Beretta’s upgraded pistol, which was designed to be used by U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan, is now available to the public.
The sand-colored 9mm semiautomatic, which can hold 17 bullets rather than the standard 15, is available to civilian buyers for just over $1,000.
The M9A3 was specially made for soldiers serving in grueling desert climates and is sand-resistant, to make it less likely to jam in dusty climates.
Upgrades from the former M9 model include a threaded muzzle with a protector, new thinner wrap-around grips and sides that are dovetailed in front and behind.
There are also some small internal changes that the gunmaker claims will reduce the cost.
The pistol has an extra-large grip that can be clipped over the handle to accommodate large hands.
The Department of Defense has yet to decide whether to switch to Beretta’s upgraded gun or reject the Italian company in favor of one of its competitors, according to Ubergizmo.
The Army has put out a request for a new pistol, asking gun companies to submit their designs by January 28.
It has specifically requested a pistol that can fire hollow point bullets, and that can use silencers.
Hollow-point bullets expand when they enter the body, in order to disrupt more tissue as it travels.
But while the DoD might not be particularly interested in the M9A3, civilians definitely are.
‘Drooling over the new Beretta M9A3,’ wrote one user on Twitter.
Another added: ‘Oooo baby that is so fine #m9a3.’
Beretta has been the U.S. military’s official supplier of sidearms since 1985, and has been a military gunmaker since 1526, when it supplied cannon barrels to the arsenal of Venice.
It is currently contracted to deliver up to 100,000 M9 pistols until 2017.
Although some early guns came from Beretta’s plant in Italy, the vast majority of M9s have come out of Beretta’s Accokeek manufacturing plant in Maryland.
All the company’s manufacturing operations, however, are being moved to a new facility in Gallatin, Tennessee.
