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The [Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act] authorization and policy for Ellsworth [Air Force Base] strengthens security by enhancing Security Forces response to threats, including active shooter threats, wrote Ellsworth Air Force Base public affairs in 2017. Since then, the Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force have all adopted the M17 and M18 series pistols. U.S. Army Air Force General James B. Newman (Commander of the 9th AF Engineer Command) along with Colonel Schilling inspecting forward . Matt is also co-founder of The Armourers Bench, a video series on historically significant small arms. Get Guns.com offers and news!! A Department of the Air Force seal serves as the focal point in an otherwise subdued courtroom at the 355th Fighter Wing Legal Office on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., on Dec. 10, 2012. AddThis Utility Frame. I gave the Colt Automatic Pistol Caliber 380 to a young Lt. Beretta M9 became the adopted U.S. military sidearm in 1985 and was also the General Officer pistol issued. Others, like Bradley, carried when they were close to the front lines. Click the Go To Forum Thread link below to jump in! There are currently no customer product questions on this lot. Otherwise, generals received pistols with the standard factory finish. [2] It is similar to the Colt Commander, but has internal differences. The 1908 pistols were replaced by the short-barreled M1911 variant, the M15 General Officers Model (made at Rock Island Arsenal) during the 1970s. The exposed metal parts such as the safety and slide lock have a polished blued finish, while the top of the slide has a black matte-type finish. (U.S. Army photo by Charles E. Spirtos), A long-standing US Army tradition is the issuing of General Officer sidearms. It replaced the previous M15 General Officer's pistol. By Rebecca Montgomery, TACOM LCMC Rock Island Pubic AffairsJanuary 9, 2008. And apparently, according to Guns.com, the services new arsenal includes some 800 personalized M18s just for general officers. Overall, the grips are in about Fine-Excellent condition. This M15 was issued to Major General John Coffey Jr., Adjutant General of the Oklahoma Military Department. Col. Kelly's assignment was to 1) Train and organize competent gunsmiths; 2) Establish a marksmanship school; and 3) Organize and field the best competitive shooters in the world. THe M9 was adopted in 1985 to replace the military's aging Colt 1911 and has been the standard issue sidearm ever since. The 9mm handgun the smaller counterpart to the M17 adopted under the Armys Modular Handgun System contract replaces the Beretta M9 series pistols, which have been in service since 1986. The finish on the guns was a deep blue on portions of the slide and frame. Its high condition and the nice assortment of documentation and S&W leather accessories only add to its value. The screw heads range from sharp to lightly tool marked with strong slots. The U.S. Navy doesn't have a similar program but the Air Force does. Live The Armory Life. David covers the Air Force, Space Force and anything Star Wars-related. About 410 pistols were issued from 1982 to 1986, and about half of them were returned to Rock Island Arsenal when the newer Beretta was issued. Patton famously carried a Colt Single Action Army with ivory grips but also reported to have an issued Colt M1903. During Vietnam he was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force in the office of Deputy Chief of Staff, and attended The National War College from 1969 to 1971. The latest pistol to be issued as General Officer sidearms is the new SIG Sauer M18. It is Lot 347 in Rock Island Auction Company's Aug. 26-28 Premier Auction. Classic Browning Light Twelve Auto-5 Review: Busting Clays With the Old Humpback Shotgun. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. The M15 General Officers is a .45 ACP pistol developed by the U.S. Army's Rock Island Arsenal from stock M1911 pistols as a replacement for the aging Colt Model 1903 and Model 1908 Pocket Hammerless pistols. Army Generals Are Getting Their Very Own Variant of the Services New Handgun, General officer pistol program has rich history. The M15 General Officers is a .45 ACP pistol developed by the U.S. Army's Rock Island Arsenal from stock M1911 pistols as a replacement for the aging Colt Model 1903 and Model 1908 Pocket Hammerless pistols.The pistol was issued to United States Army general officers as a personal weapon.. With the presentation of Brigadier General Cooks, it appears that more and more of the new pistols are entering service. News and events. Stock Configuration & Condition: The backstrap of the grip frame has raised checkering (from the factory), the butt has a lanyard loop. Some 2.7 million M1911 and the later M1911A1 variation were produced throughout its long service with the U.S. military. Air Force General Officer Archetype Career Experiences 198 Table 8.6. