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Key Points: For this Special Forces veteran, the M9 Beretta remains a far cry from the beloved M1911A1. Trained extensively on the 1911, its sleek handling, manageable six-pound trigger pull, and historical significance made it feel like an extension of the hand.

-By contrast, the M9’s bulky design, 13-pound initial trigger pull, slide-mounted safety prone to accidental engagement, and open-top slide letting in debris earned it little love. While the M9 offered a higher-capacity double-stack magazine and NATO-standardization benefits, these couldn’t outweigh its drawbacks.

-Today, newer pistols like the Sig Sauer M17/M18 prove the M9 was far from perfect for soldiers in the field.

M9 Beretta: The Pistol That Couldn’t Win My Trust

My hatred for the M92FS/M9 Beretta still knows no bounds. It has been an endless source of amusement for my friends in the Army and those outside of it who have joined me on the ranges worldwide.

And yes, they love to bust my… chops over it. And you thought I was going to use another word there… right?

Even my boss here at 19fortyfive.com asked me to explain it.

Is it real or just plain biased?

Admittedly, it is more of the latter than the former, but there are also some tangible reasons.

Let’s go back to when I was not the “slightly” heavier guy with salt and pepper hair who stands before you today. Back then, I was a barrel-chested, steely-eyed freedom fighter in SF. Yes, I do exaggerate a little bit.  

I was weaned on the M1911A1 right away. I was trained on it, got comfortable with it, shot a lot of rounds with it at Mott Lake, and became a very well-trained shooter.  The old saying, “It feels like an extension of your hand,” was the 1911 to me. Did it rattle a bit? Oh yes, because most of the pistols we used were World War II-era-issued weapons. And forty-something years of firing, disassembling, and reassembling obviously took a toll.

But then the Army ditched the .45 caliber round for a 9mm, which was akin to blasphemy to those of us who were trained with the 1911, whose father carried one in WWII. I owned one and shot it frequently. So, immediately, the M9 became a POS in my eyes. Was that rational? Hell no. I wanted my 1911, .45 back.

But it is what it is, right? Now, the US was locked in with NATO, and the pistol ammunition was uniform with our allies. We shot the M9 a lot, and that comfort level was never high enough. Many others have felt the issues with it.

Beretta M9. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

The slide-mounted safety was a pain in your fourth point of contact (former airborne troops will understand that. In racking the slide, many times, the shooter would engage the safety without realizing it. Imagine a shooter who doesn’t get as much range time reaching for a pistol in a combat situation and hearing a click. Training and repetition work out that issue, but most troops in the Big Army don’t get that. 

The open top/slide was another issue because it would let a lot of debris and other crap get inside the pistol. I never had a problem with the slide breaking, as some people did, but I heard some SF guys were shooting hot rounds with it. 

The trigger pull of the M9 was crap. For the first round, it was about 13 pounds. That isn’t conducive to first-round hits, which are all-important in a shooting situation. The 1911’s trigger pull was six pounds for every round. 

One of the drawbacks and frequent complaints about the M9 was the wide grips. Many Joes and Flos hated them, but I actually liked them. Although different from the 1911, they felt good and fit my hand well. The double-stack magazine was also good. 

Beretta M9A3

Beretta M9A3. Image: Creative Commons.

So biases aside, even today, if the situation called for using either pistol, I’d still choose 1911. I like the new Sig Sauer M17/M18 pistols that have replaced the M9. Sig makes some great weapons. Back in the day, I aided an FBI special agent (Bob Clifford, an excellent guy) at the US Embassy in Bolivia to train the Bolivian Presidential Security Detail in pistol marksmanship using the Sig full-sized P-226. And I currently own a Sig P-365XL. Excellent pistols. 

And has my opinion changed on the M9? Not one bit.

About the Author: Steve Balestrieri  

Steve Balestrieri is a 19FortyFive National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing for 19FortyFive, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in other military publications.