At least some of nearly 40,000 Security Forces airmen will soon be standing guardmount with the M18 pistol. The M18 recently shot the LAT (Lot Acceptance Testing) reliability testing like a champ.*
Like its bigger M17 brother, the M18 is a 9mm striker-fired pistol based on the P320 (one of the preferred weapons of John Wick).
According to recent memorandum from HQ USAF/A4 regarding AFMAN 31-129:
“In advance of a rewrite of AFMAN 31-129, the attachment to this memorandum adds Chapter 7, Security Forces Small Arms and Light Weapons Sustainment Training, Chapter 8, Security Forces Dry-Fire Training with Laser Rounds, and Attachment 19, M18 Modular Handgun System (9 Millimeter [mm]) Including the General Officer Version.
These additions provide guidance on Security Forces small arms sustainment training and small arms dry-fire training, as well as guidance for Air Force personnel on handling procedures of the M18 Modular Handgun System (MHS), 9mm semiautomatic pistol. This memorandum also replaces AFMAN 31-129 AFGM 2018-01.”
*Learn more about the LAT process in this explanation of the Lot Acceptance testing procedure. Read the evaluation report on line at the Operational Test and Evaluation site.
Freddy Osuna is a Marine combat veteran, freelance writer, and founder/chief instructor for Greenside Training (@greensidetraining).
