What handgun does the U.S. use in the Army?

Gyrene

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M9, the 9mm Pistol Program was a Congressionally-directed Non-Developmental Initiative to standardize DoD with NATO and field one handgun for all United States armed services. Beretta of Italy was awarded a multi-year contract for delivery of over 500,000 pistols. The contract award stipulated that production of the weapon must transition from Italian to US production after two years. The US Army is the lead service in this program.

Read: Army == pussies ;)
 

Gyrene

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Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
I thought the standard sidearm was a Colt 1911?

ZV

Used to be. US is trying to conform to NATO standards. The Marines are the only ones who are keeping the M1911A1 operation in its MEU's. Slightly modified by Quantico gunsmiths.
 

Zenmervolt

Elite member
Oct 22, 2000
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Originally posted by: dtyn
Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
I thought the standard sidearm was a Colt 1911?

ZV
Used to be. US is trying to conform to NATO standards. The Marines are the only ones who are keeping the M1911A1 operation in its MEU's. Slightly modified by Quantico gunsmiths.
Am I the only one who thinks going from a .45 calibre to 9 mil is moving in the wrong bloody direction?

ZV
 

MacBaine

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Aug 23, 2001
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Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Originally posted by: dtyn
Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
I thought the standard sidearm was a Colt 1911?

ZV
Used to be. US is trying to conform to NATO standards. The Marines are the only ones who are keeping the M1911A1 operation in its MEU's. Slightly modified by Quantico gunsmiths.
Am I the only one who thinks going from a .45 calibre to 9 mil is moving in the wrong bloody direction?

ZV

You and everyone in the Army...
 

Gyrene

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Jun 6, 2002
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Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Originally posted by: dtyn
Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
I thought the standard sidearm was a Colt 1911?

ZV
Used to be. US is trying to conform to NATO standards. The Marines are the only ones who are keeping the M1911A1 operation in its MEU's. Slightly modified by Quantico gunsmiths.
Am I the only one who thinks going from a .45 calibre to 9 mil is moving in the wrong bloody direction?

ZV

Nope. The Marines think the same thing. That's why we're better than the Army :)
 

Zenmervolt

Elite member
Oct 22, 2000
24,514
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Originally posted by: MacBaine
Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Originally posted by: dtyn
Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
I thought the standard sidearm was a Colt 1911?

ZV
Used to be. US is trying to conform to NATO standards. The Marines are the only ones who are keeping the M1911A1 operation in its MEU's. Slightly modified by Quantico gunsmiths.
Am I the only one who thinks going from a .45 calibre to 9 mil is moving in the wrong bloody direction?

ZV
You and everyone in the Army...
At least I'm in good company with that opinion. I mean, the .45 was designed to knock a guy down, not just put a nice clean hole in him. Eh, I'll always be a fan of the 1911, it's classic. Though the updated Colt 1991 is a nice piece too.

ZV
 

Gyrene

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Jun 6, 2002
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Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Originally posted by: MacBaine
Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Originally posted by: dtyn
Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
I thought the standard sidearm was a Colt 1911?

ZV
Used to be. US is trying to conform to NATO standards. The Marines are the only ones who are keeping the M1911A1 operation in its MEU's. Slightly modified by Quantico gunsmiths.
Am I the only one who thinks going from a .45 calibre to 9 mil is moving in the wrong bloody direction?

ZV
You and everyone in the Army...
At least I'm in good company with that opinion. I mean, the .45 was designed to knock a guy down, not just put a nice clean hole in him. Eh, I'll always be a fan of the 1911, it's classic. Though the updated Colt 1991 is a nice piece too.

ZV

Not just knock him down, but throw him on his back. A 9mm will kill em, but they'll keep coming forward.
 

Mookow

Lifer
Apr 24, 2001
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Originally posted by: dtyn
M9, the 9mm Pistol Program was a Congressionally-directed Non-Developmental Initiative to standardize DoD with NATO and field one handgun for all United States armed services. Beretta of Italy was awarded a multi-year contract for delivery of over 500,000 pistols. The contract award stipulated that production of the weapon must transition from Italian to US production after two years. The US Army is the lead service in this program.

