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Originally Posted by LAW0306
I see people are reading the army and Marine times. I was just back east at a meeting for people of my ilk and the Marine Corps has no intrest in this due to us having no money to spend. We have taken the pistol away at many levels here in the Marines and dont plan to return it.
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Army basis of issue for pistols is expanding dramatically since 2001 -- the whole "badge of rank" pile of crap has long been a zombie in need of a head shot, but there's a whole bunch of situations where having a pistol (with night sights and a light on it) is needful when doing CQB, cordon and searches, whatever. Ultimately even if every joe doesn't need one as a secondary in case his primary goes down, a smartly configured MTOE is going to have some pistols organic at the squad level, maybe even fire team level. Not as bling of Zeros or secondary weapons for crew served guys but as something that can be issued out to Pvt Snuffy if/when he gets to venture into the crawl space above or below the suspected bad guy residence to see if they really have that stack of mortar rounds someone dimed them out on, etc.
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We are looking to improve are rifle and see that as a way to get more bang for the buck.We wasted alot of money in the early 2000's and are trying not to do it now.
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(Cough . . . M16A4 . . . cough cough)
Someday, with enough pain killers or improperly identified "edible" mushrooms in my system I'll figure out how the service that moron'ed the M16A2 and A4 into existence was the same guys who made the ACOG standard for service weapons -- literally like the same people produced refrigerator door finger paint art that would embarrass a learning disabled five year old and then turned around and painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
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The pistol is at my view a very specialist weapon and is not at this point need for mass issue. Now the army is the senior agency for small arms and could force it on us but i dont think they will after our buy in on the M27. Our Marsoc and Recon guys are currently getting a new weapon to replace the Meusoc 1911.We just cant make enough so they are looking for an open purchace .45.
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Anyone who is expected by mission to do CQB should be issued a pistol and properly trained to use it -- as in any schmuck who so-so'ed the ASVAB into an infantry slot. You can arms room concept it to where they're not issued out as heavily when operations aren't urban intensive, but not giving soldiers or marines a functional secondary (and the ability to use it) when gunfighting at spitting range is simply admitting to being happy to see an extra few of them coming home in boxes to save a buck or two.