-
If you enjoy the forum please consider supporting it by signing up for a NES Membership The benefits pay for the membership many times over.
The Air Force is replacing its aging Beretta M9 pistol lineup with 125,000 Sig Sauer M18s.
- Thread starter Reptile
- Start date
Nothing to be proud of.
Marines officially roll out new M18 handgun - UPI.com
The U.S. Marine Corps officially began fielding the M18 Modular Handgun, its first new service pistol in 35 years, it announced on Wednesday.upi.com
They admitted the Glock was better but it cost more so they went cheapo.
KMM696
NES Member
This statement perfectly sums up why I giggle every time I hear the term 'milspec' being used to imply super high quality whatever.
The only thing milspec gets you is consistency - good, bad or indifferent.
Lol, not sure how that makes any sense, all the guns involved in this thing are pretty cheap. We're not talking guns with a unit cost over a grand.
I'm not even a huge Sig fan at all, but I think for the intended purpose, the guns are good enough. People like overanalyze this shit and grind it into the
dirt. It's a frigging handgun. Is it reliable enough? is it accurate enough? Can you service it and have enough spares? If you check all the boxes, it's "good
enough".
There are likely a lot of guns that checked all the boxes. It's just that someone at Sig was better at greasing the right palms than someone else, probably.
![[rofl]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/013.gif "ROFL [rofl]")
That's how most of these things go.
Do you double-blink on every shot??? Do you blow-dry your hair upside down to get the full body effect??? Drive a duelly???? If so, hate em back. LOL
If I had one, I'd just give it to you to get rid of it.
I have a buddy that LOVED his 92FS. He said it was the only pistol that he could set a 5gal bucket next to him while shooting and every piece of brass would drop into hte bucket. I didn't think that was a good enough reason to buy the gun but he wasn't wrong. It threw brass VERY consistently.
I've said it before, I'll say it again: civilians who post about their favorite pistols on firearms forums have no concept of how the military looks at and thinks about pistols.
The average service pistol is treated with an indifference and lack of regard that most civilian firearms enthusiasts would find deeply shocking. So any civilian who truly expects the military to buy "the best" pistol has no clue. "The best" pistol would be wasted on the average soldier, who'd never seriously think of using it in anger. Pistols are a literal afterthought in the military, though the Air Force might view these things differently.
The military saves its small arms budget for rifles and light MGs. And they're right to do so.
The average service pistol is treated with an indifference and lack of regard that most civilian firearms enthusiasts would find deeply shocking. So any civilian who truly expects the military to buy "the best" pistol has no clue. "The best" pistol would be wasted on the average soldier, who'd never seriously think of using it in anger. Pistols are a literal afterthought in the military, though the Air Force might view these things differently.
The military saves its small arms budget for rifles and light MGs. And they're right to do so.
I was an avowed hater of the M9 for a long time, I didn't like the idea of switching to 9mm FMJ when .45 had been the standard sidearm for the US military for over 100 years. Over time my thoughts on the M9 softened, but I still support the Army moving to the Sig for purposes of weight and simplicity even tho I've become a fan of the Beretta 92 style pistols after having recently bought a Beretta 81.
For the Air Force, and the Navy to some extent, I don't see what the point is, other than because the rest of the military is doing it, switching from the Beretta to the Sig. If the Beretta's can still be of use for decades to come, then use them. I can't imagine that individual weapons are use much in the Air Force, I mean, the USAF was using revolvers well into the 90s, so that speaks volumes to the level of firepower the USAF needs with its sidearms.
For the Air Force, and the Navy to some extent, I don't see what the point is, other than because the rest of the military is doing it, switching from the Beretta to the Sig. If the Beretta's can still be of use for decades to come, then use them. I can't imagine that individual weapons are use much in the Air Force, I mean, the USAF was using revolvers well into the 90s, so that speaks volumes to the level of firepower the USAF needs with its sidearms.
I've said it before, I'll say it again: civilians who post about their favorite pistols on firearms forums have no concept of how the military looks at and thinks about pistols.
The average service pistol is treated with an indifference and lack of regard that most civilian firearms enthusiasts would find deeply shocking. So any civilian who truly expects the military to buy "the best" pistol has no clue. "The best" pistol would be wasted on the average soldier, who'd never seriously think of using it in anger. Pistols are a literal afterthought in the military, though the Air Force might view these things differently.
The military saves its small arms budget for rifles and light MGs. And they're right to do so.
Their primary purpose of a sidearm for conventional forces are to give staff an easy firearm to carry to the DFAC on the large FOBs.
Why carry IWB when you can carry Sonny Crockett style? Also the Wilson Combat thin grips help a little. I don’t actually carry the 92 but I had to have a holster to complete the package. I may pick up the Wilson Combat mag release for it. With the 15 round magazines, they offset the weight of the pistol. I may try carrying it someday. It would be a fall or winter carry. Definitely a great range gun. I’ve also thought of putting a red dot in it. The military would have been better off picking the SR22. Light, package and accurate.
Last edited:
In the contract, the Gov paid only $175 per M17 or M18. But it's ALSO in the contract that the Gov must buy all 9mm ammo from Sig. THATS where the money is.
NG units are going through a refit right now. M9's out and M17/M18's in.
Same with rifles: out with the grand old A2, in with the M4.
NG units are going through a refit right now. M9's out and M17/M18's in.
Same with rifles: out with the grand old A2, in with the M4.
Mesatchornug
NES Member
If only those w/could go through the CMP...
They can't get around that pesky clause "once a machine-gun, always a machinegun..".
I suppose they could take the uppers off and surplus those out.
The reality is, they will go to one or more of our "allies" somewhere in the world.
NHKevin
NES Member
True. I'd want one just because I spent so much time with A2s once upon a time. They are all very high mileage, I'm sure.
Mesatchornug
NES Member
I know. Just trying to have a dream worth dreaming for a moment. Hell, I'd get my 03 and a green card if that would make it happen.
...where, within fifty years, they may well be sending rounds back our way. I'm a cynic, though.
And blanks. When the flash hiders hit the market, check for finish marks left by those ugly red BFAs.
It has a chromed barrel and chamber to reduce wear, even after firing a large number of rounds, and the Brunition finish (a Teflon-based coating) is highly resistant to corrosion and wear, as well as being non-reflective.
Your right if you get something you asked for, usually the lowest bidder gets the job though.
![[rockon]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/020.gif "Rockon [rockon]")
The weak link is the aluminum frame. The steel slide will wear it eventually.
Now don’t get me wrong, the service life on these is plenty long.
But it’s not nearly as long as a gun with a steel slide running on a steel frame (or frame inserts).
Now don’t get me wrong, the service life on these is plenty long.
But it’s not nearly as long as a gun with a steel slide running on a steel frame (or frame inserts).
