U.S. Marine special operations forces recently chose the Glock 19 as their official sidearm, but this isn”t the first time elite units have invested in the Austrian pistol maker.
The U.S. Army”s 75th Ranger Regiment decided to pure-fleet its battalions with the Glock 19 in September 2015, according to an Army source familiar with the decision who is not authorized to speak to the media.
Four months later, U.S. Army Special Operations Command followed the Ranger Regiment”s example and chose Glock 19 for the rest of its forces, including all Special Forces Groups and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, the source said.
Elite units had routinely authorized personnel to carry the Glock 9mm pistol instead of the standard-issue M9 9mm pistol.
But this latest decision by Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, or MARSOC, to follow Army special operations forces in choosing to use only the Glock 19 speaks to Glock”s standing in the world of military sidearms.