New Army Modular side arm

D

Doc Holliday 1950

New member
I had the honor of being at my Brother's pin Ceremony at the Pentagon last month. He got his promotion to Lt. Colonel. He's now doing duty at the Pentagon. His previous post was at West Point. Before that he was Delta Force. There were a few 2 and 3 star Generals at this glorious event and without knowing who i was talking to I started a disussion on who might get the new contract for the Modular Side Arm. We will know in a week or so who got the contract.
The most asked question that they had was how did I come to my conclusions about who should get the contract and how.
Sometimes the Military doesn't realize that our Press prints all sorts of information and if you can sift thru all the obscure info, you can come up with a very logical conclusion.
Like any ordinary Joe, I have some great pics of being at the Pentagon.

Anyway. What ever happens, Congratulations to my brother. I am humbled and so thankful annd proud.
Very Respectfully,
Doc
 
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We will know in a week or so who got the contract.
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That is hard for me to believe.
Are you sure you didn't misunderstand something they said?
The only way I can see that being true is if they disqualified two of the contenders and selected the third by default.

There will probably be some appeals of some sort anyways.
 
I'm not sure of this. All I know was they were very keen on how I came to my conlusions. I don't think that they spilled the beans on this nor agreed that I was correct . Seems more like "how did you get to your conclusion." They did not give me any insider info. Just wanted to know how I got my info. They live in a different world than we do and sometimes forget that a free press prints all sorts of things.
Senator McCain stated that they would have the company or companies
who would be making the new modular side arm by the middle of April. Who knows? If I knew these answers, I'd be a Billionaire.
Doc
 
The "gun" isn't winning the competition. The Contract states it's .Gov property and the overall contract can be farmed out to whoever. Plus there is an ammo requirement for the annual supply DOD wide for years into the future.

Whoever "wins" gets to watch their work being made at their competitors lower priced bid factory, same as Colt gets to see Remington and FN rollmarks on guns in service.

It's no win with that all factored in. Exactly why so few bothered. I've bid contracts and it's a two edged sword, sure, you won, but what did you forget or miss to get the low bid, and did you just screw yourself?

It happens.
 
Yes Tirod,
You are correct but also incorrect.Whoever gets the contract has to have a very good working relationship with the military. Next that company has to have very deep pockets. Last, if I am correct, the Company that gets this contract will have to partner with someone or something that can supply the proper design and ability to produce what is needed.

As in the real world, almost no one Company can do it by itself. So, what Company in the US knows the Ins and Outs in dealing with our Military and what Company has the knowledge to mass produce the new gun and also the ammo to go with it.

There are very few Companies that can handle a 1.2 billion dollar deal like this
and only 2 or 3 that have the knowledge about side arms. I have my opinion
as to whom this will go to and both Companies will most certainly make a profit on this.
You don't have to be a Rocket Scientist to figure this out or at least make an educated guess.

Doc
Shoot well and be accurate
 
I'll bet at least one of those two-stars was asking about your information to perhaps see if you had some inside dope you were not supposed to have. A billion dollars can engender some monkey business between competitors and buyers.
 
The Military doesn't decide who gets any contract. The Military doesn't care either. These days they're happy they're getting anything.
"...Military doesn't realize..." Yes, they do. Lot of the time it's them that puts it there. However, they have people who do nothing but read stuff. Newspapers included.
 
A contractor can break-even on the Army Contract and still make money with its sales to the private sector. As an example, look at the price Beretta can price the Model 92 on the commercial market compared to the price Sig Sauer prices the Model P226. (economy of scale)
 
Before that he was Delta Force.
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Delta Force is even more tight lipped than Seal Team 6. I can't believe anything that is contributed to Delta Force is true...................Read "Inside Delta Force" for a very educating view of special ops.
 
It will be good to know what sidearm the government picks so I will know what firearm not to buy! IMHO, the private sector generally has access to far better quality semi-auto firearms than what the Military will ultimately choose.
 
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I respectful disagree and only speak to the ones I know. This is unless you are just joshing. The M1911, M1911A1, M-14, M-16 and the M-9 are all fine firearms in my view and experience.

The Sig Sauer P226 was close to becoming the M-9, and it is a fine pistol. There maybe more expensive firearms on the market, but I am not sure they would of served us former or the current soldiers, sailors, airmen or marines any better.

Oh, the Colt and S&W revolvers have served service men well too during my generation. I messed around with the M-1 carbine some in Nam but found it less useful than the M-16.

I am curious as to what some of you would think the better firearms for our military.
 
The M1911, M1911A1, - antiques, old technology, low capacity - much better firearms available to civilians than standard-issue 1911's. (Hand made custom 1911's are not the same as government issue M1911A1)

M-14 - not nearly as good as the PE57 or 510 / Sig AMT. Are we going for "best" or just "good enough for government work"? Between an M14 and a Sig AMT, I'd much rather have the Sig AMT! Or I'd even settle for a Belgian made FAL or an FNH SCAR-17. As a civilian, I have that choice.

M-16 - I'd much rather have a SCAR-16, FN FNC, or Swiss made Sig 553 (or other rifle of that series)

M-9 - Nothing much I like about the M9. Cheap, disposable firearm. I'd much rather have a Sphinx SDP.

The bottom line - there are far better firearms out there than what the US government chooses to provide most of its troops. Yes, they do cost more.
 
I've said it once and I'll say it again. It won't be the best pistol that gets picked. It will be whoever has the most political clout.
 
My father was writing proposals and designing guns from 1946 to 1985.

Getting money out of Rock Island Arsenal for a design was frustrating.
Getting money out of Detroit Arsenal was like getting money from a cash machine.
Getting money from the Marines for gun research was easy, but they did not have much money.

In the 80s and early 90s I was writing proposals and giving pitches at the podium to sell weapon subsystem as a subcontractor, mostly for radar warning and night visions power supplies.

I went away to design medical equipment, and came back to selling my own designs to military sub subcontractors in 2000.

I was shocked at the changes in military procurement. The $200 hammer paperwork was gone. The government would now buy commercial level equipment. Much cheaper.
 
The most political clout last time was Beretta when the Italian gov't asked just exactly where the Med Fleet refuels and which Airborne Brigade is located where?

Team Italy wins.

Same today - it's not the gun, it's the major defense contractor getting the oversight role and supply all the rest of the package. The gun is almost incidental to the business. For the most part only the people who are stuck using an mass issue pistol will get it. All the others who already have SIG'S, Glocks, etc will keep "marching in place." They aren't swapping out for the new gun, nothing written indicates this will replace all of them.

If so DEVGRU would have been first in line with requirements and it would be their gun, not a Pentagon bidding exercise over ammo supply. In which case DEVGRU gets to shoot what they want, which includes open tip bullets per JAG clearance already issued in the 1980's.

It''s really much ado about nothing - replacing issue M9's worn out thru years of service. The majority of users are field units and it's written to upgrade the guns to meet the current status of engineering in firearms.

Again, the TDP becomes .Gov property and if a subcontractor bids to the contract holder they can do it cheaper and meet standards - well, you could see S&W making a Glock copy, so to speak.

And it would be entirely legal this time . . .;)
 
Most importantly... Congratulations to your brother! That is a major achievement, both in rank and in posting. Please relay my thanks for his service to our country.

As far as the contract, it will be interesting to see if the government does its usual thing, which is to stick to the status quo.
 
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