Manufacturer: Beretta. Caliber: 9mm. Barrel Length: 4.9 in. The M9 is a lightweight, semi-automatic pistol manufactured by Beretta and designed to replace the M1911A1 .45 caliber pistol and .38 ...

Key Points – The Beretta M9 served as the US military’s standard sidearm for decades, seeing action from Desert Storm through the Global War on Terror, eliciting both strong support and criticism.

In January 1985, the Army chose the Beretta, designated it the M9, and placed an order for 321,960 pistols. It had taken the armed forces five years to choose a new handgun.

A U.S. soldier armed with a Beretta M9 service pistol. The M9 is similar in size to the M1911A1 which it replaced, but slightly lighter thanks to its use of an aluminum frame.

The Beretta M9 Was Cheaper to Produce This move was controversial because the military went from the Colt’s .45 ACP round to the Beretta’s 9 X 19 mm caliber bullet.