The state of Israel was established in May of 1948. The years since Israeli independence have been marked by conflict with neighboring Arab states as well as the Palestinian-Arabs. Though there have been many negotiations and peace talks, seems that Israel appears to be in a constant state of conflict. They have survived under difficult circumstances and the country seems to have prospered despite war, religious conflict, boycotts, mass immigration and terror attacks. Because of these conflicts, Israel has produced several well thought out firearms and tons of accessories that are on the cutting edge. This has been based more on need than just to make a profit in the weapons market. Now the Israelis have come up with a firearm accessory that solves an age-old problem: how to hit long range targets with a handgun.

Handguns of today are extremely accurate. In fact they are capable of far better accuracy than most shooters are able to achieve. The problem is not the gun itself but holding it steady enough to make a shot at 100 yards or beyond. This is now not only possible but can be done with relative ease. The Israeli produced, EMA Tactical RONI is not a firearm but rather an accessory that turns a handgun into a deadly long range carbine.

The RONI is an innovative chassis that a handgun fits into. It gives the handgun a telescoping shoulder stock, an extended sight plane and a foregrip. This all adds up to a lightweight pistol caliber carbine with extended hit capability. Many think you can’t put a stock on a handgun, but it can be done as long as it is done the right way. The “right way” involves registering the host handgun as an SBR (Short Barreled Rifle). This is done by filling out an ATF form 1, sending it to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and waiting for it to be approved and sent back. The key words here are “waiting for the approval to be sent back.” A few words of caution here. Do not put the RONI on your handgun or even have it in your possession until the paper work is approved. This constitutes a felony and could very well buy you a hefty fine as well as some jail time.

The RONI is a clamshell device that is made from polymer and aluminum with a weight of just 3.26 pounds without the handgun. It features a five position telescoping stock with an adjustable cheek piece, a flat-top Picatinny rail across the top and short rails on the bottom and both sides. The top rail is a generous 9.5 inches long with room for sights, optics or a combination of optics and night vision. The side rails are positioned just right for using the off-hand thumb to activate a light or laser. It also is equipped with an extra magazine holder. The RONI comes with no sights but they are available as an optional accessory. As SAR received one of the first RONI’s available for testing, the optional sights were not yet available so a set of the excellent MagPul MBUS (MagPul Back-Up Sights) were installed. These low-cost sights are color injection molded from a high strength polymer. The front and rear sight both fold into a very low profile and snap into an upright position with a touch to their spring loaded release levers. The MagPul MBUS are fully adjustable and fit all 1913 Picatinny rails. Although designed for the AR-15/M16 family of rifles, they worked perfectly on the RONI. Another option that is available is a folding foregrip. In the author’s opinion the folding foregrip is a must as it allows for a solid forward holding point, folds cleanly out of the way and can be used in either the folded or extended position. A brass catcher is also offered as an accessory but was not yet available when this article went to press.

The RONI has a hinge point at the bottom and can be opened up to allow the insertion of the handgun. It is then hinged closed and held that way by sliding front and rear caps that lock it shut. The handgun can be installed or removed in less than 6 seconds. The handgun is locked firmly in place with absolutely no movement. This is important as it is the main factor in the amazing accuracy of the RONI. This accuracy is also repeatable. You can remove the gun and reinstall it with no loss of accuracy. The RONI we received for testing was for a Glock but other models will be available in the coming months. These will include variants for the Beretta 92, Beretta PX4 Storm, Para-Ordnance P16-P18, Jericho, Springfield XD, SIG-Sauer, H&K USP, S&W M&P, FN 5.7 and Glock 21. There also might be other models for other popular handguns. The Glock model received for testing will fit models 17, 18, 19, 22, 31, 32, 34 and 35. Putting the handgun into the RONI requires no disassembly of the host gun; it is just a simple drop-in installation.