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. When officers are promoted to Brigadier General they are presented with the new sidearm. His long career and impressive list of decorations and awards make his General Officers pistol a wonderful addition to any collection. Historically, General Officer pistols often had some sort of customisation, such as engraved names or embellishments, it seems that personalised serial numbers, with the GO prefix, is the modern equivalent. Gen. Douglas MacArthur was another general who didnt wear a firearm and was proud that he went unarmed in World War I. Epic 22 Pocket Pistol: The Beretta 71 Jaguar. Seller Inventory # 5281 The M18 is also marked with the G.O. United States. Miller drew his sidearm in self-defense, a rarity for generals in the U.S. military but an acknowledgement that the enemy could be anywhere. To ensure a long life of shooting, this 1911 features a carbon steel frame and slide, both forged (rather than cast) for extreme strength. prefix when issuing the M9 to general officers. Need Help?service@guns.comCall (866)582-4867, PO Box 1131 13800 Nicollet Blvd Burnsville, MN 55337 2023Guns.com. Previous pistols issued to senior army officers have included the ColtModel 1908 Pocket Hammerless pistols and the ColtM15 General Officers Pistol. 198 Table 8.7. Published Jul 10, 2019 2:35 PM EDT. Features solid brass buckle and hardware. Choose from brown with a US buckle or black with a USMC buckle. On March 9TH 1935 the formation of the new Reichsluftwaffe was announced to the foreign press and on March 16TH conscription was reintroduced for all three branches of service. Jodie Creen Wesemann, museum technician at the Rock Island Arsenal Museum, said the first General Officer Model RIA M15 .45 caliber pistol produced at the Rock Island Arsenal is in the museum's collection. According to museum records, it was produced in 1972, and is a modified version of the Ithaca Gun Co. M1911A1 made in 1943. It comes with one 15 . As the World War II generals retired, they were allowed to purchase the pistols they had been issued. Officer's Style Pistol Belt. The U.S. military officer pay grades are grouped into three tiers ranging from O-1 to O-3, O-4 to O-6, and O-7 and above. The M15 is made to a higher standard of finish to distinguish it as a general officer's pistol. He has written several books and for a variety of publications in both the US and UK. $49.95. The M18 a compact version of the M17 that came out of the Armys Modular Handgun System program is the Air Forces first new service pistol in 35 years. Sorry, an error occurred and we could not sign you up. When the force needs critical readiness components delivered, whether at home or abroad, it depends on the TACOM ILSC. The M9 9mm replaced the M15 as the general officer pistol in the 1980s.[3]. Pistols. General Goldfeins pistol was the first time wed seen a General Officers M18 MHS in the wild. Some were issued to US Army and US Air Force general officers from World War II through the 1970s. The M15 was a Colt M1911-A1 pistol modified at Rock Island Arsenal, located just a few short miles away from Rock Island Auction Company. Jared Keller "When a general officer requests a pistol he has to either go through the GOMO office (General Officer Management Office) or come through us with a request to receive the pistol," Octaviano said. "In addition to the pistol they get a flag, belt buckle, holster, magazine, cleaning rod and brush and other accessories," said Kemmis. There is no erosion in the bore. COLT .32 WITH BROWN BELT AND HOLSTER 1951, WW2 GENERAL WEARING BROWN HOLSTER AND BELT 1944, MAJ. GEN THEODORE ANTONELLI COLT .32 W/ BLACK BELT AND HOLSTER VIETNAM 1968, GEN. RICHARD STILWELL COLT .45 AUTO WITH BLACK BELT AND HOLSTER VIETNAM 1970, LT. GEN A.P. There are 650 pistols issued according to current records. Copyright 2011-2023 All Rights Reserved. He joined Task & Purpose in 2019, after covering local news in Maine and FDA policy in Washington D.C. David loves hearing the stories of individual airmen and their families and sharing the human side of Americas most tech-heavy military branch. Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. Please see our pictures and good luck! About 1,000 were made. General Goldfeins new M18 pistol, featured a custom serialisation GO5021. We did not fire this handgun. The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. Carrying a pistol served the same purpose: it was more of a close-quarters weapon than a rifle, so it seemed braver and . Free shipping for many products! Jodie Creen Wesemann, right, museum technician at the Rock Island Arsenal Museum, and Tara Octaviano, logistics management specialist, TACOM Life Cycle Management Command Rock Island, are pictured with the first General Officer Model RIA M15 .45 cali $84 million contract awarded for Excalibur replenishment, Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center Media Roundtable, October 27, 2022, Army officer part of newly resumed cooperation for International Space Station, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Sarah Stone is just one of four, U.S. Army supports Polish allies with Abrams tanks and training, Army CIO speaks at Army Europe and Africa 2022 Cybersecurity Summit, Army Inspector General visits Alaska for New Soldier Experience, Transcript: Media Roundtable with Mr. Douglas Bush, ASA for AL&T, July 27, 2022, Army approves Milestone C and awards LRIP contract for the Mobile Protected Firepower program, Army Inspector General Administers Oath of Enlistment to Recruits on Army Birthday, Transcript: Media Roundtable with Dr. Raj Iyer, Army Chief Information Officer, and LTG John B. Morrison, Jr., Army Deputy Chief of Staff G-6 June 09, 2022, Army Inspector General announces new website, Army Inspector General starts New Soldier Experience inspection, Vietnamese-American service members parallel paths to the American dream. Murder of Connecticut Native Elan Ganeles, 27, Met with 'Devastated and Broken Hearts'. Approximately 570,000 Colt Pocket Hammerless pistols were produced from 1903 to 1945, in five different types (see Variants paragraph below). Get the latest in military news, entertainment and gear in your inbox daily. M9s are larger, heavier, all-metal pistols; whereas M18s are lighter polymer pistols with a more consistent trigger pull and adjustable grips for large and small hands, said Merrill Adkison, Small Arms Program Office senior logistics manager, at the time. During the Korean War . It is estimated that at least 570,000 Colt Pocket Hammerless pistols were produced between 1903 and 1945. As noted in the Navys FY 2019 procurement budgetjustificationfor the Marine Corps, 35,000 of the smaller Sigs will not only replace M9s but also theColt M45A1 CQB.45 ACP railgun and the newly-acquiredM007 Glock. The Spanish-American War. This marked the start of issuance of a standard pistol as a badge of rank to the General Officers. A service pistol, also known as a personal weapon or an ordnance weapon, is any handgun issued to regular military personnel or law enforcement officers.Typically, service pistols are revolvers or semi-automatic pistols issued to officers, non-commissioned officers, and rear-echelon support personnel for self-defense, though service pistols may also be issued to special forces as a backup for . Excellent with 97% plus original anodized and blue finishes remaining, some small surface scratches, faint traces of edge wear, and handling marks. Our work. OvertDefense.com Managing Editor. This volume gathers in one place all the known serial numbers of General Officer pistols. The latest pistol to be issued as General Officer sidearms is the new SIG Sauer M18. Range of effective fire is around 50 meters. wrote Ellsworth Air Force Base public affairs. Our Assessment: This model 39 from Smith & Wesson was issued as a General Officers pistol to Major General Edward Dillon of the United States Air Force. Box and holster are both very fine. His regular misadventures with Wally, his young Tibetan Mastiff, remind him that life must be enjoyed full-bore, at least until you are ready for a nap. General MacArthur's headquarters announced that the entire Ryukyu Island The pistol is documented by serial number in Williams & Brunners book U.S. The U.S. Air Force adopted both the Beretta M9 and SIG P226 handguns in the 1980s. The pistol's sights are larger than the standard M1911A1's, including a taller front sight. Get the latest in military news, entertainment and gear in your inbox daily. The slide is also engraved, "General Officer's Model" and the abbreviation "RIA" for Rock Island Arsenal. Late last year, Sig Sauer announced they are releasing a commercially-available version of the militarys M18 on the consumer market. may we recommend an ivory finish, perhaps? According to the Army, the Colt was subsequently replaced by the M1911 variant adopted as the M15 in the 1972, which was subsequently replaced by the M9 in 1984. These handguns are legacy pieces, each issued to a general officer who achieved the rank of brigadier general or higher, and should be a must-have for military collectors, especially the recently issued Sig Sauer M18. It had no distinguishing characteristics other than the G.O. General officer