As those of you dear readers who are familiar with either (A) my multiple handguns articles in this publications back in 2022 and 2023 and/or (B) my book “Five Decades of a Fabulous Firearm: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Beretta 92 Pistol Series—1st Edition published in September 2025, 2nd Edition published in March 2026—are already aware, I’m a shameless and unapologetic fanboy of Beretta handguns, and the 9mm Beretta 92 series in particular is my sentimental favorite firearm.
Judging not only by the age of the design, but also by the fact that roughly 3.5 million specimens have been produced to date, quite a few folks share my sentiments. So, what makes the Beretta 92 so popular?
Beretta 92FS. Image from 19FortyFive
Beretta 92X. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Beretta 92 and Yours Truly: A Personal Paean
I first fired a Beretta 92F back on Thanksgiving weekend 1989 at the tender age of 14; it was a rental gun furnished by the sadly now defunct Santa Anita Firing Range in Monrovia, California, which was the same range used for that one hilarious scene in the original 1987 movie in the Lethal Weapon film franchise.
It’s safe to say it was love at first shot—strictly platonic love, of course, so no Dr. Joyce Brothers jokes, please— as I was immediately enamored of the gun’s delightful accuracy, reliability, smoothness of operation, and aesthetic beauty.
Yours Truly is now the proud owner of three 9mm Beretta 92FS—one standard edition, one Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) U.S. Air Force commemorative edition, and one Second Decade U.S. Armed Forces 20th anniversary commemorative edition—along with an M9A1-22 in cost-effective .22 LR.
The Second Decade specimen—gifted to me in 2006—remains unfired in its presentation case, but the OEF pistol—purchased in 2002—and the standard edition—purchased in 2004—have easily had over 10,000 and 20,000 fun-filled rounds fired through them, respectively.
The only breakage I ever experienced was back in 2008, when the safety-decocker spring broke; the gun still fired and cycled reliably, and replacing the spring was an easy fix performed by master gunsmith T.J. Jimakas of TJ’s Custom Gunworks.
Between my time in USAF Security Forces, overseas private military contracting, and International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) competition, the Beretta has won me more marksmanship accolades than any other firearm. As my beloved nephew Ryan says, “That Beretta is your Old Faithful!”
Beretta 92X. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Beretta 92FS. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Beretta History in Brief
As for the Beretta 92’s worldwide popularity that goes far above and beyond Yours Truly’s personal story, the venerable reputation of its manufacturer has a lot to do with it.
Fabbrica d’Armi Pietro Beretta—headquartered in Gardone Val Trompia, Italy— is not only the world’s oldest gunmaker, but they’re the world’s oldest industrial firm of any kind, period.
In other words, they know what the heck they’re doing.
They date back to 1526, meaning that this year marks their 500th anniversary.
As their current slogan proudly declares, “500 YEARS. ONE PASSION.” The company made its first major impact—both literally and figuratively—by selling arquebus barrels that helped the Holy League defeat the Ottoman Turks at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.
As for the Beretta 92 series in particular, it was designed in 1975—coincidentally the same year that I was born, which probably explains at least in part why I’m such kindred spirits with it, heh heh—and first marketed in 1976.
Meanwhile, the Beretta USA subsidiary marks its own 50th anniversary next year, thus marking back-to-back-to-back big anniversaries for Beretta.
Beretta USA’s administrative headquarters are in Accokeek, Maryland, but the manufacturing facilities are in Gallatin, Tennessee, because the latter state has far friendlier gun laws.
In fact, as a thank-you gesture for writing my book, I was given a super-cool personalized tour of the Gallatin facility back on Halloween Day 2025!
The ‘92 was a traditional double-action (TDA) pistol from the get-go; however, it initially had a frame-mounted, non-decocking safety that permitted cocked-and-locked carry, like the TDA CZ-75 9mm, as well as legendary single-action (SA) semiautos such as the M1911 .45 ACP and the Browning Hi-Power 9mm.
However, in order to win more police and military contracts, it was eventually redesigned with a slide-mounted hammer-decocking safety, becoming the Beretta SB-F and then the Beretta 92F.
Thus, in 1985, the pistol made its biggest splash when, in its 92F iteration, it was officially adopted by the U.S. Armed Forces to replace the aforementioned M1911 as the standard-issue sidearm after the “Old Slabsides” .45 had served faithfully for 75 years.
Officially designated the M9 in American military parlance, the Beretta proved itself a worthy successor, serving until 2017.
Multiple military and police entities worldwide also adopted it.
Stateside, it was used by a multitude of law enforcement agencies, most notably Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD).
Beretta 92, Film Star
The gun also gained cultural icon status through its use in multiple action-adventure films, most famously in “Die Hard” and the aforementioned “Lethal Weapon,” where Bruce Willis and Mel Gibson wielded it, respectively.
The same individual pistol was used for both movies and now sits at the National Firearms Museum on the grounds of the National Rifle Association (NRA) headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia.
Since I conveniently live within easy commuting distance of that museum, Yours Truly was lucky enough to get some recent photographs of that movie-star gun.
Want Your Own?
Well, of course you do, duh!
Beretta USA’s online catalog currently lists the Beretta M9 at a starting suggested retail price of $479.00.
Meanwhile, amongst the many super-cool products I got to see during my factory tour was a Beretta 92SB Repro, which, as Mr. David Armistead, the company’s Manufacturing Manager, described to me as “something we wanted to get back to give back to the Beretta fans that are out there.
We’re making 1,526 of them, at a suggested retail price of $1,526.00, in homage to Beretta’s birth year.”
About the Author: Christian D. Orr
Christian D. Orr is a Senior Defense Editor. He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (with a concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU). He is also the author of the book “Five Decades of a Fabulous Firearm: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Beretta 92 Pistol Series,” the second edition of which was recently published.
