Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!tellab5!laidbak!mcdchg!att!cbnews!military From: ab3o+@andrew.cmu.edu (Allan Bourdius) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: Side arms for Fly boys. Message-ID: <1990Oct16.011101.11588@cbnews.att.com> Date: 16 Oct 90 01:11:01 GMT References: <1990Oct15.033827.12908@cbnews.att.com> Sender: military-request@att.att.com Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories Lines: 17 Approved: military@att.att.com From: Allan Bourdius Pilots carry sidearms for self-defense after being shot down. When the competition for the weapon to replace the M1911 .45 ACP began, the services differed greatly on what kind of weapon they wanted. The Army wanted a 9mm, because that was an up and coming NATO round. The Marines wanted an improved .45, because they didn't see any real problem with the exisitng pistol, except its age. The Navy didn't really care, they wanted something that would shoot, I guess. And the Air Force wanted something that amounted to a light-machine gun to give their pilots for when they were shot down over commieland. >From what I've read/seen/heard, most pilots/aircrew prefer to carry revolvers instead of autoloaders because they tend to be lighter. Allan