Beretta 92

The Beretta 92F is a semi automatic pistol, the standard-issue sidearm of the U.S. armed forces.

Overview
When the U.S. military was directed to conform to NATO caliber requirements, a joint service pistol program was held to replace the M1911A1. The Beretta 92F won over the Sig P226 on grounds of price, despite the fact that the test model failed the trials at Aberdeen Proving Ground, and was adopted as the M9 Pistol. The M9's early service record was met with numerous problems, infamous among them the instance of the slide cracking and launching into the wielder's face due to extremely poor metallurgy.

However, it was realized that some of the pistol's flaws stemmed not from a particularly fragile design, but cheap, lowest bidder magazines, over powered ammunition and a manufacturing error on Beretta's part, and a majority of functional errors have been worked out. M9s are still notorious for wearing out rapidly. The main controversy over the M9 today is the stopping power its caliber offers compared to the M1911A1, though the same can be said about any other 9mm weapon. It has also proven to be very tempermental in hostile environments, with troops deployed to Iraq suffering frequent malfunctions with their M9s despite regular cleaning. Interestingly enough, several Special Forces units adopted variants of the 1911 and Sig P226 over the Beretta design, notably the Marine MEU SOC units and Navy Seals, respectively. Additionally, many combat troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan have acquired old M1911s from storage or purchased their own from civilian dealers rather than carry their GI-issued M9s (these "unofficial" M1911s get almost universally superior reviews).

The military M9 and the civilan 92FS were largely similar aside from slide and frame markings and, in some cases, the sights (the 92FS having 3-dot type sights,and the M9 having a more vertical 2-dot type), but, in 2000, the 92FS was altered from the M9 in several respects; the 92FS (as well as 96 and 98 pistols) were all given heavier frames, making them stronger, and the backstrap of the grip was made more ergonomic for small hands. The M9, remaining a contractually built pistol, has undergone no such redesign, and is thus distguinishable from the current make of the civilian 92FS.

Usage by Solid Snake and Raiden
The M9 pistol was Solid Snake's weapon of choice during the Outer Heaven Uprising and the Zanzibar Land Disturbance. They were also the standard sidearms of FOXHOUND and also used by Outer Heaven and Zanzibar Land, respectively.

In 2007, Snake, now a member of Philanthropy, used a modified M9 on board the tanker Discovery. This version of the pistol had been modified to fire anesthetic rounds instead of actual bullets, making it a non-lethal alternative weapon ideal for the NGO's sneaking missions (where casualties were not an option). The M9 had an attached sound suppressor, as well as a visible laser sight and tritium-illuminated 3-dot iron sights, making it ideal for both keeping a low profile and making precision shots, even in low-light environments.

Following the incident, fans of Philanthropy and Solid Snake began to create models similar to the M9 used in the ill-fated mission (according to Iroquois Pliskin). One such model found its way onto the Big Shell offshore decontamination facility, where it was used by Raiden. Likewise, Raiden, upon discovering and procuring the M9, will also voice suspicion to the Colonel and Rosemary regarding the statement of the non-ID-tagged weapons being brought in by the terrorists, citing that the M9 was apparently present on the Big Shell since before the terrorist takeover of the facility.

Modified M9
The M9 presented in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is based on a real weapon; a special ops modified M9 designed to function in the same role as a Mk22 "Hush Puppy." The first modification was to the barrel; notches were ground into the sides so as to allow the application of specially designed (and, reputedly, highly effective) snap-on sound suppressor. This suppressor overshadowed the sights of the M9 and so crude iron sights were affixed onto the suppressor itself.

The second modification was done to the frame of the pistol by means of an added mechanism resulting in a change to the function of the weapon that allowed the slide to remain forward after each shot: instead of the pistol self-loading a fresh cartridge after every shot, the user would have to manually work the slide and chamber a new round themselves. This feature increased the silence of the weapon by disallowing the normal and noisy functions of the standard M9, but could be disengaged as well, allowing the weapon to resume a normal semiautomatic role. All modifications were done by Knight's Armament Company (the same company that produces the sound suppressor for the Mk.23 &quot;SOCOM&quot;). However, the modification greatly decreased the service life of the frame, reducing it to about 100 shots. This was due to the increased stresses the frame had to absorb due to the slide-lock feature.

The downside of the modification as present in-game is a severe firing delay; the modified M9 is not a combat pistol, but a weapon better suited for concealed users operating outside of heated combat.

Known real-world users of this modified M9 include AFSOC (U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command).

An article about the weapon can be found here, along with a different, updated version of the suppressor system manufactured commercially by a different company (Feb. 2000).

In-game weapon descriptions


"Pistol. Push the button to shoot one round at a time. Can be fitted with a suppressor."

- Handgun (Beretta M92F) weapon description from Metal Gear

"A semi-automatic pistol used as the standard firearm in the U.S. military. Can be fitted with a suppressor. Can also be reloaded."

- Handgun (Beretta M92F) weapon description from Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake

"Tranquiliser with suppressor. Press button to aim, and release to fire. Equipped with laser pointer."

- M9 (Beretta M92F) weapon description from Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

Appearances

 * Metal Gear
 * Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
 * Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
 * Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty