Joint Service Small Arms Program
Encyclopedia
The Joint Service Small Arms Program, abbreviated JSSAP, was created to coordinate weapon standardization between the various U.S. armed service branches.
Their first major program involved the search for a new 9x19mm Parabellum pistol to replace existing M1911A1 and a variety of .38 Special
revolvers. Starting in the late 1970s and going into the next decade, the U.S. Air Force was originally selected to lead the selection process. Entrants included the Beretta 92S-1
, Colt SSP, Smith & Wesson 459, FN DA
, FN FA, FN High Power
, Star M28, Heckler & Koch P9S and H&K VP70
. 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 service pistol trials would result in adoption of the Beretta 92F as the M9 Pistol
. Note that these later trials did not have all of the same pistols competing.
Controversy over these trials lead to the XM10 trials, but these were boycotted by some makes and resulted in the Beretta M9 winning again.
SIG-Sauer's 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.
Their first major program involved the search for a new 9x19mm Parabellum pistol to replace existing M1911A1 and a variety of .38 Special
.38 Special
The .38 Smith & Wesson Special is a rimmed, centerfire cartridge designed by Smith & Wesson. It is most commonly used in revolvers, although some semi-automatic pistols and carbines also use this round...
revolvers. Starting in the late 1970s and going into the next decade, the U.S. Air Force was originally selected to lead the selection process. Entrants included the Beretta 92S-1
Beretta 92
The Beretta 92 is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and manufactured by Beretta of Italy. The model 92 was designed in 1972 and production of many variants in different calibers continues today...
, Colt SSP, Smith & Wesson 459, FN DA
Browning BDA
The Browning BDA is a 9mm semi-automatic pistol developed in the early 1980s at the Belgian Fabrique Nationale arms factory in Herstal. The pistol was conceived in 1983 to compete in the U.S...
, FN FA, FN High Power
Browning Hi-Power
The Browning Hi-Power is a single-action, 9 mm semi-automatic handgun. It is based on a design by American firearms inventor John Browning, and completed by Dieudonné Saive at Fabrique Nationale of Herstal, Belgium. Browning died in 1926, several years before the design was finalized...
, Star M28, Heckler & Koch P9S and H&K VP70
Heckler & Koch VP70
The VP70 is a 9 mm, 18-round, double action only, semi-automatic/three-round burst capable polymer frame pistol manufactured by German arms firm Heckler & Koch GmbH...
. The Beretta would be declared the winner, but the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
contested the results. The Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
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 service pistol trials would result in adoption of the Beretta 92F as the M9 Pistol
M9 Pistol
The Beretta M9, formally Pistol, Semiautomatic, 9mm, M9, is a 9×19mm Parabellum pistol of the United States military adopted in 1985. It is essentially a military specification Beretta 92F, later the 92FS....
. Note that these later trials did not have all of the same pistols competing.
Controversy over these trials lead to the XM10 trials, but these were boycotted by some makes and resulted in the Beretta M9 winning again.
SIG-Sauer's P226
SIG P226
The SIG P226 is a full-sized, service-type pistol made by SIG Sauer. It is chambered for the 9×19mm Parabellum, .40 S&W, .357 SIG, and .22 Long Rifle. It is essentially the same basic design of the SIG P220, but developed to use higher capacity, staggered-column magazines in place of the...
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
Joint Combat Pistol
The Joint Combat Pistol was the name for a former US program for a new military sidearm to replace the M9 Pistol, extant from late 2005 to early 2006. The program was started in 2005 and run by USSOCOM. It is the result of a merger of two earlier programs, the Army's Future Handgun System and the...
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
United States Special Operations Command
The United States Special Operations Command is the Unified Combatant Command charged with overseeing the various Special Operations Commands of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps of the United States Armed Forces. The command is part of the Department of Defense...
's SOF Combat Pistol. However, the Army ultimately pulled out of the competition.
See also
- List of individual weapons of the U.S. armed forces
- Objective Personal Defense WeaponObjective Individual Combat Weapon programThe Objective Individual Combat Weapon or OICW was the next-generation service rifle competition that was under development as part of the United States Army OICW program; the program was eventually discontinued without bringing the weapon out of the prototype phase...
- Personal defense weaponPersonal defense weaponA personal defense weapon is a compact semi-automatic or fully automatic firearm similar in most respects to a submachine gun, but firing an armor-piercing rifle round, giving a PDW better range, accuracy and armor-penetrating capability than submachine guns, which fire pistol-caliber cartridges...