Our testing was done with a Glock 17 that was previously registered as an SBR. The gun was a Generation 3 Glock and fit perfectly into the RONI. Installation the first time took considerably longer than the advertised times but once it was done; successive installations were done in the advertised 6 seconds. To install the gun the RONI is first hinged open, then a two-sided, polymer charging handle is slipped onto the rear of the handgun’s slide. This is merely a slip fit. The handgun is then inserted into the RONI and its two halves are hinged back together. The sliding front and rear end caps are slid back into place and locked with 2 HK style push pins. The push pins are held captive so there is no worry about losing or misplacing them. Once the front and rear end caps are locked into place the RONI is ready to use. A recessed push button on the top of the buttpad is used to extend or retract the telescoping stock. The stock is skeletonized and holds a spare magazine positioned right below the shooters cheek. This position is the ideal place for accessing the spare magazine for rapid mag changes. The holder has a release lever that holds the magazine in place but it is not needed to release the magazine. To release the magazine you merely grab and pull. With the stock collapsed the overall length is just 19 inches. Extending the stock takes it out to 22.25 inches. There are also four sling swivel points on the RONI allowing it to be carried in a variety of ways to suit the individual shooter.

One other feature of the RONI that is worth mention is a built-in safety. This is especially handy for a Glock that relies on its safe-action trigger as its safety. The RONI’s safety is merely two ambidextrous rotating tabs that can be swung into place to block the shooters finger from reaching the gun’s trigger. It is simple, fast and best of all it works. The RONI has what EMA terms a barrel shroud. This shroud is made from aluminum and surrounds the muzzle of the pistol. It has three forward canted slots that resemble a compensator. This shroud fits on the inside of the front of the RONI and actually protects the polymer from muzzle blast. The shroud is adjustable front to back in two different positions. This allows the RONI to accommodate both the full size Glock as well as the compact model of the same gun. The shroud is also completely removable which allows the use of any suppressor up to 35.5 mm diameter. We installed a Lone Wolf Distributors threaded barrel on the test gun. These match grade barrels are pre-fit, ready to use and drop right in. They are more accurate with tighter tolerances than original Glock barrels. An added advantage of the Lone Wolf barrel is that you can use lead, plated or jacketed bullets. Along with the threaded barrel we used an AWC Titanium Abraxas suppressor. As the Abraxas is made of Titanium and is very small, it requires no recoil device to allow the host handgun to cycle reliably. The Abraxas is an exceedingly effective 9mm pistol suppressor in a size that is smaller than a lot of .22 suppressors. It weights just 3.3 ounces, with a diameter of .98 inches and a length of 5.7 inches. It proves that good things do come in small packages.

Testing of the RONI was done at 25, 50 and 100 yards. An electronic optic was chosen to get the most out of the pistol/carbine yet maintain the overall quickness. The optic chosen was the new L3 EOTech EXPS3. This tiny sight is extremely fast but also has a 1 MOA red dot for enhanced accuracy. The circle dot reticle is very fast on target and the overall length of the sight saves valuable rail space for back-up iron sights or night vision. The EXPS3 runs on one transverse mounted 123 battery and has its control buttons mounted on the side instead of on the rear. Battery life is over 600 hours depending on the brightness setting and the sight features 30 settings with 10 for night vision use.

The gun was initially sighted in at 25 yards and then the rest of the testing was done at 50 and 100 yards. A variety of ammunition was used including 115 grain FMJ, 115 grain Winchester Silvertip, 124 grain FMJ, 124 grain hollow point, 147 grain FMJ, 147 grain Hydro Shock and some Samson 158 grain subsonic. Shooting was done from a rest. Twenty five yard groups looked like large ragged holes. Groups fired from 50 yards were very surprising. Most 5-shot groups could be covered with the palm of your hand and a couple shot with the Winchester Silvertips measured just over three inches. Remember this is 50 yards with a handgun. At the 100 yard range, 5 shots could be covered with a dinner plate. Head shots on a milpark target at 100 yards were made routinely. In fact, one 6-shot group fired at 100 yards measured less than 6 inches. These groups were all fired with the Lone Wolf threaded barrel installed on the gun but no suppressor. Adding the suppressor did not change the group size worth mentioning. But the RONI with a suppressor is nothing if it is not cool. Talk about the ultimate close-quarter entry weapon.

The EMA Tactical RONI is not for everybody. It is a pricey weapon. By the time you figure the cost of a handgun, SBR registration tax, the RONI itself and optics; you are looking at around the $1,500 figure. But for operators that have a need to go from a short range handgun to a long range carbine in under 10 seconds it is the perfect weapon.

