Until the US military(the regular Army) consider pistols a real fighting weapon we with be stuck with whatever is low cost and shoots a 9MM FMJ round.

I agree w/ David only in the comp. 9mm( w/ lightning cut) which should stay clean in the holster. You got a grip safety, fully adj. sights, chambered indicator by feel or sight, and the pin indicator as well.( feel or sight)
I believe this gun is a step above the M&P. 19plus and match grade barrel

1911 in 45ACP

Unless you change caliber, save money and leave the M9 the pistol. I would like to see the Springfield XD 45, or perhaps the HK 45. The FNH 45 is a nice gun, but too big for a lot of folks to manage the trigger reach. I would recommend the FNH 9mm if a change is absolutely necessary but a caliber change is not.

To change to a whole new gun won't be seen as worthwhile for all the time invested in training and armorers, investment in ancillary gear, etc., unless something else happens to change the mindset prevalent in the government today. I would love the SF Glock model 21, but it has too many issues with the sights being fragile, magazine issues, etc., not to mention size difficulties.

As far as the switch to the Gen 4 guns is concerned, that came about to address high pressure issues that was breaking locking blocks and pins in the .40 S&W models as well as causing premature frame stretching (the pins get loose and walk out during firing.). .40 S&W cartridges are hard on Gen 3 Glocks.

I would rather have a rusty .38 revolver than the miserable M-9 I was stuck with my last few years in the military. The military should go to a modern hi-cap, double action .45 like the M & P or the FN. If we have to stick with 9mm, then adopt the ACTUAL winner of the the competition, the Sig 226. I was at Aberdeen in the 1980's and the SIG actually beat out the Beretta, but we gave the contract to the latter since we wanted to base our cruise missiles on the Italian Island of Lampedusa. It was a political decision that our troops have been paying for ever since. We later adopted the Sig 228 as the M-11 for CID agents, pilots and General Officers.

Glock 21 in .45acp. Best combat pistol made. A simple test, load a magazine for one of the others, load a Glock 21, throw both magazines 20 or so feet against a concrete wall, load and fire, what, you say your all metal magazine is damaged and won't function, I rest my case.

About the hollowpoints, forget it, they are banned by the Geneva Convention. The logical solution is to go back to .45 acp for general use with the compact 9mm for special purposes. A .40 in FMJ offers no real advantage and adds yet another caliber to the mix. I carried a Glock 19 in Iraq in 2007 as an Army civilian, and liked it a lot, very reliable. But, it is not "soldier proof" enough for general issue, and lacks key features the military insists on. My son was in Iraq the same time as me, and also hates the M-9. He was a combat soldier in 3rd ID, and was very envious of my Glock 19 when he got to see me. I gave him some brand new Beretta sand proof mags, but he still didn't like the pistol.

Yes, the 9mm is a light round when you are trying to stop your Afghanistan from killing you. The 40 or 11.5mm (45 caliber AP) would make a better stopping kill. We have great gun companies, Colt, Wilson Combat, Kimber , S&W, Ruger, Springfield, Remington. All of these companies make awesome guns that would do the job very well for our combat troops in Afghanistan. We still have 1911 45AP in the hands of the Navy Seals, and Army Special Forces today and hope they never make any gun change. I was sadden when the military in 1985 let the 1911 A-1 45 AP go for Beretta 9mm. In 1963 I carried a Remington 1911 A-1 45 AP for two years in the Army and I now have two 1911 A-1 45 AP and enjoy the stopping power of a 230 FMJ bullet.

I have heard many an old Sergeant say, "I would sooner carry a bag of rocks into combat, before I would carry a 9mm." Obviously a 'BS' line to show their contempt for the 9mm bullet..
But to add to this I have heard more than one (1) Cop say that a 9mm will not penetrate a heavy clothed person.
I also know of a Gun Shop Owner that used a 9mm on a burglar, and none of the eight (8) rounds from the model 39 S & W penetrated the heavy wool coat, sweat shirt, wool shirt, and long underwear shirt that the burglar wore at the time.
Could not say this about the 45 ACP.

I think Mr. Tarr is probably right in his assessment that the 1911 is not the best choice . But because the military is limited to ball ammunition , that ammo SHOULD be .45 acp in my opinion . Now as far a new platform , I believe that because of the vast difference in the hand sizes of people the two best pistols to be considered would be the Sig 250 and the S&W M&P both in .45 ( barring the .45 , then in 9mm ) . I own both and both can be tailored to fit just about any hand , there is no complicated manual of arms and both are rugged and dependable . Now all that said ……. I'd still personally want a 1911 . HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

it's a S&W thats what not to like

I wonder why Mr. Tarr failed to note that the SAS now carries the SIG P226, after a long field competition against Glock. The P226 is the gun the Army wanted in the first place, and I'd say SAS adoption was a strong vote for the SIG being reliable and lethal.

Another writer’s opinionated article from Guns & Ammo.
Never based on facts.

Go back to the .45…I shot both the .45 and the 9 mil. I own an XD9 and love it. But for the military, the penetration of the .45 is needed. I believe I know why they went to the 9, but I should not say. <><

Pistols are primarily for close-in encounters. Mr. Browning gave us the best cartridge for this type of combat, 45 ACP. Select the best US-made high cap pistol that fits the majority of hands serving us and our troops would be much better armed, even though they'll still have to use FMJ rounds.

I bet my life on my G21, G30 and G36.
A monkey can field strip it, clean it, resemble it and fire it in about 90 seconds MAX.
I love my 1911's…..but the Glock platform is idiot proof.

i have cal.40 para-ord limited edition, 16+1 rds & i feel comfortable with it.

