The Beretta M9

[Mister Coffee]

I understand.

My Gallatin has fired 1500 rounds so far trouble free. This afternoon I fired in a sandy creek as rapidly as possible and paid no attention to dropping magazines on the ground.

The gun fired 100%

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Now that's a fine looking pistol. That looks like a 92 that a friend of mine had. It does not look like the 92 that I once rented at the range. One day, I'll figure out way's going on here.

 

[got2hav1]

M9A3 is my favorite. I don't have one at this time, but I do like them a lot and shoot them well.

 

[Glenn R. McMannly]

Now that's a fine looking pistol. That looks like a 92 that a friend of mine had. It does not look like the 92 that I once rented at the range. One day, I'll figure out way's going on here.

Thank you so much.

Some have claimed the Gallatin made Berettas are made by "drunk stupid hillbillies happily working for $8 an hour."

I've literally heard that on the various boards. Well, this example is far better made than some of other manufacture that I shall not name.

 

[roundels]

I had a 92F with the First Decade 1985-1995 graphics and the finish left a bit to be desired. I also had and still have a 92D Centurion and the finish is flawless. Some guns are luckier than others.

 

[Jim0001]

Here is mine:

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Truly one of the most divisive military handguns of all time. Some call it an obsolete, unreliable boat anchor with a grip only fit for a giant, with a poorly positioned safety decocker and dubious stopping power.

Me?

I think it's a sweet shooter. Light recoil, decent sights, and when well maintained (unlike many military issued examples) and when using quality magazines (again, the military failed here) it's a dependable weapon.

What are your thoughts on the Beretta M9?

I was a fan of M1911A1's as a combat pistol and disappointed when the Army went to the Beretta M9 (92) in 1985. The M9 proved to be a reliable choice. It was easier for some smaller soldiers to handle. I found the M9 to be very accurate. I fired the Military Police 400 round course with it and managed a 399. I had a bet with my BN CDR, and it won me a free beer. I own the M9A3 and M9A1 that are pictured below, plus I own a 92FS, AM1951 (Italian Military issue), A model 81 Cheetah (Italian corrections issue0 and a model 70S.

 

[Marchboom]

"Never believe everything you read on the internet."

Abraham Lincoln, 1863

 

[bph9]

The Beretta cracked slides were from a steady diet of miss loaded M882 rounds that were at proof test pressure. The gun was not designed to handle that. The government went off on a premature tangent, bad mouthed the Beretta, cause them reputation loss, and many millions of dollars loss. The ammo issue was discovered and Beretta sued the US Government for defamation and won.

The incorrect story still continues to this day, almost 40 years later.

Actually the Beretta fiasco is far more complicated than most people are aware of.

The info I dug up which is referenced below along with my own study of the design of the M92 led me to the conclusion that Beretta was at fault and just because they won in court does not mean they were right either.

Faulty Weapon design, ammo usage, and faulty metallurgy all were part of this rather complex story.

The U.S. Military had stated they tested their ammo and "it was not" over spec. but when all was said and done the U,S. Military then "was forced" to "load down" below Nato Spec the future ammo being produced so they could "keep on" using the less than robust M92 pistol. The Military also demanded and got a redesign of not only the slide but also the frame which also was cracking.

The P38, from which the Beretta was designed was long known to have a weak slide design prone to cracking using ammo that was "not" over spec.

I dare say a gun like the Glock which has a massive slide would never have let loose like the Beretta slide did. And I have never been a big fan of Glock for a host of completely other reasons.

Below are 2 links and the Beretta story is far more complex than most people are aware of and "no" the conclusions by both sides still remain nebulous at best. But I give my nod to the U.S. Military's side of the story. Anyone even with a rudimentary mechanical knowledge when looking at the Beretta's original slide design would not have been surprised it did not hold up even if the metallurgy had not been suspect.

The True Story of the Beretta M9 Pistol

History of the adoption and woes of the Beretta M9 Pistol

sightm1911.com

An Official Journal Of The NRA | The Beretta M9: 25 Years of Service

Prior to the adoption of the Beretta M9, a U.S. military contract truly did seem an impossible goal for a foreign company in 1978, the year Congress issued its directive to the Dept. of Defense instructing it to search for a new 9 mm handgun to replace the M1911A1.

www.americanrifleman.org

 

[Muley Gil]

Beretta came out with "sand cut" mags later on. During my son's first Iraq deployment; '06-'08 as a combat medic, I reached out to Beretta to get him a few more mags. The guy I spoke to was a former Marine, hooked me up at reduced prices sent a little care package to my son's APO. He never had an issue on those few times he used his pistol.

There are no "former Marines". We will be always be Marines, until the day we die.

 

[Cruzie27]

I currently have a m9 that I intend to keep as long as possible. After three deployments it just feels right having one around. It's like my hands remember the feel of the grip. Sure I have a pile of better or more modern 9 mike pistols. But only a few I like better. Mine only comes out to the range a few times a year, and that's ok.

 

[S&W Fan]

There are no "former Marines". We will be always be Marines, until the day we die.

Apologies, that's how he described himself.

Army family myself-father and son. The man who taught me to shoot 1911s a very long time ago was one of my father's best friends, a Marine Gunnery Sgt. He taught a 12yr old me to NEVER say "ex Marine".

 

[S-W4EVER]

I've always believed the failures the SEAL's had with the M9 occurred because they wanted the SIG P226. Most firearms will fail if you use them outside of their parameters.