# Interesting Article



## Manolito (Feb 23, 2012)

Corps to decide on new .45-caliber pistol
BY DAN LAMOTHE - STAFF WRITER | POSTED : TUESDAY FEB 21, 2012 14:11:46 EST
The Marine Corps is closer to knowing who will manufacture its new .45-caliber M45 Close Quarters Battle Pistol, and could make a decision about the program’s future by spring, Marine officials said.
The semiautomatic weapon will be fielded to elite Marines in force reconnaissance and Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command. The service could buy between 400 and 12,000 of them as part of a contract worth up to $22.5 million, officials have said. The current requirement is for about 4,000 pistols.
Officials with Marine Corps Systems Command, out of Quantico, Va., declined to characterize testing or identify which companies are competing for the contract. However, the Corps is in the final round of source selection, said Charles Clark III, head of weapons requirements at Marine Corps Combat Development Command, MARCORSYSCOM’s parent command. He declined further comment.
The new pistol is modeled after earlier versions of the 1911 pistol used since the 1980s by force recon units. Those weapons were called the MEU (SOC) pistol, short for Marine expeditionary unit (special operations capable). The precision weapons section at Quantico’s Weapons Training Battalion has hand-assembled 1911s chambered for .45-caliber Automatic Colt Pistol ammo for years.
MARSOC’s expansion complicated that process, however. The Corps’ special operations command has been growing steadily since it was activated in 2006, and force recon was brought back in 2008 after a two-year hiatus designed to help solidify MARSOC.
Now with force recon and MARSOC both using the weapon, there is greater demand, and the Corps is seeking an off-the-shelf option to meet it. Like older 1911s, the new pistol would fill the requirement for a weapon with more stopping power than the 9mm M9 common across the conventional forces. Special operators have paired .45-caliber pistols with other weapons for years, including the MP5, a 9mm submachine gun. MARSOC already fields existing MEU (SOC) pistols, Marine officials said.
Several companies submitted samples to the Corps in 2010 as part of the competition, but it is unclear who remains in contention. They included Colt Defense of Hartford, Conn., and Springfield Armory of Geneseo, Ill.
Colt tweaked its 01070RG rail gun pistol and sent 10 prototypes to Quantico in 2010, Colt officials said. Colt’s prototypes for the Corps have a desert-color Cercoat finish, eliminating glare on the weapon and making it less identifiable at distance. They’re equipped with a popular night sight made by Novak of Parkersburg, W.Va., mounted on a Picatinny rail.
Springfield Armory sent the Corps at least six copies of its PX9105ML pistol for evaluation, company officials said. The company calls it the Full-Sized MC Operator. It has a black slide with a green chassis. The Corps has bought Springfield Armory 1911 slides in the past to use on pistols assembled at Quantico.
Thought you might find this interesting


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## JohnnyBoyUSMC (Feb 26, 2012)

FINALLY! I hated having a damn beretta when I was in, not because I didn't mind having a extra weapon when deployed or that I didn't want a weapon for regimental duty, but because I know using a 9mm was mostly gonna annoy rather than stop someone I might have to shoot with it. gimmie a good ole .45 any day.


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## hvgc (Apr 30, 2012)

JohnnyBoyUSMC said:


> FINALLY! I hated having a damn beretta when I was in, not because I didn't mind having a extra weapon when deployed or that I didn't want a weapon for regimental duty, but because I know using a 9mm was mostly gonna annoy rather than stop someone I might have to shoot with it. gimmie a good ole .45 any day.


Question: if someone shot you in the face with a 9mm or in the chest, what would you do? the age old question of 9mm vs 45. here is a little analysis: 1911- 8 rounds total. Glock19-16 rds total. when you shoot someone you keep pulling the  damn trigger and most likely they are off shots (quick lifesaving shots) Glock is the way to go, no beaver tail to accidentally not press, no safety to fumble with just squeezing. i take a glock and i squeeze the trigger in any position and any hand with minimal thought or mechanics. that is the smart way. no one is sniping with a pistol, otherwise the argument would be sound. a happy medium would be specialized 9mm rounds.


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## JohnnyBoyUSMC (Apr 30, 2012)

I'm not gonna go into the age old debate of 9mm vs .45, it could go on forever, I quite simply prefer to have a weapon that I know with the first round will knock a guy down and blow a good hole in him, .45 I know is gonna do both those, 9mm yes unless the guy is jacked up on some crazy shit (as was the case multiple times in the 2nd battle of fallujah) or is a rather large dude.


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## hvgc (Apr 30, 2012)

could be true, might not be though. who says a 45 will do it. there are guys that have been shot multiple times with a 240 and are still fine. with all of the combat anomalies out there with big weapons and small, i just dont think there is enough data to discount a 9mm. alot of it is hear say. how many people do you know or have heard of first person say that their 9mm was insignificant. did he investigate? did he hit the guy everytime? what happened? those are the things i ask. im not necessarily sold on the glock 19, but i do think it is perfect for a side arm or for small spaces. it is slim, cheap, easy to use and maintain, hi capacity and doesnt weigh a ton. for me thats the answer right there.


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## JohnnyBoyUSMC (Apr 30, 2012)

hvgc said:


> could be true, might not be though. who says a 45 will do it. there are guys that have been shot multiple times with a 240 and are still fine. with all of the combat anomalies out there with big weapons and small, i just dont think there is enough data to discount a 9mm. alot of it is hear say. how many people do you know or have heard of first person say that their 9mm was insignificant. did he investigate? did he hit the guy everytime? what happened? those are the things i ask. im not necessarily sold on the glock 19, but i do think it is perfect for a side arm or for small spaces. it is slim, cheap, easy to use and maintain, hi capacity and doesnt weigh a ton. for me thats the answer right there.


 
so is a springfield XD in a nice .45 with a 13 rnd mag capacity, and I love the damn thing. I won't go on any more with this, I don't trust a round pistol wise that doesn't start with a number four period.


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## hvgc (Apr 30, 2012)

to each his own my friend. i guess thats why there are both in the inventory. out.


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