A recently released report from the Congressional Research Office compared the defense contract for the newest pistol for all of the services and what it would have cost to buy it off the shelf.
The Air Force is the latest service to look at replacing its pistol stocks with the Modular Handgun System, the centerpiece of which is a 9mm Sig Sauer handgun.
The Marine Corps has requested money to buy 35,000 Modular Handgun Systems to replace nearly all of its M9 Beretta and 1911-variant .45 caliber pistols.
The 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade had just about a year to recruit, train and prepare for a spring deployment to Afghanistan. But the Army also wanted them to have the latest technology available, which at some points required an assist from the highest levels.
The sidearm was a low priority for decades, taking the back seat to bigger systems such as vehicles, tanks and artillery — but that's all about to change.
Two competitors for the Modular Handgun System contract are now for civilian consumption. The Glock 19X and the Beretta APX were both on display at the annual Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada.