M9 vs M1911A1

The question was answered around 1985 when the US Government replaced the obsolete 1911 with the M9. Why continue to beat a long dead horse?
Was that a response to NATO ammunition or was it really better? I don't think the horse expired yet.....

Some AI and regular verbiage on the subject:
The US military adopted 9mm NATO ammunition for its handguns primarily to standardize with other NATO countries, simplify logistics, and increase magazine capacity
. This transition began in the 1980s with the selection of the Beretta M9, replacing the aging M1911A1 .45 ACP pistol.

Reasons for the transition to 9mm
The move to the 9mm NATO round was a strategic logistical decision that offered several operational benefits to the US military.
  • Standardization: The M9 pistol was adopted as the official US military sidearm in 1985, formalizing the switch to 9mm. Most other NATO forces had been using 9mm pistols and submachine guns for decades, which simplified the supply chain for ammunition among allied countries.
  • Logistical advantages: 9mm cartridges are lighter and less bulky than .45 ACP rounds, allowing a soldier to carry more ammunition for the same amount of weight.
  • Higher capacity magazines: The smaller size of the 9mm cartridge allows for higher-capacity, double-stack magazines. The M9's 15-round magazine, for example, more than doubled the capacity of the M1911's 7-round magazine.
  • Controllable recoil: The 9mm round has less recoil than the .45 ACP, making the weapon easier for many users to handle and improving shooter accuracy, particularly for less experienced personnel.

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The question was answered around 1985 when the US Government replaced the obsolete 1911 with the M9. Why continue to beat a long dead horse?
The question was answered around 1985 when the US Government replaced the obsolete 1911 with the M9. Why continue to beat a long dead horse?
Lots of dead horse beaters here and they never tire of beating the corpses.
 
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