Joint Combat Pistol


The Joint Combat Pistol was the name for a former US program for a new military sidearm to replace the M9 Pistol, extant from late 2005 to early 2006. The program was started in 2005 and run by USSOCOM. It was the result of a merger of two earlier programs, the army's Future Handgun System and the Special Operations Forces Combat Pistol. Requirements for the JCP included being chambered for caliber .45 ACP, having an integrated Picatinny rail, including day/night sights, and being capable of accepting a suppressor.
On March 10, 2006, a modification to the earlier request was made, changing the name from Joint Combat Pistol to Combat Pistol. The number of pistols sought was reduced from 645,000 handguns to 50,000. This effectively reverted to the SOF Combat Pistol program in terms of its scale, as the army dropped its participation. In the autumn of 2006, the Combat Pistol program was suspended indefinitely.
In a 2007 supplemental session, the congressional defense sub-committee appropriated $5 million to a Joint Combat Pistol study.

Background

A cross-service US military sidearm is a notable event in that there have been only two major adoption programs over a 100-year span of military history. While new sidearms were adopted at a fairly steady pace in the late 19th century, the 20th century yielded only the M1911 and the M9. The previous adoption took over a decade, involved several acts of Congress and multiple lawsuits, and stirred up great controversy. The short-lived JCP program was not an exception, only surviving a few months before being drastically scaled back and renamed. Its successor, the Combat Pistol program fared even worse, being halted just a few months later.

Overview of 2005 JCP solicitation

This was based on original solicitation, which was later modified, and finally, heavily changed in March 2006, with the program renamed to Combat Pistol.
  • The notice starts: The USSOCOM intends to issue a solicitation to obtain commercially available non-developmental item Joint Combat Pistol system, Caliber.45.
  • Two configurations required: One with no external safety and the other configuration will have an external safety.
  • The 'Combat Pistol System' is to consist of:
  • *a Caliber.45 pistol
  • *Magazines ;
  • *Suppressor Attachment Kit
  • *Holster
  • *Magazine Holder
  • *Cleaning Kit and Operator's Manual.
  • Estimates for max procurement quantities for the system are listed as
  • *45,000 no external safety
  • *600,000 JCP with the external safety configuration
  • *649,000 Holsters
  • *96,050 Standard Capacity Magazines
  • *192,099 High Capacity Magazines
  • *667,000 Magazine Holders
  • *132,037 Suppressor attachment kits
While this is the max procurement, in comparison the initial order for M9 pistols was for 300,000 pistols.

Timeline

A Q&A listed the following projected dates:

JCP and CP candidates

A large variety of.45 ACP pistols were entered into the competition. These include the: