The 92FS won a competition in the 1980s to replace the M1911A1 as the primary sidearm of the U.S. military, beating many other contenders and only narrowly defeating the SIG Sauer P226 for cost reasons.

The USAF opted to use .38 Special revolvers, which were also carried by some criminal investigation/military police organizations, USAF strategic missile (ICBM) officer crews, and military flight crew members across all the services when serving in combat zones, or when engaged in nuclear weapons duties.

However, they recognized that the decision was made for the purpose of eliminating the need to buy replacements for worn-out M1911 frames, and to establish a common NATO pistol round to simplify logistics (in the circumstance of war against the Soviet Union in Europe).

In 1979, the Joint Service Small Arms Program began searching for a replacement for the venerable M1911, and the 9×19mm Parabellum round was selected for compliance with a NATO Standardization agreement (STANAG).

In 1980, the Beretta 92S-1 design was chosen over entries from Colt, Smith & Wesson, Walther, the Star M28, and various Fabrique Nationale and Heckler & Koch models.

In 1984, the trials started again with updated entries from Smith & Wesson, Beretta, SIG Sauer, Heckler & Koch, Walther, Steyr, and Fabrique Nationale.

[14][15] The Beretta 92FS performed successfully in a number of survivability trials, which included: exposure to temperature ranges between −40 and 140 °F (−40 and 60 °C); salt water corrosion tests; repeated drops onto concrete; and being buried in sand, mud, and snow.

Additionally, the 92FS proved an MRBF (mean rounds before failure) of 35,000 rounds—the number often touted as the equivalent to five or six times the pistol's service life.

[citation needed] The Iraq War, which featured frequent urban and room-to-room combat, has required American soldiers to rely more heavily on their pistols.

The specific modifications made from the Beretta 92 includes: It also has an enlarged hammer pin that fits into a groove on the underside of the slide.

M9A1 pistols are sold with Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) coated magazines that were developed to better withstand the conditions of sandy environments in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

The Marine Corps Times reported plans in July 2007 for all officers below the rank of colonel and all SNCOs to be issued the M4 carbine instead of the M9.

Conversely, the U.S. Army concluded that the faults were the result of the low metal toughness present in the Italian-made slides.

[40] In 2007, soldiers in the field had many concerns with the M9, notably a lack of confidence in its stopping power[41] resulting from the use of the 9mm ball round, a significant factor in military evaluations because the Hague Conventions (1899 and 1907) prohibit use of expanding bullets in warfare between contracting parties.

After extensive testing and actual testimony given by the troops, it was concluded that the failures were caused by the heavy phosphate finish that were requested in the government contract, combined with the unique environmental conditions in Iraq.

[43][44] In December 2014, Beretta unveiled its M9A3 pistol upgrade for a separate Army effort to identify Engineering Change Proposals (ECPs) under its existing contract.

Improvements include: a thin grip with a removable, modular wrap-around grip; MIL-STD-1913 accessory rail; removable front and rear tritium sights; extended and threaded barrel for suppressor use; 17-round sand-resistant magazine; and other small features, all in an earth-tone finish.

[45] Later that month, the Army decided not to evaluate the M9A3 in favor of pursuing the MHS program, maintaining that the M9 design does not meet requirements, and a cost-benefit analysis determined the old fleet would cost more to replace and repair than buying a new service pistol.

Beretta claims the M9A3's upgraded features address a majority of the complaints, and could be sold for less than the cost of previous M9 versions.

[47] On January 19, 2017,[48] it was announced that a customized version of the SIG Sauer P320 had won the United States Army's XM17 Modular Handgun System competition.

In an editorial, firearms writer Bob Owens noted that "only the Sig Sauer P320, with a serialized core frame and the ability to swap different grip lengths and slide-barrel combinations, seems to meet the requirements of the RFP among the named designs".