issued firearms began in 1944 as the U.S. Army pushed across Europe, but didnt officially enter into Army regulations until 1956. In the past, the Air Force has written about security forces airmen and law enforcement civilians being allowed to carry concealed weapons off-duty while on an Air Force base. Variants . It is identical to the standard M9 sidearm, with standard Bruniton-polymer finish and black composite grips, except it has a "GO"-prefix to its serial number range, starting . Volume 11: 1911 Digital Magazine. The pistol came with a black leather belt, black leather holster, black leather two-pocket magazine pouch, cleaning kit, and three magazines that were serial-numbered to the weapon. In October 2018, CNN reported that Miller drew his weapon during an attack on an Afghan government compound in Kandahar, noting that its so rare for such a senior U.S. military officer to be in a position that would require him to draw a weapon that U.S. military officials said they could not immediately recall a similar case.. View Product. The M1911-A1s barrel was shortened by about 3/4 of an inch and had one locking nut removed. U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Michael Pritchard, left, 423rd Security Forces Squadron (SFS) patrolman, looks down the sight of an M18 handgun during a qualification course at RAF Molesworth, England, July 28, 2020 (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Eugene Oliver). Maj. Gen. William Cooley, formerly the head of the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, has been charged with violating Article 120 of the Uniform Code . General Bryce Poe II, U.S.A.F., was born in Wichita, Kansas in 1924. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for US M.1917 Remington Made Bayonet And Scabbard at the best online prices at eBay! This is Lot 346. >Substitute work is . The Air Force would like to make its already-tiny M18 service pistol even smaller, according to a bid posted last month on the U.S. governments contracting website. GEN A.P. "They are general officers after all, and we give them exceptional service. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. The markings are clear. or 4 interest-free payments of $12.49 with. The primary difference appears to be the weapons serial numbers. In all, the USAF is acquiring some 125,000 new M18s from Sig Sauer at a cost of $22.1 million, which breaks down do about $176.80 per firearm proving it pays to buy guns in bulk! It is an updated version, that emerged in 2006. [4] Magazines remain interchangeable between the two models. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1944 and was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corps. It was only adopted in 2017, so Lot 347 in RIAC's Aug. 26-28 Premier Auction is exceedingly rare. However, when the Air Force announced it was buying 125,000 M18 service pistols last June, the service announced that Security Forces airmen (the Air Force equivalent of military police) were among the first to field the weapon. Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. Contact the author here. He graduated from West Point in 1915 but in his long military career never saw combat. . The practice of issuing pistols (the Colt caliber 380 pocket model) to general officers began in 1944 during World War II (Greeley). The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. Air Force Active Duty, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve. It handles and shoots the same as the government-issue M1911 that so many General officers carried from World War I through the Vietnam War. Please use the print button in the share bar at the top of the page. A few, like Eisenhower, did not carry a pistol at all. He also runs Historical Firearms, a blog that explores the history, development and use of firearms. CLARK AIR FORCE GENERAL BLACK BELT AND HOLSTER VIETNAM 1972. Oops, there's been an error. This pistol offers the best of the classic 1911A1 pistol, but with some modern tweaks and upgrades. # 803386. "The Air Force bought the M9s back in the 1980s, and the design has not . (There are a lot of Security Forces - 10% of a. Smith & Wesson Model 586: Reviewing A .357 Revolver With Class. Hunting Clay Shooting Practical and Defensive Shooting Tactical Shooting. Most general officers purchase their pistols when they retire, said Kemmis. Colt Model 1903 and Model 1908 Pocket Hammerless pistols, List of individual weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces, "New general takes advantage of Army tradition", General Officer Pistol Rock Island Arsenal, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=M15_pistol&oldid=1094973488, Semi-automatic pistols of the United States, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 