![]() ![]() The publicly-traded company also filed its removal from the XM17 MHS competition with the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), yet refused to offer any significant details.Īnother long shot was an entry from pistol maker STI and Detonics Defense. However, like the Glock entry, the Smith & Wesson M&P9 wasn’t really as modular as the military had sought. The company had also teamed with defense contractor General Dynamics, so it was taking the MHS competition very seriously. The polymer-framed, striker-fire handgun was also fully ambidextrous, offered a Picatinny rail for various accessories and it even provided an optional manual thumb safety. The Smith & Wesson “M&P” series was originally designed for military and police. military has typically gone with established companies, which is why the KRISS offering was likely never a serious consideration. Perhaps taking part in the MHS competition was an effort to gain some name recognition and attract attention from law enforcement in the United States. The Danish and Norwegian Special Forces, as well as Swiss and Belgian police forces previously adopted the Sphinx 3000, a firearm noted for its hybrid metal/polymer frame. Insert riddle of the Sphinx joke here – as in, did the Swiss-based KRISS Group really think its DA/SA SDP pistols would be selected? While the company does have a track record with military contracts in Europe and Asia, it was largely unknown in the United States. ![]() The military apparently wanted a time-tested weapon, and perhaps Beretta should have gone with the M9A3. It had reportedly met all the specifications, but it may have been too new, having only been designed and released in 2016. Instead, it went with its APX, a polymer-framed, striker-fired semi-automatic pistol. While Beretta had come into the competition with an advantage – it had its M9A3, the improved variant of the incumbent M9, it actually chose not to enter that handgun in the MHS competition. In the end, there were eight major contenders that took part in the competition. had also designed its Ruger American Pistol based on the specifications of the MHS, but declined to formally submit any variant for consideration. military contract included Beretta, CZ P-07, FN Herstal, Glock, KRISS, Smith & Wesson, and STI. In addition to Sig Sauer, the other companies that sought to win the lucrative U.S. Originally, a dozen pistols were entered into the competition. A total of twelve pistols were slated to take part in the competition.įirst announced in 2015, but due to multiple delays, the solicitation deadline was pushed back to February 2016. Reliability was a major factor, and the Army expected 2,000 mean rounds between stoppages, 10,000 mean rounds between failures and a 35,000-round service life. Other requirements included a slide cut for mounting a miniature reflex sight ambidextrous controls, including a thumb safety a loaded-chamber indicator an improved slide subassembly to capture small components when disassembled a trigger design that prevents foreign debris from entering the action and a corrosion-resistant PVD finish on metal components.īarrel lengths for the M17 and M18 were to be around 4.7 and 3.9 inches, respectively, while the Army also required that the sidearms could use standard 17-round magazines, as well as extended 21-round magazines. That included a 9mm pistol that could be configured as both full-size (M17) and compact (M18) variants. The maximum program value of the XM17 contract was reported to be worth up to $580 million – so not surprisingly it attracted interest from some of the biggest names in handguns. Yet in the end, the M9A3 upgrade was rejected and the House of Representatives backed a $5.4 million plan to procure 7,106 MHS-pistols for testing. Beretta even went so far as to create its M9A3 pistol upgrade to address the engineering change proposals (ECPs) under its contract with the U.S. The House Armed Services Committee had actually sought to cancel the XM17 MHS program and called for an upgrade to the M9. However, from the beginning, the program was wrought with controversy. The XM17 Modular Handgun System ( MHS) competition was conducted as a joint effort of the United States Army and United States Air Force, while the United States Marine Corps also participated and offered input on the source selection. In September 2015, the United States military issued a Request for Proposals (RFPs) to determine the next standard sidearm to replace the standard-issue Beretta M9 pistol and SIG Sauer M11. ![]()
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