
This goes a long way in providing you with a comfortable and safer shooting experience. You will appreciate the flat dark earth color, as it helps to keep the M9A3 cooler to the touch than that of an all-black handgun. Still, you’re going to be quite pleased with the performance and handling of this pistol.

For this reason, beginners may want to choose a different pistol as their first handgun. With that being said, newcomers will likely feel that the M9A3 is a bit on the heavy side. Whereas in the older models, the large grip made it difficult for them to carry and control. Furthermore, Vertec Grips are now featured, providing users with a much thinner handle.Īs such, shooters with smaller hands will have an easier time wielding this improved pistol. This eliminates the bulge found on previous grips. This was made possible with flat mainspring encasing. Thanks to a refined grip, anyone who has handled a 92 should find this to be much easier to carry.

Much to my surprise (and delight), the M9A3 gets a huge bump in ergonomics. But I can’t say they have been overly comfortable, either. Every one that I have handled hasn’t necessarily been uncomfortable. It’s never really been known for its ergonomics. If you’re looking for your very first handgun, the M9A3 likely isn’t it. Newcomers are welcome, but beginners may want to steer clear. It’s definitely a pistol for serious shooters. As such, the M9A3 needs to be handled with respect and moderate experience. Thanks to the M9A3’s refinements, those very same people now have a chance to try out the gun. But its aforementioned large size and bulky handle prevented them from doing so. Seasoned veterans will appreciate the refined upgrades to this handgun, while newcomers will find them to provide a perfect opportunity to try out the fabled M9 pistol series.Īs a handgun that’s been featured in many movies and used by the United States Armed Forces, many people have wanted to try the M9. This makes the M9A3 more versatile and easier to carry. While it still maintains the same alloy used in the M9, it is slightly lighter in weight. Gone is the overly large grip, replaced with a thinner handle that is much easier to manage. The M9A3 is a moderate departure from the Beretta M9. But before I go and spoil everything, let’s take a moment to run through the specs of this mighty refined handgun. Īnd the awkward M9 safety? It’s now replaced with a decocker-only function.
BERETTA 9MM PISTOLS UPDATE
It reminds me of another great update of a classic handgun: Springfield 1911 Mil Spec. In its place is a much sleeker, thinner grip that makes carrying and shooting the M9A3 an absolute pleasure. Gone is the clunky, bulky, cumbersome grip that has plagued shooters for nearly half a century. For comparison of features you can check out my Sig P320 review. Refinements have been made in all the right places, delivering a truly excellent update on an old classic. The Beretta M9A3 does away with both of my (and many, many others’) complaints. And like most others who have spent time with the M9, the safety is awkward, to say the least. But I always wondered how much more comfortable I would feel with it had the grip been easier to wield. If you are looking for a more compact handgun from the same maker, check out this Beretta 92FS Inox Review. And that was always my number-one complaint with the M9. Its massively-large grip is enough to disqualify many a user from safely shooting it.

You see, the M9 certainly has its shortcomings. As you’ll soon learn, I was in for a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed my time with M9 for the most part, so I was confident that the M9A3 would at least be an improvement. With plenty of experience shooting the classic M9, I was beyond thrilled to get my hands on the M9A3.
