{"id":64520,"date":"2016-10-04T16:34:04","date_gmt":"2016-10-04T20:34:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/?p=64520"},"modified":"2016-10-04T16:34:04","modified_gmt":"2023-08-20T07:55:17","slug":"marine-special-operators-goodbye-1911-45-acp-hello-glock-19-9mm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/marine-special-operators-goodbye-1911-45-acp-hello-glock-19-9mm\/","title":{"rendered":"Clay Martin: Marine Special Operators Trash 1911 for Glock 19!"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Christmas<\/a>

Christmas comes early for MARSOC! \u00a0(Photo: Clay Martin<\/em>)<\/p><\/div>\n

Editor\u2019s note:<\/b> The column below, which contains explicit language, is a response to an article in the MarineTimes that broke the following news:<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

For Marine special operators, the never-ending debate over whether the 9mm or .45-caliber round is <\/em>the more powerful bullet has been settled.<\/em><\/p>\n

Previously, the classic .45-caliber Colt 1911 was one of three pistols that Raiders were allowed to carry, but now the 9mm Glock 19 is the only pistol that Marine special operators can take into battle, said Maj. Nick Mannweiler, a spokesman for Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe put our money behind the 9mm round fired by an extremely well-trained marksman carrying a Glock 19,\u201d Mannweiler told Marine Corps Times\u2026 read more<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Finally, even the dinosaurs over at Mother Corps have woken up to the facts. The 1911 is a terrible choice for a combat handgun, and now MARSOC<\/a> finally gets some combat Tupperware, like all the other boys at SOCOMs<\/a> School for Hooligans and Ruffians. Hold onto your keyboards, there, internet commandos, I don\u2019t care if your granpappy defended Wake Island with ole slab sides; I have skin in this game too. And it\u2019s probably more recent than yours.<\/p>\n

Let’s go ahead and discuss this term “combat handgun.” It doesn\u2019t mean your choice of what to carry to 7\/11, though some mortal combat may ensue there. We are talking about an issued weapon for the troops going into harm’s way. Your choice of a BBQ gun doesn\u2019t count. The one thing a combat handgun absolutely needs to be is reliable. A pistol is rarely used for doing the Lord’s work, but when you need it, you REALLY<\/em> need it. I can count on one hand the number of people I know with a legit pistol kill in the Global War on Terrorism, it\u2019s that rare. And I used to ask every class during the pistol phase of my urban combat course, \u201cHas anyone here got a pistol kill, and if so let’s talk about it.”<\/p>\n

Considering I was teaching the Magnificent Murderous Bastards of 3rd<\/sup> Special Forces Group at the time, who have arguably carried more water pound for pound than any unit in the U.S. Military in this conflict, that is a very low number. There are outliers, of course, there always are. One of my teammates who we shall just refer to by his call sign, \u201cGene Pool Cleaner\u201d (GPC), had eight pistol kills on one of our tours. That is a pretty long streak of strange luck, so it does happen. But the reality is that pistol is bringing up the rear when it comes to tools a soldier wants to use for cockroach extermination. For most of us that have fought in this war, the order goes something like this:<\/p>\n