Why does't the U.S. Special forces/Navy Seals

Don't know how true this is, but I've heard that those guys have a lot of freedom to carry the weapons of their choice.

I know this is going to stir the pot some, but maybe they don't like them as much as other designs? Gotta wonder how great they are when the elite don't make them top pick.. *gasp*

I know this is going to stir the pot some, but maybe they don't like them as much as other designs? Gotta wonder how great they are when the elite don't make them top pick.. *gasp*

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Haha...it's ok buddy...I'll help to protect you when the masses come with pitchforks!

Haha...it's ok buddy...I'll help to protect you when the masses come with pitchforks!

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Oh look, here comes REAPER

They use 1911's SIG's, Beretta's...

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1911, P226, 92... metal frame pistols. Is that it?

don't forget HK: mk 23, not metal either

1911 best combat platform IMO..........

Unless I'm mistaken doesn't the military require an external safety.

Typically the military wants second strike capabilities.

Don't know how much leeway special groups have, at least in combat operations. Special Forces carry Beretta 92s, SEALs carry Sigs. There's all sorts of rumors about Delta carrying G19s or G22s depending on the poster but who knows?

I'm sure they have private weapons in-theater but why carry a 1911 or Glock when you may need a mag from a buddy carrying a Beretta? "Do your own thing" isn't a staple of the military, even for select groups.

glock bashing thread check in commencing.

Unless I'm mistaken doesn't the military require an external safety.

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My Sig P226 (prob the most famous of the current Seal sidearms) doesn't have an external safety.

Don't know why, but the SEALs are issued Sigs. My pal is on 'The Teams' and that's what he was issued.

I know one thing, my pal LOVES the 1911, despite all the high tech gizmos and black guns he gets issued and trains on. What does that tell you?

Regardless, this question could probably be answered using the same logic as to why the government decided a FMJ 9mm was as good as a FMJ 45ACP. No purely military rationale what so ever. Someone made money and/or came up with the better deal.

At one time the military was doing some testing and evaluating of Glock pistols, but one condition was that the company would have to reveal the specifics concerning materials and manufacturing methods used in polymer parts - the frame in particular.

Glock told them absolutely not!! Other then Smith & Wesson in 1940 they are the only major manufacturer I know of that's ever told Uncle Sam to go climb up a rope.

Why does't the U.S. Special forces/Navy Seals
Carry a Glock? They use 1911's SIG's, Beretta's but I cant find any mention of a Glock. Im not a Glock fan myself and have never owned one but wondered why military units wont use them

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Maybe it's because Sigs are in the supply pipeline after trails/contract selection, so the SEALs feel no need to select something different when what they have already works OK? Same thing for the Beretta 92, considering it's already the main service pistol.

Look, it's just a freakin' handgun. That's the way the SEALs think of it, guaranteed. They are smart enough to know it's not extraordinarily special. It has nothing to do with metal vs poly frames, Glock vs Not Glock, etc.

Select USAF Pilots use Glock 19s.

CAG or Delta Force have been using the Glock 22 since around the early part of the last decade. Not sure if some still use 1911's.
Referenced from this book Kill Bin Laden written by a former Delta Commander
http://daltonfury.com/

Mass procurement of weapons systems is BIG politics. Lots of MILSPEC requirements , evaluations, testing and contract bidding.

However, some specialized units often get what's called a "Cadillac Chit" to go out and buy small quantities of off-the-shelf items that can fill mission specific needs and not cost the tax-payer a bazillion dollars.

Because they want to.

Not to throw cold water on this, but when do these guys even use sidearms? How much do they even care what they're issued?

Most special forces in the Army can...

carry anything they want. They may be issued a gun , but not tied to it. Many buy their own. I have a friend who is one of my former Chemistry students who was in Afghanistan and he carries his own 45 1911 and a SIG 9mm. He also carries his own MIAI 308 as well. I am not familiar with the Navy SEALS.

Most special forces in the Army can...
carry anything they want. They may be issued a gun , but not tied to it. Many buy their own. I have a friend who is one of my former Chemistry students who was in Afghanistan and he carries his own 45 1911 and a SIG 9mm. He also carries his own MIAI 308 as well. I am not familiar with the Navy SEALS.

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Not to throw cold water on this, but when do these guys even use sidearms? How much do they even care what they're issued?

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Actually, they use pistols more than one would think. Pistols are concealable, rifles not so much. Infiltration of civilian areas, where Hadji puts his C&C, ammo, explosives, and infrastructure, requires a fair amount of on-the-ground surveillance. Toting a rifle or SMG isn't the best way to remain covert.

There are also times when the pistol is the weapon of choice, such as clearing tunnels, caves, and other confined spaces. A suppressed pistol is much easier to use there than a rifle with a can hanging out the end. Not all of these spaces look like something from an Indiana Jones movie, with cathedral like space.

This is just going off of what I SAW in Iraq, both times, even the guys with all the fancy crap and unmarked cammies were still packing M92's. Never saw any seals but plenty of Army and Marine SF and looked to me like they all had the same stuff, M4 and an M92. I have never seen or even heard of a "personaly owned weapon" in Iraq, in fact the Order I saw made no bones about the fact that any "personaly owned weapon/ammo" was grounds for punishment under the UCMJ.

Certain elements of 5th Group (US SF) used Glock 21s at one point.

There are certain "Task Force" groups that issue/allow Glock 17s and Glock 19s. Last word I got was that the Glock 19 was favored by most of the guys in one of the Task Forces. There are others out there that use whatever they want.

I think it was 3rd Group that still used the Beretta. Not sure on that though.

I appologize, I don't have any links because I saw it with my own two eyes in Iraq 2004-2005. I would be more specific, but I am sure those gentlemen would not like their business blown across the web.
No, I am not a member of those organizations, just got to work with them a few times on some higher scale operations.

I think that the beretta is used by the majority of the Army units because of the logistics. As long as they are near an American FOBs/LSAs, then they have access to armorers for repair/replacement , supply for bullets and magazines, and sometimes a civilian contracted gunsmith for tuning.
If they had a Glock or 1911, all that would be harder to accomplish, minus getting the ammo. The exception would be if the unit already had armorer support for the 1911 or Glock.