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The Canadian military is looking to replace its Second World War-era handguns but it could take up to 10 years for all of the new pistols to be distributed to the troops.

Replacing the 1940s-era Browning handguns has been on the Department of National Defence’s procurement list for years.

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But now the purchase of new guns appears to be moving ahead.

Still the Canadian Forces figures if the purchase is approved – and there are no delays – it won’t have all the new pistols in hand and being used until 2026.

The military plans to conduct a survey later this year to determine what the role of handguns might be in the future Canadian Forces.

Last year army procurement officers briefed industry representatives about their quest for a new pistol. Industry officials were told that between 15,000 and 25,000 handguns are needed and the military estimated the project would cost around $50 million, according to documents recently obtained by the Ottawa Citizen.