Veterans: What do you think of the M9?

[Texas Star]

To each his own, but I'd FAR prefer a 9mm to a rock, even if I could throw one well. That applies to even GI ball ammo, although my own Beretta is loaded with Speer's 124 grain Gold Dot JHP's. I'm pretty confident that I can deck an opponent with it. Most home invasions in my city have been by small gangs, so the 15 shots quick are a comfort. (But I don't use the spray and pray approach that some do with high capacity 9mm's. They work only if a bullet is well placed. As with most calibers.)

One lad posting here said that pistols do not win battles. No, but as Jeff Cooper pointed out, they sometimes save the lives of the men who do. He killed three enemy with his .45's (one a Colt SAA in WW II!). I've saved his letters, which are interesting...

My son sometimes ran through six or more magazines for his primary weapon, and several times had to drop it and draw his 9mm to kill someone trying to get him before he could change magazines in his rifle or SMG. Some of his hottest action came as a contractor, although he saw some scary close calls as a regular soldier. (He was wounded three times.)

For those interested, he normally relied on an M-4 carbine as a primary weapon, but as a contractor often used a H-K 7.62mm if expecting long range work, or a H-K 9mm SMG, the MP-5. I have a short video that he sent me with him firing the SMG. It looked like fun.

He once had to kill an insurgent firing at him from about 200 meters. He was using an M-4, and had trouble penetrating an empty 55 gallon drum that the terrorist was behind. Some AP ammo finally did the trick. The guy got hit and stumbled out from behind the barrel, making him an easier target. The M-4 then sufficed. But Geoff was quite emphatic about wishing that he'd taken his H-K G-3 on that trip! The 5.56mm ammo relies on high velocity, and the short M-4 barrel doesn't let it do its best work at any real distance.

For the record, he prefers the Browning 9mm to any handgun, partly because he likes its looks and how it fits his hand. But he also is very fond of both the Colt Govt. Model .45 and the Beretta 9mm. He didn't carry a .45 in Iraq due to difficulty in getting fresh ammo, if any. A couple of times, he had to bum 9mm ammo from some British friends. Had he had a .45, he'd have been out of luck. M-1911 magazines were also in short supply, and tended to be well worn.

BTW, the SAS in Iraq sometimes carried H-K USP's, not their signature Brownings or the SIG P-226's for which they're better known.

I hope this stuff interests members, although not all is directly about the M-9. However, I wanted to respond to the comment that handguns don't win battles. They do save lives, and give a big morale boost to those who have them. Especially if they can use one well...

T-Star

 

[therevjay]

Good gun. Not too impressed with 9MM ball ammo. (if you gotta shoot ball, bigger holes are better)

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Been a LONG time since I've handled one. I didn't like the aluminum frame, I found it a little big for my fairly large hands. My personal choice would have been new M1911A1s or the Browning HP-for me, shooting the latter is like shooting 38 Specials out of an N frame.
Military doctrine is to wound , not kill, cause a casualty.

 

[rimfired]

Texas Star, Have you ever been in combat? I certainly respect your reports of your sons exploits. Please send him my best regards and if he or his comrades need anything please post it here. I'm sure there are many who would assist! Just wondering?

 

[GatorFarmer]

My wife has used them in the Navy, basic training, field med, and last year's requalifications at the Hogan's Alley in Quantico. She's five seven and probably more gun savvy than most Navy recruits were. She'd never experienced a problem. Right after we got married, she went shopping for a pistol and ended up with a Beretta 96G. Same basic gun but in .40.

That's part of the real test for a military weapon. Can people that aren't into guns learn to use one? With the M9, the answer was apparently yes, including women, smaller men, etc.

I do remember when Sparks deployed, that he was worried about getting bad GI contract mags, I think he bought a couple from the Exchange before he left in order to have his own.

 

[rimfired]

To each his own, but I'd FAR prefer a 9mm to a rock, even if I could throw one well. That applies to even GI ball ammo,
T-Star

Let me know when you want to square-off. You bring the rock, I'll bring my custom/hybrid Colt/Para I had built to shoot the old PPC/IPSC. It's pretty accurate, custom built.
I think you'll lose. Jack Wiegand built it for me. I used to shoot comp with him weekly.

Oh, It's a .45acp. You know, that wimpy cartridge. Go throw a rock...........

 

[AR_Black]

US Army Light Infantry, 1987.
I was a 60MM Mortar Gunner, issued a .45 at first, never shot it.

Changed over to the M9 around 1987. Never officially shot it either. When we went to Houdouras, my Sgt brought his own box of 9MM ammo. We went to a "Free-for-all" range and shot some of the ammo up, he kept the rest for "just in case". When it was time to fly home, he threw the rest away.

Today, I would still pick the 1911 over the Beretta. GO FLYING ASHTRAY!

