The US Army is gradually switching to the new M17 modular pistol, which will become the main short-barreled weapon for all units of the armed forces. The army pistol, developed as part of the Modular Handgun System program, is the first step towards the overall modernization of the American army's small arms, which will continue in the coming years. On October 20, 2019, the Defense Blog announced that the weapon was being commissioned. In particular, servicemen of the 1st Armored Division receive new pistols.
The fighters of the famous American 101st Airborne Division were the first to receive new weapons (at the end of 2017). According to previously published information, the US military expects to purchase up to 421 thousand M17 and M18 pistols (compact version): 195 thousand for the army, 130 thousand for the Air Force, 61 thousand for the Navy (all M18), as well as 35 thousand for the Marine Corps. The cost of the signed contract, which is designed for 10 years, amounted to $ 580 million.
Competition for a new pistol
In September 2015, the Pentagon initiated a competition to select a new modular pistol for the military. The weapon was supposed to replace the 9-mm M9 pistol, developed by the famous small arms manufacturer, Beretta, and the M11 pistol, developed by SIG Sauer specialists based on the P226 model. They tried to announce the competition for the first time back in 2011, but numerous delays delayed the selection process.
The winner of the competition was announced on January 19, 2017. The victory and impressive contracts went to the representatives of the SIG Sauer company, who presented for testing the modular pistols XM17 and XM18, created on the basis of the SIG Sauer P320 model. The models were adopted by the American army under the designations M17 and M18, respectively, the M18 is a compact version of the pistol and is smaller and lighter. The main difference between pistols is in the barrel length, for the M17 model - 120 mm, for the M18 model - 98 mm. The Pentagon expects to completely re-equip the army with new pistols in about 10 years. Announcing the adoption of new pistols, the US Department of Defense said that the three M18 pistols successfully fired 12 thousand rounds of rounds without a single delay, with an allowable rate of 12 delays for 5 thousand shots. In addition, all SIG Sauer pistols have successfully passed the test for firing accuracy and interchangeability of parts.
The main reason why the American command decided to take up army pistols is the same as in the case of replacing numerous Colt M1911A1s with Beretta M9 pistols in the 1980s. Pistols wear out corny by the end of their service life. Any firearm, no matter how good it is, has a finite life cycle. Naturally, you can change some elements, for example, barrels, springs, various linings, but the frame itself also wears out. The M9 pistols, which were put into service in 1985 and began arriving en masse at the end of the 80s of the last century, have been in operation for over 30 years. During this time, weapons have become obsolete not only physically, but also morally. The US military decided to turn to new pistols due to the design flaws of the M9 pistol.
To the problems of this model of small arms, the American military include insufficiently good ergonomics, a large effort on the trigger, the absence of Picatinny rails, an inconvenient location of the fuse and other design flaws, including susceptibility to clogging. In desert conditions, as in Iraq, this often became a problem. In general, surveys conducted back in 2006 showed that US military personnel who have visited Afghanistan and Iraq and armed with M9 pistols are unhappy with this model. In 2006 and later, two modernizations of the pistol were undertaken, Picatinny rails and the possibility of installing a silencer appeared on it, but the situation did not radically change, and the M9A3 model could not pass the competition announced by the US military in January 2015. It is worth noting that the SIG Sauer P320 XCarry was also chosen by the Danish army to replace its pistols. At the same time, the model of gunsmiths from Switzerland bypassed representatives of Glock, Smith & Wesson and Canik.
Modular gun M17
The full-size version of the new modular army pistol M17 and its compact version of the M18 were officially adopted in 2017, since then these pistols have been mass-produced and are gradually being supplied to various units of the US Armed Forces. In October 2019, fighters from the 1st Battalion of the 67th Tank Regiment of the 3rd Tank Brigade from the 1st Tank Division tested the new pistols at the shooting range. According to second lieutenant (ed. Corresponds to the rank of lieutenant in the Russian army) Michael Preston, the transition to the modular M17 pistol will be of great benefit to the armed forces, especially in combat conditions. According to him, the new pistol is easily adaptable to the fighter, it is lighter and more ergonomic than the 9mm M9 pistol.
The new pistol is lighter, weighing 30.8 American ounces (873 grams), a very good indicator for a weapon of this class, it is almost exactly 100 grams less than the previous model of the main army M9 pistol. The weapon received a more advanced striking mechanism, it is distinguished by better accuracy and increased lethality due to the use of new cartridges. The design and shape of the pistol have undergone changes and become more ergonomic, there are practically no unnecessary protruding elements on the weapon, therefore, a situation is almost excluded in which the pistol can catch on items of clothing or equipment. The new self-loading pistol M17 does not have safety mechanisms with protruding levers, and also did not receive a trigger / firing lever from the cocked. Taken together, this leads to the absence of protruding parts, makes the weapon more compact. The pistol has a small thickness, which makes it convenient for concealed carry. Declared overall dimensions: total length - 203 mm (183 mm), width - 35.5 mm, height - 140 mm.
The American tank crews also noted the magazine that was enlarged in comparison with the M9 pistol. Standard magazines for the Beretta M9 pistol held 15 rounds, the new M17 pistol is equipped with standard magazines for 17 rounds or increased magazines for 21 rounds. As soldiers of the 1st Panzer Division note: "Soldiers using the new M17 pistol will potentially feel better in combat due to the reduced weight and improved design of the model compared to the M9 pistol."
The frame of the M17 self-loading pistol is represented by two main parts. The first is a body made of high-strength polymer with a handle and trigger guard, the second is a frame made of corrosion-resistant stainless steel. The frame combines the trigger, the slide delay and the slide-casing guide. The modular design of the weapon makes it easy to change the caliber of the pistol, if necessary. The model is available in three versions: chambered for 9x19 mm Parabellum,.357 SIG (9x22 mm) and.40 S&W (10x22 mm). In order to change the caliber of the pistol, the shooter needs to change the barrel, the bolt, as well as the return spring with the guide rod and the magazine. Thus, the shooter can adapt the pistol to his needs and preferences. Especially for the new pistol, Winchester has developed two new 9-mm cartridges - M1152 (a bullet with an all-metal jacket and a flat nose) and M1153 (special purpose, expansive ammunition). The last cartridge is intended more for the civilian market and police structures.
In addition to changing the caliber, the pistol allows the shooter to easily adapt the weapon to his hand and the peculiarities of carrying the weapon. Grip sizes are available in Full-Size, Compact and Subcompact, making it easy to adapt the pistol for a comfortable grip. The model is initially equipped with a Picatinny rail, which allows you to place the necessary tactical attachment on the pistol, for example, install a tactical flashlight or a laser designator. The pistol sights are distinguished by the presence of luminous contrasting tritium dots, which facilitates the aiming process in the dark.
It is known that SIG Sauer launched commercial versions of the new army pistol in the second half of 2018. Representatives of the company noted that everyone will be able to purchase an exact copy of the pistol (up to the original box), which entered service with the American paratroopers from the 101st division. The pistol is available on the US civilian market along with removable sights, grip pads and three magazines (21 and 17 rounds). The cost of the pistol at the time of the start of sales was $ 1122.
