November 20,
2008: U.S. Army TACOM (Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command) has ordered
another 20,000 Beretta 92FS 9mm pistols. These will cost $410 each. The M9 is a
34 ounce, 8.5 inch (217mm) long weapon that has a 4.9 inch (125mm) barrel and a
magazine that holds 15 rounds. It replaced the M1911 .45 (11.4mm) caliber ACP.
This was a 39 ounce, 8.25 inch (210mm) long weapon with a 5 inch (127mm) barrel
and a 7 round magazine. Both pistols were only accurate at up to about 50
meters. The M1911 had more hitting power, while the M9 was a bit more accurate.
Numerous and
frequent complaints from the troops have led to some U.S. Department of Defense
efforts to find a new pistol to replace the current M9 9mm weapon. It's not
just nostalgia. When the U.S. switched over from the .45 caliber M1911 pistol,
to the M9 in the 1980s, SOCOM (Special Operations Command) went to Heckler and
Koch for a more powerful pistol. What resulted was the Mk 23 SOCOM. This .45
caliber pistol has a 12-round clip and the ability to carry a silencer. It is
based on the Heckler and Koch USP45, which has been available for the civilian
and law enforcement markets. The fact that there are several larger (than 9mm)
caliber pistols out there for the law enforcement market gives you a hint at
what is going on here.
It comes down to this. Most of the military
people issued a pistol, will rarely have to use it. But those who do, like
Special Forces, want more firepower than a 9mm round can deliver. The 9mm has
been popular with police forces that don't encounter much opposition. But when
the other guy is likely to shoot back, you want as much knock down power as you
can get. Thus cops who shoot a lot, prefer 10mm and larger calibers (like the
11.4mm .45). The Special Forces, and SOCOM in general, have the authority to
get any weapons they think they need,
with no interference from anyone. SOCOM has lots of small unit operations that
use pistols. The SOCOM operators believe that the 9mm pistol is not adequate,
thus the adoption of the Mk23.
Many key
members of Congress are determined that the Department of Defense will not end
up with several different new pistols. Congress is telling the brass, If they
don't like the M9, then agree on a new one. But so far, the services have not
been able to agree. Thus the saga continues.
