The M9 vs. the M1911

Back on March 29, 1911, the United Stated officially adopted the John Moses Browning designed, .45ACP self-loading pistol.  By the late 70’s, due to political pressure from NATO, the search was begun for a replacement not only for the venerable M1911, but also the proven .45ACP cartridge.  The US Air Force started a Joint Service Small Arms Program to find a pistol chambered in the NATO-standard 9x19mm cartridge.  Through a series of events and mishaps, a 1984 joint military pistol trial was conducted where candidate pistols from Beretta, Colt, Smith & Wesson, Sig Sauer, FN, and H&K were submitted.  The Beretta 92F was officially adopted as the Military M9 in 1985.  The Sig Sauer P226 actually passed the trials, but lost out in the final bidding process.  As a result, we have a service sidearm built by the lowest bidder.

There are numerous arguments over the benefits of switching to the Beretta including the standardized cartridge, higher capacity, and easier operation (so they say).  However, there are also reports of breakage, reliability issues, and ineffectiveness of the 9mm FMJ cartridge.  Now, the Beretta 92 series of pistols are great guns.  I mean, Mel Gibson featured one in all of the Lethal Weapon movies.  The coolness factor alone is worth, at least, SOME of the pistols shortcomings.  Isn’t it?  Forget the fact that there have been numerous reliability issues with the magazines made by Check-mate industries that are still being issued on a limited basis today.  We’re talking about the gun that saved the Nakatomi Plaza!  Singlehandedly! 

Of course, we cannot ignore the ineffectiveness of the 9mm round itself.  Before all of you pro-9mm folks crawl out of the woodwork, remember that The Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 (not the Geneva Convention) prohibited the use of all expanding ammunition in conventional warfare.  We’re talking FMJ rounds, and 9mm hardball passes through a target while leaving a very small wound channel.  The .45 ACP hardball round will still deliver a substantial knockdown punch and significant wound channel.

Finally, why award a contract to an Italian-owned company that is only required to have 50% of the parts manufactured in the USA, including assembly?  ALL M1911 and M1911A1’s were manufactured by American companies using 100% US manufactured parts.  They included Colt and Springfield Armory (the REAL one) in WWI, and Colt, Remington Rand, Ithaca, Union Switch and Signal, and Singer (yes, the sewing machine manufacturer that also made M1 Garand receivers) during WWII.  Would it have stayed that way?  Who’s to say?  But I tell you this much, it’s an American designed and built weapon that will always be recognized as being a symbol of American ingenuity and strength.

I doubt the M9 will ever be thought of that way.