Modular Handgun System

The Beretta 92/M9 was adopted as the standard issue sidearm of the United States military in 1985, and 30 years later, it is still trusted with keeping our soldiers safe overseas. But the military has stated that the time has come that we look for another weapon to carry the burden.

The 92 was, and still is, a uniquely designed pistol. It's open-slide design is easily distinguishable from any other gun. This design keeps the gun from feeling top heavy and gives a great sight picture when aimed. In my personal opinion, it is one of the best looking and feeling weapons on the market. The 92 is notorious for lasting forever. It was designed to last thousands of rounds beyond its designated service live.
But this piece has had it's fair share of criticisms as well. Many women in the military don't favor this weapon due to its large size. It lacks several ergonomic features that newer weapons now come with. Another complaint is capacity. It's 15 round 9mm magazine is considered a tad low compared to some of the newer ones that are out that hold 17 to 19 rounds for 9mm. The 92 is also hammer-fired, which some believe to be a nuisance.
Arguably the biggest complaint with the 92 is it's slide-mounted safety. This seems to be a Beretta trademark for their full-sized guns. What was intended to be a way to rack the slide with one arm, has been a thorn in the weapon's side since it was adopted. Soldiers complain that they accidentally engage the safety when they rack the slide and it gets in the way when using gloves.
Many complaints come from the 9mm ball round itself. Some say it's too small and they would rather give up capacity in exchange for a larger round.

So after taking these complaints into consideration, what do we want to replace the 92? Do we want to up the size of the cartridge? Here are some of the candidates that I believe have a shot at replacing the famous 92:

*There is no particular order to this list. I will not pick favorites*

• Springfield XD - While I love a good all-metal design, I feel like the next generation pistol will favor polymer, mainly due to weight, ergonomics, and ease of production. The XD is similar to a Glock because of it's cult following. Not so easy on the eyes, but it offers many different models and calibers to choose from and includes an added safety feature that the Glocks don't have. I personally am not a huge fan of the XD, but it meets the specified requirements - all without breaking the military budget.

• Smith and Wesson M&P - Again, another pistol with adaptable ergonomics and slender frame. Comes in a variety of calibers and models. you can get these pistols with or without the frame-mounted safety. Either way, it is a very small safety that won't get in the way. Trusted by police forces all throughout the nation.

• Beretta Px4 Storm - In the early 2000's, Beretta released their second full-sized pistol. Primarily for the purpose of becoming the next military sidearm for the now-defunct Joint Combat Pistol program. With it's polymer frame, interchangeable back straps, accessory rail, and adoption by numerous police forces in the U.S., the Px4 is building a solid reputation as a great all-around gun. It is a little thick, but its large, beefy external safety is not a mandatory option.

• Glock - I cannot give an exact model that would be used, but I still believe that the military would value the capacity of the 9mm over a 45. So maybe a Glock 17 or 19? A valued feature of the Glock would be how flush the gun sits. It is a very "snag-proof" design. And now the 4th generation pistols have the ability to swap out the back straps. The biggest issue with the Glock is that soldiers will not have the ability to tinker with the gun to make it "perfect," therefore I feel like many military Glock fans would be upset with this.

• H&K 45c - Already used by several branches of the military. This has everything you could want in a new pistol design, including the long sought-after 45 caliber bullet. However, the price tag will be this weapon's downfall. I'm sure it'll be less under military contract, but I can't imagine the military paying close to $1,100 per handgun.

• FN Five-Seven - I am adding this to the list only because it was designed to not only meet the requirements of the new military sidearm, but also be an alternative to the 9x19 NATO round. I feel like if the gun didn't cost an arm or leg to buy, our soldiers would already be carrying this weapon. The Five-Seven uses a unique cartridge, the 5.7x28 mm. It is a long and skinny round, designed to act like a rifle caliber, but for a pistol. It holds 20 rounds and has greater effective range and stopping power than a 9x19 NATO round. After holding this weapon, you can tell that this gun was built around ergonomics, it's possibly one of the most comfortable pistols I have ever felt.

• Beretta APX - Beretta has finally done it. After years of criticism of not making a striker-fire pistol, they finally have an answer. The Beretta APX. This pistol falls right into the "no external safety, split trigger, polymer, striker-fire" category. Price hasn't been announced yet but we could probably expect that it falls around the $600 mark. It's a little late to the game, but maybe it'll get some military consideration. Only time will tell.

• FN FNP - The FNP is right there with the H&K 45c when talking about look and feel. But it's a little more reasonable when it comes to price. And talk about options! This pistol comes in about as many configurations as you can imagine. I feel like the military could have a field day just building what they want. This is one of the few pistols that have replaceable frame rails that allow it to be rebuilt after extensive use. This will drastically increase the gun's service life and end up saving money. 

Opinion on caliber - I think that the military would be hard pressed to move up to a larger round such as the .45 ACP. I believe that we will continue to favor a lighter, faster rounds over a one that makes a larger hole. Magazine capacity cannot be overlooked, and the 9x19 still tops the market in light, high-capacity pistols.

There is no way we will go back to the 1911. So get that thought out of your mind. I love the gun as much as the next person, but let's be realistic.

Did I make good predictions? Did I leave out a pistol that you think should be included? Please leave a comment and explain what gun you think should be the next military sidearm and why.