The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - The Beretta M9: XM9 trials!!! True account!!!

PeterGunn · January 11, 2000, 05:20 PM

Some of the info I've seen on some threads is absolutly bogus...some people really need to do some research before posting. You are really embaracing yourselves and others. Here's the true account and the information is all researched. E-mail me for citations...or look it up for yourselves!!!

In 1979, the United States Air Force was assigned to testing 9mm pistol designs for the Joint Services Small Arms Program (JSSAP) with an eye to replace all .38 Special revolvers and all M1911A1 pistols in the entire military inventory. For this test, Beretta submitted a modified 92S to compete against many other designs: Colt SSP; Smith & Wesson Model 459; Fabrique Nationale DA, FA and High Power; Star M28; and the Heckler and Koch P95 and VP70. At the end of testing in 1980, the USAF declared the Beretta Model 92S-1 the winner, but in 1981, the U.S. Army challenged the Air Force’s test results. The Army said the Air Force had used "the wrong kind of mud" in its testing and generally favored the Beretta in its tests, so the Department of Defense voided all previous tests and ordered the Army to start from scratch. In 1982, the Army began testing once again, but by May, declared all the submitted pistols had failed and testing was halted again.

In 1983, the U.S. Congress urged the Army to start tests again. The testing was now given the designation of the XM9 Service Pistol Trial. In the meantime, Beretta revised the 92SB again, with a matte black Bruniton protective finish, chrome-plated barrel and chamber, recurved triggerguard and a new grip shape and grips, calling the result the Model 92SB-F, later shortened to the Model 92F.

In early 1984, Beretta submitted the 92F to compete against a new group of designs: Smith & Wesson Model 459A, Sig-Sauer P226, Heckler & Koch P7M8 and P7M13, Walther P88, Steyr GB and Fabrique Nationale ADA. Testing lasted until September, but the announcement of the winner was delayed by legal action on behalf of both Smith & Wesson and Heckler & Koch, whose designs were eliminated early in the testing.

On 14 January 1985, the U.S. Army adopted the Beretta Model 92F as the United States Pistol, Caliber 9mm, M9. Beretta received a five-year contract worth $75 million for 315,930 pistols. It should be noted the 92F won based solely on a lower price per unit basis because the Sig-Sauer P226 also completed all the tests satisfactorily. With this announcement, the M9 became the first handgun to be adopted by all branches of the military. The contract also had provisions for domestic production, so Beretta USA Corporation would take over full production of the M9 by the start of the contract’s third year.

This did not sit well with Smith & Wesson, who convinced Congress to reopen the tests as the XM10 trials. With the new trials set to begin, a major problem occurred with service use of the M9. Several pistols used by Navy SEALs suffered catastrophic slide failures, where the slide split in two after firing and the back half of the slide struck the shooter in the face. (The SEAL sense of humor was quite apparent after this incident with the catch phrase "You’re not a Navy SEAL until you’ve tasted Italian steel" coined rather quickly afterward...) Supply of the M9 to the military was halted until the cause of these accidents was determined. The investigation took a few months before the cause was determined to be the ammunition used in the SEALs’ pistols. Normal firing pressures for the 9mm Parabellum round are in the order of between 31,000 to 35,000 PSI. The ammunition used by the SEALs was found to be of an extremely high pressure, in excess of 70,000 PSI. But this failure caused Beretta designers to develop a slide over-travel stop for the pistol. While the stop cannot prevent a failure due to faulty ammunition, it prevents a damaged slide from striking a shooter in the face in the event of failure. The revised pistol was named the 92FS.

In early 1989, the XM10 trials began. Ruger submitted its P85 pistol, Smith & Wesson submitted another modified Model 459 and the Army randomly selected 30 M9s for the trials. Testing began and was quickly concluded as the M9 won yet again. On 22 May 1989, Beretta received another contract for 57,000 M9s worth $9.9 million.

It is an interesting note that some SEALS are using the Sig 226.

