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While most shooters mistake the Beretta M9 and M9a1 as one weapon, their primary differences lay on their outer surface and build as their mechanical alignment and functioning are similar. This article aims at shedding light on the few differences observed between the two.
Well, there is not much to differentiate between them; the few differences that I came across in my research were not one you may ignore. Even the slightest curve in a handguns stock builds holds a significant effect on its performance. Before diving into these aspects, let us first take a look at a general overview of these Beretta products.
Beretta M9

The Beretta M9 is an Italian made semi-automatic pistol explicitly designed for 9mm. It is among a long catalog of 9mm Beretta handguns and ranks among the top sellers and most favored in the shooting genre. Its popularity mostly lies in the fact that the US armed forces adopted it as the official side firearm during the ’80s. Because of this, we saw them being a preference for most law enforcement officers in the modern world.
The internal engineering of this handgun features a short recoil accompanied by a single or double action mechanism. Its magazine capacity is 15 of 9mm rounds, which is standard for a day to day handgun user. Its design accommodates both left and right-handed shooters with a reversible magazine release button correctly positioned for the two types of shooters.
The Beretta M9 is also a perfect option for personal or home defense since it is among the most reliable firearms from Beretta. All of its parts are 100% interchangeable, with a wide variety of replacement parts available. Its flexible nature also simplifies its maintenance even when on intense conditions.