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The U.S. Army Selects The SIG P320 As M9 Replacement

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The biggest story in the firearms industry this week was not announced at the SHOT Show 2017 but at Newington, New Hampshire, the location of SIG SAUER’s U.S. factory.  The company announced that its SIG P320 pistol has been selected for the the U.S. Army Modular Handgun System contract. The P320 will finally replace the Beretta M9 service pistol that has been in use in the Army since the 1980s.

The contract is worth US$580 million over a 10 year period.

Four companies vied for the Modular Handguard System contract: SIG SAUER, Beretta, FN Herstal, and Glock. Beretta and FN Herstal were eliminated early on, leaving Glock and SIG SAUER with the latter finally winning the contract.

For the contract, SIG SAUER is to supply both the full size and compact P320s with all pistols configurable to accept silencers and include both standard and extended capacity magazines. The P320 is a modular handgun that can be adjusted in terms of frame size and caliber. It is not mentioned yet which calibre the U.S. Army has settled with as the P320 can be used with the 9mm, .357SIG and .40SGW though Military.com says that it the U.S. Army may have settled with the 9mm version. Below are the actual full size and compact P320s that will be adopted as posted by SIG SAUER at their Facebook Page:

The P320 pistols will be produced from the company’s new Hampshire facility if all goes well with the clearing of contracts. There might be some protests that will be filed regarding the contract by competitors, especially the losing bidder in the final round, Glock.

Now, we wait for an airsoft version of the SIG P320, and all variants of it. Full press release from SIG SAUER below:

SIG SAUER, Inc. Awarded the U.S. Army Contract for its New Modular Handgun System (MHS)

Newington, NH (January 19, 2017) – SIG SAUER, Inc. announced today that the U.S. Army has selected the SIG SAUER Model P320 to replace the M9 service pistol currently in use since the mid-1980’s. Released in 2014, the P320 is a polymer striker-fired pistol that has proven itself in both the United States and worldwide markets. The P320 is the first modular pistol with interchangeable grip modules that can also be adjusted in frame size and caliber by the operator. All pistols will be produced at the SIG SAUER facilities in New Hampshire.

The MHS Program provides for the delivery of both full size and compact P320’s, over a period of ten (10) years. All pistols will be configurable to receive silencers and will also include both standard and extended capacity magazines.

“I am tremendously proud of the Modular Handgun System Team,” said Army Acquisition Executive, Steffanie Easter in the release. “By maximizing full and open competition across our industry partners, we truly have optimized the private sector advancements in handguns, ammunition and magazines and the end result will ensure a decidedly superior weapon system for our warfighters.”

Ron Cohen, President and CEO of SIG SAUER, said “We are both humbled and proud that the P320 was selected by the U.S. Army as its weapon of choice. Securing this contract is a testimony to SIG SAUER employees and their commitment to innovation, quality and manufacturing the most reliable firearms in the world.”

 

Top Photo: P320 RX with FOXTROT1 mounted light and SIG MCX (Photo Source: SIG SAUER)

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