25 June 2022, at 17:30. This new weapons system also will replace the M11-A1 Compact used by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the U.S. Army M15 General Officer pistol for military working dog training. .45, Semi-automatic, M1911A1, General Officer's. Remington's Nylon 66 semi-automatic .22 LR rifles have grown from 1950s bargain buys to 21st century collectors darlings. The few "standard issue" M9 pistols that are in private hands were those that were sold to U.S. Air Force General Officers. The Colt U.S. General Officers Pistol, by Harold Greeley IV, Army Generals Are Getting Their Very Own Variant of the Services New Handgun, by Jared Keller, Task & Purpose, General officer pistol program has rich history, by Rebecca Montgomery, for army.mil, Since the 1800s, explorers and dangerous game hunters navigating the African bush have trusted their lives to the double rifle. These were replaced in turn by General Officer Model M15 .45 caliber pistols made by the Army's Rock Island Arsenal in the 1970s before Beretta M9 GOs became the standard in the mid-1980s. Otherwise, they show only light handling marks. The right side of the slide is marked PATS PENDING. These days the General Officer Pistol is the M18. It wasnt until the midst of World War II, that the United States military supplied generals with firearms. A statement by the Air Force says the new M18 costs about one-third of what it would cost to buy an M9 today.. A competitive . Tom is married to a very patient woman, and they live on Americas North Coast, near Lake Ontario. Free shipping for many products! All rights reserved. Maj. Gen. Olson transitioned to the Air Force Reserve in 2004 after joining NASA, where he served as a Senior Executive Service leader in several civil space leadership roles for nearly a decade, earning the Presidential Rank Award. His deep dives into historical research keep him (mostly) out of trouble and, yet, too often away from the rifle range. We try to take really good care of them. Markings: The left side of the slide is marked SMITH & WESSON with the four line Marcas Registradas address, the left side of the frame is marked with the serial and model numbers. General Goldfein is introduced to the M18 (USAF/Robert Davis). Weve included a selection of photos here to visually prove that point. Military decorations include: Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon, and National Order of Vietnam 5th Class, and he was a Command Pilot. This weapon is accurate. The Air Force Security Forces Center, in partnership with the Air Force Small Arms Program Office, has begun fielding the new M18 SIG Sauer Modular Handgun System to security forces units as part of . He was also known to carry a Colt Detective Special .38 revolver. U.S. Army Col. Michael T. Morrissey, the USARCENT director of operations, was promoted to general officer in a ceremony that highlighted traditions as old as the Army itself; he is among less than 1 percent of his commissioning year . In 1967 the U.S. Air Force began issuing Smith & Wesson Model 39 pistols to flag rank officers. Activity. RIAC believes that this website is accessible to the widest possible audience pursuant to the guidelines of the Americans with Disability Act. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps officers are called company grade officers in the paygrades of O-1 to O-3, field grade officers in paygrades O-4 to O-6 and general officers in paygrades O-7 and . Omar N. Bradley, George S. Patton and Dwight D. Eisenhower after leaving active duty. The generals code of dress changed during World War II so that sidearms were issued to generals because they no longer stayed in one place on the battlefield and as battle lines could be fluid, a general had to be armed to protect themselves if they ran into trouble. While the Army intends to field the full-sized M17s primarily, with M18s reserved for use by individuals and units requiring a concealed weapon, such as overseas training teams and advisors, investigators, special operations personnel, and general officers, the Marines are exclusively choosing the smaller handgun. APX BRX Ultraleggero 92X Performance 90 Series A300 A400 A400 Xtreme Plus A400 Xcel DT11 Silver Pigeon PX4 690 694 PMXs 486 1301 Tactical 1301 Comp 687 EELL. 833 views, 4 likes, 1 loves, 10 comments, 31 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Leticia Remauro: Mario F. Gallucci Esq. Click here for more information. Marine Corps General Officer Archetype Career Experiences 203 Table 8.8. When it came time to retire the M9, the Sig Sauer M17 and M18 were selected as the new sidearm for the military in 2017, besting seven competitors. Oct 2021 - Present1 year 6 months. The left side of the trigger guard is marked P. Table 