Soldiers of the 101st test firing the M17 pistol at the range on Dec. 5, 2017. These Soldiers are among the first to fire the Army's new handgun.
According to the Army, the MHS program is the first in a line of modernization efforts that the service will pursue over the next few years.
The M17 replaces the M9 pistol, the standard Army sidearm since 1986. The M18 is a compact version of the M17. The new handguns also have an external safety, self-illuminating sights for low-light conditions, an integrated rail for attaching enablers and an Army standard suppressor conversion kit to attach an acoustic/flash suppressor.
The M17 and M18 pistols are manufactured by Sig Sauer, who earned the $580 million contract to produce the weapons in January after winning the Army and Air Force's modular handgun competition.
