The Army has released photos of soldiers testing out its new handgun

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The Army has released photos of soldiers testing out its new handgun

Army handgun pistol Sig Sauer P320

US Army photo by Lewis Perkins

A service member fires the Sig Sauer P320 during Modular Handgun System tests at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, August 27, 2017.

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The Army posted photos of soldiers testing the new modular handgun system, the Sig Sauer P320, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on Thursday.

Most of the soldiers present at the August 27 tests were from the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, according to a release.

While no other branches have signed up for the P320, the Army said sailors, airmen, and Marines will also take part in the testing, drawn from across units and specialties.

"We wanted to make sure that we have a huge sample to make sure that we've got this right - that the Army has it right," Col. Brian McHugh of Army Operational Test Command said.

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Sig Sauer won the $580 million contract to produce the Army's new sidearm, replacing the Beretta M9 9 mm pistol, in January, beating out Beretta, Glock and others.

The decision was challenged by Glock, but the Army rebuffed Glock's calls for more tests.

In August, concerns were raised about the P320 after video emerged showing a similar model Sig Sauer pistol firing when dropped. The gunmaker has voluntarily distributed an upgrade kit meant to address the issue (though the P320 is not affected by the upgrade).

The Army said in July that it would begin fielding the new sidearm in November, distributing about 2,000 of them to soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. However, officials from the Program Executive Office told Military.com that fielding would begin in October.

You can see photos of US soldiers putting the P320 to the test below.

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