January 11, 2000, 05:20 PM	#1
PeterGunn Senior Member Join Date: August 28, 1999 Location: Cape Coral, FL Posts: 738	Some of the info I've seen on some threads is absolutly bogus...some people really need to do some research before posting. You are really embaracing yourselves and others. Here's the true account and the information is all researched. E-mail me for citations...or look it up for yourselves!!! In 1979, the United States Air Force was assigned to testing 9mm pistol designs for the Joint Services Small Arms Program (JSSAP) with an eye to replace all .38 Special revolvers and all M1911A1 pistols in the entire military inventory. For this test, Beretta submitted a modified 92S to compete against many other designs: Colt SSP; Smith & Wesson Model 459; Fabrique Nationale DA, FA and High Power; Star M28; and the Heckler and Koch P95 and VP70. At the end of testing in 1980, the USAF declared the Beretta Model 92S-1 the winner, but in 1981, the U.S. Army challenged the Air Force’s test results. The Army said the Air Force had used "the wrong kind of mud" in its testing and generally favored the Beretta in its tests, so the Department of Defense voided all previous tests and ordered the Army to start from scratch. In 1982, the Army began testing once again, but by May, declared all the submitted pistols had failed and testing was halted again. In 1983, the U.S. Congress urged the Army to start tests again. The testing was now given the designation of the XM9 Service Pistol Trial. In the meantime, Beretta revised the 92SB again, with a matte black Bruniton protective finish, chrome-plated barrel and chamber, recurved triggerguard and a new grip shape and grips, calling the result the Model 92SB-F, later shortened to the Model 92F. In early 1984, Beretta submitted the 92F to compete against a new group of designs: Smith & Wesson Model 459A, Sig-Sauer P226, Heckler & Koch P7M8 and P7M13, Walther P88, Steyr GB and Fabrique Nationale ADA. Testing lasted until September, but the announcement of the winner was delayed by legal action on behalf of both Smith & Wesson and Heckler & Koch, whose designs were eliminated early in the testing. On 14 January 1985, the U.S. Army adopted the Beretta Model 92F as the United States Pistol, Caliber 9mm, M9. Beretta received a five-year contract worth $75 million for 315,930 pistols. It should be noted the 92F won based solely on a lower price per unit basis because the Sig-Sauer P226 also completed all the tests satisfactorily. With this announcement, the M9 became the first handgun to be adopted by all branches of the military. The contract also had provisions for domestic production, so Beretta USA Corporation would take over full production of the M9 by the start of the contract’s third year. This did not sit well with Smith & Wesson, who convinced Congress to reopen the tests as the XM10 trials. With the new trials set to begin, a major problem occurred with service use of the M9. Several pistols used by Navy SEALs suffered catastrophic slide failures, where the slide split in two after firing and the back half of the slide struck the shooter in the face. (The SEAL sense of humor was quite apparent after this incident with the catch phrase "You’re not a Navy SEAL until you’ve tasted Italian steel" coined rather quickly afterward...) Supply of the M9 to the military was halted until the cause of these accidents was determined. The investigation took a few months before the cause was determined to be the ammunition used in the SEALs’ pistols. Normal firing pressures for the 9mm Parabellum round are in the order of between 31,000 to 35,000 PSI. The ammunition used by the SEALs was found to be of an extremely high pressure, in excess of 70,000 PSI. But this failure caused Beretta designers to develop a slide over-travel stop for the pistol. While the stop cannot prevent a failure due to faulty ammunition, it prevents a damaged slide from striking a shooter in the face in the event of failure. The revised pistol was named the 92FS. In early 1989, the XM10 trials began. Ruger submitted its P85 pistol, Smith & Wesson submitted another modified Model 459 and the Army randomly selected 30 M9s for the trials. Testing began and was quickly concluded as the M9 won yet again. On 22 May 1989, Beretta received another contract for 57,000 M9s worth $9.9 million. It is an interesting note that some SEALS are using the Sig 226.