It’s official, the US ARMY has finally ended it’s search for a new handgun — the Army’s Modular Handgun System (MHS) — by choosing SIG SAUER.
Specifically, the gun that will replace the M9 and M11 pistols over the next 10 years is going to be built by Sig Sauer, Inc out of Newington, New Hampshire.
For all the details (and to see the pics!), keep reading …
Press Release Breaks The Story During SHOT Show 2017 …
SoldierSystems.net was the first to break the story on January 19, 2017 …
Sig Sauer Inc., Newington, New Hampshire, was awarded a $580,217,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the Modular Handgun System including handgun, accessories and ammunition to replace the current M9 handgun. Bids were solicited via the Internet with nine received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 19, 2027. Army Contracting Command, Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (W15QKN-17-D-0016).
SIG quickly followed up with their own official Press Release:
“SIG SAUER, Inc. announced today that the U.S. Army has selected the SIG SAUER Model P320 to replace the M9 service pistol currently in use since the mid-1980’s. Released in 2014, the P320 is a polymer striker-fired pistol that has proven itself in both the United States and worldwide markets. The P320 is the first modular pistol with interchangeable grip modules that can also be adjusted in frame size and caliber by the operator. All pistols will be produced at the SIG SAUER facilities in New Hampshire.
The MHS Program provides for the delivery of both full size and compact P320’s, over a period of ten (10) years. All pistols will be configurable to receive silencers and will also include both standard and extended capacity magazines.
“I am tremendously proud of the Modular Handgun System Team,” said Army Acquisition Executive, Steffanie Easter in the release. “By maximizing full and open competition across our industry partners, we truly have optimized the private sector advancements in handguns, ammunition and magazines and the end result will ensure a decidedly superior weapon system for our warfighters.””
I Walked Right By The SIG Booth At SHOT Show and Had No Idea!
It appears as if the actual pistol is a P320 chambered in either .40 S&W or 9mm (most likely a 9mm. In fact, it better be or this is a stupid move on Big ARMY’s part …) still a striker fired pistol but with a manual safety (a somewhat “rare” model).
The TAN/FDE colored handguns on this page are from SIG official, so that’s what it looks like.
Until we can get some hands on this new pistol (or anyone else does), that’s the only pictures I can share!
These two pics are from TheFirearmBlog of the closest current P320 model SIG with the manual safety:
And because I’ve never seen a P320 with a manual safety (though I have fired and seen a lot of P320 at gun training classes without a safety) — I thought this post from WeaponsMan was pretty cool showing diagrams about how the manual safety actually works:
4.2 Manual Safety Equipped Pistols
The SIG P320 is offered with an optional ambidextrous manual safety. The manual safety mechanically blocks the movement of the trigger bar so the trigger cannot be pressed to the rear.
To engage the manual safety, rotate the safety lever upward with the thumb of the firing hand. The manual safety is ambidextrous. Pressing up on the lever from either side will rotate the opposite lever upward, engaging the manual safety. The slide can still be manipulated with the manual safety engaged.
If you would rather watch a video about this story than read, here’s a good one from TFB:
What Do You Think?
Should they have given the contract to Glock like all the Special Operations Forces are already using?
Or do you think the P320 is a smart move?
Do you think it’s a little pre-mature to give it to SIG when the P320 is only a few years old and not yet … proven?
I will say I was fondling all the different (modular) grips of the SIG P320 while I was at SHOT show and I did actually like the “small” frame model as it fit my hand better than any other handgun I’ve picked up in a long time (in Double Stack format at least)…
Sound off in the comments!
Glock is not American-made
And who cares?
With thinking like that we should go with Lugar.
Lol.. Was that Really the Best response you could come up with???
I can’t figure out why some Americans give such flippant responses? Which by the way.. we All care where products are made! Buy Made In The USA!
I do not care where products are made. That’s a last concern for sure …
importing products is not necessarily bad for America despite what the knee jerk reaction of most …
Importing of products has primary, secondary, and tertiary effects.
The primary effect (often, anyway) is a less expensive product. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Trade deficits in themselves are not bad, or at least not very bad, things.
But there are secondary effects. Import too much, and you lose jobs in the long term. And over the last few decades, America has lost too much of its manufacturing capacity overseas. That SHOULD worry you, and if it doesn’t, you need to brush up on your economics.
