As a US Military service member I carried an M9 (Beretta 92F) every waking hour for two year long tours in Iraq. I also trained and qualified with the pistol regularly in garrison as a counter intelligence agent. I have developed some strong opinions about the suitability of the M9 over the years.

Pros:
- When it is freshly cleaned inexperienced shooters are able to shoot surprisingly well using the M9. I believe this is because of the relatively heavy weight and excellent balance of the M9; which results in a comfortable amount of recoil when shooting.

Cons:
- The M9 is a real dust magnet, and just a little dust is enough to cause the M9 to misfeed at an alarming rate. Given the inevitably huge amount of dust present in combat zones this is a significant issue.
- Carbon buildup in the M9 begins to cause it to misfeed after 100+ rounds are fired. While I routinely clean my weapons and seldom fire 100+ rounds at a time, the tendency of the M9 to misfire when site carbon buildup is present is unacceptable in a market when similar pistols can fire literally 1000s of rounds without a glitch.
- Next to more modern pistol designs the M9 is rather boxy and homely. This would not be a significant hindrance to its suitability if it did not contribute to a poor ergonomics. The M9 is nowhere near as comfortable in the hand as many of its competitors.  

I have completed a consumer product comparison pitting the Beretta 92 against the Walther P99. The results of this test in which more than 2,000 rounds were fired through these pistols provides additional valuable insight into the suitability of the Beretta 92.

Beretta is a major Italian firearm manufacturer. Established in 1526, it is one of the oldest corporations in the world. The company has always been known for exceptional quality and innovative design.

Background Information

The Beretta 92 semi-automatic pistol was designed beginning in 1972 and entered the market in 1976. In 1983, the United States Army placed a Federal Request for Test Samples. Beretta submitted the 92 and competed against 8 other manufacturers for the contract, which it won in 1984. The original contract was for 500,000 pistols. Beretta designated the pistol 92F to signify federal service.

Notable features of the pistol's design include an open slide that aids in ejection and feeding of ammunition; hard chromed barrel that decreases barrel wear and corrosion, a double action first trigger pull, followed by a single action trigger pull for subsequent rounds; a magazine release lever that can be mounted on either side to accommodate left and right handed shooters; and an ambidextrous safety lever that also functions as a decocking lever.

Since its entrance into federal service, the 92F’s track record has been fair. Some injury- causing malfunctions occurred early on as the manufacturing process was solidified; once this solidification was accomplished, major malfunctions have been nearly non-existent. Ongoing complaints include claims that the pistol is unreliable if it is not kept exceptionally clean and that magazines used by the US military in the last decade lack the spring tension to properly feed ammunition.

{"http:\/\/reachhighdesign.startlogic.com\/firearms\/beretta-92-review.html":{"comments":{"data":[]}}}