EMA Tactical
1208 Branagan Drive
Tullytown, AP 19007
Phone: (215) 949-9944
Fax: (215) 949-9191
Website: www.ematactical.com

EOTech
1201 East Ellsworth Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Phone: (734) 741-8868
Fax: (734) 741-8221
Website: www.eotech-inc.com

AWC Systems Technology
1515 West Deer Valley Road, Suite A-105
Phoenix, AZ 85027
Phone: (623) 780-1050
Fax: (623) 780-2967
Website: www.awcsystech.com

Lone Wolf Distributors, Inc.
57 Shepard Road
P.O. Box 3549
Oldtown, ID 83822
Phone: (208) 437-0612
Fax: (208) 437-1098
Website: www.lonewolfdist.com

MagPul Industries Corp.
P.O. Box 17697
Boulder, CO 80308
Phone: (303) 828-3460
Fax: (303) 828-3469
Website: www.magpul.com

The “LEM”

This new trigger/firing system is termed the Law Enforcement Modification or LEM for short. The system is comprised of a set of six unique drop-in parts that can be installed in existing USP pistols, both full size and compact models. These parts include the trigger bar, sear, catch, hammer, cocking piece and cocking piece spring. As the name implies the LEM trigger system is currently being offered to military and law enforcement agencies only and replaces the standard USP variant 7 DA Only system beginning in 2001. At this time due to demand HK is only offering this system in new USP’s and not for retrofit into existing fielded pistols. It is yet to be decided if the LEM system will be offered on the commercial market.

How it Works

The LEM is Double Action Only mode of operation wherein the hammer is fully cocked and released with each full depression of the trigger. However, that is where the similarities end. Unlike conventional DA Only trigger systems, the HK Law Enforcement Modification uses the rearward movement of the slide to fully cock an internal and separate “cocking piece” positioned within a slot within the hammer itself. The hammer returns forward with the slide after loading or firing. The internal cocking piece however, located within the hammer, is retained in the cocked position by the sear. When the trigger is pulled the hammer is moved fully rearward through slack to a point where it contacts the sear. It is at this point that the shooter first feels appreciable resistance to the trigger.

As the sear is disengaged by the application of pressure on the trigger the cocking piece rotates on the hammer axle and drives the hammer forward to strike the firing pin and thus fire the chambered round. The amount of force required to release the hammer can be set at 4.5 – 5.0 pounds or 7.5 – 8.0 pounds at the preference of the user with a simple change of the firing pin block spring. A normal USP firing pin block spring provides the 5 pound trigger pull. A newly designed spring of greater strength when installed will increase the trigger pull to the 8 pound range. This spring is easily exchanged using only a punch and small hammer.

“Power Assisted” Trigger Pull

The obvious advantage of the HK LEM system is the reduction in trigger pull weight over conventional DA Only systems (generally 8 to 13 pounds or more). However, to the shooter that is only the beginning of the many advantages of the LEM over competing trigger systems. The LEM eliminates the need for the shooter to struggle against the resistance of the hammer spring and geometry of the internal parts to cock the hammer during the rearward depression of the trigger while at the same time trying to keep the sights in alignment to hit the target. This can be difficult for many experienced shooters and down right impossible for new shooters or shooters with small or weak hands. In the HK LEM the action of cocking the DA Only hammer is completed by the rearward movement of the slide, not by the shooter pulling the trigger. Therefore the shooter only feels the light slack and then short resistance before the hammer is released to fire the chambered round. In the LEM, a bit of the energy produced by pulling the trigger and firing the chambered round is recycled by the pistol to cock or “pre-load” the two-part hammer arrangement. Power Assisted DA Only firing. Hiram Maxim would have been proud!

The LEM trigger pull has been described by some experts as a Single Action in its feel but with the long slack and thus the built-in safety margin of a DA trigger system. Smooth, crisp, with little or no stacking or staging and yet safe and simple to use, especially for those shooters with small hands or limited hand strength.

An extremely short trigger reset distance of @ .241 inches comparable to that of many excellent Single Action (SA) designs (the trigger of an general issue M1911A1 resets at .120 inches for comparison), allows for fast follow up shots not normally available in conventional DA, DA Only and most Safe Action designs. The LEM system offers the shooter the same trigger pull for each round fired and thus eliminates the difficult transition from DA to SA that is experienced with conventional DA/SA pistols.