Cheap goods don’t matter if you don’t have a job in order to pay for them.
So yes, buying American is still important, and a valuable thing to keep in mind.
The secondary effects go both ways though is my point …
Everyone assumes “made in America” means more jobs, more $ in the American pocket … not necessarily true. If a low income person has to spend 10%-20% more every time they shop, because Wal-Mart is stocking “made in america” products only — then that is a very real decline in that low-income person’s standard of living. Every dollar saved my importing cheaper goods, using the Wally world example again, and that discount passed onto the consumer is another dollar in a US bank account spent on some other bill, living expense, or other American company.
You also say “Cheap goods don’t matter if you don’t have a job in order to pay for them”. True. But your implication that because we don’t “buy American” causes the loss of jobs is false. To quote Joshua Kennon ” … special interest groups and unions make a point to blame all of their woes on cheap imported goods from China, when the real problem they are facing but are still in denial about – as I will discuss later – is software, automation and computer processing advancement. These forces are making manual work extinct.” The real loss of jobs are moreso do to these factors than buying too many imports …
It’s not good either, the trade deficit does matter, right now it’s huge. As someone else posted, cheap goods are no use if you don’t have a job. I hope you’ve noticed that a lot of so called cheap goods are not that cheap anymore due to inflation of our currency. If you bought something in ’71 for about 2,000 dollars that same 2 grand has the buying power in today’s money of over 12,000 dollars. That’s because of the social safety network, giving people money that don’t work, printing and borrowing money. Dump the FED.
Are replys screened ? Having left a reply to your rude reply, I see its not here! Just asking.
They are screened yes, lot of spam comments …
And my reply was not rude, it’s literal. Though I guess it’s not THAT literal because it’s obvious many care.
My point is “why would you care” that Glock is not american made. Nor is Sig Sauer. Nor Beretta. Germany/Italy companies …
And even these foreign owned companies — speaking about glock specifically since its the easiest to verify with a 5-second google search — have their guns and/or parts made in the USA — http://www.ammoland.com/2015/03/glock-arms-first-ever-factory-tour/#axzz4Wj2MkFBf
And, as I said earlier, who cares? Just because a product is American made does not make it better for the American economy, average American or America in general … study Austrian economics.
I do study Austrian economics, and see my reply above.
Trump does !
I would love to have 10% of the KICKBACKS in these contract. Besides,
Smith & Wesson build fine guns, as does Colt. S&W M&P is a fine
weapon. Sig is fine company but expensive. Wake up People tax
dollars from Americans should not be spend oversea!
AT NO TIME
I’m sure it will go “bang!” when they need it to.
I have a sig p320. I love this gun. It fits my big hand and the small one for the wife. I am old and need glasses so I got the Modular sight. It is the most accurate gun I have ever bought off the shelf. I still have the P220 that was duty carry years ago. Sig’s are the best.
Another case that the Left would rather sweep under the rug and lie about. There are thousands of cases every year where armed citizens protected themselves, others and businesses from criminals through concealed carry laws and our rights as citizens of this great country.
I have a Sig Sauer p229 Elite and it is my favorite pistol. I also have a Glock. I agree with the choice of the Sig Sauer p320, now I want one. I like the idea of a manual safety.
I have the Sig Sauer P320 (no manual safety) and love it. I used to be a hammer gun guy and always wanted a manual safety. However, I have come to the conclusion that a manual safety can get you shot in the heat of battle if you forget to deselect it… I have no doubt that when I pull my weapon out of it’s holster and press the trigger, it WILL go bang! Also studies have been done that show that people (at least some people) tend to feel safer and less concerned about the chance of an accidental discharge BECAUSE they have a manual safety. In other words they are counting on the safety to protect them from making a mistake. Think about it though… when you draw your weapon (that has a safety) you firmly believe… or hope… or think… (but can’t really know that the safety is engaged. You could be wrong… and if you are and are less careful due to your belief that the safety is engaged, you now have a more dangerous not less dangerous situation that I have when I draw my weapon that I know for certain will fire if squeeze that trigger. It leaves me with no doubt as to how important it is to keep my finger off the trigger until I am ready to discharge the weapon . Of course, the trigger needs to suitable for a no safety gun. Like I said, I’m an old 1911 guy so I used manual safeties for many years and still have guns with them. I think they do need to be on single action and double action/single action guns with very light triggers… but, for me, the striker fired gun with no manual safety if the safest and most dependable handgun out there.