Read: Army == pussies ;)

So, how did the Marines wrangle their way out of that? Not that I disagree with wanting to avoid the 9x19 (9x23 being the "good 9mm"), but it reads as all the armed services will be fielding the M9.

BTW, we really should have made the Europeans learn to use a good pistol, rather than switching over.
 

Mookow

Lifer
Apr 24, 2001
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Originally posted by: PowerMac4Ever
US Army actually uses desert eagles

Slap yourself. Hard.

The US Army may have a couple in inventory, but the Army as a whole does not use them.
 

Gyrene

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Jun 6, 2002
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Originally posted by: Mookow
Originally posted by: dtyn
M9, the 9mm Pistol Program was a Congressionally-directed Non-Developmental Initiative to standardize DoD with NATO and field one handgun for all United States armed services. Beretta of Italy was awarded a multi-year contract for delivery of over 500,000 pistols. The contract award stipulated that production of the weapon must transition from Italian to US production after two years. The US Army is the lead service in this program.

Read: Army == pussies ;)

So, how did the Marines wrangle their way out of that? Not that I disagree with wanting to avoid the 9x19 (9x23 being the "good 9mm"), but it reads as all the armed services will be fielding the M9.

BTW, we really should have made the Europeans learn to use a good pistol, rather than switching over.

Not sure quite how they did it. I only know that is has something to do with our MEUs. The standard force is "issued the M9" on paper, but we use the 1911.

EDIT: Note, I'm still a trainee, everything I know is passed down from my instructors.
 

sillymofo

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Aug 11, 2003
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Originally posted by: dtyn
Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Originally posted by: MacBaine
Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Originally posted by: dtyn
Originally posted by: Zenmervolt I thought the standard sidearm was a Colt 1911? ZV
Used to be. US is trying to conform to NATO standards. The Marines are the only ones who are keeping the M1911A1 operation in its MEU's. Slightly modified by Quantico gunsmiths.
Am I the only one who thinks going from a .45 calibre to 9 mil is moving in the wrong bloody direction? ZV
You and everyone in the Army...
At least I'm in good company with that opinion. I mean, the .45 was designed to knock a guy down, not just put a nice clean hole in him. Eh, I'll always be a fan of the 1911, it's classic. Though the updated Colt 1991 is a nice piece too. ZV
Not just knock him down, but throw him on his back. A 9mm will kill em, but they'll keep coming forward.
They should give the officers airsoft pistols for decoration. How often it is in today's military that a soldier will ever get to use their side arm?
 

Mookow

Lifer
Apr 24, 2001
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Originally posted by: dtyn
Not sure quite how they did it. I only know that is has something to do with our MEUs. The standard force is "issued the M9" on paper, but we use the 1911.

EDIT: Note, I'm still a trainee, everything I know is passed down from my instructors.

Well, never say that ALL REMFs are useless.
 

Gyrene

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Jun 6, 2002
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Originally posted by: cr4zymofo
They should give the officers airsoft pistols for decoration. How often it is in today's military that a soldier will ever get to use their side arm?

Considering in the Marines everyone has to do tours in the MEU, and MEUs come up against resistence more than you would think, and the fact that Marines are the first to fight, I'd say much more than you think.
 

Gyrene

Banned
Jun 6, 2002
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Originally posted by: Mookow
Originally posted by: dtyn
Not sure quite how they did it. I only know that is has something to do with our MEUs. The standard force is "issued the M9" on paper, but we use the 1911.

EDIT: Note, I'm still a trainee, everything I know is passed down from my instructors.

Well, never say that ALL REMFs are useless.

;) Sorry. Were you one? You should know that Marines are bred to think they're better than everyone else. :)
 

Mookow

Lifer
Apr 24, 2001
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Originally posted by: cr4zymofo
They should give the officers airsoft pistols for decoration. How often it is in today's military that a soldier will ever get to use their side arm?

You want to go into a "spider hole" or any sort of highly confined area with an M16?
 

Mookow

Lifer
Apr 24, 2001
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Originally posted by: dtyn
;) Sorry. Were you one? You should know that Marines are bred to think they're better than everyone else. :)

Nope (I have been considering the PLC program, though). No one in my family that served was one. To more than a couple Marines pulling out of the Chosin Reservior, my grandfather was their best friend... close air support from a fellow marine.