The Army is undergoing their biggest wholesale pistol replacement in a decade, and Massachusetts gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson is poised to be the name that brings the contract back to New England.

Officers, military police, and other soldiers will all be recipients of the branch-wide changeover, amounting to a rare opportunity at an extremely lucrative contract in a time of reduced military spending.

Other military branches could grab on as well — many experts actually expect this to happen — which would mean megabucks for whatever company wins the right to fulfill the Army’s shopping list.

Currently, the Army’s handguns are made by the Italian manufacturer Beretta.

All told, the contract for a name like Smith & Wesson could rival a full year’s revenue for the company, somewhere in the neighborhood of $500 million.

Without a doubt, the American manufacturer has a leg up in the competition by being just that — American. It’s iconic and recognized and even permanently etched into Hollywood lore with scenes like the one below, starring none other than Clint Eastwood:

Boston Globe