Handgun manufactures could have a request for proposals (RFP) to mull over in the early New Year. The Department of National Defence intends to move forward with a project to finally replace the nine-millimetre Browning Hi-Power semi-automatic pistol worn by Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members on deployment.
An RFP for the General Service Pistol replacement project will be issued in winter 2021 and a contract should be awarded by next summer, an official with the Assistant Deputy Minister (Materiel) branch confirmed.
The intent is to acquire a minimum of 9,000 full-frame, modular automatic pistols in an “initial buy” to support Army requirements. First delivery would be by the summer of 2022. However, the total contract could involve between 15,000 and 20,000 pistols.
“The precise number has not yet been confirmed as it will depend on requirements,” the official said.
A soldier fires the Browning 9mm pistol during the Canadian Armed Forces Small Arms Concentration in September 2019. Photo: AB Camden Scott
ADM (Mat) won’t disclose the project budget details just yet, but the acquisition will be an open, competitive process. Colt Canada is the military’s Small Arms Strategic Source and Centre of Excellence and has been selected under the Munitions Supply Program to provide most of the Army’s small arms in recent years, including the new C6AI FLEX general purpose machine gun and new Canadian Ranger C-19 .308s rifle, based on the SAKO T3 compact tactical rifle.
The pistol replacement, however, is “going to be a competitive process,” the official stated.
The Browning has served the Army well over many decades, but parts are scarce and Colt has often had to cannibalize components from the remaining in-service weapons to provide deploying troops with a working pistol.
‘The pistol replacement, however, is “going to be a competitive process,” the official stated.’
OK, but that doesn’t preclude the dreaded MSP from asserting itself here, does it? The terms of the “competition” could still require the “winner” to ship components to Colt Canada for assembly, right?
This is good news, but nothing here states that this will be an off-the-shelf purchase. There’s still time for DND/PSPC/IC to muck it up…
Will the Browning 9 mm pistol be auctioned off, or could they be sold individually to retired service members first then open up to the general population with proper identification and used as a personal protection weapon and or for practice shooting.
Most likely a handful will be donated to museums, while the rest will be scrapped. They’re ancient, and probably a potential liability issue if they were sold for further use.
We really need to STOP requiring purchased kit and equipment to be built in Canada. Sure, I get the reasoning – Canadian jobs, yada yada, but driving up the cost, buy some estimates ten fold, is idiotic.
I agree
Ya u said it all !!! It’s just ass backward thinking..glad im not the only one who sees it for what it is.
does anyone have an idea of who’s bidding for the contract?
I have heard that the main competitors are Sig and Glock