Pistol life expectancy

[sig83]

Ok, hopefully I ask this right. I have been looking to get a Beretta M9 and I came across this on their website.
• The average durability of Beretta M9 slides is over 35,000 rounds, the point at which U.S. Army testing ceases.
• The average durability of M9 frames is over 30,000 rounds. The average durability of M9 locking blocks is 22,000 rounds

I realize this number is just where testing stops. I also realize that standard military ammo is a little hotter than normal civilian ammo as well (124gr ball if I remember correctly) I read reviews of Glocks, 1911's etc... getting well over 50k+ rounds thru them. I currently shoot 100rds each week and if you do the math, would reach 30k rounds in 6 years. Is this just a CYA on Beretta's part? Or is the proper response...quit thinking, go get it and shoot the crap out of it.

[CHEMICAL]

A good gun should out live you and your children.

[Steve_NEPhila]

Ok, hopefully I ask this right. I have been looking to get a Beretta M9 and I came across this on their website.
• The average durability of Beretta M9 slides is over 35,000 rounds, the point at which U.S. Army testing ceases.
• The average durability of M9 frames is over 30,000 rounds. The average durability of M9 locking blocks is 22,000 rounds

I realize this number is just where testing stops. I also realize that standard military ammo is a little hotter than normal civilian ammo as well (124gr ball if I remember correctly) I read reviews of Glocks, 1911's etc... getting well over 50k+ rounds thru them. I currently shoot 100rds each week and if you do the math, would reach 30k rounds in 6 years. Is this just a CYA on Beretta's part? Or is the proper response...quit thinking, go get it and shoot the crap out of it.

Excellent question and a great way to think!

NATO 9mm is very hot stuff, a bit too hot in my opinion. The NATO load is an over pressured variant that would be similar to +P+. 9mm is already a high pressure round, no need to go all "NATO" with the pressure.

An M9 will last quite a long time if you shoot standard pressure ammo (usually a bit cheaper as well) and should last decades with regular maintenance (spring changes, inspections by a gunsmith every year or two).

Do not worry too much about the military tests, what they are trying to determine is if the device will last "x" number of cycles, and that is all. They are usually not testing to failure. If they were testing to failure many other factors would have to be considered like spring changes, part changes, heat cycling etcetera.

Buy and shoot until you are happy. Maintain it regularly (major springs changed every 3-5k rounds or three years, gunsmith inspections) and work on your craft...

[F16vipers]

I have no doubt that many of the M9s still in service have 50K or more rounds through them and still function. I would say those numbers Beretta gives are strictly for legal and liability reasons. Any weapon that's properly maintained should last for years. Glocks and Berettas are designed to be able to be fired everyday and stand up to the stresses involved. You might run into trouble if you were putting 100rds a week through a Taurus or another cheaper model. As long as you're buying an actual Beretta it should have no problem doing what you're asking it to do. Other than recoil springs you shouldn't need to replace too many parts either.

People like to talk a lot of shit on the M9 but from what I've seen it's a reliable weapon. If you would see the condition of the one's they use at Combat Arms Training at my base you wouldn't even expect them to function. But, they do and they still hit the target where you tell 'em to...

[johnfritz]

... no need to go all "NATO" with the pressure. ...

That is very funny.

[Rodolfo Fierro]

• The average durability of Beretta M9 slides is over 35,000 rounds, the point at which U.S. Army testing ceases.
• The average durability of M9 frames is over 30,000 rounds. The average durability of M9 locking blocks is 22,000 rounds

Would someone explaine what a locking block failure is. Are they refering to the slide stop?

[orionz06]

Beretta M9 or 92FS... $700, just to be safe

1,000 rounds of 9mm today, $200

35,000 rounds of 9mm today, $35,000...


So you will shoot $35,000 out of a $700 gun... Do you honestly think after spending that much money on ammo the price of the gun matters?

[synergy]

Beretta M9 or 92FS... $700, just to be safe

1,000 rounds of 9mm today, $200

35,000 rounds of 9mm today, $35,000...


So you will shoot $35,000 out of a $700 gun... Do you honestly think after spending that much money on ammo the price of the gun matters?

Don't forget range fees.

BTW, 35x200 would be $7000

[orionz06]

And beer afterwards...

[johnfritz]

... People like to talk a lot of shit on the M9 but from what I've seen it's a reliable weapon. If you would see the condition of the one's they use at Combat Arms Training at my base you wouldn't even expect them to function. But, they do and they still hit the target where you tell 'em to...

It's interesting that you bring this up. A moderator on one of the 1911 forums posted an opinion that steel frame pistols were significantly more durable than aluminum frame pistols. I made a comment that the M9 had an aluminum frame. He asked what that had to do with anything and I said the M9 was the replacement for his steel framed 1911's in almost all of our country's armed forces. Of course, the inference by me was that there is no difference in life span/durability between ferrous and non-ferrous material used in pistol frames.

But I don't really know that. I'm not a metallurgist. Or a gunsmith. I'm a purchasing agent. Who owns some guns. But doesn't it make sense though that a ferrous metal will stand up to more abuse than a non-ferrous metal when used for a pistol frame? It's a harder metal, right?

I have a few pistols that have aluminum frames (92FS, S&W 6906, EZ9) and I have never read one thing about the frames failing because of the material used in their manufacture. So is an aluminum frame a non-issue then?