Posted on 09/25/2006 10:46:11 AM PDT by kiriath_jearim
September 24, 2006: Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Defense began a search for a new .45 caliber combat pistol. Now that search has been mysteriously called off. The Department of Defense has announced, without any explanation, that is no longer looking for a new combat pistol.
Last January, after two decades of use, the U.S. Department of Defense appeared to be getting rid of its Beretta M9 9mm pistol, and going back to the 11.4mm (.45 caliber) weapon. There have been constant complaints about the lesser (compared to the .45) hitting power of the 9mm, as well as reliability problems with the Beretta. And in the last few years, SOCOM (Special Operations Command) and the marines have officially adopted .45 caliber pistols as "official alternatives" to the M9 Beretta.
Back in January, SOCOM was given the task of finding a design that will be suitable as the JCP (Joint Combat Pistol). Various designs were to be evaluated, but all had to be .45 caliber and have a eight round magazine (at least), and high capacity mags holding up to 15. The new .45 was also to have a rail up top for attachments, and be able to take a silencer. Length was to be no more than 9.65 inches, and width no more than 1.53 inches.
The M1911 .45 caliber pistol that the 9mm Beretta replaced in 1985, was, as its nomenclature implied, an old design. There are several modern designs out there for .45 caliber pistols that are lighter, carry more ammo and are easier to maintain than the pre-World War I M1911 (which is actually about a century old, as a design). The Department of Defense planned to buy 645,000 JCPs. But now, the troops are being told to keep their 9mm Berettas, and all the complaints they have about those weapons.
I never liked the M9. I have relatively small hands and the diagonal-stack magazine made the grip too fat to fit comfortably in my hand. Quite unlike the M1911A1, which was comfortable and natural.
Looks like a custom job and I stand by my idiot comment!
Actually, he replaced it with the .765 mm (.32 ACP) Walther. Why?? Who knows? It's no smaller or thinner than the more capable .380. Fleming apparently got some bad advice on such matters.
It was a Walther PPK chambered in 7.65mm. or 32ACP Cal. It is a little light in fire power but in professional hands quite effective.
You guys miss the point about Bond's .25 Beretta. He was such a lethal sob that he didn't even need a gun to deal death to the bad guys. He only carried the .25 because he was required to be armed. Carrying a joke gun like the Beretta was the macho gesture of a born killer.
Most full sized auto's are good for me grip wise. The grip on a DEagle could have been designed using my hands as a grip mold.
The XD started life as the HS2000, made in Croatia. Springfield has simply re-badged it.
That said, they're fine weapons with much better ergos (IMHO) than Glock.
45 Auto is the same as 45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol). 45 Long Colt is a 19th century revolver cartridge.
I grew up shooting a .357, my favorite "carry" pistol is a Witness 10mm. My Taurus 92AF 9mm is a pussy cat by comparison.
Amen brother. My glock model 20 is my favorite "hand canon"
The Beretta was a 9mm Kurz.
M wanted 007 to carry a Walther PPK also in 9mm Kurz.
http://www.waltheramerica.com/firearms/ppks.cfm
http://remtek.com/arms/sig/model/226/226.htm
Yes. The .380 design then was a much smaller carry than anything today in a larger caliber. I have both a P226 in 9mm and a P232 in 9mm Kurz for the wife.
Both are stainless. More weight = less recoil.
9mm Kurz. I had one in 1968.
http://www.waltheramerica.com/firearms/ppks.cfm
I thought the 9 was chsosen because the ammo was a common platform among many weapons.
My fav will always be my 1911...but reality sets in.... here in the Texas heat....the weight and size make it extremely difficult to conceal in the summer. My summer stopper is a 38 SPL...
A better choice on the light end caliber would be a .380. Ammo is MUCH more readily available.
Mmmmmmmmm! Gun Porn!
LLS
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