Canadian military selects new pistol to replace aging handguns
The Canadian military is getting new pistols to replace its current Second World War-era sidearms.
The Department of National Defence on Friday announced an initial contract award of US$3.2 million to outfit the Canadian Army with 7,000 new handguns and holsters.
Supplier M.D. Charlton Co. Ltd. of Victoria will provide the Sig Sauer P320 handguns – dubbed the C22 by the military – and holsters to replace the army's longstanding Browning 9mm.
The department says an additional 9,500 pistols will be available under the contract for the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Canadian Navy and Military Police.
The first delivery of the new 9mm pistols is expected in the middle of next year.
The military says the C22 will use the same ammunition as the Browning handgun and will have similar ballistic performance.
However, the new gun is lighter, more ergonomic and features an expanded magazine capacity, according to the department. The C22 also allows for ambidextrous controls to accommodate both left- and right-handed shooters.
Unlike the Browning, the new Sig Sauer also features an indicator that's visible from several angles to identify whether or not the weapon is loaded.
FULL CONTRACT WORTH $7.6M
National Defence Minister Anita Anand said in a statement Friday the government is "committed to providing the Canadian Armed Forces with the equipment they need when they need it."
Anand said the C22 will "help ensure the continued operational readiness and effectiveness" of the military.
The Victoria-based armament distributor was chosen through a competitive bid process, which Helena Jaczek, the Minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada, categorized as open and fair in a statement Friday.
"This contract will provide our troops with modern, reliable pistols and holsters to carry out their work, while supporting economic opportunities for the Canadian defence industry," Jaczek said.
The full contract value is estimated at US$7.6 million if the options for the additional 9,500 pistols across the Canadian Armed Forces are exercised.
The Sig Sauer P320 is currently in use with other militaries, including those of the United States, France and Denmark.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.