U.S. Army wants a new gun

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

The military grunts loved the 1911. They need to go back to a 45. caliber 1911. They said they were using the Beretta for 30 years but I remember many of my friends in the military using the 1911 until the late 90s.

After about 30 years of using the Beretta as the primary sidearm pistol for the U.S. military, the Pentagon is seeking a new gun contract.

For gun manufacturers, this kind of a contract is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

While the Beretta lasted three decades, the U.S. military's first semiautomatic standard-issue sidearm, the M1911 from Colt, lasted nearly 90 years. It was issued during the U.S. war in the Philippines through the World Wars to Vietnam and beyond.
http://money.cnn.com/2014/12/03/news/companies/army-gun-new-beretta/index.html

 

[Webster]

FWIW, I think they need to go back to the .45 or something with the same/similar stopping power as the .45.

 

[DrLeftover]

The only problem with the .45 was that the damned thing is a handful to shoot, and a second shot is more about luck than skill.

Of course, if you hit what you were aiming at, a second shot at the first target was probably unnecessary, but if there were two bad guys at close range, by the time you got your aim, he was in your face.

The problem with the 9 was that you NEEDED the second shot to even let the bad guy know he'd been shot.

 

[beowulf]

technically they are not allowed the .45 as a 'standard' firearm as the calibre is a non-standard NATO calibre...same reason why military vehicles are becoming desiel powered....they standardised on that fuel rather than petrol/gasoline.....one less thing o have to supply......any NATO country can share

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

The only problem with the .45 was that the damned thing is a handful to shoot, and a second shot is more about luck than skill.

Of course, if you hit what you were aiming at, a second shot at the first target was probably unnecessary, but if there were two bad guys at close range, by the time you got your aim, he was in your face.

The problem with the 9 was that you NEEDED the second shot to even let the bad guy know he'd been shot.

I would and my Grandfather with far more experience the me being one of the ones who stormed the beaches fighting the Japanese during WW2 would strongly disagree with that. You could hardly get anything out of him about the war but he loved the 1911. I am guessing it saved his life on a few occasions.