Unlike many conventional DA Only and Safe and Single Action designs the LEM allows the shooter the ability to restrike the same stubborn primer with a second squeeze of the trigger. No manual manipulation of the hammer or slide is required to do this.

Heavier Springs, Lighter Trigger Pull?

Because the recoiling slide is used to cock the internal hammer, a stronger hammer spring can be used without increasing the weight of the trigger pull. This stronger hammer spring improves the function of the handgun by slowing down the rearward movement of the slide and thus improving feeding from the magazine, especially when firing today’s more powerful ammunition. This action improves the service life of the hammer and recoil springs and other component parts of the handgun while at the same time enhancing long-term reliability.

The LEM provides the law enforcement or military user with the simplicity and same trigger pull for every round fired, the inherent safety of the long DA trigger pull employed successfully in DA revolvers for more than a century and the absence of external controls, to include safety or decocking levers. With the USP’s ambidextrous magazine release the LEM equipped USP is totally ambidextrous. At the same time the quality of the LEM trigger pull is superior to conventional DA Only systems and many SA and Safe Action designs. These attributes help promote improved accuracy and probability of hit for the user, especially while firing under stress. Shooter and bystander safety is enhanced, as there are no actions required by the user after firing such as decocking or engaging a manual safety as no such controls are required.

For users that require a manual safety that blocks the release of the hammer, the modular nature of the USP design allows one to be added to the LEM system as well. This includes a left, right or ambidextrous frame-mounted safety lever, which blocks the release of the sear. This option could provide a greater margin of safety should the operator accidentally squeeze the trigger during improper handling, during the typical “gun grab” where an assailant attempts to take and shoot the officer with his or her service pistol or to help prevent accidental shootings at the hands of unauthorized persons, such as children “home alone”.

An innovative solution from the creator

The idea of the LEM design was born in 1997 by Helmut Weldle, the USP designer at HK GmbH in Germany to address the need for a vastly improved DA Only trigger pull to compete with Safe Action designs. Since its official release in 1999, the U.S. Immigration Service has since adopted this new system for the USP40 Compact Pistol, which is being issued to plain-clothed INS Inspectors and Deportation Officers. More recently the German Police have also adopted a slightly modified version of the LEM system in a new HK 9mm pistol called the P2000.

During development testing multiple USP40 Compact-LEM pistol samples fired an amazing total of 15,575 rounds per pistol without a single malfunction, stoppage or broken part. 25-meter accuracy firing of the USP40 Compact-LEM with its 3.58-inch barrel from the hand supported by sandbags only, firing duty ammunition provided a 5-shot group average of 2.41 inches for 18 targets fired. The LEM system has also successfully passed the standard NATO drop test requirement of 2 meters on a concrete/steel surface on all six attitudes.

Parallel Developments

Though they accomplish the same goal of an improved DA Only trigger pull, the HK LEM and new Para-Ordnance “LDA” (Light Double Action) systems differ considerably yet were clearly parallel designs from two separate firms over nearly identical periods in history. Unlike the Para-Ordnance system however, the patented HK LEM does allow for multiple strike capability by simply resqueezing the trigger. The HK LEM is available in a wide variety of models to include full-size and compact versions in calibers 9mm Luger, .40 S&W, 357 SIG and .45 ACP.

The Future

Whether the new Heckler & Koch Law Enforcement Modification will appeal to the general U.S. law enforcement community is yet to be determined. The general release of test samples for evaluation beginning in 2001 should answer this question. From the response to date from the INS/Border Patrol, the German Police and those who have handled or fired the USP with LEM parts on board, this new offering may once and for all end the discussion about when HK will offer “a really good DA trigger pull” in the USP. Well it is here already and it is the LEM.

In Part I of this article(SAR Volume 1 Number 12), the author followed the early development of the USP pistol series. In this final edition, he presents the present tactical forms, as in the USP Tactical pistol and the OHG, or Offensive HandGun.

The Mark 23 Mod 0 USSOCOM Offensive Handgun

As we have already mentioned, the USP was already under development when the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) issued its requirement for an offensive handgun, at the time designated the Offensive Handgun Weapon System (OHWS). While the OHWS designation was used throughout the development of the pistol the OHWS became MK 23 Mod 0 USSOCOM Pistol when the pistol was officially adopted and type classified. Pistols for civilian sale are designated Mark 23 and so marked on the slide rather than “MK23 USSOCOM.” We will use the designation Mark 23 to avoid confusion and to maintain continuity.

