Since 1911, the United States military has really leaned on two pistols. One was the legendary M1911 pistol designed by John Moses Browning – and it held the line for 75 years. The other was the M9 Beretta, which has taken many of the roles the M1911 fills. Note, the M1911 has still stuck around as the MEU(SOC) pistol – only now, it is designated the M45.
While a rifle like the M14, M16, or even M1 has a lot more power than a pistol round, they are heavier, harder to conceal, and the very power of their rounds can be problematic in some settings, like hostage rescue. Pistols are more compact and they can provide some self-defense firepower when it’s not possible to have a rifle or shotgun.
The M1911 needs almost no description. Chambered in .45 ACP, a round the Army called for after some bad experiences against Philippine insurgents by troops using a number of revolvers, including the M1878 and M1892 revolvers, which was chambered in either .38 Long Colt or .41 Long Colt. Browning’s pistol design would out-perform a variant of the Luger chambered in .45 ACP.
The M1911 performed well in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. It even saw action in Grenada and other “small wars” as well. It remained in service for a long time, particularly due to large production runs during the Second World War. In fact, tens of thousands of M1911s will now be sold by the Civilian Marksmanship Program, thanks to a provision in the latest National Defense Authorization Act, including some rare ones made by Singer (best known for making sewing machines).
Replacing an iconic pistol could draw controversy. The M9 Beretta that ultimately won the Army’s handgun competition was controversial. It fired the 9x19mm NATO cartridge, largely due to an agreement to standardize on rounds. Many American troops swore by the legendary .45 ACP round – and did not want to trust a smaller round.
But the 9mm round is not exactly a slouch. When the “ball” or full-metal jacket rounds of the 9mm and .45 ACP are compared, the 9mm actually has a higher one-shot stop percentage (70% according to data from Evan Marshall) than that of the .45 ACP (62% based on Marshall’s data). Not only did it have superior stopping power, but thanks to improvements in handgun technology from 1911 to 1985, the Beretta could hold over twice the rounds in its magazine than the M1911 (15 vs. 7). Plus, other companies were producing new pistols, like the Smith and Wesson Model 59 and the SIG Sauer P226, which were all similar.
So, the M9 entered service, but the M1911 didn’t fade away quietly. The Marines kept using a version known as the MEU(SOC), which recently was designated the M45A1, 12,000 of which were ordered in 2012. The M9 has picked up some improvements over the years, and Beretta even offered a M9A3 version to the military.
Once again, though, technology had passed the Army’s standard issue handgun by. The M9 is made of steel. Today, pistols like the Glock and the Springfield Armory XD series have introduced composites, and pistols now have rail systems that allow them to accept various accessories, like laser sights, flashlights, and red-dot sights. New pistol calibers have also entered the picture, including .40 Smith and Wesson, .357 SIG, and the 10mm Auto. There is a lot of testing to do – and I have to admit that I envy the lucky folks who will be doing that testing!
It will take some time to replace the M9 – largely because the military has bought over 450,000 of them just since 2009! For a pistol that got derided, the M9 has done pretty darn well.