https://taskandpurpose.com/new...tol-concealed-carry/

The Air Force wants to make its first new pistol in 35 years even smaller than it already is

Pocket-sized pistol popping

BY DAVID ROZA JULY 05, 2021

The Air Force would like to make its already-tiny M18 service pistol even smaller, according to a bid posted last month on the U.S. government’s contracting website.

https://sam.gov/opp/926905a81d...8c7/view#description

The M18 — a compact version of the M17 that came out of the Army’s Modular Handgun System program — is the Air Force’s first new service pistol in 35 years. It replaces the M9, which airmen have wielded since 1985.

The M18 is lighter than the M9, and its barrel is an inch shorter, which puts it on the small side when it comes to standard-issue sidearms.

The Air Force wants to shrink the M18 even more through an order for 3,015 conversion kits, which would allow airmen to convert the M18 to a sub-compact design to meet concealed carry requirements, the service wrote on the bid, which was first posted June 16.

In the past, the Air Force has written about security forces airmen and law enforcement civilians being allowed to carry concealed weapons off-duty while on an Air Force base.

“The [Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act] authorization and policy for Ellsworth [Air Force Base] strengthens security by enhancing Security Forces’ response to threats, including active shooter threats,” wrote Ellsworth Air Force Base public affairs in 2017.

Neither the Air Force nor Sig Sauer, the manufacturer of the M17 and M18, responded to inquiries from Task & Purpose about what the sub-compact design would be used for or which airmen would get their hands on it.

However, when the Air Force announced it was buying 125,000 M18 service pistols last June, the service announced that Security Forces airmen (the Air Force equivalent of military police) were among the first to field the weapon.

The announcement follows a trend not just for the Air Force, but for all branches, which have made the switch from the tried and tested, but tired M9, to modular handguns like the M17 and M18.

“M9s are larger, heavier, all-metal pistols; whereas M18s are lighter polymer pistols with a more consistent trigger pull and adjustable grips for large and small hands,” said Merrill Adkison, Small Arms Program Office senior logistics manager, at the time.

The newer weapons are also a third of the price of the aging M9, the Air Force said. The thinking seems to be that smaller and cheaper are better, as anyone who’s ever had to lug around a bunch of heavy gear can attest.

Cool, this why we bought a modular handguns.

These are kits to convert the M18 to 15 round X Compact size.

On another note, despite being a military oriented media outlet, Task and Purpose's reporting on weapons is consistently awful.

So what will this be the M19? X-Compact Manual Safety. The 0.20" reduction in barrel length doesn't do a whole lot. 3.9" vs. 3.7" is pretty minimal difference for concealment.

Perhaps a 365? After all, the point is concealed carry.

Good call Fredward, but they'll probably go half way with the sub compact. Honestly I'd go with the 365XL due to the existing contract, keep most of your capacity and slim it down. Unless they run lights and dont want to change out their lights holsters and related accessories as well.

USAF likes little pistols.
The consolation prize for not being able to get the P226 in over Beretta was the M11/P225 for "small statured users" and concealment by plainclothes investigators. Before the 9mm craze, the AF had cut down some 1911s for concealability. Before that, they not only had the M13 Aircrewman Airweight S&W M&P revolver, they also had the "Baby Aircrewman" Airweight Chiefs Special.

quote:

Originally posted by Lefty Sig:
So what will this be the M19? X-Compact Manual Safety. The 0.20" reduction in barrel length doesn't do a whole lot. 3.9" vs. 3.7" is pretty minimal difference for concealment.

No but the shorter X compact grip does.

Read the solicitation not the T&P article.

SOCOM currently issues the Glock 19 Gen4 MOS as the Mk 27. The USAF solicitation reads like “tell me you want a G19/Mk27 without telling me you want a G19/Mk27.”

quote:

Originally posted by Fredward:
Perhaps a 365? After all, the point is concealed carry.

There are a few problems with that.

