This is PEO Soldier’s announcement regarding the release of the XM17 Modular Handgun System solicitation last Friday. I’d like you to peruse the actual RFP here.
FORT BELVOIR, Va. (Sept. 2, 2015) – The U.S. Army announced Aug. 28 that it is seeking bids for its new modular handgun system, the XM17, to replace its current sidearm, the M9 pistol.
The announcement accompanied the release of the request for proposal (RFP), which is the official solicitation that specifies the new weapon system’s contractual requirements. It also details the procedures and schedule vendors must follow to compete for the contract.
The RFP was published on the government’s Federal Business Opportunities website. Interested vendors will have 150 days to respond to the RFP. This extra time allows the vendor to submit their proposals as well as sample “systems” that have integrated the handguns, ammunition and magazine prior to testing. Its release marks the official start of the “full and open” competition that will lead to selection of the new modular handgun system.
The selection process involves a two-phased competition. The first phase will evaluate all submissions received and will complete with a down-selection to up to three vendors who will participate in the second phase, the culmination of which will be a single production contract at the end of the competition.
The Army wants a new handgun system that outperforms its current sidearm. The weapon must be modular so it can be adjusted to fit all hand sizes and configured to meet mission needs through the use of rails and enablers. In addition, it must surpass the M9’s accuracy, ergonomics, reliability, durability and maintainability. The RFP calls for vendors to submit a weapon that meets the unique needs of the military services. It does not specify any particular caliber. The RFP encourages industry to optimize the weapon, ammunition and magazine for maximum performance.
Current plans call for the Army to purchase more than 280,000 full-size handguns from a single vendor, and approximately 7,000 compact versions of the handgun. The other military services participating in the XM17 program may order an additional 212,000 systems above the Army quantity.
The Army held four industry days and issued a draft RFP prior to the announcement. These forums encouraged vendor-government communications, involved would-be competitors in the planning process and provided the Army with feedback on the proposed handgun system and strategy. Throughout the process, industry was encouraged to suggest ways in which the Army could improve the plan and process, a number of which have been considered and implemented.
The competition will result in selecting a handgun that performs best in the hands of Warfighters. More than 600 military personnel from all of the Services will play a critical part in the evaluation and provide feedback on the performance of the candidate systems after firing them in simulated combat scenarios. This assessment is an important part of the evaluation process.
Ambi controls…wouldn’t that eliminate Glock right off the bat?
I’m sure they’d work around this obstacle for a lucrative contract.
Glock has done it.
Does Ambi Controls=external safety/decocker?
Ambidextrous probably implies ambidextrous Magazines release, slide lock and safety.
My bid’s on the VP9, heh
I wish I had the time to work on more projects (and more $ lol). I’ve had an idea on the drawing board!
I hope to see Lehigh defense used in one of the new ammo bids.
Some version of the SIG P320 or HK VP9, if I had to place a bet.
Walther PPQ?
Wouldn’t be surprised if the FNX/FNS-9 wins. FN already makes most of the small arms for the US today (M4, M16A4, M249, M240, and the M2).
Squishy, Squishy, Squishy.
It will be interesting to see the different calibers chosen by each manufacturer. They want better performance in soft tissue than 9mm, better accuracy, which probably means soft shooting, they want better everything really. Sounds to me like their searching for the golden gun. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a new 5.7 or something along those lines. Maybe a sig in a 5.7×28 type round?
I wouldn’t take that bet. But you make my point for me. They are asking for so much that they won’t “find” it and won’t buy a new pistol.
But a handful of O-5 through O-7s will get a years worth of hangout time “managing” pistol evaluations while they tread water between Commands.
SR, Ummm, don’t know any 03s to 06s who like the current weapon. It’s okay but ballistically unstable when thrown at 20 meters.
It isn’t your officers it is congress. Ratchet back the hate please.
No one other than SF and some SMUs actually use a pistol. Anyone who says otherwise is FOS. Most people who have pistols don’t train with them, qual with them, or even clean them.
This is a waste of your money taxpayer. Pistols don’t matter when everyone has rifles. The units who need quality pistols can already (and have already) bought them.
Touché.
MP units regularly use their pistols.
We who have decades old M9s that are old high round count guns that regularly get ball and HP pushed through them and never have preventative maintenance(in terms of parts replacement)
Locking blocks regularly break (including having one break while the young MP was administratively loading at a clearing barrel as part of guardmount prior to going on shift, that if a SGT didn’t notice the young MP would have gone on shift with a single shot pistol that would not cycle)
Old guide rod springs beat the rest of the gun to death (personally have seen 1 slide with a crack started during an SI check of the arms room but the gun passed gauge and was otherwise FMC)
Yep. “I don’t like the hammer it cannot put in screws….let’s get rid of it!” Not my normal function but when I had to clear a building I was much happier with a 9mm.
Agree, always much better with a thumper on the hip. Reached for that first before my rifle. Big bark/ big bite. Why does the Army want new pistols when their grunts don’t even qual/ train with them?