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 give you the winner.....
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=SWHC&t=2y&l=on&z=m&q=l&c=
Didn't "M" admonish James Bond for carrying a Beretta because it lacked stopping power?
Years ago, I fired a .45 auto Colt. Holy smokes, sounded and felt like a cannon going off!
I guess no Sig Sauer P226 pistols for all. Oh wait, that's not American made... the Mark 23?
Sooo...did they stop the new pistol...or not? It's unclear.
I still hear it may well be the new H&K USP variant that sort of looks like a futuristic 1911. John Farnam, however, predicts it will be a Glock...which would suit me fine.
Wasn't Bond's Beretta a .25? Pretty wimpy caliber.
who were the 45 cal contenders?
Is this a common ammo issue? One world one calibur?
The Beretta he was admonished for carrying was a .25 cal ... and he replaced it with the more powerful (!) .380 cal Walther ...
The Glock, Sig Sauer P-220, and the HK USP I believe.
And there are glocks out there with external safeties. Iv'e seen photos of them.
I thought is was a Walther PPK 9mm kurz (.380).
LLS
No, I believe it was the Walther PPK (8mm).
.32
I am in the business and this is news to me. My understanding is both SOCOM and Big Army are in the process of selecting a .45 pistol to replace the 9mm. The article is a little light on facts. There is no doubt concerning the stopping power of a .45, just ask a Moro insurgent, ditto, Jap, German, Korean, and Vietnamese. I would like to know if the ammo stockpiles of 9mm have anything to do with it?
The big problem is ammo. Nine Milimeter ball ammo is a notoriously poor one shot stopper. The 45 acp ball ammo is much better.
It was a 32acp model PPK
I went on record criticizing the .380 as a defense round on another thread the other day. The responses were interesting. Some agreed, one disagreed.
Just bought me a P45 Kahr 6+1, single stack magazine 4 inch barrel semi-automatic, double action only. Weighs 20 ounces. Put 100 rounds of .45 ball through it this past Saturday. Worked great, no mis-feeds, and once I got used to the trigger, was able to keep them in a four inch bull at 15 to 20 yards. .45 Cal is a good round.
As an aside, the Coast Guard appears to be changing from 9mm to 40 S&W.
Gunner
Still my favorite handgun, and the one I plan to carry someday. (No stopping-power lectures, please).
"Didn't "M" admonish James Bond for carrying a Beretta because it lacked stopping power?"
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Yes. M's assistant from Q branch said the department viewed 007's .25 cal. pistol as a "ladies' gun, sir".
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