It was 1995 and this was my 3rd handgun (in my mind at least, on loan from Uncle Sam). We had a blast the few days we shot there, but the M9s stayed behind with the Army.Ī few months later, I was issued my first M9 when I checked into my unit at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) in 29 Palms, CA. A hit anywhere on Ivan would register as a hit in the system. They looked like a mean communist sent to destroy the agents of the wrath, we referred to them as Crazy Ivans ( you can see one here). The facility was advanced, even by today’s standards- computerized with a bunch of pop up plastic targets. After a half day of lecturing, we hit the range. We sat in a large classroom with a beat up pool weapon in front of us. It wasn’t a fair inter-service comparison because at the time, the Army combined its schools and boot camps into one combined school and at this point the guys I had been with had all been in the service a minimum of sixth months- a lot of which had focused on marksmanship training. Since we had all been through basic and combat training, my platoon smoked the course.
We were attending a school on an Army base and shot the Army qualification course. So, like the angry old men who were ranting about the 9mm in the back of your favorite gun rag from the mid-80s, I had some 1911 and M9 overlap.Īs a Marine, I was formally introduced to the M9 pistol back in late 1994/early 1995 by an Army instructor. Look at the serious flaws in Japanese pistols during the Second World War, carrying one with a round in the chamber would have been considered a brave act by anyone who knew better.Īs I’ve mentioned in my Colt M45A1 Review, I’ve been burning piles of money chasing the fully functional, 100% reliable 1911 white whale for two decades. At the theater level, I would argue that pistols have a negligible effect on the outcome of battles. Were there units that depended on them, absolutely, but they were few and far between. I find the military pistol discussion exceptionally interesting because in the military, unlike police forces, pistols are normally issued to officers, staff non-commissioned officers, armor crewman and some machine gunners (USMC) as a last ditch weapon- and this was especially at the time it was adopted (sorry, there weren’t any MagPul videos with super cool transitions back then kids). You can still experience the fall out from this debate today- log onto any internet forum or stand by (or behind) any gun counter, and someone will invariably bring it up (it was the Glock vs. The Italian designed double action pistol had an awful trigger compared to the beloved 1911 (Cooper actually suggested discharging a round into the ground during the draw stroke in some of his writings), and, adding insult to injury, was chambered in the puny 9mm NATO cartridge. Jamming and stove-piping problems are virtually eliminated by the open slide design shared by all small frame Berettas.When the Beretta M9 was adopted by the US Military back in 1985, real gun guys like Jeff Cooper, weren’t happy. It also assists in the safe clearing of the pistol by giving an easy and absolutely safe way to check the bore and and remove a live cartridge. The exclusive tip-up barrel allows the user to easily load a round directly into the chamber without racking the slide. User-friendly design is common to all Beretta small frames. 25 ACP, it is perfect for concealed carry (on its own or as a backup pistol), and it keeps besting all pistols in its class for quality, value and design. It is user-friendly, durable, reliable and accurate, while with its snag-free lines is can be tucked in any kind of holster or pocket for deep concealment. Beretta 21 A Bobcat: Defining the Pocket PistolĬomparable in size to a smart phone and weighing only 11.5 oz, the ultra-concealable Beretta 21 A Bobcat has been the ultimate pocket pistol for over three decades.