# Thoughts about the M9A3



## Mr_Enfuego (Feb 2, 2020)

So I have been in the Military for 21 years now and have shot the 92FS model, so for my lady’s bday (who also was in the Army) I got her the M9A3, she loves it! What are everyone’s thoughts on it? Me personally, I’m not a big fan of it


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

I have owned 28 Beretta 92 variants over 20 plus years. Out of all of those - two of them shot a tiny bit better than the other 26... Not sure why - but as I just recently said on another forum... Mass produce enough identical items, some will inevitably be better than other in some form or fashion.

Those two that were better... One was a 92FS and one was a M9A3. I have owned two M9A3s. But, my first M9A3 was made in MD before they moved the plant to TN (the one I still have). It was from the very first batch they did prior to the move.

As many on various gun forums know me, I go thru guns like water... Always selling something to buy the next gun I wanted... And so on, and so on, and so on... Anyway, after a divorce and a ton of medical bills over the last 2 years - I do still have several guns. But, I only have ONE Beretta 92 variant at the moment. And, that is that first M9A3.

The M9A3 is the ONLY FDE handgun I like. And, it happens to be my favorite 92 variant.... hence, why I kept it out of all the ones I could have kept....

I shot it again about a month ago. The gun pretty much shoots itself. Fantastic gun. It is also my nightstand gun.


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## denner12 (Oct 14, 2017)

Shipwreck said:


> I have owned 28 Beretta 92 variants over 20 plus years. Out of all of those - two of them shot a tiny bit better than the other 26... Not sure why - but as I just recently said on another forum... Mass produce enough identical items, some will inevitably be better than other in some form or fashion.
> 
> Those two that were better... One was a 92FS and one was a M9A3. I have owned two M9A3s. But, my first M9A3 was made in MD before they moved the plant to TN. It was from the very first batch they did prior to the move.
> 
> ...


What Shipwreck said. As far as running a suppressor, it would be very hard to beat this pistol in my opinion. It's a smooth accurate operator and a great looker.


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## denner12 (Oct 14, 2017)




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## Mr_Enfuego (Feb 2, 2020)

I think the design of this pistol is a bit of a reach....meaning it looks like 50 shades of black legos glued together. I know when my woman first started to break it in, it was a constant thing of the 2nd to last round in every magazine not feeding properly


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

Mr_Enfuego said:


> I think the design of this pistol is a bit of a reach....meaning it looks like 50 shades of black legos glued together. I know when my woman first started to break it in, it was a constant thing of the 2nd to last round in every magazine not feeding properly
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


The vast majority of people have no issues with Berettas. Mine works 100%. Off hand, I would say that your issue would be a magazine problem. But, if it happened with every mag you had - that is odd. Has the problem gone away? Does it happen to anyone else shooting the gun, or just her?

As for the color - I assume yours was black? I don't have a black one, but of the black ones I have seen - they are all the same color

The FDE ones have different colors because it is very hard to get a consistent color in the aluminum anodizing in FDE. FN said as much when they did the FDE SCAR. That's why every batch they make comes out a slightly different shade. I used to have a second FDE M9A3. The frame had a slightly different color than the first frame I have did. And, they can't make the coating the exact same color either.

I think Sig just refinishes the entire gun in 1 color - in their ceracoat type finish - At the moment. I forget what Sig calls it. That is 1 way around the problem.

Many people like the multishade FDE color that the SCAR and the M9A3 has in FDE. I know that I like it.


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## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

Shipwreck said:


> The vast majority of people have no issues with Berettas. Mine works 100%. Off hand, I would say that your issue would be a magazine problem. But, if it happened with every mag you had - that is odd. Has the problem gone away? Does it happen to anyone else shooting the gun, or just her?
> 
> As for the color - I assume yours was black? I don't have a black one, but of the black ones I have seen - they are all the same color
> 
> ...


Yeah me too. I think it looks awesome.

