Privately owned variation on the MEUSOC as currently used in the USMC. Photo: Mike Searson
Nobody but the Marine Corps knows which companies are competing to be the next supplier of new .45 caliber pistols, but a decision should be announced by spring, according to Marine officials.
The Marine Corps is looking for a new .45 caliber handgun to be designated the M45 Close Quarters Battle Pistol. It will be issued to certain special ops and reconnaissance operators within the Corps. Currently the USMC’s MEUSOC .45 caliber pistols are hand-assembled and -modified 1911s put together by armorers at the Corps’ base in Quantico, VA from an amalgamation of government issue and aftermarket parts.
The Marines need about 4,000 pistols according to officials, although they may buy between 400 to 12,000 pistols as part of a $22.5 million contract. While it is no longer known which companies are still in the running for the contract, Colt and Springfield were two high-profile names that submitted designs for consideration when the USMC announced that they were looking for an “off-the-shelf” .45 in 2010. Both companies offered modernized 1911 derivatives.
The .45 caliber pistols that the Marines use are often seen as possessing superior terminal ballistics at close range when compared to the more common 9mm sidearms throughout the rest of the United States Armed Forces.
