Increasingly, rumors are filtering through the interwebs, confirmed by those close to the shadowy Navy Seal community that the nation’s preeminent special operators are going Glock to phase out a number of SIG pistols they have carried for generations.
Unofficial use by the Uncle
Using personal funds, Glocks to include the G22, G17 and G19 series have been used by numerous individual soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines deploying downrange since 9/11. There has long been an NSN for the Glock 19, which allows for small-scale buys with unit funds (such as inside AFSOC units), which, coupled with personal weapons, would explain numerous images of U.S. joes and aircrew with Glocks.
Further, troops seem to love getting their hands on them with Allies overseas.
U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Ansil Lewis, Weapons Training Battalion Sgt. Maj., fires a Glock 17 pistol the Royal Marine Operational Shooting Competition (RMOSC), hosted by the British Royal Marines at Altrar Training Camp, Hightown, England, Sept. 9-16, 2015. The purpose of the RMOSC is to evaluate the marksmanship skill, and physical and operational abilities of American, British, French, and Dutch Marines in combat related shooting matches by utilizing realistic structures, fast-moving targets, and movement to contact drills. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Timothy Turner/Released)
Joseph Trevithick over at War Is Boring in September detailed an extensive move by special operations elements inside the military to acquire Glocks by any means necessary.
This included the transfer of 2,500 Glocks from the Dept. of Homeland Security to the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) in 2010.
“The transfer allowed DHS to divest itself of excess weapons and fill a USSOCOM requirement,” a public affairs officer at SOCOM told War Is Boring in an email. “USSOCOM incurred no obligation to DHS in return.”
This was followed up this year by orders from the Marines of Gen. 3 and 4 Glock 19s for certain units of MARSOC, the Leatherneck’s special operations command.
Trevithick did the digging on the fact that the Army has ordered 1,600 G19s of their own and (wait for it) three select-fire Model 18s. There is also a contract believed to be worth some $12 million for even more Glocks for Big Green.
In short, the commandos and raiders who make up the sharpest end of the spear dig the Glock. Then there is…
Naval Special Warfare Command, whose East Coast teams have apparently picked up some Gen 3 G19s for testing to replace both the Sig P239 and P226R/Mk25, and like what they see.
Read more in my column at Glock Forum
