Posted by Jack
As the Army embarks on evaluating and testing new service pistol contestants, the Army’s top general wants to scrap the long, expensive multi-year process and just pick a gun.
“We’re not figuring out the next lunar landing. This is a pistol. Two years to test? At $17 million?” Milley said to an audience at a Washington, D.C., think tank on March 10. “You give me $17 million on a credit card, and I’ll call Cabela’s tonight, and I’ll outfit every soldier, sailor, airman and Marine with a pistol for $17 million. And I’ll get a discount on a bulk buy.”
While the Beretta M9 has been the Army’s pistol since 1985, the military uses other handguns, particularly in special operations. Green Berets regularly use Glock 9mm pistols, and last year Marine Special Operations allowed use of the 9mm Glock 19 in addition to the .45-caliber Colt 1911. Navy SEALs generally use the Sig Sauer P226
and, on occasion, Heckler & Koch’s .45-caliber HK45C.
The Army addressed reports that Milley had an eye on expanding a special operations contract with Glock to supply the broader Army. In a statement to Army Times, the Army denied that the service had contacted Glock or any other vendor since MHS remains in the source selection phase.