Canada Signs Contract For Military Service Pistols

This time, it's for real. Probably. Canada's federal government has signed a deal for new service pistols to equip the military, which means that after years of faffing about we might finally see our soldiers get some of the new equipment they desperately need.

To nobody's surprise, the Department of Defence is going with the Sig Sauer P320, which it will issue under the name C22. The Sig appeared to be the early favourite during the procurement process, as it perfectly fit the spec sheet that the armed forces issued. In 2021, the government confirmed it was moving ahead with the P320, as it fit the military's need for a modular handgun that could be easily modified for special-case usage.

However, although the deal appeared to be settled after an initial call for tenders, the handgun procurement process was derailed last year when a federal trade tribunal instructed officials to re-start the procurement process. Rampart, Canadian distributor of Glock firearms to military and law enforcement customers, complained that the initial procurement specs had unfairly ruled out its products from the start.

Months later, the feds have finally signed a deal again, and once more, the P320 is the winner. Under the terms of the deal, the firearms will be supplied by M.D. Charlton, a BC-based distributor of firearms and other tactical equipment for police and military. The government will buy 7,000 pistols to specifically issue to the Canadian Army, at a cost of $3.2M USD. The presser says the feds also have the option to purchase another 9,500 pistols to distribute to "the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Canadian Navy and Military Police." Remember that although most of the military is using the World War II-era Browning Hi-Power right now, specific branches and units have long been issued other pistols to meet their individual needs. This option to buy pistols for those other units seems tied to that arrangement.

If all options are exercised, the military will spend $7.6M USD on the pistol procurement.

Of course the P320 is chambered in 9x19mm. The deal sees M.D. Charlton also supplying holsters, spare parts and training. The government expects delivery to start in 2023.