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Canadian Forces selects Sig Sauer P320 as its new pistol

The Canadian government announced Friday a contract award valued at $3.2 million (USD) to provide the Canadian Army with new pistols and holsters. M.D. Charlton Co. Ltd. of Victoria, B.C., was awarded the contract to supply the Sig Sauer P320, seen in use here.
The Canadian government announced Friday a contract award valued at $3.2 million (USD) to provide the Canadian Army with new pistols and holsters. M.D. Charlton Co. Ltd. of Victoria, B.C., was awarded the contract to supply the Sig Sauer P320, seen in use here. Photo by Senior Airman Hunter Hires /177th Fighter Wing - NJ Air Nati

The Canadian military will be getting new pistols to replace its Second World War-era handguns.

The Canadian government announced Friday a contract award valued at $3.2 million (USD) to provide the Canadian Army with new pistols and holsters. M.D. Charlton Co. Ltd. of Victoria, B.C., was awarded the contract to supply the Sig Sauer P320. The Canadian Forces has designated the gun as the C22.

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The government will purchase an initial 7,000 pistols along with holsters for the Canadian Army. Additional options for up to 9,500 pistols will be available under the contract to cover off the remaining requirements for the army, Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Canadian Navy and military police. Pistol delivery is anticipated to begin in mid-2023.

The C22 is a 9mm pistol and will replace the military’s Browning Hi-Power handgun.

The contract will include the pistols, holster systems, spares, and operator and maintenance training. The potential contract value if all options are exercised is $7.6 million (US).

The Sig Sauer P320 is in use with multiple militaries around the world including Denmark, France, and the United States.

The Pentagon selected the P320 in 2017 and Sig Sauer is providing the U.S. military with 420,000 of those guns.

The Canadian military had been trying for years to replace its Browning Hi-Power gun as it is running out of parts for the weapons.

The acquisition project was stalled for years after small arms firms rejected in 2011 the federal government requirement that the new guns be built at Colt Canada in Kitchener, Ont. In addition, the companies balked at the stipulation they had to turn over their proprietary firearms information to Colt, a firm that some saw as a competitor.

The process was restarted but last year ran into issues when officials representing handgun manufacturer Glock filed a complaint with the Canadian International Trade Tribunal. They alleged the government-run competition favoured Glock’s rivals, Beretta and Sig Sauer.

The Canadian military has outlined what it needed in a new gun, but Glock’s Canadian representatives argued that some of those requirements weren’t necessary. Its complaint alleged the Canadian Forces solicitation required “certain design types which serve no legitimate operational requirement and favour certain bidders.”

As a result the competition was restarted.