The Beretta M9 has been a staple of the U.S. Army since 1985, when it was adopted as a replacement sidearm for the aging M1911A1.
But come January, the Army is going to send out a request for proposal for a new standard-issue sidearm, an Army spokesman to CNNMoney.
While the Beretta lasted three decades, the U.S. military’s first semiautomatic standard-issue sidearm, the M1911 from Colt, lasted nearly 90 years. It was issued during the U.S. war in the Philippines through the World Wars to Vietnam and beyond.
… Any contract with the U.S. Army is a big deal, and not just because American soldiers will be carrying them for many years. But guns chosen by the military achieve cult status, used as iconic weapons in James Bond and other action movies, and become highly desirable among civilian gun owners too.
CNNMoney has confirmed that both Smith & Wesson and General Dynamics will enter the M&P into the competition. Beretta will also join the other manufacturers in an attempt to continue its long-lasting relationship with the Army.
