the slide was silver it had no finishing left on it and was beat up but it shot ok.

It's both good and bad to know that all the stovepipes and other malfunctions we had with our 1911s in the Navy were not mere anomalies; good because we weren't at fault for the failures because we had kept them studiously well cleaned and cared for, and bad because it turns out that we had been limping along for decades before I served with guns that had already been shot out.

 

[Woobie]

I`m shocked, and don`t understand why in the world anything but the .45acp would be considered. Understanding how lacking any handgun is in battle, compared to a long arm, it`s unfathomable they we would arm our soldiers with any lesser caliber.

.45 sucks about as much as the 9. I'd rather be issued a 9, because I would rather have more ammo in a combat handgun. I had to carry an M9 when I was a machine gunner. Using it was pretty far back on the priorities. If the 240 is down, your job is not to shoot a pistol, it's to get the 240 back up.

I haven't had a chance to mess with the P320, but I'm hopeful it will be positive. The M9's are all worn out and have no finish left. It's time for a change, and I think it will probably be a good one. I'm not too worried about the safety, as long as they left the other safety mechanisms in place. The mouth breathers can all carry them in whatever condition the good idea/safety fairy dreams up, and the HSLD guys can carry them with the safety off, in the condition the pistol was originally designed to be.

 

[gregr]

.45 sucks about as much as the 9. I'd rather be issued a 9, because I would rather have more ammo in a combat handgun. I had to carry an M9 when I was a machine gunner. Using it was pretty far back on the priorities. If the 240 is down, your job is not to shoot a pistol, it's to get the 240 back up.

I haven't had a chance to mess with the P320, but I'm hopeful it will be positive. The M9's are all worn out and have no finish left. It's time for a change, and I think it will probably be a good one. I'm not too worried about the safety, as long as they left the other safety mechanisms in place. The mouth breathers can all carry them in whatever condition the good idea/safety fairy dreams up, and the HSLD guys can carry them with the safety off, in the condition the pistol was originally designed to be.

To begin, thank you for your service. I have never been in the military, so my opinions and observations are all civilian oriented. That being said, the law of physics still reigns, meaning a bigger, slower moving piece of lead, i.e., .45acp, is less likely to hit a threat and pass thru-and-thru, than a smaller, much faster moving lead projectile, i.e., 9mm. Since the bigger, slower moving lead projectile doesn`t pass through the target, it transfers more of it`s kinetic energy into that target, providing a better opportunity for the holy grail of handgunning, the one-shot-stop. I want more shots as well, even though shot placement is much more critical than throwing copious amounts of lead downrange, so I carry the 13-round, double-stack Glock mags in my Glock 21. I still get 10 rounds of 230 grain Federal HydraShok .45acp stopping power in my Glock 30. I know the 9mm is all the rage anymore, but in my opinion, as anemic as a handgun is in a firefight, I personally want a .45, and nothing less if I am in combat, and not concerned with concealment.

 

[223 Gunner]

I'm waiting for those that are susceptible to the power of suggestion to start dumping their Beretta's and start buying Sigs.
Keep an eye in the classifieds for the weak minded to post "want to sell/trade Beretta M9, the ONLY trade I'm looking for is a Sig P320."
And also WTB ads for the Sig P320.


I recently was able to coon finger a P320 that a friend of mine has, they are nice. I'm not ready to dump my Glocks yet though.

 

[gregr]

I'm waiting for those that are susceptible to the power of suggestion to start dumping their Beretta's and start buying Sigs.
Keep an eye in the classifieds for the weak minded to post "want to sell/trade Beretta M9, the ONLY trade I'm looking for is a Sig P320."
And also WTB ads for the Sig P320.


I recently was able to coon finger a P320 that a friend of mine has, they are nice. I'm not ready to dump my Glocks yet though.

I`ve always thought it could be nice to have .45 1911 just to have one, but I will NEVER dump my Glocks, no way, not ever.

 

[Woobie]

I get what you are saying, but there is a pretty big body of research that shows little difference in the outcome of handgun fights based upon caliber used.

