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
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.