Beretta M9 Review: Old Italian Warhorse

The Beretta M9 served the United States military for decades. While the SIG M17/18 might be replacing the old Italian warhorse, it’s still likely to serve for many years to come. Today we are taking the Italian stallion for a run to discuss what made the M9 such an awesome service sidearm. 

Introducing the M9 

In 1985 the United States military went shopping for a new handgun. The Italian firm Beretta threw their hat in the ring with the Beretta 92 series pistol. The 92 won two trials but required some updates to become the M9, with the commercial model being known as the 92FS. The pistol is a semi-automatic, short recoil-operated, DA/SA, 9mm pistol. 

The M9 featured a very interesting design. The open-top slide design had been a staple of Beretta’s pistol since the Beretta 1915, 70 years before the M9 won the military trials. This open slide design presents a massive ejection port to help enhance reliability. This fascinating slide design also reduced weight and helped cut recoil by reducing rearward weight as the slide reciprocates. 

The M9 also embodies the wonder 9 generations. This generation of firearms and 9mm pistols encompassed double stack magazines, DA/SA firing mechanisms, and all-metal frames. These would give way to the polymer frame fantastic, but the Wonder 9s ruled in their heyday. The M9 carried a 15-round magazine, but various capacities have been released over time. 

Beretta built the M9 specifically for the military, and it’s a fairly spartan pistol. It had a dark black Bruniton finish, simple plastic grips, and standard three-dot iron sights. It met the needs of the DoD and ended up serving the Armed Forces exceptionally well. 

I can speak to that service. As a Marine Machine Gunner, I carried an M240 and a Beretta M9 as my issued weapons. I toted the M9 around the world a time or two, and it was a constant companion in my many adventures. 

Beretta M9 Features

1 DA/SA Design

2 Ambidextrous Safety/Decocker 

3 Reversible Magazine Release 

4 Military Lanyard loop 

The Other M9s Models

Beretta M9 – Our Take

I shot my M9 a fair bit while I served and even owned one post service. It’s one of my favorite pistols. Some of that is nostalgia and my memories of my time in the Marine Corps, but the other part is that it’s a damn fine pistol. Admittedly it’s often not a cheap pistol, and it’s also a dated gun. In a world where weapon-mounted lights and optics rule, the M9 feels a lot like 1985 rolled up into a handgun. 

The standard M9 lacks a rail, and you certainly won’t easily toss an optic on it. The M9’s capacity is even a bit low by current standards, but aftermarket magazines have shoved an extra two rounds into flush-fitting magazines. Compared to modern polymer firearms, the M9 feels dated, and as such, the high price might make it a tough sell in the face of more affordable, more modern pistols. 

Part of the weapon’s age is also its ergonomics. The M9 does feature a massive grip that’s a wide bottom gal. You won’t mistake it for a compact pistol. It’s huge and doesn’t fit a lot of hands well. On top of that, the double-action trigger presents a pretty long reach to the trigger. That makes the gun a tricky one for those with smaller hands. 

It’s a heavy beast too, at 33.3 ounces unloaded. You won’t want to carry it IWB by any means. The slide-mounted safety and decocker require some practice to use efficiently, and it’s not as intuitive as the P226 decocker or the M1911 safety. 

The slide lock and release are absolutely awesome and are very easy to manipulate and use. Popping a magazine outtakes no effort, and the button is huge and easy to press. However, the wide grip might make it tough to engage.  

Slinging Lead 

I love shooting the M9. Some of the gun’s ergonomic problems make it a solid shooter. Between the weight and thick grip, the recoil is fairly minimal and fairly comfortable. The little 9mm doesn’t offer much resistance to shooters in this gun. You can control this weapon with minimum difficulty, and shooting fast and straight doesn’t provide a lot of issues. 

Shooting straight isn’t tough to do. The double-action trigger is fairly heavy, and the trigger pull is long, but it’s smooth. Double action triggers take some practice to master, and the M9 is no exception. The single-action is remarkably smooth with a short trigger pull and a short reset. Landing shots inside a two-inch circle for dot torture isn’t difficult. 

Scoring headshots and accurate double taps at 25 yards feel simple. One of the Marine Corp’s favorite drills is the failure to stop and box drill, and you can do both quickly and accurately with the M9. 

The front sight is fixed to the slide and non-adjustable and non-replaceable. You get what you get, and if you don’t like it, then tough. However, the standard 3-dot iron sights do a great job of getting you on target anyway. 

Just Chugging Along 

If there is one gun in which I can speak to its reliability, it’s the M9. My issued model was ancient, beat up, and still went bang every time I pulled the trigger. It went to Spain, Italy, Africa, Romania, and more, and it went on numerous training ops, and from ship to shore, and in every situation in which it was tested, it never failed. 

The M9 delivers a high level of reliability and doesn’t fall apart when things get rough. After more than 25 years of service, the weapon certainly proved itself. 

Beretta M9 Pros and Cons

Beretta M9 Ammo

Beretta M9 Starter Pack

So, you’re planning on picking up a Beretta M9? If so, you’re going to need more than just the gun to make it safely go bang. You’re going to need proper protections, extra mags, and something to clean it with at the end of a long day at the range. Here are our recommendations:

• Gun Cleaning Kit: Otis All Caliber Elite Range Box on Amazon or build your own personalized cleaning kit with premium components.
• Shooting Glasses: All it takes is one piece of rogue hot brass, and you’ll learn the importance of shooting glasses. But not all glasses are built the same. See our recommendations for the Best Shooting Glasses.
• Hearing Protection: Firing a gun without wearing proper ear pro can be very dangerous and detrimental to your hearing. Find out the best hearing protection for you in our full-length review.
• Storage: Check out our article on the Best Biometric Gun Safes
• Targets – If you’re wanting a great resource for shooting practice or zeroing your optics on your optics rifle or pistol, download our FREE Sighting in Targets below.

Beretta M9 Upgrades and Accessories

If you’re going to pick up the Beretta M9 or another pistol that suits you more, you may also want a few accessories to complement your purchase. Here are our picks for some extras;

Beretta M9 Accessories

1. Streamlight TLR-7 Weapon Light		White LED produces 500 lumens IPX7 Waterproof Low Profile	Check Amazon
2. Pineworld Biometric Gun Safe		Reliable Biometric Scanner Sturdy and Well Built Cheaper Than Most Biometrics	Check Amazon
3. Decibullz Custom Molded Earplugs		Great In-Ear option Custom molded – super easy and comfortable NRR: 31	Check Amazon
4. Beretta M9A1 9mm Magazine		Fits Beretta 92FS, M9A1 Chambered in 9mm 15-Round Capacity	Check Price

Beretta M9 Review Video

Below is a great video we’ve found for you showing the process to field strip your Beretta M9 ready for cleaning. Check it out below.

Beretta M9 Links and Manuals

Looking for more info on the Beretta M9? Or did you lose your manual? Don’t worry we’ve got you covered. Check out our links below:

• Beretta Suite of User Manuals
• Beretta M9 Major Components