Interested in modular pistols

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meatballs

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I've developed a new curiosity for modular pistols. My Glocks, and XD have been great. I like Walther's offerings, but these new modular pistols are catching my interest. I want to research what is available. Can't you folks tell me what is currently available on the market? Looks like Sig has some products. Thanks in advance.
Meatballs
 
Well, the SIG Sauer hammer-fired P250 had a modular chassis, but has been discontinued except in 22lr. The SIG P320 is a striker-fired pistol with a modular chassis and the same grip module as the P250, but concerns have developed in the last couple of weeks about the potential for drop fires, and SIG has announced what they are calling a "voluntary upgrade" or "safety enhancement", the details to be released Monday. I have 2 P320s and like them, but I would probably hold off buying one right now until we see how this drop safety issue plays out.

The next closest striker action pistol to the P320 would probably be the Beretta APX.
 
Beretta APX, Nano, and Pico
SIG P320 and the nearly fully-discontinued P250
Ruger American Pistol

Modularity is an enticing concept. The most common modularity involves being able to buy different grip frame sizes. An appealing type of modularity involves being able to buy barrels and slides in different sizes and calibers. For instance, the P250 was available in .22LR, .380 Auto, 9mm, .357 SIG, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP and in sub-compact, compact, and full-size models. Unfortunately, SIG priced kits to switch to different sizes and calibers at a level that offered little advantage over buying separate whole guns.
 
A lot of EAA's Witness/Tanfolglio stuff is modular.

I want to like the idea of modular pistols, but the problem is that the slide and barrel are the expensive parts of the pistol. It doesn't usually cost significantly more to just buy a new pistol instead of a conversion kit.
 
Of the lot the P320 is the most modular. A drop in trigger unit is key, SIG's is the serial numbered part. There are already makers coming out with 80% trigger unit's, grips are easy to mold, and the aftermarket industry is lining up to provide enhancements for those willing to trick there's out above and beyond some uber M17 Delta/SEAL tactical model. The money is too enticing to ignore.

While some are trying to dig a pothole in SIG's journey to success the M17 will be fielded no matter what, those production lines are moving along regardless, and the current hysteria over "drop safe" guns will move on to the next victim. It generates revenue for video commandos, it's not going away. There will continue to be unsubstantiated "revelations" aired - we don't know who is next. Absent a crystal ball to predict the future your best assessment of which will have the biggest following is up to you.

There is one caveat - with more cooks, you get some spoiling the pot. We have seen that with the AR15, some modifications do not play well together in the same gun. It's not a matter of selecting what looks cool in a menu of available options, there are dynamic considerations about how it will affect the cycling and reliability. And there is also the risk of simply over accessorizing the gun - that one photo of an AR with every state of the art attachment circa 1995 is an example. And then you have to find a holster maker who will fashion something to hold a gun with red dot, laser, and fixed bayonet, too.

We are going to see some of the same stuff as we did in the '60s, jacked up with spring shackles, hood scoops, side exhaust - on a station wagon. Let's be careful what we ask for.
 
kozak6 said:
A lot of EAA's Witness/Tanfolglio stuff is modular.

I want to like the idea of modular pistols, but the problem is that the slide and barrel are the expensive parts of the pistol. It doesn't usually cost significantly more to just buy a new pistol instead of a conversion kit.
Click to expand...
I think you're looking at "modularity" differently than the other folks on this thread.

For instance the SIG P320 and the Beretta APX have a "chassis" that is the "gun". You can pull the chassis and change frames, and just about everything else.
 
I like the idea. I probably won't use it to its full potential, but I have toyed with the idea of getting a compact frame for my full size 320 since I already have an old compact mag from a 250. It would make the gun easier to conceal.

I do like being able to change up grip frames for modifications. I don't see where Ruger is offering the RAP frames as separate pieces, but I am very tempted to start sanding on mine as I am experiencing some RAP knuckle. I understand not everyone has an issue with that, and it would really suck if I did irreparable damage to the gun.

However, with modularity, it's no big thing to toss a new set of plastic on the chassis.
 
Ruger doesn't recommend removing the steel chassis at the user level on the American.
They say they're not marketing the American as a "modular" system in terms of swapping the chassis around with different plastic frames & have no plans right now to sell plastic frames separately for such purposes.
Denis
 
DPris said:
Ruger doesn't recommend removing the steel chassis at the user level on the American.
They say they're not marketing the American as a "modular" system in terms of swapping the chassis around with different plastic frames & have no plans right now to sell plastic frames separately for such purposes.
Denis
Click to expand...

Thanks for the heads up, Denis.

Is there a reason why they made it modular to begin with? I know they weren't trying to compete for the .gov trials, and I'm not really sure I've heard much buzz about them going for the LEO market.

So if the end user is just Joe Blow American, why design a gun that appears to warrant modular Lego-ry? Why not just mold it in like the SR series?

Are they anticipating any contract sales where someone on staff heads the armory function like a police force/private contractors?

I still may shave the RAP grip down a smidge where my knuckle gets rubbed. I'd feel a lot better about doing it if I knew I could get a new frame if I screw it up.
 
Ruger based the new pistol on specs for the military trials & I'm not entirely sure but suspect there were initial intentions to compete. That's me speculating.

I do know that the decision was made at some point not to participate in the trials.
The comment was along the lines of "The best way to make a little money off a government contract is to spend a lot of money."

My sense is they decided they didn't need or want military contracts & the attendant hoopla that goes along with 'em.

Once the decision was made not to compete, Ruger diverged a little from the military parameters.
One variance is the "ambi" slide lock that isn't an ambi slide lock.

Mil specs called for a fully functional left-side/right-side slide lock/release.
Ruger altered the function to make it ONLY a left-side release.
It can be upped from either side to lock the slide back, but to avoid auto-closing it's not intended to be released from the right side.

And so on.

The pistol is fully service-worthy, I consider it Ruger's first pro-grade service pistol design.
They certainly can go after the LE market, I don't know what their overall marketing strategy is for it.

I'm passing on comments relative to the modularity issue here because the question came up on another forum & I asked a Ruger contact a couple days ago.

When I did my test run on the full-sized American 9, I found adjusting my grip to center the pistol in my hand, coupled with the right grip insert, removed any tendency to do the knuckle knock. :)
Denis
 
One more manufacturer to add is Honor Guard. New, smaller company.

Flexibility is one reason - although right now the SIG prices for conversion kits (for different calibers) rival complete guns.

Customization is another reason - I'm expecting third party vendors to join the P320 party once the "drop safe" issue gets resolved - kind of like Lone Wolf did for Glock. You will be able to build/assemble a custom handgun from parts that come directly to you in the mail. Just drop in your serialized Firing Control Unit.

With the US military contract, P320's and their parts & accessories will proliferate over the next few decades.
 
I actually like the idea a lot. I just wish a company would come out with a reliable affordable modular system. Sigs are too rich for me. I want to rent one to run and make my own opinion of them. But most I have seen brand new were in the 1000 and up range.
 
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For me the biggest attraction of these modular pistols is probably the ability to remove the whole trigger group to occasionally really clean it out and lube it. Otherwise I could see myself having a bunch of modular parts sitting in a box after finally settling on some single configuration.

I guess those parts could be resold until that modular trigger is discontinued for a newer model once the manufacturer decides the market for that model is saturated.
 
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