Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns U.S. Army dumps the 9mm!

Golly, who did ya have to know to get THAT assignment <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I have always found the .45 acp to be the most FUN to shoot, and the recoil issue way overblown in this relatively mild cartridge. Without having seen one though I stil dunno how they can squeeze a double-stack hi-cap .45acp mag into a package everyone can handle.

Birdwatcher

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I'm not sure this research is going to end up recommending a .45 ACP for a GENERAL PURPOSE sidearm. It requires a grip that is just too big for many.
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All indications are that you are wrong. The 45 ACP is, from what I hear, a done deal. They tried the others and all of the troops, female and male, wanted the 45 ACP.

While it isn't of a quality that would meet specs, the Taurus Millenium Pro I just bought is a compact 45, reasonable grip, and 10 shot plus 1, all for not much bigger than the Bersa 380 (though a little wider) I have. Don't get me wrong, as the quality is fine. It has a stainless steel upper with a carbon frame and shoots pretty good, all for $279 (with two 10 shot mags). I wouldn't use it for competition, as the shot groups probably wouldn't be all that great, just like the Taurus 9 MM I have (yes, I admit it. I actually do have a 9MM. I just don't trust it for anything except having fun blasting lead down range.) If they were willing to spend $500 on it, it would be first class. As is the 45 ACP Millenium Pro is a great carry concealed weapon.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I knew several people who told me they had a federal license to carry, too. Funny thing, every time I asked to see it they had left it in their other suit.....

That is ok by me as a handgun chambered for .45 ACP is not too big for MY hand. As I have a stake in this, I hope you are correct!

Thanks, I had quite forgotten about that one, I'll check it out at the next gun show.

Vanimrod,

When I was a police officer I carried a custom springfield 1911 someties, and others a Glock .40 (the standard size, I forget the model #)

I am a huge fan of the 1911 "punkin' pusher" as my firearms instructer in the academy called them. But truth be known, I had to stay in practice with it to stay perfect. Proficient wouldn't do. I guarentee, I haven't shot a Glock in 4 years, but I could qualify 100 with it right now. They just work, and shoot. And they came naturally to me and others from what I understand.

When i quit policing...sold the Glock...1911 is on top of the Bible on my night stand.

Gentlemen,
The light railed 1911, properly configured, IS the state of the art in close range interpersonal crisis management. There has been no sucessor that has substatively improved on the efficiency of that design... That being said until trigger control is addressed this is largely a moot point..

Respectfully, very few in todays military receive enough training and ammunition with a pistol for it be much more than window dressing. The Marine Corps addresses this issue FAR better than any other non-specialized service...

Regards, Matt.

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Concur. It is amazing that despite a mission, culture and history that revolves around weapons, many, many in the armed forces are not "gun" people and never are. Many that do not see combat during their time or career in the service gain no more than a basic level of proficiency in their handling and use. I've seen people who have been in the service many years that cannot hit the broad side of a barn from the inside with a handgun. Again, combat forces a much higher level of proficiency, but often this is in the terms a gardner becomes proficient with a hoe. Ask anyone who has deployed about accidental discharges. WAY too many.

I am currently serving. As much as I hate the 9mm, the M9 has rarely jammed on me, this could be accounted for ammo defect. The M9 is not a bad pistol. 9mm just doesn't have the stopping power.
With that said, I would still rather have a 1911 or Glock. I don't see the Army going to Glocks though due to the lack of a saftey.

I vote for the Ruger P90/97! Both have external safeties for Rt/Lh shooters no swapping of parts required. DA/SA.
And very reliable-and just love ball ammo- they will eat 230 ball 24/7 !!! And you'll never break them.

Welcome, RCG.
Thanks for 'being there'.

Now that we have a 'definitely gonna be a .45ACP' comment here, somebody tell us WHICH platform it's gonna be IN.
Alrighty, then! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Blackwater, I got some of the best training of my life at FLETC in the summer of 1985. I was in class 9PT-509, the first
natural resources class made up of all USFWS folks. We were using wheel guns then, I had a S&W round butt Model 66 that was an old FBI trainer at one time. we later went to Sigs and I would prefer a Sig to anything else on the market today. But in .40 caliber, not the 9mms we had. Kid

So is the grip safety on the Springfield considered an external safety, because it doesn't have any other one besides the same trigger safety that the Glock has, at least not on the one I own...

Rugernut - I own, carry and use two H&Ks. One is the 9mm Compact and the second is a full-size 45 ACP. These are primo pistols and our troops would lucky to get an H&K in .45 ACP.

Somehow I feel pretty well armed with 12 .45 acps in the iron my belt.

Alright, here's one that wasn't considered by our resident braintrust earlier:

What about the Para-Ordance LDA? It's a 1911A1. And, a .45ACP. And, if they put the LDA in the full-size P14, well...

VA,

The army is looking for a grip that fits the middle 90% of hand sizes - all but the smallest and largest 5%. I'm thinkin' a double stack Para would have trouble with that.