As noted earlier in “The Road to the M9” article, the original JSOR (Joint Services Operational Requirement) for the XM9 9mm handgun specifically contained a provision for a second, lighter and more compact handgun. However, in September 1982, the Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (PDUSDRE) James Paul Wade, Jr. deleted, without prejudice, reference to a smaller, more concealable weapon under the rationale that the weapon selected might also be adequate to meet concealed and aircrew requirements.

In January 1983, the Air Force Armament Laboratory (AFAL) submitted a JSOR for an Aircrew Personal Defense Weapon containing desired physical and operational characteristics. In October 1983, the Deputy Secretary of Defense W. Paul Thayer directed all services to replace all .45 and .38 caliber handguns with a 9mm handgun.

The Air Force OSI (Office of Special Investigations) generated a justification for a compact 9mm handgun in February 1984, outlining their desired physical and operational characteristics. They were, however, accepting the M9 pistol as a replacement for their custom compact .45 M1911A1 pistols, primarily because of the high failure rate of these weapons, which had been introduced in 1981.

The Navy also supported the concept of a compact 9mm pistol JSOD. In March 1986, they reiterated their earlier input to the AFAL’s 1983 JSOD. Ideally, the USN wanted a compact 9x19mm revolver for downed aircrew use with tracers and signaling flares. The Coast Guard short-circuited the process by simply making a commercial buy of the Beretta 92SB-F Compact.

On 17 July 1987, TRADOC designated the Military Police School the proponent for the Compact 9mm Pistol. The Military Police School was favored over the Infantry School as the Military Police Corps would the primary Army user of the new pistol.

On 22 December 1987, official notification was published in the Commerce Business Daily of the military’s intent to buy a compact 9mm pistol. That notification contained the draft specifications to Annex D (Compact Pistol) to the Joint Services Operational Requirement for a Personal Defense Weapon.

The draft specifications called for a double-action 9mm Parabellum weapon with maximum dimensions of 7.25 inches in length, 5 inches in height (bottom of magazine to top of slide), and 1.30 inches in width at the widest point.

The weapon should weigh 2 pounds or less, and must hold a minimum of eight rounds (including one in the chamber). It must be capable of being carried fully loaded with complete safety, yet be capable of being placed into operation with one hand. It must be accurate enough to place all shots into the head/neck area of an “E” type silhouette target at 25 meters when fired from a bench rest using M882 ball ammunition.

On 14 January 1988, a preliminary examination of a number of potential candidate weapons was conducted at Headqurters, US Army Criminal Investigation Division Command (HQUSACIDC) by representatives of USACIDC and the Joint Services Small Arms Program. Of the candidate weapons, several were found to possess the physical and operational characteristics required, and others to be easily modified to fall within the suggested parameters. Weapons which would appear to be acceptable included the Heckler & Koch P7, Walther P5, Sig-Sauer P225, and Smith & Wesson 469.

On 25 May 1989, HQDA approved the various services’ requirements for the Compact 9mm Pistol under Annex D of the Annex D (Compact Pistol) to the Joint Services Operational Requirement for a Personal Defense Weapon.

When representatives from the Army’s Military Police School reached out to SIGARMS in May 1990, SIGARMS suggested their new P228. However, the Army evaluators were more interested in the single stack P225. George Harris of SIGARMS was left with the impression that this was the first time the Army’s reps had ever heard of the P228. Harris then took upon himself to keep the P228 in view every time he made presentations to the Army over the next year.

The Infantry Board/Military Police evaluation of June 1990 at Ft Benning was more of a survey of commercial offerings to prepare for a formal solicitation. The M9 and the S&W 2″ Model 10 were used as control models. The pistols evaluated were the Beretta 92FC Type M, the Glock 19, the HK P7M8, the SIG-Sauer P225, and the S&W Model 6904.

Harris’ persistence paid off in when the formal solicitation and specifications for the XM11 were issued in April 1991. Formal testing by the Army at Aberdeen of the P228 and Beretta 92F Compact began in January 1992.

The formal contract with SIG-Sauer was awarded 23 April 1992.

USAF OSI received the first batch of M11 pistols in early 1993 In April, US Army Military Police Investigators received their M11. The USACIDC began issue of the M11 in December 1993.