After almost 30 years of U.S. Army soldiers carrying the M9 Beretta as their sidearm, there’s a new handgun in town. The Beretta will be replaced by the Sig Sauer P320 at a cost of about $580 million. The top of the line weapons range in price from $762 to $830. But those are retail prices. Surely the army gets a substantial discount by ordering in bulk.
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Like the Italian-owned Beretta, Sig Sauer is foreign-owned (controlled by the privately held German company L&O Holding). But like the Berettas produced for the Army, the Sig Sauers will be manufactured in America.
The Marines may eventually follow suit in selecting the P320, according to Marine Times.
Among the features of the Sig Sauer P320 that presumably helped it beat out competitors such as Smith & Wesson and Glock are what the company calls a “unique modular and adoptable design.”
- The grip can be adjusted to the shooter.
- The P320 can be converted to fire 9mm, .357 SIG and .40 S&W ammunition.
- It can be configured for silencers.
- Multiple sizes of the stainless-steel frame are available.
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The Sig Sauer P320 will be produced in New Hampshire and phased in over the next decade, according to Army Times.
