Joint Service Small Arms Program

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The Joint Service Small Arms Program, abbreviated JSSAP, was created to coordinate weapon standardization between the various U.S. armed service branches.

Results

Their first major program involved the search for a new 9×19mm Parabellum pistol to replace existing M1911A1 handguns. The trials would begin in 1979 and continue into 1983[1] with the U.S. Air Force originally selected to lead the selection process. Entrants in the first trials included the Beretta 92S-1, Colt SSP, FN DA, FN GP, FN FA (a special double-action version of the Hi-Power), Walther P88, Heckler & Koch P9S, Heckler & Koch VP70, Smith & Wesson 459 and Star M28 and Steyr GB alongside the existing M1911A1.[2] The Beretta would be declared the winner, but the U.S. Army contested the results. The Department of Defense and JSSAP gave the task to the Army starting in 1981. The first Army test resulted in all pistols failing. The standards were lessened and a retest was done, but again, none passed.

By 1983, a new program was started, now under the XM9 name. These later trials did not have all of the same pistols competing, and saw the addition of Beretta's 92F, SIG Sauer's P226 and Heckler & Koch's P7. There were eight pistols competing, the Beretta 92F, the SIG-Sauer P226, the H&K P7, the S&W 469, the Steyr GB, the FN FA, the Colt SSP and the Walther P88. These service pistol trials would result in adoption of the Beretta 92F as the M9 Pistol. Controversy over these trials lead to the XM10 trials in 1988. Ruger submitted their new P85. But the trials were boycotted by some makes and resulted in the Beretta M9 winning again. The SIG Sauer P226 passed the XM9 trials but lost out in the final bidding. In a later competition for a compact service pistol, SIG Sauer's P228 became the M11 pistol.

In the 2000s, a new joint service handgun was started, the Joint Combat Pistol which was actually the result of a merger of two earlier programs: the U.S. Army's Future Handgun System and United States Special Operations Command's SOF Combat Pistol. However, the Army ultimately pulled out of the competition.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Markham, George. Guns Of The Elite: Special Forces Firearms, 1940 To The Present. London: Arms and Armour, 1987. Print. P.58,62 ISBN 0-85368-866-4
  2. ↑ http://aftermathgunclub.com/?p=920 The First JSSAP Pistol Trials
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