a heavy trigger pull, poor safety selector placement, and an open slide that lets in debris and can cause a malfunction. Requirements The U.S. Army initially required the MHS to be more effective, accurate, and reliable than the M9 pistol. The MHS requirement called for a non-caliber specific weapon with modular features to allow for the adaption of different fire control devices, pistol grips, and alternate magazine options. The weapon will fit various hand sizes and will mount targeting enablers using Picatinny rails. The new weapon will incorporate detection avoidance by having a non-reflective neutral color and will be operable with a suppressor in place. In January 2013, the Army released a Request for Information (RFI) to assess available handgun technologies and U.S. small arms industrial production capacity for the Modular Handgun System. The announcement seeks information “on potential improvements in handgun performance in the areas of accuracy and dispersion out to 50 meters, terminal performance, modularity, reliability, and durability in all environments.” The handgun should have a 90 percent or more chance of hitting in a 4-inch circle out to 50 meters consistently throughout the weapon's lifetime. Ergonomic design should minimize recoil energies and control shot dispersion. Features include, but are not limited to, compatibility with accessory items to include tactical lights, lasers, and sound suppressors. Full ambidextrous controls are required and there was interest in ergonomic designs that could be controlled by female shooters. There was no specific caliber, but terminal ballistics at 50 meters through 35.56 cm (14 inches) of ballistics gel will assess lethality compared to M882 9mm FMJ rounds. Specific interest was given to pistols that can accommodate higher chamber pressures over 20 percent greater than Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute (SAAMI) specification for the cartridge without degradation of reliability. The RFI calls for 2,000 mean rounds between stoppages, 10,000 mean rounds between failures, and a 35,000 round service life. Manufacturers are asked to provide production capacity estimates on minimum and maximum monthly rates, as well as the lead times to achieve those rates. Estimated pricing was requested for quantities of 250,000 to 550,000 handguns. Development The requirement for the new pistol originated with the MHS program initiated by the Air Force in 2008. It has received Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) validation. The MHS program was to select a Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) handgun in fiscal year (FY) 2011–2012. Testing was to be completed