The Beretta M9, officially the Pistol, Semiautomatic, 9mm, M9, is a 9×19mm Parabellum pistol adopted by the United States Armed Forces in 1985. Formally known as Pistol, Semiautomatic, 9mm, M9, the M9 was selected as the primary sidearm of the entire United States military in 1985 (N.E ). Developed in Italy, the M9 was selected in a series of often disputed trials, only narrowly beating out other contenders, because of its high quality and low price. It is essentially a military specification Beretta 92F, later known as the 92FS. Bearing the designation M9, the pistol and its 9x19mm cartridge quickly became the standard for all US forces. It replaced the dated M1911 as the standard-issue sidearm in US Handgun Trials during the 1980s (N.E ?). It is one of primary sidearms for the Alliance of Nations