The Perfect Soldier: Special Operations, Commandos, and the Future of Us Warfare by James F. Dunnigan
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Dirty Little Secrets
U.S. Brings Back the .45
by James Dunnigan
February 5, 2006
Discussion Board on this DLS topic
After two decades of use, the U.S.
Department of Defense is getting rid of its Beretta M9 9mm pistol, and
going back to the 11.4mm (.45 caliber) weapon. There have been constant
complaints about the lesser (compared to the .45) hitting power of the
9mm. And in the last few years, SOCOM (Special Operations Command) and
the marines have officially adopted .45 caliber pistols as “official
alternatives” to the M9 Beretta. But now SOCOM has been given the task
of finding a design that will be suitable as the JCP (Joint Combat
Pistol). Various designs are being evaluated, but all must be .45
caliber and have a eight round magazine (at least), and high capacity
mags holding up to 15. The new .45 will also have a rail for
attachments, and be able to take a silencer. Length must be no more
than 9.65 inches, and width no more than 1.53 inches.
The
M1911 .45 caliber pistol that the 9mm Beretta replaced in 1985, was, as
its nomenclature implied, an old design. There are several modern
designs out there for .45 caliber pistols that are lighter, carry more
ammo and are easier to maintain than the pre-World War I M1911 (which
is actually about a century old, as a design). The Department of
Defense plans to buy 645,000 JCPs. The competition could get intense
with an order this size, and there are already some good .45 caliber
designs out there, including a SOCOM version of the Heckler and Koch
USP. The U.S. Marine Corps uses an upgraded version of the M1911, and
were also looking at new .45 caliber designs.
SOCOM
will, with input from other branches, handle the evaluation and final
selection. This will take place this year, and if the military moves
with unaccustomed alacrity, troops could start getting their JCPs next
year. But don’t hold your breath.
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