#MHS

After criticizing the Army’s Modular Handgun System program last week, Army Chief of Staff Mark Milley spoke again about the program, further refining his desire to select not just any new pistol, but specifically to piggyback Army purchases of new handguns onto  SOCOM procurement of the Glock 19. Via SoldierSystems.net:

Soon after SHOT 2015, Beretta announced a new striker fired, polymer framed handgun for civilian, LE, and most importantly military sales. A chassis-based handgun with interchangeable grips, the APX – as it was dubbed – was clearly designed with the US Army’s Modular Handgun System pistol competition in mind. Seeking to become the “M17”, as the winner of the competition will be designated, Beretta has released photos of the APX in a new tan color scheme as the MHS variant of the pistol, through the Facebook page of Retex MAG, a French gun magazine:

Standard-issue pistol-making hopefuls have an extended deadline for their submissions to the future US Army handgun competition, the Modular Handgun System. The program, which will choose a new handgun to be the “M17 Modular Handgun System”, originally had a deadline of February 1st for submissions. Army Times reports:

The first photos of the new Ruger American pistol have been released, and now the first review and shooting videos are coming out on YouTube, as well.

Tim from Military Arms Channel is one lucky fellow. His Test & Evaluation M9A3 has already arrived and he has been busy putting it through its paces (we have requested one, but its not arrived yet).

According to a recent Military.com article, US gun manufacturers are set to deliver their proposals to the US Army by the first month of the new year:

Released to much excitement, the US Army’s new Modular Handgun system is, in my opinion, a train-wreck going full-bore in a screwup of massive proportions.

After many months of waiting, finally the US Army has released the formal solicitation for the XM17 MHS handgun competition. Guns.com reports:

With the upcoming planned replacement of the M9 handgun with the as-yet-undetermined XM17 MHS, Rifleshooter reminisces about his 20 years serving with the military Beretta, a story that takes the reader through everything from the bad rap the pistol has gotten for reliability, through its advanced age and obsolescence:

In the second half of June, we reported that the Army had released a new second draft of the request for proposal (RFP) for the new MHS handgun, now called “XM17”, slated to replace the M9 handgun made by Beretta that has been in use since the 1980s. The latest news on the grapevine is that the Army will release the finalized RFP before the end of the month. Defense Media Network has the full story, part of which is replicated below:

Will the next US service pistol round be a jacketed hollow point? A recent PEO Soldier Live article suggests this may be the case:

The US Army released its second draft of the request for proposal (RFP) for its Modular Handgun System earlier this week. The draft gives the designation for whichever handgun is selected as “XM17”. From the draft RFP:

The US effort to procure a new handgun design is cursed, it seems.  KitUp reports:

Tim of the Military Arms Channel recently took a trip to Beretta USA’s Accokeek Maryland facility. Beretta is the oldest major firearms manufacturer in the world with over 500 years experience making guns, but has only had a presence in the United States for 35 years. The Accokeek facility was set up to support production of the US military’s M9 service pistol, based on the Beretta 92 handgun. The video overview of MAC’s tour is embedded below:

Beretta has introduced its first striker-fired pistol, the APX. From the press release (emphasis mine):