European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 19, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday May 19. 1988 the stars and stripes Page 5 army investigating 9mm handgun a Funcy on half delivery of new Beretta b Norman Blackcap military writer Washington the army slopped arc citing deliveries of its new 9mm bar Cotta handgun last no vember because of unexpected cracking in the Frame and is now investigating a second problem involving the gun s slide mechanism the service said tuesday. Bar Cotta Usa. A subsidiary of the italian arms maker Armi bar Cotta spa. Has submitted a plan to Deal with the cracking problem and the army expects to resume accepting deliveries next month said Paul Powell a spokesman for the army s armament munitions and chemical come. In the meantime though the army has been forced to Start a new test program to determine Why two slide bolts on m-9 bar Cletas cracked while being fired throwing shards of Metal Back into the chests of the shooters. A similar incident occurred with a non Mili tary bar Cotta made for commercial Sale that was being tested by the Navy. No one was injured in the three incidents which occurred late last year and in february Powell said. But we Don t like the fact that if a slide Ever did break in could go Back and whack a Guy in the face said col. Richard Williams the army manager for the bar Cotta program. The problems with the handgun contract were first disclosed this week by the Trade publication defense week and subsequently confirmed by army officials. Crella Usa. Which operates a manufacturing Plant in acc Keck my. Beat out seven competitors in 1985 for the right to provide 9mm guns to replace the Mili tary s venerable Coll .45. The army serving As the executive buying agent for All the services awarded Beretta an initial contract Worth $75 million for 316,000 pistols. According to Powell 109,000 guns had been delivered before the delivery suspension in november. All told the spokesman said bar Cotta would fall about 36.000 pistols behind in its deliveries before shipments resume in june. Bar Cotta is about to face a new congressional or dered Competition with the Massachusetts gun maker Smith & Wesson and any other interested arms make for the next 9mm gun contract. Powell declined to discuss How the production problems might affect by Octta s chances. The army said the first problem with the bar Cotta surfaced in november when Quality control testers Dis covered the pistols could develop hairline cracks on part of the Frame. The problem was considered minor and posed no danger to soldiers firing the gun but the army had made it Clear earlier it would not tolerate any cracking and insisted the problem be fixed Powell said. The second problem involving the slide Boll which is thrown backward after a shot is fired As part of the process of clambering a new round materialized during Navy and army tests after the delivery suspension began. By Rolta maintains thai the slide failures occurred Only after special ammunition was fired. ". Government engineers and technicians have extensively examined the metallurgy dimensions and manufacturing of the pistol and can find nothing which indicates that the cause of inc breakage lies with the weapon the company said in a statement. Powell disputed that statement in part saying the army had not concluded that special ammunition caused the problem. We arc still running tests to determine the cause of this problem the spokesman said. We re not pre pared to say it s the ammunition. It could be a design Haw ammunition the manufacturing process or mis use of Floc weapon. We Don t know  in the meantime the Navy has suspended All fire arms training with the new bar Cotta and the army has ordered the slides on its guns be replaced after every 3,000 rounds fired. The slide on one of the military Issue guns that failed did so after 4,500 rounds had been fired and the other after 6,007 rounds. The commercial Crella failed after 30,000 rounds Powell said. Peres tells . Soviets might join peace talks Washington a israeli for eign minister Shimon Peres told presi Dent Reagan on tuesday he believes the soviet Union will sign on to the .Middle East peace plan at the forthcoming Moscow Summit. Asked whether he expects Reagan to Lake a direct hand in such a development Peres told reporters at the White House yes. I think the occasion will really be in the Summit meeting Mohave the russians adopt the needs of Floc Middle fast and not the Middle East submitting to ideas thai were born in  Peres made his remarks to reporters shortly before meeting soviet ambassador Yuri Dubinin at the Washington residence of american jewish Leader Edgar bronc Man to discuss the possibility of renewing relations Between the two nations which the soviets broke Offin 1967. In israeli source said that Dubinin expressed significant differences in the soviet position saying the Kremlin no longer insists on a dominant role for an International conference in Arab israeli peace talks. Their positions arc More flexible than before added the source who spoke on condition of anonymity. Peres who met last week in Europe wit soviet representatives had cautioned earlier against too much optimism Over the Summit discussion on the peace talks. I expect it to Ric raised he said. I Don t a photo president Reagan and israeli foreign minister Shimon Peres talk of retiring peace talks. Know if it can be solved in one jump but 1 am convinced it will be  but assistant Secretary of stale Rozanic Ridgway said it s not really Clear though thai at present they re pre pared to make a constructive contribution to the peace process. Briefing reporters about the Summit Ridgway said the soviets had made some hints. We will keep plugging away at them and the whole notion of the peace process will be on inc will be on the Summit  got a warm Welcome at the 30 min ulc White House meeting said spokesman Marlin fit water. The for eign minister is creative and has the courage and Wisdom to say yes when real opportunities arise he said. Such a positive attitude toward peace is essential for both israeli and Arab leaders i there is to be a comprehensive settlement in inc Region Filz water added. Those leaders who Are negative consistently reject new ideas and fail to exploit realistic opportunities to bring about negotiations make Progress impossible. In the end they will have to answer to their own people for the suffer ing that will inevitably result Fitzwater said in a statement. The comments appear directed at Peres rival israeli prime minister Yitzhak Shamir who opposes most elements of the peace plan. To show aids in identifying retention of wonted criminal Sands or time Miami a a Man who tried to escape from jail after fellow inmates recognized him from the America s mos wanted television program agreed tuesday to return to Oklahoma where he is wanted for Bank robbery and another escape. Mark Austin Goodman. 27, was on the . Marshals service s wanted list when his Case was described on the sunday television program which each week highlights suspects being sought for serious crimes. Using inc alias James Ron Eide Goodman had been serving a 75-Day sentence for burglary at inc Palm Beach county stockade when other inmates watching the program recognized him. Said sheriffs spokesman Bob Ferrell. Goodman was due to be released sat urday and guards decided to Transfer him to More secure quarters while they determined his identity Ferrell said. But Goodman who has a deformed right Arm slipped out of his Handcuffs sunday night and scaled an eight foot Fence topped with barbed wire. An off duty Deputy spotted him monday at a shopping mall. He was arrested with out incident and is being held at the metro Politan correctional Center in dad county until he is taken to Oklahoma. Shackled and surrounded by marshals Goodman was brought tuesday before chief . Magistrate Peter Palermo. Goodman acknowledged his True identity and signed a waiver agreeing to go Back immediately to Oklahoma. In the stars and stripes 40 years ago today. May 19, 1948 the soviet Union formally recognized Israel. Meanwhile the new jewish nation battled Arab forces from six nations on its Borders and within the old City of Jerusalem. 30 years ago today. May 19, 1958 vice president Richard m. Nixon recommended sweeping changes in . Policy toward latin America As a result of his riot marked Good will tour. He called for an end to a policy which coddled dictators. 20 years ago today. May 19, 1968 preliminary Vietnam peace talks in Paris went into recess without Progress after inc United states and Vietnam angrily accused each other of refusing to accept Basic facts. 10 years ago today. May 19, 1978 prominent russian dissenter Nobel peace prize Winner Andrei o. Sakharov was arrested with his wife when they struck police officers outside the courthouse where Yuri Orlov was sentenced to 12 years of hard labor