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Tyr-Ziu Saxnot
12-04-2017, 11:32 PM
https://www.yahoo.com/news/army-getting-gun-everything-know-122400605.html

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The Army Is Getting a New Gun: Everything We Know About the M17 Pistol
[The National Interest]
The National Interest•December 4, 2017

Kris Osborn

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It could be a game changer.


The Army Is Getting a New Gun: Everything We Know About the M17 Pistol

When it comes to fast-evolving tactics now used in close-quarter combat, something with which Army soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan now have more than a decade of experience, an ability to maneuver with increased lethality in caves, tunnels, crawl spaces, attics or buildings allows soldiers to access life-impacting firepower more effectively - especially in “tight quarters” situations where a longer, larger rifle may not be available for use.

Soldiers with the Army’s 101st Airborne Division have been the first to receive the services’ new high-tech 9mm pistol engineered to give dismounted infantry a vastly increased ability to fight and close with an enemy in caves, tunnels, crawl spaces, houses and other close quarter combat scenarios.

Service weapons developers and soldiers say the new M17 and M18 pistol, designed as a next-generation handgun to follow the Army’s current M9 Beretta, is expected to substantially change combat tactics, techniques and strategies for dismounted soldiers on-the-move.

“You can close with the enemy in close quarter combat and engage the enemy with one hand. It is tough to do this with the M9,” said Lt. Col. Martin O’Donnell, spokesman for the 101st Airborne.


The new pistol is built with a more ergonomic configuration to better accommodate the widest possible range of hand grip techniques for soldiers and enable rapid hand switching as needed in combat. The M17 is said by developers to bring much tighter dispersion, improved versatility and next-generation accuracy.

“With this weapon, you can change quickly from right hand to left hand. If you are shooting something that is not comfortable on your hand and can't get a comfortable grip, it is not as accurate,” said Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Flynn, 101st Division Master Gunner.

The new handguns are built with an external safety, self-illuminating sights for low-light conditions, an integrated rail for attaching enablers and an Army standard suppressor conversion kit to attach an acoustic/flash suppressor, service developers said.

“It increases target recognition and increases capability with night sights,” said Lt. Col. Steven Power, Individual Weapons Product Manager, Soldier Weapons.

The Army is now acquiring thousands of full-size XM17 and compact XM18 versions of the new 9mm pistol. The XM17 fires 147 grain jacketed hollow point ammunition.

When it comes to fast-evolving tactics now used in close-quarter combat, something with which Army soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan now have more than a decade of experience, an ability to maneuver with increased lethality in caves, tunnels, crawl spaces, attics or buildings allows soldiers to access life-impacting firepower more effectively - especially in “tight quarters” situations where a longer, larger rifle may not be available for use.

Fast emerging targets and quick-changing circumstances, fundamental to close-quarter combat, naturally require rapid decision making and on-the spot flexibility amid military confrontation. Requirements and technical improvements with the M17 were specifically designed with this in mind, Army developers emphasized.

“This ads a whole new dynamic to close-quarter combat. A standard pistol cannot change grips or allow a soldier to switch from a right-handed shooter to a left-handed shooter. This is a great capability for us to put in play,” Flynn said.

Close quarter combat, while considered indispensable to successful counterinsurgency warfare, is also something of significant relevance to large-scale force-on-force, mechanized combat against a potential near-peer adversary. Urban warfare - from urban combat in WWII to house-to-house fighting in Hue City in Vietnam - is naturally a long-standing component of major war as well.

Power explained that the Army’s M17 acquisition effort unfolded on a massively accelerated timeframe, moving to contract within 10 months.

“We are dual arming the infantry at the position of team leader and above,” Power said.

The fast-tracked acquisition effort, which merged work from the Army Research Lab and the Army’s Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center, drew heavily from modeling and simulation to expedite development of the new weapon.

The Army has been closely coordinating with the Special Operations community regarding training and development of the new handgun, given the consistency with which close-quarter combat is utilized by SOF.

The M17 and M18 pistols are manufactured by Sig Sauer, who earned the $580 million contract to produce the weapons in January of this year.

Other competitors included Glock, FN America and Beretta USA.

I still think the 45 Auto is the better pistol. I've never been crazy about the smaller caliber 9 mil....
Shoot the bastard with the 45 and he gets hit with a big knock down slug--the 9 mil does not have the same stopping power..
And stopping the enemy quick is a damn high priority when allowing that enemy to get a round fired off, could end your own life.-Tyr

LongTermGuy
12-05-2017, 02:00 AM
Or go with 10mm (which is what I like) 15+1 Mag and much more powerful than 45...
....Carry 9mm also 15+1 ..prefer 124 grain +P ammo with it....No gun has "stopping" power...(only in the movies)..its how good of a shot one is by hitting vitals...


*I feel Their Idea is more capacity with the 9mm...lighter...does very well with correct ammo against human body...

But then again one can revive the old..( 9mm vs 45 debate) which has been done 10 trillion Zillion times at all the gun sites...:laugh: ​its usually a 50 / 50 in difference of opinion...

Tyr-Ziu Saxnot
12-05-2017, 07:51 AM
Or go with 10mm (which is what I like) 15+1 Mag and much more powerful than 45...
....Carry 9mm also 15+1 ..prefer 124 grain +P ammo with it....No gun has "stopping" power...(only in the movies)..its how good of a shot one is by hitting vitals...


*I feel Their Idea is more capacity with the 9mm...lighter...does very well with correct ammo against human body...

But then again one can revive the old..( 9mm vs 45 debate) which has been done 10 trillion Zillion times at all the gun sites...:laugh: ​its usually a 50 / 50 in difference of opinion...

True, it usually comes down to this-- which is better ? To have 1. a bigger slug hit the enemy harder or 2. more ammo to hit the enemy more or hit more enemies.
I shoot extremely well, so tend to favor and reside in the hit the target with a heavier slug camp.
Now the military seems to think that slinging far more lead is best. And perhaps it is since these days, kids are not taught to shoot guns, to hunt etc--as once was the case in previous decades.
Now they primarily shoot guns in video games-which does nothing for leading into actually being gun ready and accurate in the use of real guns.
Perhaps I am just jaded a bit since I started shooting real guns at age 6..
And I shot to hunt game to eat!!! My learning had both a purpose and a reward...
Teach a six year old to handle and shoot real guns now and one would be charged with child abuse/endangerment.
But once, especially here in the South, very early training in gun use amongst rural/farm kids was the norm.
Sadly, that is not the case now.. As the ffing libs/dems have so vilified guns , etc.--Tyr

Abbey Marie
12-05-2017, 10:12 AM
T.t.i.w.w.p