Pretty 😎, could do without the manual safety but hey it’s in the army now! Surprised it doesn’t have an old fashion lanyard loop. Probably going to be an excellent weapon though… 👀 as if big green is finally thinking forward. Fde, rail, and mod optic mount and even extended threaded barrels to run suppressed; our troops might finally be getting the most versatile and maybe “best” platform out and taxpayers will get the most bang 💥 for our buck!!! Pun intended
My Glocks were made iin Smyna, Georgia, Beretta’s plant is in Accokeek, MD., that was a condition of the contract. All four of my SIG’s were made in Exeter, New Hampshire.
The frame of my XD-40 is from Croetia, and my CZ 75B is made in the CZECH Republic.
My favorites are the SIG’s, followed by the Beretta 96, (ported with CT laser Grips), and the XD-40.
The Glocks are simple, a tribute to the ingenuity of Gaston Glock.
The Beretta is stylish.and reliable.
The SIG’s are the most refined for a go to war gun.
I like it Sig Saur quality will make it a reliable gun. I particularly like the idea of a manual safety on both sides that will be an asset in the field. We need more American made fire power.
Excellent choice. As far as not being on the market long enough to be proven you can be assured that the military testers ran it through the wringer. I have a P226 in .357 Sig and nothing else in my collection performs like it.
I’ve owned a P-250 (the DAO model) for years. Total reliability, simple action, easy to clean and repair, and the frame (grip) options are the best around ! I think it’s a great choice !
I think the Sig is much better choice and I have both the P320 and a Glock
The Seal Teams have used sig,s for a very long time. I’ve been retired for 10 years now. But the sig,s never gave us any trouble. The Glock is a good pistol but government regs state that weapons have a mechanical safety. The difference with some spec ops using glocks is in the special ops community we had more options than the regular,s . The Seal Teams and Special Boat units were probley harder on weapons than any other branch. Salt water does a number on equipment. The sig,s stood up well for us. I don’t think the glocks would have done as well. We also carried H&K which is also a very top of the line pistol
I like Sigs but I like Glocks better. KISS Principle with Glocks. They are also a bit lighter in weight, usually less expensive and for the amount of rounds to be fired, hold together just fine. I guess the requirement for extra ‘safeties’ would kill them for USAR use.
The Sig 320 was not the first modular handgun, the Sig 250 was, so much of the concept has been around for awhile. I think made in the USA is important, not so much for economic reasons, but that the USA should maintain the manufacturing capacity for arms and defense on US soil. I always thoughtful it ironic that M9 was made in in a country that was a former WW2 enemy. Yes, Italy is part of NATO, but history shows funny things can happen with alliances.
I have many pistol’s and rifles for carry and hunting but my favorite pistol is a Armalite AR-24 in a double stacked 13 round. No plastic what so ever and enough rounds to get their attention. I wish Armalite still made these pistol’s because I would love to buy about 5 more to have around. They are the best straight shooters I have ever spent 400.00 dollars on.
I have a question, If the Colt 1911A1 is useless for the military, why are all these other gun manufacturing
companies coping it??????????
Amen brother
The only reason “SOME” operators have switched over to the Glock is for a reduction in overall weight on missions, the sig P227 was a long time standard combat proven handgun that the majority of operators chose and stuck with…and many operators still continue to use them because they work fantastic and are extremely reliable, and the placement of shots was consistently superior to many other manufacters models…I think that the Army finally got it RIGHT and chose the right handgun from a company that produces top of the line firearms for our warfighters to have an even better chance of correct shot placement than the antiquated M9!!….BTW I do own a P227 and its the best performing handgun I have outta the many numerous other models I own including a military issue M9 which to me doesn’t perform well and takes extra effort to keep my shots grouped effectively!!….JMHO!!
I think not good American first then select we have plenty of quality gun makers in the US. Why 9 mm that’s for women not men….huuum sorry indeed
Comments are closed.