Why the Army May Need This Kind of Sig Sauer Training Ammunition

Kyle Mizokami

Technology, Americas

A big difference.

Key point: Practice ammo needs to match the weight and feel of real-life combat ammo.

A common pitfall in the world of pistol shooting is training with low-quality, low-cost training ammunition but using higher power pistol ammo in real-world situations. This can lead to situations where firing a gun in anger could have a very different feel than firing during training. Following the release of a commercial version of the Army’s new M17 handgun, manufacturer Sig Sauer is now releasing a line of ammunition and training ammunition with the same performance characteristics—including recoil—ensuring that Army handgun shooters will fight the way they train.

In much of the shooting world, the difference between training ammunition and ammunition meant to be used in emergencies can be pretty significant. Inexpensive training or “plinking” ammo is often chosen when purchasing ammunition in bulk. These ammunition types often use smaller amounts of more inexpensive gunpowder, resulting in poorer ballistic performance and less recoil.

While inexpensive training ammunition is an economical and logical choice for many, it does have one major downside. If the difference in ammunition power and performance between training and “ready” ammunition is considerable, it could lead to a false sense of how a firearm will perform in emergencies. A shooter proficient in shooting low recoil training ammunition could be in for a big surprise when shooting more powerful ammo during an actual shootout, leading to misses and a loss of confidence.

In January 2017, Sig Sauer won the contract for the U.S. Army’s M17 Modular Handgun System. Designed to replace the 1980s-era Beretta M9 handgun, the M17 will eventually replace the M9 across all of the armed services. In addition to the M17, the Army is also introducing a new high pressure “+P” ammunition designed to generate higher muzzle energy and give the M17 greater ability to kill or incapacitate enemies.