Before entering into the history of the Mark 23, we should examine the term “offensive handgun” or “offensive pistol,” which to many is an oxymoron. The handgun has traditionally been the weapon of last resort or a backup to one’s primary weapon, and hence not truly a weapon of preference, at least in military terms. The handgun is traditionally a defensive weapon, used in the military by officers as a backup and by others such as machine gun crewmen as a secondary weapon. While the pistol may be the law enforcement officer’s primary weapon, it is still considered essentially a defensive weapon.

Nonetheless, the handgun has been used offensively by the military. The first notable instance of this was the LeMat revolver used by Confederate cavalry in the War Between the States. This large 40-caliber revolver held nine shots, and its cylinder revolved around a 16-gauge shotgun barrel. All in all, the LeMat was a formidable weapon for its time. Confederate cavalrymen preferred to carry two of these big revolvers and used them for close combat in lieu of their sabers. A more recent offensive use of the handgun was in Vietnam by “tunnel rats” who searched Viet Cong tunnels armed with only a handgun and a flashlight. The essence of both operational uses of the pistol was the fact that it was used to carry the battle to the enemy rather than to defend against him. This single characteristic defines the essential difference between the offensive and defensive use of the handgun. While almost any handgun may be used offensively, few are specifically designed for that purpose. The ultimate determining factor between the offensive or defensive use of the handgun is the nature of the mission and as such no pistol can truly be said to be solely intended for offensive or defensive uses. However, the Mark 23 is intended to be used by special operations personnel to carry the battle to the enemy and kill him, not to drive him away, hence its “offensive handgun” designation. As such, a few of its essential required characteristics are worth noting.

The first of these is lethality. The .45 ACP has proven to be more lethal than any other military pistol cartridge in the world. Large magazine capacity is another salient characteristic of the Mark 23, with its 12-round (10 round civilian) magazine capacity. One-handed operation is another desirable offensive handgun characteristic because the operator will more than likely be using his other hand for some other purpose. This summary is not intended to be a comprehensive discussion of the characteristics of the offensive handgun concept or design, but to give the reader an idea of the thinking behind the requirements that eventually became the Mark 23.

The history of the current offensive handgun concept dates to 1987 when the naval special warfare community became dissatisfied with the M9 pistol. The Navy adopted the SIG-Sauer P226 in 1989 as an interim special operations weapon until a fully satisfactory pistol could be developed. In June, the Navy approved a requirement for an improved 9mm handgun. Later in 1989, the Navy and USSOCOM joined forces to develop a new pistol for special operations. The Army and Air Force both expressed interest in the program, but the Navy took the lead under their improved 9mm pistol requirement with the program office established at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane (Indiana), (NSWC, Crane) in December 1989. In February 1990, the USSOCOM Joint Service Operational Requirement (JSOR) for an offensive handgun was issued. The stated purpose of the JSOR was,

“To provide special operations forces (SOF) an offensive handgun for close-quarter battle and sentry incapacitation during target-site infiltration firing a family of .45 cal ACP munitions. This handgun will provide SOF a handgun with extended service life, greater reliability, increased environmental soundness and greater one-shot incapacitation than current service pistols.”

The requirement went on to specify four components of the offensive handgun system: The pistol itself, a laser aiming module, a suppressor and a new .45 caliber +P+ rated cartridge. The new cartridge was dropped from the requirement when no ammunition manufacturer could be found to produce it. The new.45 Super round which was mentioned earlier is similar to the original USSOCOM requirement and is now being tested for certification in both the Mark 23 and the USP45. Requirements for the pistol were stringent and definitive. The pistol was required to have a service life of 30,000 rounds of +P ammunition with minimal parts breakage before requiring depot level maintenance. It should be recalled that modified M1911A1 pistols currently used by some special operations units must be rebuilt to maintain accuracy after only about 12,000 rounds. The JSOR went on to require that the pistol demonstrate another 30,000 rounds service life on the frame and slide after depot level maintenance. Pistol reliability was set at 2,000 mean rounds between stoppages. Accuracy was required to be 2.5 inches average extreme spread for nine out of ten five-round shot groups fired at 25 meters. This constitutes near match accuracy from a service pistol and some at the time believed that the accuracy and reliability requirements were mutually exclusive. Subsequent events have proven that they were not.