 

[kennyb]

i carried the 92d beretta 9 for 10 years..purchased it for $1.00 when i retired...while i prefer revolvers it's been reliable and accurate...had to replace the trigger return spring one time

 

[rimfired]

I think he was saying that 9mm ball was better than a rock.

I knead tu goo bak ta skul. My bad. Missunderstood. bRAIN
mAlFuNctIOn.

 

[bennettfam]

My son is deployed to A-stan in Marines. Carries the M9. He thinks it is a good quality piece but would rather have a Browning High Power (grip size issue) or a 1911 (caliber issue)

 

[Snowbandit]

i carried the 92d beretta 9 for 10 years..purchased it for $1.00 when i retired...while i prefer revolvers it's been reliable and accurate...had to replace the trigger return spring one time

The 92 and 96 "D" model Beretta's are probably the most under rated gun out there. I've carried mine off and on now for about 15 years and it's the only autoloader I feel comfortable with. They're extremely accurate, almost indestructable and, on the used market, pretty cheap to buy. It's double action only, the trigger is lighter than the double action on the FS series and mine's smooth as any revolver I own plus, there's no safety to mess with. My night sights are getting dim and some of the finish is worn off but, it's as accurate and reliable as the first day I took it out of the box. I did replace the recoil spring with a heavier one from Wolf because mine has been used almost exclusively with +P+ ammo since it was new.

 

[snakeman32]

I only used mine once while I was in Iraq. We raided a house and I was the lucky first guy thru the door. A guy came down the stairs shooting his AK. The M4 I was carrying failed to fire after the first round and to me it was faster to transition to the M9 than try and figure out why the M4 failed. I fired 4 rounds into the insurgent. He went down but we were not sure what rounds caused him to go down. He was shot up pretty bad. We figured out after the fact that the M4 failed due to a round hitting the magazine. I have shot good M9's and bad ones. I think alot depends on how they were taken care of by the guy before you. I think they are heavy and I would rather carry a Glock or something similar.


snakeman

 

[Fishslayer]

I only put a few hundred rounds through the M9 but...

1. It fit my hand perfectly. Not so the 1911.
2. Sights were far superior to the 1911's I was used to.
3. Always went bang, but so did the 1911. Mind, the M9's were brand new and the 1911's I was used to were really old.
4. I thought (and still do) that the first shot DA & decocker made a lot of sense.
5. Very accurate and easy to handle.

Having said that, my first handgun purchase a Ruger KP90. You know... the .45ACP.

 

[Sprefix]

Wow, there is some serious info here. I am a 1911 guy and that is that. I do have a friend with a safe full of Beretta pistols and shoots them to breakage-----usually around 200,000 rounds. Some go a bit more. He then puts on a .22 slide and calls it a day. I have from him a Brigadier in 9MM and it is exceptionally accurate and smooth. I still like a .45 ACP slug for thugs though....(no, I have not had to do this yet). The M-9 just isn't the best caliber or best design for what is being asked of it. Just My Opinion.......Sprefix

 

[USAF385]

I'm an Iraq and Afghanistan combat vet, but never used my M9. As an AC-130U aerial gunner, I carried the M9 on every run, but being lucky enough to have never been shot down.. it was never unholstered in combat. I preferred to use 105mm rounds anyway.

I spent a lot of my down time training on the M9. It was in fact my first real handgun experience aside from a .22 and I absolutely loved it. Qualified (a second time, first time with the M16) as a small arms expert with it. In fact, when I turned 21 I was planning on buying a Beretta, but I never did get a 92FS. When I was home and started using various other handguns, I found I had no real use for the gun... the caliber or the design.

I still think about picking one up from time to time... nostalgic reasons really. I've passed on it every time though. Now that I'm in the reserve on a non combat aircrew, it's possible I'll never carry one again while in uniform. Having had the chance to get my hands on many other platforms, I'd prefer to use something else.. be it a revolver or Glock.

Most airmen simply have no respect for the handgun, because they are too high tech oriented, and never get to know the capabilities of the sidearm.

I have to disagree. ALL.. not most of or some of, but ALL of my SF, pilot, and aircrew buddies trained extensively and were very capable with the M9. Now anyone in a career field where the never touch an M9, that's a different story. Those who have to use it though get to know it real well.

 

[Rule 303]

I bought a 92F Italian when they first came in country.
OK gun and in the end my son grew up and claimed it as his.
The kid is 37 yoa now and still dog***** crazy with it.
But I live by this, whether in my time as a ground pounder in Vietnam or the 34 years in LE.

Shot Placement is the King, Caliber is the Queen, Capacity is the Prince, the Number of rounds you
put into the Target is the Princess and the quality of the Gun is the Joker.

Rule 303

 

[Herknav]

I have never fired one in anger, but I have "medium"-sized hands and hate the size. I can shoot expert but it's way too bulky.

 

[bennettfam]

SIG 9mm or 1911 .45 have been selected by Marine SOC, Seals, Delta, Coast Guard, Army tankers, etc...for some reason? They coulda had all the M9s they wanted but...