Marines pick Glock 9mm over 1911 for spec ops

The Glock 19 is now the only and official sidearm for Marine special operators as officials ditched the classic .45-caliber Colt 1911, the Marine Corps Times reported last week.

“We put our money behind the 9mm round fired by an extremely well-trained marksman carrying a Glock 19,” said Maj. Nick Mannweiler, a spokesman for Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command. He added the 9mm Glock is the only pistol Marine special operators are allowed to take into battle.

Since last year, MARSOC has purchased and fielded 1,654 Glock 19s because Raiders needed a reliable secondary weapon “that could be used for both a concealed carry profile and a low-visibility profile,” and having one approved pistol for all special operators saves money, he said.

“Based on lessons learned in our operations, we also took into consideration how well a round could penetrate objects of varying densities and in different environmental conditions,” Mannweiler said. “We concluded that a 9mm round suited our needs.”

In June, the Federal Bureau of Investigation also began transitioning from .45 to 9mm handguns. The Bureau awarded Glock an $85 million contract for Glock 19 and 17 handguns that would outfit other law enforcement agencies under the Justice Department and all Offices of Inspector General.

[ Marine Corps Times ]

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