Could the FBI save money by converting their handguns to 9mm?

[Mazryonh]

Originally Posted by funkychinaman

I don't know if the federal government would be allowed to do a straight up trade-in deal with Glock. There's a lot of money on the line, and I think the FBI has to solicit competitive bids.

With so many recent procurement deals going severely over-budget in the American defense industry (just look at the Zumwalt-class destroyers), a trade-in deal or caliber modification program looks much more cost-effective and should have less opportunities for costs to balloon out of control. Or is there a law somewhere that demands that competitive bids always be fielded first? Those bids for all-new handguns aren't likely going to have the same manual of arms and are almost certainly going to cost more than a trade-in deal or caliber modification program.

Originally Posted by Excalibur

If they want to do this on the cheap, it is very simple to get conversions of their existing Glocks into 9mm. It's rather easy if they want to save money. Most likely they can just straight up trade in their current Glocks and most likely resold back onto the civilian market

The trade-in deal is something I mentioned already. But how likely is a "resell to civilian market" move going to happen? The FBI's .40 S&W Glocks could just as easily be returned to Glock for recycling.