As for Sig they have different color variations too and two different types of finishes. One that Sig calls a PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) finish. The other is nitron. Nitron is an ion bonding process. I have no idea how that works or is applied. I'm just guessing but I think it's similar to anodizing? Anodizing is an electrochemical process that converts the metal surface into a corrosion-resistant, oxide finish. It's used for aluminum. I imagine that ion bonding is that same type of process only for different types of steel. Nitron is much thinner than their PVD finish. PVD is a cerakote like finish. Cerakote is nothing more than a baked on type of paint.

MY P938 Legion on the left has a PVD finish on both frame and slide. My P938 Scorpion has a nitron finish on both the frame and slide. My P226 Scorpion in the second photo also has a nitron finish on both the frame and slide as does my P229. The P229's aluminum frame is black while the stainless steel slide looks like a real dark gray. My P220 in the third photo has a nitron finish on the frame and the slide is PVD. My P227 in the last photo has a PVD finish on both the frame and slide.

It's easy to tell the two different finishes. With the thicker finish (PVD/Cerakote) the details and edges are not as crisp for obvious reasons. As you can see on the P227 the PVD finish is two different shades. Same for the nitron finish. Just another guess but I think that the reason for that is how the two different metals both aluminum and stainless steel react to the ion bonding process.

You will note that the nitron finish on the frames of my P938 and P226 Scorpions have different shades of the same color. Both frames are aluminum. The slide colors are identical and the slides are stainless steel.

I'm guessing that the Beretta M9A3 uses a combination of the two different types of finishes? The slide looks like it's cerakoted while the frame and barrel looks like a nitron type finish?


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

The M9A3 frame is just regular military anodizing - no other finish on top. They just use a different dye instead of black, to have it goldish/FDE. The slide is ceracoated. The barrel is a different shade of FDE too - but I believe it is ceracoated as well.

The black M9A3 - I think it comes in the traditional Beretta black finish


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## dirtygary (Oct 5, 2016)

How do the two finished hold up? My understanding the FDE is easy to wear and scratch, but yet they are using it on the SIG M17. I don't mind normal wear and tear, but like my cars, I try to keep them looking good as long as possible.
Had a Beretta 92FS and it was great. Son has it now because I wanted him to have a good reliable pistol. Not sure why the M9A3 would be any different.


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## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

dirtygary said:


> How do the two finished hold up? My understanding the FDE is easy to wear and scratch, but yet they are using it on the SIG M17. I don't mind normal wear and tear, but like my cars, *I try to keep them looking good as long as possible.*
> Had a Beretta 92FS and it was great. Son has it now because I wanted him to have a good reliable pistol. Not sure why the M9A3 would be any different.


Yeah so do I.

As far as wear goes it doesn't matter what color the Cerakote or PVD is. Both are just as durable. Same for the different color nitron finishes. Unfortunately both are gonna' wear if the same gun is carried on a daily basis. A lot depends on the environment you're in and the holster you're using.

Obviously an all stainless steel gun with no finish is your best bet. As any scratches and wear marks can be polished or bead blasted out. Or a polymer framed gun with an unfinished stainless steel slide. Not all polymer frames are the same either. Some scratch easier and show more marks than others.

I've found that those polymer Sig frames scratch pretty easy. Not so much for Glocks, HK's and Springfields.

I've got a Sig M17 VTAC a P320 and a P365. All three slides have a nitron finish.


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## Mr_Enfuego (Feb 2, 2020)

Shipwreck said:


> The vast majority of people have no issues with Berettas. Mine works 100%. Off hand, I would say that your issue would be a magazine problem. But, if it happened with every mag you had - that is odd. Has the problem gone away? Does it happen to anyone else shooting the gun, or just her?
> 
> As for the color - I assume yours was black? I don't have a black one, but of the black ones I have seen - they are all the same color
> 
> ...


The pistol is black and after a thorough cleaning and lubing, we have experienced practically zero jams

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