I love how the XM9 trial story changes and grows more plot twists and gotchas each time it is told. Muh NATO! Muh Geneva conventions!
At the end of the day, the average Joe doesn't like what is issued to him. What the other guy is issued or what could had been issued is always "better". And it is always best to complain about current issue, as we are all experts on what is best, and 45 ACP will blow a guys head clean off.
Most of the folks still breathing enough to type here, and were active when the 1911 was in service had about a 50% chance of being issued a revolver, so I think that part of the nostalgia for the M1911 is artificial. Most of the folks who would had been issued a M9, were not issued any handguns by the time it was in widespread use. The point here is that first hand user experiences are poorly understood and often limited to beat up pistols on qualification day. Once you replace the M9 with whatever Glock, S&W, Sig, etc wins the next competition, Everyone will look back longingly at the M9, and immediately set about complaining about the replacement gun.
I think the M9 is fine. I hope the US Military replaces it with a Glock in a caliber foreign to NATO.
At the end of the day, the average Joe doesn't like what is issued to him. What the other guy is issued or what could had been issued is always "better". And it is always best to complain about current issue, as we are all experts on what is best, and 45 ACP will blow a guys head clean off.
Most of the folks still breathing enough to type here, and were active when the 1911 was in service had about a 50% chance of being issued a revolver, so I think that part of the nostalgia for the M1911 is artificial. Most of the folks who would had been issued a M9, were not issued any handguns by the time it was in widespread use. The point here is that first hand user experiences are poorly understood and often limited to beat up pistols on qualification day. Once you replace the M9 with whatever Glock, S&W, Sig, etc wins the next competition, Everyone will look back longingly at the M9, and immediately set about complaining about the replacement gun.
I think the M9 is fine. I hope the US Military replaces it with a Glock in a caliber foreign to NATO.