new DHS pistol solicitation is out.

[Gadfly]

I ask my LGS earlier, he said he is selling 5 VP9s for every p320. That is just one shop in Texas. Who knows how that translates nationwide.

[HCM]

VP-9's are selling briskly but the price on P320's has been dropping. The P320's were going for $625 with IOP around $ 470. Our local high volume SIG dealer is currently selling them for $449 and $499 for FDE models.

The recent adoption of the P320 by the TX and OK highway patrols will also boost sales.

[RJ]

I ask my LGS earlier, he said he is selling 5 VP9s for every p320. That is just one shop in Texas. Who knows how that translates nationwide.

For what it's worth, my LGS here in Tampa said they were selling out of VP9s as fast as they came in. Went in Saturday with a family member to look at them with him, sales guys said he sold his last two that morning. I paid $599 for mine in March.

[RJ]

My suspicion is that Sig has produced more P320's than HK has VP9s. I also think that Sig's production capability can more easily absorb those numbers.

That is not to say that HK can't do it, just that Sig can more easily do it with minimal impact on civilian sales.

Did some digging, and you are right.

Even if these 2012 numbers are wrong (best I could find), Sig is selling in the region of 500,000 hand guns annually. H&K isn't even on this chart.

http://www.shootingindustry.com/u-s-...ry-today-2014/

[23JAZ]

In case you haven't seen it yet, this has been posted to the GSA website regarding the solicitation for the new pistol....

https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportun...=core&_cview=0

In the solicitation they request:
Polymer frame
Striker fired
15 round min capacity
9mm only (NO .40)
and much more...
"The slide shall not return to battery by the action of inserting a loaded magazine into the firearm"
"The discharged cartridge shall not eject in a manner that hits the shooter upon firing the firearm"
"The firearm shall be operated by a right or left handed shooter without permanent modification"
"The frame shall have an integrated rail section that accepts the streamlight TRL-1 light"
" The sights shall include 3-dot tritium night sights with the front dot being a different color than the rear dots. Additionally, the front sight shall have photo luminescent paint to assist in rapid sight acquisition"


Looks like the Glock, FNS, Beretta APX, Sig p320, M&P, an VP9 are on deck to compete. (did I miss any others?)

As far as testing:
15 guns and 52 mags per model submitted.
9 firearms shall be tested with 10,000 rounds per firearm in 250 round strings of fire.
3 of the 9 will have TRL-1 attached for the full 10,000 rounds.

It will take a long time for this to play out. But it will be interesting to watch.

Glock better get some 19s with HDs together and hope no one gets brass to the face

[joshs]

Did some digging, and you are right.

Even if these 2012 numbers are wrong (best I could find), Sig is selling in the region of 500,000 hand guns annually. H&K isn't even on this chart.

http://www.shootingindustry.com/u-s-...ry-today-2014/

Those are just US manufacturing numbers. Sig manufactures a lot of guns in the US, but HK doesn't. The numbers for imports lag an additional year behind the manufacturing numbers, so it will be awhile before any effect from the VP9 will be shown in the available data.

More data here: https://www.atf.gov/statistics/index.html

[Kyle Reese]

I'm intrigued by the SIG P320, and while the VP 9 is a fine handgun, after shooting one, it does nothing for me.

[jetfire]

All ICE /HSI Officers and Agents are plainclothes unless you're counting 5.11's and a polo shirt as a uniform. They don't normally work at checkpoints or ports of entry.The current issue handgun for ICE is the SIG P229R DAK 40 cal.

Ports of Entry at the land border and in international airports are run by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (CBP/OFO) and staffed by CBP Officers (CBPO) in dark blue uniforms. Interior check points and the borde areas between Ports of Entry are the responsibility of CBP / Border Patrol - Border Patrol Agents wear green uniforms. All CBP uniformed personnel are required to carry the issued HK 40 cal. Primarily the P2000's, with a few P2000sk's and a few old school USP compacts. All LEM V2.

Ugh, I can't keep all my jackbooted thug organizations straight. ;-)

[Gadfly]

Ugh, I can't keep all my jackbooted thug organizations straight. ;-)

It did get a bit confusing post 9/11...

Just to clear it up for folks that don't know:

DHS is comprised of:
Customs and Border Protection (CBP, blue uniforms at land border crossings, airports and seaports, P2000 LEM .40)
Border patrol (BP, green uniforms in the open spaces between the official land border crossings and checkpoints many miles inland, P2000 LEM .40)
Secret Service (duh, Sig 229R DA/SA .357)
Air Marshal (FAMS, duh, Sig 229R DA/SA .357)
ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI, plain clothed combination of the old US Customs agents and the old INS agents, part of ICE, Sig 229R DAK .40)
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO, blue uniforms, handle prisoner holding/transport/deportation for aliens arrested in the US Sig 229R DAK .40)
FEMA (no guns/no uniforms, relies on HSI for any force protection)
Coast Guard (duh, Sig 229R DAK .40)

ALL of them are part of DHS. This gun contract will cover Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) HSI and ERO.
It is a significant contract.

[RJ]

Those are just US manufacturing numbers. Sig manufactures a lot of guns in the US, but HK doesn't. The numbers for imports lag an additional year behind the manufacturing numbers, so it will be awhile before any effect from the VP9 will be shown in the available data.

More data here: https://www.atf.gov/statistics/index.html

Ah so, I missed that. Makes more sense, with Sig Sales >>> H&K Sales, one assumes.