So I traded my Sprinfield Mil Spec for a Berreta M9. I'm gald I did!

[suffocation23]

This week, I traded my Springfield Mil Spec for a Berretta M9. I love the 1911 platform for a wide variety of reasons but when I buy ammo lately, I tend to buy 9mm. To be fair, I prefer the shooting dynamics, reliability (with hollow point ammo), capacity and price of 9mm duty pistols/ammo to any 1911 I've owned or shot thus far. The Springfield is an excellent weapon, however it has been collecting dust while I continue to shoot and train with my other pistols ie: duty Glock 22 (department ammo baby!) and my personal favorite S&W M&P 9Pro.
I've always liked the looks and performance of the Beretta M9/92 series of pistols. I decided to try the M9 and now the only full size pistols I own are 9mm. Love or hate the M9, here are my first impressions and range report. After the trade, I purchased a factory Beretta 17 rd mag and a Blackhawk Serpa for the Beretta, along with 200 rds of 115 grn PMC Bronze and a 20 rd box of Speer Gold Dot 147 grn. The Beretta ran flawlessly out of the box and ate all 220 rds with the 17 Rd and 15 rd FACTORY mags. I had no trouble with the DA/SA Beretta as I carried a Sig 220 for years when I worked for at my local Sheriff's Office. The DA trigger pull on the Berretta is long, smooth and heavy (what do you expect). The SA trigger pull is nice, crisp and light (5lbs) with a short, firm and audible reset. BTW the Beretta SA trigger pull and reset smoked the SIG 226 I tried at the shop while comparing.
Accuracy: The pistol was very accurate for me, keeping all rounds w/n the 9 ring out to 10 yards (most on the X ring) on a B27 target. I am as accurate with the M9 as I am with any other pistols I've owned and I've had a lot. The Beretta is a very soft shooting pistol that allows for very accurate and fast follow up shots.
Ergonomics: The Beretta is a large, heavy pistol (34oz) with a frame mounted safety/decocker. Despite having medium sized hands and the M9's wide backstrap, the M9 felt good in my hands and pointed naturally. I had no issues manipulating the weapon. I did not not engage the safety while charging the piece as some do, but it does feel different coming from Glocks and M&P's. The mag release required a change in firing grip as do all pistols I've ever fired. Reloads were a breeze and the slide catch engaged easily for me. The slide locked to the rear for me on an empty mag every time. I plan to replace the factory grips for something with more grip (G10).
Sights: The front white dot over rear post works fine for me, my preference however is a fiber optic front with blacked out rear. The front sight is fixed and can not be drifted. The factory sights were dead on @ 3 yds and shot POA.
Fit and Finish: The M9 is a beautiful weapon. Nothing else looks like The M9/92. It has a very dark black finish. The frame to slide fit is rather tight.The Beretta action rivals any pistol I've owned. It feels the like the slide is ridding on ball bearrings.
Take down/cleaning: Well its about as simple as it gets. No issues there except... with oily hands this sucker pinched me as I lost my grip and caught the palm of my left hand as I reassembled the weapon.
The M9 is a great value at $550. If you have not shot a M9/92 give it a try. They are one of the most misunderstood and underrated pistols that I'm aware off. Caliber debates aside look at the ballistics. 9mm Speer GDHP 124 grn +p delivers 410 ft/pds @ the muzzle w/ 1220 fps. I'm comfortable with that knowing I have 18rds ready to go. If you like DA/SA autos the M9 has a lot to offer. I/m really impressed with the M9 platform so far and I'm looking forward to spending a lot of more time with it. I'm always hesitant to recommend entry level 1911's to folks looking for a defensive pistol (due to feeding issues with HP ammo). So to reiterate, I'm glad I traded my dusty mil spec for the M9. Let the fun begin.

[BBossman]

I own both 1911's and Beretta's. I appreciate both but prefer the 1911.

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[Bigun]

Put a Dmodel main spring and the double action pull will drop to about 9 lbs, S/A will be at or just below 4lbs and reliability will remain the same. I love the beretta 92 series and they feel like they were made for my hands.

[suffocation23]

I want to try the d mainspring. Any aftermarket grip recommendations?

[Sgt_Gold]

I want to try the d mainspring. Any aftermarket grip recommendations?

I like VZ's on most of my pistols. Really great 'grip' and feel and they look good. As to the 'D' spring swap, AFAIK the swap doesn't work on the newer plastic coated trigger. You may need to swap the trigger when you do the spring.

[BBossman]

The D spring is the main spring, has nothing to do with the trigger.

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[Sgt_Gold]

The D spring is the main spring, has nothing to do with the trigger.

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My bad, I was thinking about the trigger return spring. You do both and it makes for a competition grade trigger and reset.

[mkmckinley]

My M9 has some VZ grips with the golfball pattern and they're pretty great. The D spring is a must.

[Greg Bell]

The Beretta is a seriously under appreciated 9mm at this point. If you have the mitts, its as good as anything else.

[Pilot1]

The D spring is the main spring, has nothing to do with the trigger.

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The D spring mod makes the double action trigger pull significantly lighter, and makes the single action trigger pull a bit lighter. If you add the Elite II hammer, it also helps to speed lock up. For me these are great mods for the 92FS/M9.