I recently dug out an old copy of Shooting Times from 1988 that focused on the second round of tests for the US Service Pistol contract. As some might not know, S&W sued the government after the 1984 tests were complete and the Beretta was selected, claiming their candidate pistols were unfairly rejected. They were able to get the government to agree on a fresh competition for the follow-up contract for new 9mm Service Pistols, which resulted in a second round of tests. The competition featured the Beretta, Ruger P-85, and the S&W 459 (modified to suit the DoD requirements). SIG bowed out of the competition at the last minute, deciding that the follow-up contract was too small to justify setting up production facilities in the US. This was of course during the time that the slide breakage issue with the Beretta was a hot topic among the gun-savvy.

In any event, I never managed to find any follow-up articles on exactly how and why the military again selected the Beretta. The only thing I remember reading was that supposedly the Beretta was the only one to successfully complete the tests, but it seemed so sudden and I can't help wonder if the DoD pulled the plug on the whole thing and re-awarded the contract to Beretta. Does anyone have a link to reliable information regarding the tests' outcome?

Having shot my recently-purchased 915 (a very similar pistol to the military prototype 459) I'm struck by how it seems like such a handier pistol than the overy-large Beretta, and I wish S&W had won the contract instead. It also seems to be a more robust pistol with no weak points prone to breakage unlike the 92FS, and more ergonomic as well. It would've been nice to keep American soldiers armed with a completely American made and designed pistol as well, but that is just personal bias.

There is a detailed account of all the machinations that ultimately led to the Beretta's adoption in Modern Beretta Firearms by Gene Gangarosa, Jr.

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SWCA #590
"Colligo ergo sum"

I've read a fair amount of articles regarding the intial XM9 competition, but I was really wanting to know what went on with the XM10 trials. All I know is that the 1988 trials ended rather quickly with the Beretta being re-awarded the contract.

After reading that thread on The Firing Line all I could make out of it was some kind of big argument. I was issued the M9 in the twilight of my 31+ year career and I did not like the LOOONG trigger pull. I have owned several Berettas in the past, including some 92F's, but I don't have any now. Oh, I forgot about my 626 Onyx 20 gauge. Now that's a fine firearm.

What happened to the link?

Gangarosa notes that the specific XM10 trial results were kept very quiet due to the previous uproar surrounding the XM9 decision, and his conclusion is that in the second round, Beretta won "by default." He does say that the Ruger supposedly failed the mud test.

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SWCA #590
"Colligo ergo sum"

One of our members posted a reply with that link, then his post disappeared. While I appreciate the help, that thread didn't do much good because it quickly degenerated into mudslinging over what guns the Navy SEALS like to use.

And yes, it's starting to sound like the Beretta was a shoo-in before the other two were even properly tested.