Army just announced its new pistol, based on the Sig Sauer P320. It’s modular, with a “fire control unit” like an AR-type lower reciever that can be mated and remated to various caliber barrels and grips.

The Army’s old service pistol, the 1911, was probably the most iconic handgun in the world but the M9 never really caught even as “black” AR-type long guns filtered from the military to be an American symbol. Part of it’s 9mm still has a reputation as training wheels, I think part of it’s the sleek Italian ‘70s style clashed with everything else in American gun culture these days.

So this has the potential to become an iconic design piece. Sig Sauer’s got a whole product line of the basis model already, versions preloaded with reflex sights and “TACOPS” extended mags so the kids can match their favorite Call of Duty loadout.

And as an icon, I think it looks pretty great. If you’d asked me to picture “a 2017 pistol” I don’t know it’d be far off, hitting the classic cyberpunk notes – blocky but not square with details breaking up the profile of the forward barrel. The combination of the sawtoothed Picatinny rail and that slide milling give it an aggressive muzzle; add in the trigger finger depression on the grip and it’s got just enough style to balance against the authoritative solidness of those slab sides and squared-off trigger guard.