America is equipped with guns that shoot with absolute precision.

This information was provided by one-star General Andrew P. Poppas, Commander of the 101st Airborne Division of the US Army, whose unit has received the new generation of advanced pistol systems designed according to new modules: M17 and M18.

According to the US military, the new weapons are more accurate, easier to shoot and more lethal than the previous generation, and will gradually replace the M9 pistol, which has been the standard weapon for the past 31 years.

"To maintain our competitive edge, we must continue to out-compete potential adversaries with more lethality, from the modular handgun system we introduced today to the innovative concepts, attack concepts, equipment and training the 101st continues to refine," said Gen. Andrew P. Poppas.

The general said that the M17, also known as the P320 XM17, is a modular pistol developed at the request of the US Air Force in 2008. It was initiated at the same time as the US Army's program requiring the design of a new personal weapon to replace the M9.

The project was born when the US Army realized that the M9 was often corroded, leading to a decrease in effectiveness at the end of its operational life. On the other hand, the M9 pistol was considered an obsolete platform, requiring a replacement soon. Therefore, the M17 was born with combat effectiveness, accuracy and reliability much better than the Beretta M9.

The US manufacturer said that in addition to the standard version, a shortened variant has also been purchased by the US military for use. According to plan, the first M17s have officially entered service with the US Army.

It is expected that there will be a contract to order about 280,000 M17s. This is considered the largest handgun purchase since 1985, when the US Army adopted and put the Beretta 92FS into service under the name M9. The M17 will gradually completely replace the role of the M9 in the near future.

The US Marine Corps is also involved in the M17 program, but it is unlikely that they will buy new ones before the M9s reach the end of their service life in 2020. There have been complaints about the power of the 9x19mm round that the M9 currently uses, so the M17 is required to fire a variety of different rounds.

The US finally chose the SIG Sauer P320, which in addition to the 9x19mm round, can also fire many other calibers such as .40S & W, .375 SIG, .380 ACP and .45 ACP. SIG Sauer will provide conversion kits for each type of round.

The M17 is an automatic pistol that uses a short recoil mechanism to load bullets. The gun body is made of high-molecular polymer, the barrel is made of high-strength stainless steel, and the safety locks are arranged on both sides to help the shooter control the gun easily.

The M9 had been criticized for being too heavy, so the M17 was required to be as light as possible. The M17's magazines came in two sizes: 17- and 21-round. The .40S &W and .375 SIG versions used 14-round magazines. The .45 ACP variant had a 10-round magazine.

The M17 is designed with a mechanical sight with a reflective dot for easy shooting by the shooter. The effective range is 50 m. The M17 pistol comes with a standard picatinny rail located under the barrel for mounting combat accessories, including flashlights and laser indicators. With this equipment, the American manufacturer affirms that the M17 can accurately attack any target within range.