What was once old, is new; dead is alive; and useless is required. It happens frequently in the gun industry. Such is the case with the new U.S. Army Sub Compact Weapon RFI (Request For Information).
In this case, the Army is looking for a select-fire 9mm with a Picatinny rail. It can include suppressors, cleaning kits, accessories and other goodies.
It’s up to the manufacturer to produce a package, along with how many they can deliver and how fast. Basically, it’s a call to arms for the gun industry to “show us what you got.”
Everything is speculation, but my guess is the Army realized that for certain missions a 9mm subgun just works better. Used worldwide by specialized military and police units, subcompact weapons fill a role.
Talking to those using subcompacts, they want better and newer guns that take advantage of advancements made in the current climate.
No disrespect to the venerable HK MP5 — their current weapon — but it remains full of 50-year-old technology with an ever-decreasing availability of parts.
Some of the Army’s guns are old with round counts in the hundreds of thousands. It’s time for the Army to see what’s out there, and I have a few thoughts on who might be in the running.
