--- title: "The US Army Is Ditching The M9 Beretta Pistol — Here’s What Could Replace It" date: "2018-04-02" modified: "2020-10-21" authors: - name: "Paul Szoldra" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/paul/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/army-replace-beretta-m9/" categories: - "Army" - "History" - "Tactical" - "Weapons" --- # The US Army Is Ditching The M9 Beretta Pistol — Here’s What Could Replace It ![]() ![]() *Photo Credit: US Air Force* --- The U.S. Army is ditching the M9 Beretta pistol as its primary sidearm, opening up an opportunity for gun manufacturers to pitch what may [replace it in a soldier's holster sometime soon](), CNN Money reports. "It's a total system replacement — new gun, new ammo, new holster, everything," Daryl Easlick, a project officer with the Army's Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, Ga., [told]() Military.com in July. A request for proposal to manufacturers goes out in January, and Smith Wesson, General Dynamics — and yes, even Beretta — have announced their intent to compete for the contract. Making its Army debut in 1985, the 9mm Beretta replaced the the .45 caliber the Army had used since 1911. So what's next? There are plenty of options, but according to Military.com, the competition will assess higher caliber pistols that shoot .357 Sig, .40 SW and .45 ACP. ![]() Although we don't yet know specifics of gun design proposals, we do have some idea of what's to come. [According]() to UPI, Smith Wesson and General Dynamics have already teamed up to build a new pistol based off Smith Wesson's MP platform. Looking back at the contract war in the 1980s that Beretta eventually won, there may be some of the same players giving it another try. Back then, Sig Sauer pitched what would later become the P226, while Walther submitted its P88, [according]() to Defense One. ![]() Another option might come from Glock in the form of its [Glock 21]() or some other variant. The polymer-based pistol has become a staple of police departments across the U.S., so it's quite possible the company may throw its hat in the ring. My vote however, for the best sidearm, would be the chainsaw. But that's just me. ![]() ## Author After serving nearly a decade in the U.S. Marines, Paul created [Duffel Blog](), a site often called "The Onion of the military." Before joining WATM, he reported on defense, tech, and breaking news as the west coast editor for Business Insider. You can learn more [at his website.]()