8.5. The Colt Single Action Army revolver and the Winchester Model. Officers in pay grades O-1 through O-3 are considered company grade officers (CGOs). This .32 ACP self-loading pistol were issued to US Army and US Air Force general officers alike during the war and remained in military circulation all the way into the 1970s. They were replaced in 1972 with the RIA Colt M15 General Officer's Model, a compact version of the M1911A1. There are no chips or cracks. Colt later released a similar pistol called the Colt Officer's ACP. It has select-grade walnut grips with a brass placard on the left grip, with the owner's name engraved in it, and the Rock Island Arsenal seal on the right grip. Lodewick's name is inscribed on one of the gold sheathed legs of the first lunar lander. "All of the transactions, which include the purchase request and annual inventory certification, are automated and web based." The belt and shoulder holster show little to no wear, in about Excellent condition. Initially, the primary pistol issued to American generals was the Colt 1908 Hammerless, chambered in .380. Internally and externally the General Officers M18 is no different to the M18 entering general service with the US Marine Corps, US Air Force, US Navy and specific roles within the US Army. General Officer Pistol Program Army regulations . A closeup of a Sig Sauer M18 shows the "G.O." Strapping on a pistol like the mighty M1911 went a long way to create that impression. The tradition of General Officer pistols bearing serial numbers with the prefix G.O. standing for general officer, started with the M15. Though no official date has been found, Colt and Rock Island Arsenal records show that issuing sidearms to general officers began in 1944. Contact the author here. The U.S. Air Force says it will finally replace the very last of its .38 Special caliber M15 revolvers with the compact variant of the U.S. Army's new 9mm Modular Handgun System pistol, the M18 . Most of them did, and still do, as this long-standing practice is still in effect today. By M9s are larger, heavier, all-metal pistols; whereas M18s are lighter polymer pistols with a more consistent trigger pull and adjustable grips for large and small hands.. USAF photo by Airman 1st Class Saphfire Cook. Greeley, in his book, gives a lot of responsibility for the M15s design to Dale Hoffman, the superintendent of Small Arms, Machinery and Plating, who recognized that the existing inventory of general officer sidearms was diminishing and a new gun was needed. They were replaced in 1972 with the RIA Colt M15 General Officer's Model, a compact version of the M1911A1. The 1908s chambered in .380 quickly ran out, and the .32 caliber pocket model was substituted. 1 of 3. 1.2.2.2. At the ILSC, we define logistics as the process of planning and executing the sustainment of forces and equipment in support of military operations. To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. The double action trigger pull is smooth, single action has a smooth takeup followed by a crisp break with a short reset. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. A US Air Force general officer was found guilty of abusive sexual contact in military court in Ohio on Saturday, marking the first-ever court-martial trial and conviction of a general officer in . Another sidearm that still sees some use in the USAF, which is also being replaced, is the M15 a U.S. Army pistol issued to general officers. Since the earliest days of the Continental Army in 1776, American generals procured their own sidearms all the way up to World War I. That year, the Colt factory made shipments to 104 general officers. Enlisted. Show per page. Along with Eisenhower, World War II generals Omar Bradley and Patton each purchased their General Officer pistols that was at the time either the Colt M1903 chambered in .32 ACP, like Pattons, or the Colt M1908 chambered in .380 ACP. Gen. Scott Miller, the final commander of Operation Resolute Support in Afghanistan, was at times seen wearing an M1911 as a sidearm, a gun that was popular with special forces, but also seen carrying a Glock. The U.S. military switched its sidearm to the Beretta M9 (commercially the 92FS) in 1985 to conform with NATO standardized ammunition, and it also became the general officer pistol. Color. Exercise Crimson Dawn 23. About 1,400 of the M1908 pistols were issued and 2,368 M1903 pistols were distributed. The Reichsluftwaffe, (National Air-Force), was officially established on February 26TH 1935 as the third branch of service of the Wehrmacht, (Armed Forces). After years in the works, the Army has finally deemed its new Modular Handgun System is officially ready for action and that includes a few hundred just for general officers, By