Quote:
Originally Posted by Sidewinder6
Reading an article in the recent magazine Special Operations Technology, I was floored to read an article titled By My Side regarding a new selection process taking place to replace the 9mm handgun in the military arsenal with a .45acp variant.
The article featured the manufacturers who were participating and their current offerings. Beretta (the incumbant), Sig, FN and HK.
The HK spokesman, Hilmar Rein went over the P30 and USP variants.Then the SOCOM Mk23 and USP Tactical and did not even mention the HK45!
This gun is supposedly an improvement on the USP models FOR SOCOM. I know this from learning the story behind the design by the consultants HK used and even their own web page.
So the question begs to be asked, Why wouldn't HK promote this pistol instead of discussing their P46 in 4.6x30mm? Something that does not have a customer and they are quoted as saying they probably wont produce it.
Sometimes things like this make you wonder.
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Sidewinder6:
First of all you have a spokesman who may not accurately understand the US DoD pistol market, the perceived importance of the .45 ACP round in the US or the history of the related OHWS/MK23 MOD 0/MK23 MOD 1/SCP/CP/MHS and final failed US Air Force effort to find and field a new US service handgun. He talked up those pistols he knew well - those that have fared well in German government testing and fielding - P30, USP, etc. The P46 will likely never happen - last reports were HK could not get the weight into the range the German MOD wanted and effectively the P46 development is/was on hold as a result. Shame - very capable piece! (Don't compare the 5.7mm FN FiveSeven pistol BTW, clever though it is, with the 4.6mm P46 - operationally they are VERY different due to the vast differences in the rounds they fire and how those rounds operate the pistols).
Depending on when this "interview" was actually conducted and how it was "edited" the spokesman may not have considered or wanted to reveal, or known about, a recent and yet to be announced success of the HK45 as a new military handgun - the end user country I cannot reveal at this time. As an HK45 fan you’ll be pleased when it goes public.
The Army formally announced recently, as alluded to in the article, that they are completing a JCID's approved CDD (requirements document) for a new Service Pistol to replace the 9mm M9. Likely it will be out in @ 1-1.5 years after the Next Carbine effort is well underway. It is capabilities based and does not specify caliber - just "superior to" 9x19mm Ball (what isn't!). If the CDD does not in the end limit submissions to current NATO or US DoD calibers one can only imagine how many different samples they will receive for consideration/test - could be hundreds (in .357 SIG, 9x21, .40 S&W, .45 GAP, .45 ACP, 4.6x30mm, etc.). My money is on .40 S&W as it is already DoD type-classified (for the Coast Guard and a select few special units, plus DHS, etc.) and offers the best compromise in stowed rounds, size/weight, recoil, cost and terminal ballistics over .45 ACP.
Fact is they need to look at pistols and pistol ammo that can defeat modern Level III body armor like the Russian GS-18 and Gyurza, and the HK P46 or FiveSeven, due to the ever increasing discovery of modern soft and hard body armor around the world in unfriendly hands. If not we will end up with a new handgun that performs no better against a protected target than does the M9, or any other 9mm for that matter - ZERO penetration of this body armor at 0 meters. The 9x21mm Russian exposed core penetrator round for the Gyurza pistol will do that at 100m's! "It's the bullet stupid", not just the launch platform.
The educated opinion of just one man. Consider it carefully.
G3Kurz
PS: And yes, the current HK45 started life as a purpose-built candidate to win the SOCOM Combat Pistol (SCP) program (and later Army Combat Pistol program when they went joint with SOCOM on the effort) almost 2 years before the rest of the industry even knew about it. When the earlier HK effort failed to get the USP45CT into a SOCOM command as "MK23 MOD 1" (a follow-on to the MK23 MOD 0 using basically the same specs) we convinced HK GmbH (WAS NOT easy mind you!) to create the HK45 and HK45C that addressed all the user issues with the USP45CT (poor grip ergonomics, no Picatinny rail, 8-rd only magazine, poor operating controls, etc.). Seems that may have recently paid off for HK.