First the P365 and the P365 XL are not “in the system.” They were not part of the MHS testing or contract. Buying 365/365XL would require the Air Force to basically re do the MHS program, a meaning a lengthy and expensive testing process and writing a new contract. As far as “the system “is concerned the P320 FCU is an M18 no matter what grip and slide you put on them.

Second, while the P365 and the P365 XL are great little guns, but they are they are little guns. Meaning they are more difficult to shoot when time is a factor and then the real world time is always a factor. This is why you don’t see police officers walking around with P365s as primary duty guns.

I like how the XCompact handles. Shoots well, too. I'm much better with it than I am a P365, XL or not. But it ain't no subcomp as the writer of that article suggests. It also does muck up complete magazine compatibility across all models with its 15rd mags.

BTW, its barrel is 3.6". Yeah a tenth is a minor difference, but we might as well get the info correct now.

quote:

M11/P225

Um, do you mean 'M11/P228'?

Yeah.

Having been a member of this fine institution for 20 years and 4 days, I can affirm that the USAF does nothing the easy way. God forbid we purchase a tried and true weapon system that has the price advantage of scale and scope. Nope. let's reinvent the wheel and start from scratch. Anybody ever heard of the Northrup F-20 Tigershark?

The Air Force also had S&W model 36 3 inch before the Chopped 1911's. Mine was a chopped Ithaca.

How about a Kolibri?

Who are they buying them for?

The Lolipop Guild?

Damn.

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Watson:
USAF likes little pistols.
The consolation prize for not being able to get the P226 in over Beretta was the M11/P225 for "small statured users" and concealment by plainclothes investigators. Before the 9mm craze, the AF had cut down some 1911s for concealability. Before that, they not only had the M13 Aircrewman Airweight S&W M&P revolver, they also had the "Baby Aircrewman" Airweight Chiefs Special.

Don't forget the Colt Aircrewman .38spl that even today, is still lighter than any of the lightweight offerings. Of course, it's only safe to shoot with low pressured rounds and not normal .38spl. If you can find one that is...

If you've not been in a military cockpit, your comments on size are not important. All they've done is RFQ the Compact. Yawn.

Warrior East 21 – SIG SAUER MHX

quote:

When the Army selected the SIG P320 as their new Modular Handgun System, they truly adopted a modular system. The serialized part is the Fire Control Unit and everything else can be swapped out. Already, several organizations have considered ways to use this modularity, like Air Force Office of Special Investigations which wants a sub-compact carry pistol.



At Warrior East, SIG displayed a simple brown box which, when opened, contained the parts needed to convert a standard MHS M18 into an “MHX”, based on SIG’s X-Carry configuration. This kit is based on the OSI requirement for an M18 Gun Conversion Kit, but the reality is that there is a wide variety of OEM and after market parts and accessories which will work with the P320 platform to make it more effective for certain applications. For instance, you’ll note that while MHS is Coyote on color, OSI desires a Black pistol, to blend in better with their plain clothes, law enforcement role.

Expect more organizations to swap parts on their MHS as they complete fielding and units become more comfortable with the platform and what it can do.

It needs to be small to disappear in the ball pocket of the golf bag.

Not sure about this.... me thinks they might just be looking at a way to spend some more money...

Of course my long going problem with the Air Force is just that their uniforms are ugly.....

So with that in mind I suggest they look at a smaller Glock like a G26.

The Air Force has some mission sets and duties that require concealability. Looking at the number of kits they specified I can just about guess which units want them.

The Army used to select all small arms. It was always a struggle to get the handguns we needed. The Model 36 3 inch and the M11 took a lot of effort. Special Agents are now allowed to purchase and carry their own handgun within parameters. I am glad to see that USAF is now selecting their own guns to fit the mission, although still on the basic M171/M18 platform.

quote:

Originally posted by AZnine:
The Air Force also had S&W model 36 3 inch before the Chopped 1911's. Mine was a chopped Ithaca.

That chopped 1911 was fun to shoot. The Model 36 was a lot easier to carry concealed than the Model 15. The M11 was and still is a great pistol.