Could A Tiny Five-Man Company Provide The Army’s Next Pistol?

By Bob Owens

St. Louis Post-Dispatch writer Tim Barker just did a story on the small Milstadt, Illinois company that some people seem to think has a real shot of being a serious contender for the Army’s Modular Handgun System contract.

At first glance, it seems absurd to suggest that a small company on the outskirts of St. Louis could be a serious player in the race to provide the U.S. Army with its next handgun.

This is, after all, a major event in the realm of military weapons — having happened only twice in the past 100 or so years. And it’s expected to draw the attention of the industry’s most powerful names, including Smith & Wesson, Beretta, Ruger and Glock.

And then there’s tiny Detonics, a five-person operation in Millstadt that fashions itself more tech company than gunmaker.

They’ll be facing deep-pocketed competitors with lobbyists, squads of marketing and public relations staffers, and friends in Congress.

“There’s just no comparison to what these large companies have in the way of resources,” said Bruce Siddle, Detonics’ chief executive.

But what his company does have, he said, is a gun that would give the military what it craves — a weapon with a modular design offering easy …read more

Via:: Bearing Arms