A SHOT ABOVE THE REST

Since 1985, the service pistol of the US Army has been the ubiquitous Beretta M9 handgun. As pistol technology evolved by leaps and bounds over the years, the US Army sought a more reliable and versatile upgrade through the Modular Handgun System competition, in which companies fought it out for the US$580-million (S$810-million) contract.

The Sig Sauer model P320 eventually emerged victorious this January. The polymer pistol uses a Striker-Fired Operating System, which means it tends to have a more consistent trigger pull compared to a hammer-fired handgun.

The US Army s search focused on the modularity of the handgun, and the P320 came out on top with its ability to be modified in size and calibre. Its interchangeable handgrips provide optimal grip and comfort for different hand sizes and it can be converted from a 9mm to a .40-calibre pistol by just changing a few parts.

The P320 is available in four sizes - full, carry, compact, and subcompact, in descending size order - but the US Army has narrowed its purchase down to just the full-size and compact versions in the Flat Dark Earth colour.

At about 782g when fully loaded with 9mm bullets, the full-size P320 still proves to be 116g lighter than the Beretta M9.

Satisfied with the acquisition of the P320, Army Acquisition Executive Steffanie Easter said: "By maximising full and open competition across our industry partners, we have optimised private sector advancements in handguns, ammunition and magazines, and the end result will ensure a decidedly superior weapon system for our warfighters."

The full-size P320 can hold up to 17 rounds of 9mm bullets, as compared to 15 rounds in the Beretta M9. It is also shorter than its predecessor by about 1.2 cm, thus making it more portable.

The US Army expects to conduct initial operational testing in the fourth quarter of the 2017 fiscal year and will buy an initial batch of more than 280,000 handguns.