A while back I suggested that the Smith and Wesson M&P could be the new go-to gun for the military. Of course, some balked at that idea and that’s fine—it really doesn’t mean much to me since I’m out of the Army now. Frankly, I like the Glock trigger better than the one on the M&P, though if the military was to go Glock, anything being possible at this point, I can foresee one huge problem.
Which is not to imply that this current search for a new service pistol hasn’t been loaded with problems. Just like anything in government, it has been a waste of money and taken entirely too long. In a recent talk in D.C., Army Chief of Staff, General Mark Milley, said, “We’re not figuring out the next lunar landing. This is a pistol. Two years to test? At $17 million?”
He went on to say, “You give me $17 million on a credit card, and I’ll call Cabela’s tonight, and I’ll outfit every soldier, sailor, airman and Marine with a pistol for $17 million. And I’ll get a discount on a bulk buy.”
Gotta like a man with a plan. As a general officer, I know he’s seen a lot of bureaucracy first hand. Yeah, it seems the general consensus is that the overthinking and overcomplicating of this decision has been ridiculous. Just buy a gun already.
As you may already know, I don’t like the Beretta 92F. I have at least four beefs with that gun, though chief among these is the external safety. If they did away with this, I would be okay with it, but I do agree that the troops need a new side arm.
According to The Army Times, the Glock 9mm has been used by Green Berets. Marine SpecOps have used Glocks too, “in addition to the .45-caliber Colt 1911. Navy SEALs generally use the Sig Sauer P226 and, on occasion, Heckler & Koch’s .45-caliber HK45C.”
So if the Glock 9mm is good enough for these units, why not the Army? Negligent discharges. NDs like crazy. Transitioning the entire Army to this platform would be the LA sheriff’s office over again. Why? Because the quality of training—and the quality of trainers to train with pistols—just isn’t there.
Whatever gun is picked, or even if no pistol is picked at all, training must improve. That’s all.
Safety warning: Jeffrey Denning is a long time self-defense professional and any training methods or information he describes in his articles are intended to be put into practice only by serious shooters with proper training. Please read, but do not attempt anything posted here without first seeking out proper training.
The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the position of Guns.com.
