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1975
After
five years of study and testing, the Beretta
Model 92 pistol, chambered for the 9 mm.
Parabellum round (cal. 9 mm. Parabellum = 9 mm x 19 = 9 mm.
NATO), was unveiled. It marked the beginning
of a new generation of military pistols
designed to satisfy all safety, reliability
and endurance requirements of modern law
enforcement and military forces.The most
significant characteristics of the new design
were: a light aircraft‑quality aluminium
alloy frame which resulted from over 30
years of Beretta metallurgical experimentation,
open slide design in the Beretta tradition,
ease of disassembly and maintenance, a high
capacity (15‑round) staggered magazine,
and an exceptionally smooth double action
coupled with a particularly strong hammer
system. This combination of features, and
performance characteristics insured the
success of the new pistol.
The superiority of the new Beretta 92
over competing pistols was soon borne out
in a series of tests conducted by the Brazilian
government, which adopted the Beretta Model
92 for its armed forces.
1976
Italian
police forces expressed interest in adopting
the new Beretta pistol. For reasons
of training and operational safety, the
Italian police requested a modified version
of the 92, incorporating a hammer drop safety
mechanism which rotates the firing pin away
from the hammer's action.
1977
This
version of the 92, renamed the Model 92S,
was adopted by the Italian state police
and subsequently by the Italian Carabinieri.
These new Beretta pistols replaced the Model
34 cal. 9 mm. short and Model 51 cal. 9
mm. Parabellum pistols being used by these
corps.
1978
The
U.S. Government's Joint Service Small Arms
Pro gram QSSAP) requested the United States
Air Force to conduct a series of comparative
tests of standard 9 mm. Parabellum pistols
produced by leading pistol manufacturers
worldwide.The objective of the test was
to select a 9 mm. replacement weapon for
the aging Colt 1911 Al .45 cal. pistol.
1979
Beretta
submitted its Model 92S‑1 (a 92S with
reversible magazine release in the trigger
guard, ambidextrous safety lever, grooved
frame to improve the grip, and larger sights)
to the U.S. Air Force for testing.
1980
While
these American tests were being carried
out, Beretta made use of valuable operational
experience gained by working with other
police and military forces to develop a
new prototype pistol with an additional
safety feature: the automatic firing pin
block. The new firing pin block system constantly
engages the firing pin to prevent an accidental
discharge. The firing pin block system can
only be released by pulling the trigger
all the way back. Thus, the Beretta 92SB
was born with new feature added to the improvements
already made in the 92S‑1. At the
end of 1980, the official results of the
American testing program were announced.
The Beretta 92S‑1 was judged best
by a large margin over numerous other 9
mm. models. These included the Colt SSP
(stainless steel), Smith & Wesson 459,
FN DA, FN FA, FN High Power, Star M28, Heckler
& Koch P 95 and VP 70.
1981
The
new Beretta 92SB replaced the earlier 92S
version in the deliveries to police forces
and Carabinieri. In the meantime, many state
police forces in the United States, stimulated
by the extraordinary results of the American
Military tests, made the decision to adopt
the Beretta 92SB pistol. A new compact version
of the 92SB featuring reduced length, height
and weight was developed and designated
the Model 92SB Compact This slightly smaller
version of the successful Model 92SB was
also chambered for 9 mm Parabellum. The
Beretta Model 98, chambered in 7.65 mm Parabellum,
was also made available for sporting use.
As the long‑waited
results of the exhaustive U.S. Air Force
pistol test were announced and officially
accepted by JSSAP, the U.S. Army criticized
the validity of the testing procedure, insisting
that the Air Force used the wrong type of
"mud" and committed other errors
which resulted in a favourable recommendation
of the Beretta pistol. As a result the Department
of Defence (DOD) requested that the U.S.
Army carry out a new series of tests following
an extremely rigid test program. These tests
were so severe that at the end of the competition,
all weapons tested were rejected. Even under
these conditions, the Beretta pistol was
again proven to be the best of the group.
The Connecticut State Police adopted
the Beretta 92SB in 1981, 4 years before
the US Army. No other major US city or State
police force adopted the Beretta before
the US Army did so.
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Mod.
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