If Bass Pro Shops buying Cabela’s blew your mind, wait until you hear this. The Marine Corps’ special forces branch is dropping the 1911 for a Glock, and a compact model at that.
For decades the Marine Special Operations Command, now known as the Marine Raiders, has held onto its .45-caliber 1911s, even as the rest of the U.S. military—and the rest of the Marines—swapped out the classic Browning design for the Beretta M9. Now these final holdouts are turning over their single-action pistols for an even more radical design, the Glock 19 in 9mm.
“We put our money behind the 9mm round fired by an extremely well-trained marksman carrying a Glock 19,” Maj. Nick Mannweiler, a spokesman for the Raiders, told Marine Corps Times. “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. We concluded that a 9mm round suited our needs.”
The Raiders also tested the .45 and 9mm for the mythical “knockdown” or “stopping power” of each round, their magazine capacity, and the cost of each round.
Mannweiler said the decision to switch to Glock was made in order to provide Raiders with a concealed-carry weapon that has a “low-visibility profile.”
The change not only takes the 1911 out of action with the Raiders, but it also narrows the choice of sidearm for Marine operators to one. Prior to the change Marine special forces could opt for one of three different pistols, including the 1911. Now the issued gun is the Glock 19, and only the Glock 19.
The Marines’ move coincides with the FBI’s decision to move down from .40-caliber Smith & Wessons to 9mms. The U.S. Army, meanwhile, is seeking a replacement for the Beretta M9, with Glock in the running for that contract as well.