XM17 Program Gets More Interesting
Kevin Felts 02.02.18
There is an old saying – “The proof is in the pudding”; which means we should wait until we try something before judgement is passed. Now that the SIG P320 / XM17 is getting some real hands on experience, we are starting to see the issues.
- Not only were there accusations the Army did not hold the SIG P320 to the same standard as the M9,
- There were accusations the XM17 testing was not even completed before the winner was announced.
- The new Beretta M9A3 was not even considered.
- Glock objected to the contract being awarded, but their claims were dismissed.
- Civilian version of the P320 failed drop testing.
Here we are in February 2018 and more issues are arsing. The new issues are complaints about the XM17 reliability.
From Guns.com – Pentagon docs reveal Army MHS plagued with problems.
[…] The full size XM17 and compact XM18 reportedly also experienced routine double-ejections — when an unspent ball round ejects alongside a spent round. The problem was persistent in both pistols, enough so that the Army stood up a root cause analysis team to trace the issue. The DoD reports the investigation is still underway.
In addition to ejection deficiencies, stoppages also seemed to be a common theme between the pistols. The Army defines a stoppage as “any deficiency that prevents the pistol from operating as intended, but is corrected through immediate action.”
Opinion
Either give the contract to Glock, or continue using the Beretta M9, and be done with the issue. There are so many proven handguns on the market there is no need for this nonsense.
At least with the 1911 we knew where we stood. The 1911 helped win two World Wars, and has served in numerous conflicts over the past 100 years. Yet, that is not good enough is it?
The Beretta 92f / M9 has served various police departments and military agencies since the 1980s. That’s not good enough is it?
Glock is probably the most reliable handgun ever made. It is used by NATO, law enforcement, government agencies and military forces all over the world. Yet, that was not good enough to win the XM17 contract?
Something is seriously wrong here.
