- meets the requirements of the contract
- mitigates people's bitching about the grip, somewhat
- relatively flat compact (G36) for those that want that
- one third the price per unit
- send your boys to a one day Glock armorer's class instead of a 3 year gunsmith school
It's kind of pointless to speculate. If they want "drop in parts", 1911 isn't the way to go. But, it seems they want 1911s. Something will need to give way.
Wait. Wait. Wait. So redesiging a compact glock into a fullsize single stack would somehow be cheaper than the 1911?
Glock would have to retool production to produce that weaon, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T EXIST. Where do you think the cost for tooling up for a new line of glocks will be passed along?
Also, I don't think you comprehend the 3 year part.
That is not a school. They are taking armorers from the fleet and putting them in a 3 year rotation at the Precision Weapons Shop in Quantico. They emerge from that rotation master gunsmiths. They also build all the USMC sniper rifles and shooting teams weapons there.
No offense, but the Marines are not the Army, AF or Navy. Marine leaders do not take fielding weapons lightly. I highly doubt that other weapons were not considered, and I suspect that great pains were taken to make sure the right weapon was selected.
The G21 is a great weapon and one of my favorites, even though I'm a 1911 shooter. Nothing against glocks.