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:
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!