Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire .Gov Spending Question

My agency is looking to purchase new guns. Our current guns are 12 years old and all have at least 1000 rounds through them per year. We were notified by the original distributor that they would no longer pursue maintenance of the contract or the weapons.

With that said, our gun gurus have recommended a variant that costs nearly double of what everyone else is quoting. The justification is the company is “local veteran owned”. It’s a small distributor. Also, we would still have to source parts and service from someone else.

I’m having a hard time with this. What should the priority be? Spend an extra $500k to buy from a local veteran owned distributor, or spend less for a product that is good enough? The local guy may or may not be sustainable for the future, since it’s a small business. In the end of the day, we still have to source parts elsewhere.

My original suggestion was to retrofit what we have. However, the agency doesn’t want to use line staff or “armorers” to do this work. The priority is to keep staff on the street, not tinkering with guns. Man hours get factored into cost of retrofitting and that adds up too. Plus, the frames still have at least 12k rounds through them. I get that, sort of.

How does your agency garner the funds for the guns?

If it's the American Taxpayer - local or whatever - your responsibility is to them, not the Vet distributor.

I get wanting to help and shop there first but if the cost is 2x - your agency is committing malpractice IMO. A small % might be explainable, 2x cost isn't.

Our funds are from state taxes, mainly sales tax. I feel the same as you. The cost is really hard to swallow. If we “had” to spend the money, I’d rather buy cheaper guns and upgrade body armor or something. Maybe spend money on better training. Anything.

Agreed - I'd be thinking "Can we get a sidearm at a better cost that does the job and leave money left over to upgrade armor? Maybe something lighter or more comfortable? A new patrol rifle in cars?" Don't blow the budget on 1 item - use the budget to upgrade as much as possible for as many as possible.

What pistol has a 12k round service life?

I believe our agency requirement is 20k rounds. I’m sure with normal care and spring replacement, the guns will last longer.

20K used to be the locking block(replaceable) life on the Beretta M9/92 and I think improvements have even extended that.

I wouldn’t be surprised if we adopted some number that someone heard once. I’m no longer confident that our weapons procurement people know anything. I just need to get promoted two more times and I get to have a say.

My series 70 Gold Cup has well over 35,000 rounds through it without ever having a single malfunction. It's still going strong, albeit, not as accurately as it once was.

Just get some of those time out cards to hold up in times of stress. Save a lot of money.

Is there a bidding process? Most every .gov and every corporate bean counter I've worked under make us submit bid packages, and require justification if the low bidder is to be passed over.

Palmetto State Armory would make you whatever glock 9mm clone you want and stand behind it.

There is. I contacted a .gov procurement guy yesterday afternoon to pull the info. I know our idiot governor promoted a law that gives a trump card to the agency if purchasing from local veteran or minority owned businesses.

I'm not a veteran, but I'm extremely thankful to those that are.

In my mind, being a veteran doesn't mean they get to screw over the taxpayers in a situation like this. It should be, "if all things are equal, we'll give the veteran owned business the nod, maybe"

Can you say, " kick back". Somebody's getting 10% for the "big guy".

12k rounds on a quality pistol frame ain't crap.

Your agency should be telling your local vet owned shop to drop their price or they walk.

Getting state vendor status and keeping competition at bay are how to get mad money.

Sounds like the "local veteran" is good buddies with some of the department big wheels who control the purse strings. Don't make waves or you might find yourself unemployed. The good ole boy network ca-ca roaches don't like somebody turning on the lights in the middle of the night!

Have you ever perused the Federal contract awards site?

Last month a firm was awarded a contract to supply 2,000 helmets at >$6,500 a pop.

How many front line soldiers make $6500 a month?

I didn't check the service life of the helmets, UT I recall the recommended replacement interval of a motorcycle helmet is pretty short for their price tag....

I am suspecting the same. The procurement docs are fishy, to say the least.