Beretta, also known as Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta, is an Italian arms manufacturer established in 1526, making it the oldest active arms manufacturer today. Also noteworthy, is the fact that the company has remained family-owned since its inception. Beretta is known for its wide range of firearms, which include handguns, rifles, shotguns, submachine guns and much more, each of which find markets with the military, law enforcement and paramilitary agencies and civilians the world over. The company even has an American subsidiary and production facility, Beretta USA, which is stationed just a few miles down the road in Accokeek, Maryland. It is there that the new Beretta 92A1 is manufactured.

Considering Beretta has been around for more than 450 years, it is probably safe to assume that the company produces a fine product. Having said that, I would still like to take this time to discuss what really makes the Beretta 92A1 worth your time.

As suggested by its designation, the Beretta 92A1 is a pistol from the company's "92 Series." The Beretta 92 Series is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Beretta. Production began way back in 1975 with the Model 92, which has since evolved into over 20 different variants, including the 92A1, which has been designated the M9 by the United States Military. As you may know, the Beretta M9 replaced the M1911A1 in 1985 as the official sidearm of the United States Armed Forces.

The Beretta 92A1, known for its accuracy and reliability, features a 4.9-inch barrel alongside an overall length of 8 1/2 inches. The chrome-lined barrel, designed to resist both rust and corrosion, joins a lightweight, forged aluminum frame to give the pistol a weight of approximately 34.4 ounces unloaded, just over two pounds and easily handled by shooters of all sizes and skill levels. If safety is a concern, shooters will be pleased to learn that the 92A1 also features an ambidextrous external thumb safety that doubles as a decocking lever. This manual safety is joined by several internal safeties, which include both a firing pin block and a rotating firing pin striker that serves to prevent accidental discharges. Other features includes fixed iron sights and an open-slide design, which virtually eliminates jamming and stove piping while allowing shooters to hand load and chamber a cartridge should the magazine be damaged or lost. As noted, the pistol is chambered for the 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge and includes three 17-round magazines.

Consider the Beretta 92A1 for any of the following:

- Personal defense

- Sport shooting

- Target shooting

- Collections

- Much more…