Military Pistol/Cartridge

[rstull85]

NG VI, good catch on Italy. I had a bit of a brain fart on that one. Even is we can still get M9's regardless of our relationship with Italy ultimately the money is going to an Italian company. I don't like seeing our taxpayers money going to any other country than ours. Giving Springfield armory or smith and wesson or any other U.S. Based country is going to help our economy.

 

[MutinousDoug]

I think a low pressure cartridge in a large caliber has a niche use in military application. i.e. indoor SWAT/building clearing /underground/low light situations.
My limited experience in such climes was in RVN clearing bunkers or trenches/underground fortifications. The .45 was painfully loud in confined quarters, the .38 SPL less so. I would have preferred a Ruger Mark I .22 If I'd been allowed to apply one (and have somebody else carry it for me [since I didn't have to climb into any of those holes more than once or twice] and a guy with an appropriate pistol would have been brought RIGHT to the front of the line as the need arose.)
Just ruminating,
Doug

 

[Owen Sparks]

I am an average size male, 5' 10" 175 pounds with a 33" waist and the Glock .45 is too big for me, it feels like a brick in my hand. The XD .45 does not.

 

[razorback2003]

We need to spend money on training. A handgun is a backup to a rifle. The problem is a lot of people don't spend enough time on the range. I'd hate to spend a bunch of money on toys and more expensive ammo and not much on how to shoot. 9mm is somewhat cheaper than 45 acp.

 

[ATBackPackin]

We need to spend money on training. A handgun is a backup to a rifle. The problem is a lot of people don't spend enough time on the range.

I couldn't agree more. When I was in we went to the range once a year to qualify and I would usually qualify on the first day. So typically I was able to live fire twice a year, one day for the rifle and one day for the pistol. Even though I was an E-4, I was issued a sidearm and a rifle because I was a motorcycle courier. I would always ask to go to the range every time it came up but there usually wasn't enough room to go on the rifle range detail. I did however get to go to the pistol range at least three times a year. I would ask my SNCO so often when there was a range open that he would eventually tell me to go and get the hell away from him.

Shawn

 

[rstull85]

ATbackpackin, what branch were you in? While I was in the navy the only time I handled a weapon (with the excetion of when I was home on leave) was boot camp. I think we fired fifteen rounds through a pneumatic simulation of an M9, five rounds through a pneumatic simulated shotgun and then fifteen live rounds through a berretta. Other than that getting an opportunity to qualify at the range was very hard to get. Generally you has to know somebody. The military does need to spend more money on properly training all of it's personel on how to properly handle a firearm. We actuallly had an accidental shooting on my ship once because a gunners mate went to clean an M16 but didn't think to check to see if it was loaded.

 

[ATBackPackin]

I was in the Marines. While my MOS was 2841 (comm tech) I was stationed with the 6Th Marines HQ CO so we got to do all the fun infantry stuff as well. MCRE's are really fun.

Our company had a simulator as well and if I recall it $2,000,000 piece of junk that maybe worked 50% of the time. Like I said I only went to the rifle range once a year, but the pistol range was easier because not as many people were assigned sidearms (mostly SNCO's and Officers). I always tried to go on all of the fun gun details as well like the M240, M203 ( love the 40 mike mikes), and of course the "Ma Deuce".