How the Army ended up with the P320 / M18
- Thread starter hermosabeach
- Start date
Interesting history. The failures of previous chosen handguns did not result in ADs and people getting shot, though.
I read an article that said the only reason SIG won was GLOCK refused to add the safety that was required in the contract
The pistol Glock submitted had an ambi safety from what I remember. I’m thinking there was more to it that Glock didn’t want to change
Yeah, it was called the Modular Pistol Program. Glock submitted a pistol that isn’t modular…
Corruption.
Typically the company that wants the contract hires the O-6 and above types that oversee the program as soon as they retire. These officers are paid 400% more than anyone else in their new positions and they slip graft back to the officers and civilians who administer the contract as its fulfilled.
Works the same way for ships, planes, uniforms or firearms. Just as Eisenhower warned in 1960.
I promise, they do not care about the safety or survival of any enlisted person when it comes to procurement.
Typically the company that wants the contract hires the O-6 and above types that oversee the program as soon as they retire. These officers are paid 400% more than anyone else in their new positions and they slip graft back to the officers and civilians who administer the contract as its fulfilled.
Works the same way for ships, planes, uniforms or firearms. Just as Eisenhower warned in 1960.
I promise, they do not care about the safety or survival of any enlisted person when it comes to procurement.
Poorly made, but my efforts here reflect how much effort Sig has put into fixing the P320. Which is to say, almost none. 
Am I the only one who noticed that the "official" M18 model was twice price of the 320? Its all about those phat contracts. Looking at you Knights Armory....
Hell M-14s have been 1300 bucks my entire adults life. We're always gettin ripped off cause we are suckers.
Hell M-14s have been 1300 bucks my entire adults life. We're always gettin ripped off cause we are suckers.
Why wouldn't Glock sell that to the rest of us?
I'd be all over buying 1 or 2 of those
The modularity requirement was for the handgun to be configurable for different-sized users' hands, which the Glock is with interchangeable backstraps.
H&K could have filled the niche. Better then a Glock and their shit triggers!
Nepotism and Fanboyism is a thing. Somebody thinks its the cool, in thing and they roll with it. When the Beretta was picked it was the in thing (the 1911's we had in the armory did need to be changed out, they were worn out and had done more then their fair share of warfighting). Was the Beretta bad? Nope, it was actually pretty good. The magazines we were given did suck (not sure who manufactured those but it wasn't Beretta).
We screwed over H&K, got them to build a manufacturing facility in GA and then didn't follow through with the contract.
Nepotism and Fanboyism is a thing. Somebody thinks its the cool, in thing and they roll with it. When the Beretta was picked it was the in thing (the 1911's we had in the armory did need to be changed out, they were worn out and had done more then their fair share of warfighting). Was the Beretta bad? Nope, it was actually pretty good. The magazines we were given did suck (not sure who manufactured those but it wasn't Beretta).
We screwed over H&K, got them to build a manufacturing facility in GA and then didn't follow through with the contract.
How so?
It met the modular metrics of the test?
Adjustable grip with the dumb inserts.
Rail for light or IR
Easy to swap to threaded barrel for a can
If you work in procurement, you know how this stuff goes - the home team is favored, RFQs can't be written for a specific item but they can be specified so narrowly that only the favorite company's product meets them exactly, and then everyone else gets to participate with no chance of winning. Then the fanbois come along later and claim that their toy is "mil spec" and that your toy is no good.
I'm not Glock's biggest supporter, but after 40 years it's now pretty dang clear that if the goal is to hand a sidearm to a minimally-trained user and expect any basic level of success, then some flavor of Glock 19 is the obvious choice.
I'm not Glock's biggest supporter, but after 40 years it's now pretty dang clear that if the goal is to hand a sidearm to a minimally-trained user and expect any basic level of success, then some flavor of Glock 19 is the obvious choice.
I remember Federal put 100,000 rounds through an HK USP 45 without failure..... Someone at the DOD is getting free hookers and coke....
Clarified it for you.
And it's something that went thru my mind every time I jumped.
True. And all the civies that are trying to be operators all want the military surplus stuff not realizing that the private sector makes far better equipment.Clarified it for you.
And it's something that went thru my mind every time I jumped.
