Fear & Loading: Screaming Eagles To Get First XM17s

by
posted on July 26, 2017
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
101st.jpg

U.S. Army photo by Capt. Charles Emmons

The Army News Service is reporting the 101st Airborne Division, based in Fort Campbell, Ky., will receive the first shipments of the new Modular Handgun System in November. The pistol is based on the commercially available SIG Sauer P320 and is chambered in 9 mm.  

Two thousand of the firearms will go to the Screaming Eagles in the first shipment, and roughly once every month another base will receive its new handguns. Transitioning fully from the Beretta M9, which went into service back in 1986, could take up to 10 years.

The same article includes some interesting XM17 observations from Product Manager of Soldier Systems Lt. Col. Steven Power. He told the reporter every soldier who has used the handgun—as in 100 percent—thinks it’s an improvement over the M9. “That’s an uncommonly positive thing,” he said. “Typically, even in our own households, when you’re buying a new car, there’s things that people like about the old car better than the new one.” Confidence and comfort were most often cited by soldiers after range sessions.

There’s more, though. “The specific performance improvements from MHS over the M9 are in the area of accuracy, dispersion (and) ergonomics. And ergonomics isn’t just about the comfort of the shooter,” Power explained. “The shooter will have a handgrip that fits their hand properly, which does a lot to improve accuracy—not only on the first shot but also on subsequent shots.”

SIG Sauer landed the $580 million Modular Handgun System contract in January, although the deal wasn’t necessarily sealed until the Government Accountability Office denied Glock’s subsequent protest. 

Winchester is the subcontractor  providing four different flavors of 9 mm ammunition. Power claimed the military didn’t give the chambering preference during testing. “The goal was to pick a system that best met our requirements,” he said.


Latest

Gotw Influencer X Web
Gotw Influencer X Web

Gun Of The Week: EAA Corp. Girsan Influencer X

We're on the range with an M1911 that is one of the smoothest-shooting versions we’ve shot in recent memory. And best of all? It’s incredibly affordable, to boot. This is the EAA Girsan Influencer X.

The Armed Citizen® Aug. 8, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Hopkins & Allen: The Armsmaking Giant That Didn't Survive

Founded in 1868 in the northeast U.S., Hopkins & Allen grew from a friendly business venture into a prolific maker of affordable guns for brand names such as Merwin & Hulbert and Forehand & Wadsworth.

Burris Optics Celebrates 50 Years Of Fullfield Riflescopes

Firearms and ammunition ballistics have changed greatly over the last half-century, but one of the biggest leaps in performance hit the scene five decades ago, when Burris Optics introduced its Fullfield line of riflesopes.

I Have This Old Gun: Heckler & Koch P7

In the mid-1970s, the German federal police sought a replacement for its existing World War II-era sidearms and put out stringent guidelines for what it wanted in a handgun. The result was the Heckler & Koch P7.

New For 2025: Smith & Wesson Shield X

Smith & Wesson's new Shield X micro-compact handgun combines elements from the company's M&P Shield Plus with some cues from its smaller Bodyguard 2.0 design.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.