The Beretta M9—officially the Pistol, Semiautomatic, 9mm, M9—is the designation for the Beretta 92FS semi-automatic pistol used by the United States Armed Forces. The M9 was adopted by the United States military as their service pistol in 1985. The 92FS won a competition in the 1980s to replace the M1911A1 as the primary sidearm of the U.S. military, beating many other contenders, and only narrowly defeating the SIG Sauer P226 for cost reasons. It officially entered service in 1990. Some other pistols have been adopted to a lesser extent, namely the SIG P228 pistol, and other models remain in use in certain niches. The M9 was scheduled to be replaced under a United States Army program, the Future Handgun System (FHS), which was merged with the SOF Combat Pistol program to create the Joint Combat Pistol (JCP). The JCP was renamed Combat Pistol (CP), and the number of pistols to be bought was drastically cut back. The U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps are replacing the M9 with the SIG Sauer M17 and M18.
92A1: Legendary 92 Reliability with Ultra-Modern Tactical Features The "A1" class is a specialized tactical branch of the most tested and trusted military and personal defense weapon in history: the 92FS. We started with the super-reliable 92, keeping the engineering characteristics that make it so accurate, safe and dependable; then, we added some features prized by todays most demanding tactical shooters as well as by those wanting the absolute best for home defense or personal protection. The result is the 92A1, a pistol that is as reliable for its intended use as it is safe and user-friendly even for the novice. Easy Accessorization and Maintenance The most noticeable difference between the classic 92FS and the 92A1 is that this comes with an integral Picatinny rail situated in front of the trigger guard. The rail makes it easy to attach a variety of tactical accessories, including lighting systems and laser aiming devices. Also, the 92A1 has a removable front sight, meaning that you can exchange it in a matter of minutes without any gunsmithing or alteration to the pistol. Maintenance is easy thanks to the tool-free disassembly latch as well as the captive recoil-spring unit. Impressive Firepower, Extra-Durable Magazines Another feature that will impress you about the 92A1 is the type of magazine it comes with. This pistol comes with three 17-round stainless steel magazines designed to deliver remarkable firepower out of the box while being absolutely durable and corrosion resistant. Furthermore, the magazines on the 92A1 feature a dirt rail along their length, which helps collect dust and grit out of the magazine while keeping cartridges clear of the magazine walls. The result: enhanced feeding reliability and super-easy magazine maintenance. In addition, the magazine well is aggressively beveled, making it super-fast to change magazines without taking your eyes off the target. Absolutely Reliable, Designed to Last The base design of the 92A1 is the 92FS or M9, the pistol that has served the US military admirably throughout its campaigns in the worlds toughest environments. But even in this respect, Beretta never rests on its laurels. This pistol incorporates an innovative internal frame buffer that greatly reduces component stress under firing (yes, even with hot +P ammo), making it even more durable and smooth-shooting. The best of both worlds, the 92A1 offers discriminating shooters the classic overall look and feel of the 92 (including the more traditional rounded trigger-guard) with todays most advanced tactical features.