Environmental requirements were that the pistol still function after having been immersed in 66 feet of sea water for two hours, after having been exposed to sand and dust for 96 hours, after continuous exposure to mud for 96 hours and after two hours exposure in surf and then 96 hours in a humidity chamber.

The initial suppressor requirement was for noise reduction of 24 dB dry and 33dB wet using M1911 ball ammunition, a 75 per cent flash reduction, less than two inches change in point of impact at 25 meters and a service life of 5,000 rounds. It should be noted that M1911 ball ammunition is subsonic and thus will not produce a “crack” as the bullet breaks the sound barrier upon exiting the muzzle of the suppressor. .45 ACP +P ammunition is not subsonic and a suppressor is therefore less effective when used with this type of cartridge.

Two competing contracts were issued in 1991 for development of the Mark 23. One, of course, was to H&K; the other went to Colt’s Manufacturing. By 1993 it was clear to all who had the opportunity to fire both pistols that the Heckler & Koch candidate was superior and would probably be selected. Colt’s candidate appeared to be based on the hapless All-American 2000 and the prototype that the author fired in 1993 was clearly inferior to the H&K pistol in terms of ergonomics and overall handling. Each competitor completed 30 pistols, suppressors and laser modules for Phase I of the development program. At the end of Phase I, Heckler & Koch’s candidate pistol was selected. Laser module selection was delayed. For Phase II, the refinement phase of the pistol’s development, H&K and Knight’s Armament Company teamed to provide 30 additional pistols and suppressors which were further evaluated prior to final production and fielding in Phase III.

The Mark 23 was a success in that it met or exceeded all of the rigorous demands placed upon it by USSOCOM. The fact that the Mark 23 exceeded most of the requirements, rather than simply meeting them is a tribute to the overall excellence of the basic design. For example, the Mark 23 was required to have a mean time between stoppages of 2,000 rounds when in fact, it exceeded the norm three times over! Accuracy was far better than the requirement, with group size averaging only 1.56 inches for all Mark 23’s tested. Service life also far exceeded the requirement. Mark 23 pistols tested showed no signs of accuracy degradation after having been fired 30,000 times with +P ammunition. This remarkable level of accuracy and durability is due to an ingeniously simple, but “high-tech” solution to the problem of achieving consistent “lock-up” of the barrel to the slide of the pistol. Heckler & Koch engineers placed a high-temperature rubber O-ring at the forward end of the barrel to seal it to the slide until the pistol unlocks. This rubber O-ring has a tested service life of over 20,000 rounds and can be replaced by the user without tools in a matter of seconds.

All told, though, the Mark 23’s design success has been tempered by the fact that not all of the US special operations commands purchased it. In fact, only the Navy currently uses the Mark 23 in quantity. As we have previously seen, this is not because of any qualitative faults with the pistol. Part of the reason may be the size of the Mark 23. A glance at the specifications table will reveal that it is a very large pistol, although it is not particularly heavy when compared to other contemporary military handguns. It is only marginally heavier than the M9 when empty. In fact, the Mark 23 weighs less unloaded than a M1911A1! Another problem may be the Mark 23’s price. At the time of the Mark 23’s initial operational capability in 1995, each pistol with three magazines cost the government $1186.

As we have already mentioned, Heckler & Koch has addressed potential shortfalls of the Mark 23 with its USP45 Tactical Model, which combines the best features of both the Mark 23 and the USP into a somewhat smaller, but highly accurate and reliable package with definite military potential. The cost to the military will be approximately $600. Given these facts, one is tempted to ask why H&K didn’t produce the USP45 Tactical Model as the Mark 23 in the first place. For one reason, the USP45 didn’t exist when the Mark 23 was in development; the USP45 owes much of its life to the parallel development of the Mark 23. Moreover, the USP45 was not what USSOCOM asked for; the Mark 23 precisely met or exceeded the USSOCOM requirement in every way. In point of fact, there are as many differences as similarities between the USP45 Tactical and the Mark 23, as a quick glance at Table 2 (SAR Vol. 1 No. 12) will reveal. For the immediate future, however, both pistols will be available to customers whose mission or personal needs require high-quality pistols of different size which offer slightly different capabilities.