The USA should go to the 45 and give their old 9mm to the Mexican cartels.

Realistically…there's no way we will shift away from a NATO standardized caliber for a primary service weapon. Common ammunition is an enormous logistical advantage in coalition operations. Having served alongside Iraqi forces that were using totally different rounds, and having gone throught the nightmare of trying to resupply them in the middle of an operation, I fully support that position. So, 9mm it is, although there are clearly better rounds in respect to stopping power.

I favor the Glocks for their unquestionable reliability. In terms of reliability, they are the AK's of the pistol world. I personally keep a Glock 23 ready to go for personal defense.

But what I'd really like to see in the military is the Para Ordnance 1911 with a light double action trigger. Para Ordnance also used to produce a high capacity version of this pistol which carried 14 rounds. Not sure if they still produce the LDA in high cap. Even in the standard capacity, however, I think a light double-action 1911 is a great weapon and worthy of consideration by the military.

sig sauer scorpion p226 20+1 double single action. cant beat that weapon. slide lock close, reload combat situation. plus single action with tuning 21 rounds from a pistol with viridian x5l combat green laser and light..

There are a lot of people on here that still talk about the 9mm like it is a great round. Hey it is great if you haven't shot pistols and are trying to qualify! The first one I shot was for qualification and it felt like a .22 compared to the 1911 .45 acp. But if you have ever had to put anyone down coming at you hard and pissed off the 9mm might as well be a .22. The first time I had to do that I placed 7 rounds in the guy, 6 in the center and the 1st I pulled and hit his lower right lobe of his lung. I was about to fire the 8th round when he finially stumbled and fell. I liked the .45 a whole lot better. Can't remember using more than 4 rounds on a bad day!

Part 3
In 1935 an English engineer named Petter produced a superior pistol based on Browings 9mm which was in itself an improvement over the Colt M1911A1. The Petter Browning design was the basis for the French MAB pistol. In the 60s this design was further improved by Sig (the same company whose P210 was renowned as one of the most accurate military pistols in the world.). Due to Swiss export regulations Sig partnered with JP Sauer and Sohn (famous for the BEST DA pistol design in their 1935 pistol) and the Sig-Sauer P220 was the result.

The Sig-Sauer P2xx series IS the improvement of John Browning's original M1910 design, updated for modern production on SIG produced automatic screw machines and manufactured in Exeter, New Hampshire for the US market.

The P226 WON all THREE US M9 handgun trials with ONLY it and the Beretta completing the US Armies requirements. These requirements included:
Durability
Harsh Conditions Functioning
Accuracy by three types of shooters

The Sig beat the Beretta in durability and accuracy but lost on ease of use by different users. Since both pistols passed (of the several makes submitted) they were given a bid. The Beretta was adopted because it was $6.00 cheaper. That amounts to $1,950,000.00.

There is a good reason that the P-38 Walther and the Beretta are so similar and both have open top slides. The European practice is to put a LOT of power in their handgun ammunition. The 1910 load for 7.65 Luger had an 88 grain bullet at 1650 fps. The 9mm loaded to 1550 fps. The artillery models of these guns had tangent sights calibrated to 800 meters. Since these were intended to be used with shoulder stocks, just as the 7.63mm Mauser was, this was not too far fetched as a concept.

Part 5
On the other hand the LATEST version of John Browning's M1910 pistol, the Sig-Sauer (and it's derivations and copies) has a positive firing pin block safety. This prevents discharge even if the muzzle is struck hard. It also prevents discharge if someone were to strike the hammer with a mallet, since the firing pin is released ONLY at the LAST part of movement of the trigger being pulled to fire.

No external safety is needed. What the Sig-Sauer does need is a more positive chamber loaded indicator. There is a good reason the Sig-Sauer P226 is the preferred service weapon of MANY of the elites forces around the world.

Magazine capacity. I've seen soldiers in Afghanistan carrying 200 pound packs. The typical soldier is being burdened with far too much weight. Heavy infantry is not going to keep up with insurgencies. They are great for fighting house to house with enemies who home build their low technology weapons. But we must have our forces equipped to fight Modern forces as well.

The assault troops of the Spetnatz are a good example. The heavy assault armor used when rebels took over the White House was proof against handguns and assault rifles. The Russian and Chinese armed forces have a propensity to develop very effective low cost weapons and will use the best technology, no matter where it comes from. The USA is too tied up in Politics many time, and doesn't provide the best weapons, food, materiel, and support for it's troops.

Hollow Cavity bullets are NEVER going to be an option in the military. To get killing power you need penetration and shock. The 9mm is very much superior to the .45 ACP and it's upgrade, the .357 Sig round will maintain advantages that are lost with larger calibers… in my opinion.

I was in when we were issued M1911A1's before the M-9 Beretta. The old .45's were junk. They needed replacement badly. The biggest problem is military FMJ ammo. Federal ammo makes an expanding 9x19mm expanding jacketed that could be issued. If the M-9 is replaced for general issue it'll be by the M-11. Which is a SIG P228. The 45ACP pistols will remain with only SOCOM troops. My experience is that the average Service Member never gets enough pistol training for. Pistol raining issue just isn't a military priority. IMO the M-4 Carbine with a red dot sight is the better choice over the M-9 Beretta.

i would go with they glock model 17 9mm or the .45 glock for stopping the enemy. its really easy to field strip and clean and would be very reliable as a battlefield weapon as mud and dirt would not efect the gun

S&W M&P 9 OR 40 YEAH!!!!!!