Beretta USA may have an Italian heritage, but the M9 design is owned by the U.S. “Since 1987, all pistols have been made in Accokeek, Maryland,” de Plano added. The first few years of the contract allowed Beretta to supply the U.S. Many foreign military sales have gone to Iraq and Afghanistan. “We estimate that about 425,000 went to the Army and the rest to other services and foreign military sales.” The DoD either gives or sells M9s to other countries. “About 600,000 pistols have been delivered to the Department of Defense ,” said de Plano. After the dust settled, mostly silencing critics, the M9 began delivery. The Beretta excelled in all the trials the military could throw at it while competing against other well-known pistol designs from other established companies. Beretta won again, and yet again the results were controversial, so the Beretta was submitted to the XM10 trials. The test results were contested, and the Beretta was retested in the XM9 trials. Prior to the M9 contract, Beretta won the JSSAP competition by the Air Force. “Beretta won two consecutive pistol trials before winning the M9 contract,” explained de Plano, offering insight into the M9’s history. The Beretta pistol had to prove its worth for some even before it was accepted by the military. At the time, the M1911A1 had nearly 75 years of service under its belt. The new chambering and Beretta pistol were not without their critics. military to accept, making it easy to see why any pistol chosen-American or foreign made-was going to be controversial. That switch was difficult enough for some in the U.S. The Joint Service Small Arms Program began searching for a replacement pistol to use the 9mm round that was chosen to comply with the NATO Standardization Agreement (STANAG). military, but by 1979 the situation could not be ignored any longer. The transition from the venerable M1911A1 to the M9 was wrenching for some in the U.S. “In all, the M9A3 performed flawlessly, and it improves upon the ergonomics of the M9 …” The change did not come easily the M9 earned it one round at a time. In some cases, the Beretta saved their lives. The M9 is more than a piece of equipment. When I speak to veterans about the M9, I can hear it in their stories, see it in their eyes. I recently had the opportunity to shoot the M9A3 and hear the story of the M9’s evolution firsthand from de Plano on a cold February day in Accokeek, Maryland, at Beretta USA’s headquarters. “All of these companies have a rich military heritage and, when combined, offer small arms systems for military customers.” “BDT is a strategic alliance of companies consisting of four brands owned by Beretta Holding: Beretta, Bennelli, Sako and Steiner,” explained Gabriele De Plano, the vice president of BDT USA’s marketing and operations. RELATED STORY: Hands On Beretta’s Next-Gen M9A3 Battle Pistol.Army to equip America’s warriors well into the 21st century. The new M9A3 is the next generation of M9 fighting pistol proposed by Beretta Defense Technologies (BDT) to the U.S. military use, starting in conflicts like the invasion of Panama to the recent war in Afghanistan, the M9 has proven its worth as well as shown its age. The new Beretta M9A3 is everything an operator would expect in a Beretta M9 series pistol-and much more. The M9A3 is designed for the modern warrior who requires a handgun that can be adapted for different missions and harsh environments.īetter ergonomics, better performance, a better Beretta.
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