BERETTA 92FS & 92F Description

9mm Para. cal., official U.S. military variation of 92 Series, 4.9 in. barrel, alloy frame, steel slide, 10 (C/B 1994), or 15* (reintroduced late 2004) shot mag., loaded chamber indicator, matte black Bruniton or Olive Drab (mfg. 2004 only) finish, squared off trigger guard to facilitate two-hand shooting, extended mag. base, choice of regular or 3-dot sights (new 1991), approx. 34.5 oz. Model 92F-P has plastic grips. Model 92F-W has wood grips. Mfg. in Italy or Accokeek, MD. New 1984.

The Model 92FS incorporates a slide retaining pin engineering change not included in the Model 92F.
The U.S. military on January 15, 1985 announced that the M9 military variation of the commercial Model 92F would replace the Colt Govt. Model .45 ACP as the standard government issue sidearm. Because of domestic political pressures, Congress requested that a new sidearm competition be conducted again in 1988. The result of this second trial was that the Department of the Army announced on May 22, 1989 that Beretta had won again. This military contract with Beretta U.S.A. Corp. initially involved over 320,000 Model M9s (military designation for the commercial Model 92F) manufactured for U.S. military consumption in the 1990s. Actual delivery of commercial Model 92s began in January of 1986, while M9 delivery to U.S. Armed Forces exceeded 430,000 units, and was completed in 1999.
During 2005, Beretta USA received 13 separate contracts to provide M9 pistols and associated spare parts to the U.S. armed forces. In Jan., 2009, Beretta announced that it had been awarded a U.S. Army contract for 450,000 Model 92FS pistols, for U.S. military customers throughout the world. This contract, if all pistol quantities and associated spare parts are ordered, is worth $220 million.
During 2009, Beretta USA Corp. received another order from the U.S. Army to provide 450,000 Beretta Model 92FS pistols to U.S. military customers worldwide. 50,000 pistols from this contract were scheduled for delivery by the end of 2010.