PDA

View Full Version : General Dynamics to manufacture M&P barrels


Slater
03-03-16, 19:11
I was not aware that GD was a barrel manufacturer for commercial firearms. Have they done so in the past?

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems has been awarded a multiyear contract by Smith & Wesson to produce hammer forged, military grade gun barrels. The barrels produced under this contract will be used in Smith & Wesson’s M&P pistol, which is being offered for the U.S. Army’s XM17 Modular Handgun System (MHS) competition.

http://www.gd-ots.com/news_release/2016/GDOTS-SW%20Barrel-3-2-16.pdf
KalashniKEV
03-03-16, 19:13
I was not aware that GD was a barrel manufacturer for commercial firearms. Have they done so in the past?

http://www.gd-ots.com/news_release/2016/GDOTS-SW%20Barrel-3-2-16.pdf

Yes, but will they know the right twist rate?

Does S&W know the right twist rate yet??

LOL

Who's making the triggers, Home Depot?
Firefly
03-03-16, 19:20
Just buy Glocks.
Slater
03-03-16, 19:26
S&W thinks they have an honest shot at the XM17 contract. Historically, they haven't done that well with military contracts, IIRC.
scottryan
03-03-16, 19:30
Tag for latter.
Palmguy
03-03-16, 20:32
I was not aware that GD was a barrel manufacturer for commercial firearms. Have they done so in the past?

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems has been awarded a multiyear contract by Smith & Wesson to produce hammer forged, military grade gun barrels. The barrels produced under this contract will be used in Smith & Wesson’s M&P pistol, which is being offered for the U.S. Army’s XM17 Modular Handgun System (MHS) competition.

http://www.gd-ots.com/news_release/2016/GDOTS-SW%20Barrel-3-2-16.pdf

GD has certainly manufactured rifle barrels. I'm not aware of pistol barrels specifically.

Disclosure: I'm an engineer employed by GD-OTS.
soulezoo
03-03-16, 20:38
Do I get a F-16 with that barrel?
Vandal
03-03-16, 20:39
Will that solve the accuracy issues or should people keep buying Apex parts to make the M&P run right?
bp7178
03-03-16, 20:55
Do I get a F-16 with that barrel?

Their rugged laptops are pretty nice too...not 9g in a turn nice, but nice.
KalashniKEV
03-03-16, 21:24
Will that solve the accuracy issues or should people keep buying Apex parts to make the M&P run right?

The plan is for Big Army to pick up their M&P with S&W spec'd GD barrel and then drop individual PR&Cs for Storm Lake Barrels and then Apex FCG parts.

It's like a little "build your own pistol kit" that brings the fun and excitement of home AR building to professional use handguns!

LOL
Vandal
03-03-16, 22:33
Kev, the scary part is you may not be too far off from what would happen. Makes more sense to .gov than just buying Glocks or Sig P320s.
MountainRaven
03-03-16, 22:44
S&W thinks they have an honest shot at the XM17 contract. Historically, they haven't done that well with military contracts, IIRC.

I don't think they've won a contract out-and-out since the 1890s. And that contract they had to share with Colt, IIRC. Before that, they had a contract for the M1875 "Schofield" revolver - which ultimately didn't completely pan out for them, with Colt and their M1873 SAA.

The only other major contract I think they won was for the M1917 - again, had to be shared with Colt, but in this instance it was due to the inability of Colt and government arsenals to manufacture sufficient quantities of M1911 pistols for the First World War.

In the meantime, they've had small contracts for 38-caliber revolvers and Sigmas acquired by the US for foreign militaries, but nothing huge.
alvincullumyork
03-04-16, 00:58
Is the M&P accuracy thing still a thing? Haven't they fixed it?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
polydeuces
03-04-16, 08:10
S&W?...M&P?....Fixing?
Bwaaahahaha....haaaaahahahahahaha...ha.....bwaaaaaaaahahabah...
KalashniKEV
03-04-16, 08:28
Is the M&P accuracy thing still a thing? Haven't they fixed it?

I don't know, but I'd love the opportunity to shoot a new Smith and Wesson M&P.

I'd probably toss it high up on the 100m berm and shoot it a few times with my FAL... however many until it made it back to the ground. Then I might take the biggest pieces that were left and put them in a clay thrower and finish them off with my shotty.

Yeah, I'd sure love to shoot the hell out of one. :)
carolvs
03-04-16, 08:34
General Dynamics makes miniguns. So they are no strangers to making high quality barrels. They also know the DoD contract game as well as anyone.
mack7.62
03-04-16, 08:43
General Dynamics makes miniguns. So they are no strangers to making high quality barrels. They also know the DoD contract game as well as anyone.

And likely have a few congress critters in their pocket also, makes a lot of sense for S&W.

BTW I think you guys are underestimating S&W, they have a real shot at this if they can just steal....ugh I mean design, yes design the correct features to use in the M&P Gen II.
williejc
03-04-16, 21:41
S&W sold 1000s of K frame Victory models(M10) to the government during WW2. For decades the Air Force issued Smith Model 15s--also in .38 Special. Pilots from Army, Air Force, and Navy have been issued K frame .38 Specials for years but probably not now. It's likely that the Coast Guard and marines got their share too.