Also, the law of gunfights trumps all: People miss a lot when other people are shooting back. If you can carry more ammo with a minimal loss of lethality, you're probably ahead.

There's a reason we went away from 7.62 for most of our small arms.

And thank you for your kind words, but it has been my pleasure to serve. Also, I haven't really done much. There are several on this board much more worthy of your gratitude.

 

[mcapo]

OK; aside from bragging rights (and 280,000 unit sales), I don't get the excitement. Sig has been the front runner all along based on specs.

All the Army said was the Sig P320 was the pistol that was the most generalized for the widest variety of users....that makes it a good gun. Nothing more - nothing less.

Yea - I'd want a safety too!!! People are people and not all adapt to their training.

I'm a 45 guy but 9mm makes the most sense. More rounds equal, well, more rounds. See previous comment...

 

[Woobie]

Oh, and you Sig fanboys should be weeping right now. Sig has a habit of putting out vaporware (anyone seen an MCX?) now it's going to be worse, at least for a while. So when I look in the vault and see 50 of them I will smile bitterly. Happy for me, sad for you.

 

[cerebus85]

Not being pedantic (unless you were only jesting), but none of the issue Sigs will be using hollowpoints, not unless the U.S. military has formally withdrawn from the Hague Convention.

Hague? never heard of her.... I have seen hollow points in a few mags downrange. I think the new sig is fine its still gonna get destroyed by soldier who treat them like hammers. the pistol is irrelevant they all will have problems and get mistreated.

 

[Excalibur]

Hague? never heard of her.... I have seen hollow points in a few mags downrange. I think the new sig is fine its still gonna get destroyed by soldier who treat them like hammers. the pistol is irrelevant they all will have problems and get mistreated.

I'm pretty sure the USA has never actually signed the Hague or even the other conventions. We just do it because of our allies

 

[oldpink]

I'm pretty sure the USA has never actually signed the Hague or even the other conventions. We just do it because of our allies

We are at least signatories of Geneva, but you're right about us only following Hague out of the goodness of our hearts, subject to change (that time is nigh) at our option.

 

[gregr]

I get what you are saying, but there is a pretty big body of research that shows little difference in the outcome of handgun fights based upon caliber used.

Also, the law of gunfights trumps all: People miss a lot when other people are shooting back. If you can carry more ammo with a minimal loss of lethality, you're probably ahead.

There's a reason we went away from 7.62 for most of our small arms.

And thank you for your kind words, but it has been my pleasure to serve. Also, I haven't really done much. There are several on this board much more worthy of your gratitude.

Hi Woobie. Hey, I`m extremely grateful to all who have served, you included. Being humble is a good attribute, and it`s refreshing, but whatever you think of your service, you did indeed serve. That stands alone.

 

[Woobie]

Hi Woobie. Hey, I`m extremely grateful to all who have served, you included. Being humble is a good attribute, and it`s refreshing, but whatever you think of your service, you did indeed serve. That stands alone.

Thank you, sir.

 

[djhuckle]

I don't think that they could have chosen a more unattractive handgun.
I'm guessing the prototype for the 320 was cut out of a scrap 2x6, with a jig saw. Damn.

Yeah, cause you want the bad guys sayin' "wow that is one sexy gun" right before you shoot them. Good distraction technique.

 

[Woobie]

Yeah, cause you want the bad guys sayin' "wow that is one sexy gun" right before you shoot them. Good distraction technique.

I sympathize with your thinking. But then, the great warriors have always had a sense of style. Just ask the Spartans. Of course, the counterpoint to this is that the great armies of history have always placed function over form.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

 

[TacticalFun]

I wish they did this while i served. The m9 was a pain in the backside

 

[Slawburger]

I think the down-select came down to Sig and Glock.
Glock might or might not protest the contract award (no indication either way, just saying it is possible).
Article I read said the caliber would be either .40 S&W or 9mm. Some reports have 9mm being the more likely choice.

 

[phylodog]

Glock wasn't even in the running. Lots of people want to believe that Sig beat Glock here but they didn't. They beat STI-Detonics and Beretta. Glock doesn't offer a modular handgun nor a manual safety.