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Posted: 6/26/2026 3:54:52 PM EDT
[Last Edit: osprey21][Edited]
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What handgun(s) are a match for the GWOT era? I am looking to make my A4 as an issued Army item, while the M4A1 SOPMOD Block II shall also be same era. Need get a CompM4 something and mount it, with a paracord "leash." |
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M9 in 99% of cases. It is the GWOT pistol. 1911s and g19s were an anomaly regulated to special operations and random unit outliers. ETA: I see your rifle is sopmod block II. I'll admit, I'm not up to speed on what is or isnt sopmod block II. I was a medium speed medium drag grunt that hauled an m4/m203 and an m240. |
To those who have gone before us. May we earn what they have given.
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Originally Posted By Andrewsky: If you get an M9 make sure it is one made in Maryland.   |
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I was USMC 87-91. USAF TACP 2001-2017. I shot the 1911 in boot camp 1987. Saw guys with the M9 during my time but never shot or carried it. Was issued the M9 2001-2017. I saw the M11 Sig P228 carried by a few Army officers in Iraq 2005. Afghanistan 2012-2013 I saw Army SF had the Glock 19 exclusively in my AO. M9 is the definite GWOT side arm. |
If U can't Truck It F!@k It!
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M9A1 was the best version of the M9 the military ever used. Marines picked them up in 2005 I believe? Took them awhile to hit the civilian market at full production and they were pretty sought after since Beretta only offered a rail on the Vertec guns for some time. Attached File They still do runs of them and sell for $700-$800. |
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Originally Posted By Retroguy2: What if I acquired the commetcial M9 with GI markings? Satisfactory? I’d avoid TN-made Berettas in general, as stated above. I’m sure some are fine. The commercial M9 isn’t marked exactly like a USGI M9 but the shape of the frame is correct, and that’s the biggest difference between a modern 92FS and an M9. The commercial M9A1 is literally the same pistol the USMC bought because they purchased commercial pistols so I’d recommend that (mostly because it has the rail). |
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Attached File |
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There are just a few true USGI M9’s in the wild. I don’t recall precise details but one of the military shooting teams got M9’s for team members that were actually transferred to the individual as personal property. Just a handful of these around. The other which is far more common ( but still pretty scarce) is a general officers pistol .once an officer makes general he/ she is authorized to purchase a general officers pistol from the government to become that officers personal property. These guns had fancy wood grips and a GO serial number prefix, but were otherwise identical to the regular issue guns. It may sound strange to us here, but many members of the armed forces are not gun people, and not all generals took the opportunity to buy a personal pistol In my time in Iraq (04-05) the only people I saw carrying pistols that were not berettas: SF guys and the not sure who they are guys in civilian clothes, with beards who never took sunglasses off. Those guys were often carrying beretta, but I also saw a lot of 1911’s, everything from stock USGI guns to guns with all the modern enhancements - bigger sights beaver tails etc. some looked pretty nice - can’t say for sure, but some looked like they could be semi customs like Wilson or les Baer. When I went to Afghanistan in 08, I never saw a pistol other than a beretta being used by any troops , even the SF guys we supported and shared a base with. I did have a lot of contact in my position with the security details assigned to the embassy and dignitaries and they were using glock 19’s. I wouldn’t get hung up on the gun being M9 marked, but to each his own. I have owned a few over the years, my fav was a nicely finished Italian made one. |
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Originally Posted By backbencher: Come again? The M9A3 was never adopted by the US military. Originally Posted By backbencher: Originally Posted By NN300BLK: You'd want a Beretta M9A3 and/or a Colt M45A1 clone. Personally, I'd go with the 1911 myself. Come again? The M9A3 was never adopted by the US military. Whoops, should have said M9. |
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Originally Posted By EncoreGolf: Curious why the 19 over the 17? Plus, didn't Delta use the G22? This is documented in this video:  History of the Glock 19 with U.S. Special Forces |
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For the OP here are two other interesting videos: Jeff Gurwitch is a retired Green Beret and these three videos document his personal experience with these handguns during the GWOT. (He also has really interesting videos documenting MP5, M4 and Mk18 use with Special Forces)  Post 911 History of M1911A1 in use with U.S. Special Forces  The pistol of GWOT, History of the M9 in Special Forces. |
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GWOT handguns? I served 2004-12. Beretta M9, SIG P226, and the less ubiquitous 1911 are the top 3 that come to mind. Though I did see the SIG M11 in Army CID use and a bunch of other outliers among the PMCs (Glocks, Walther P99s, HK USPs). I acquired a commercial M9 to compliment my M16A2 clone a dear friend built me. I am happy with that. |
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Originally Posted By EncoreGolf: Curious why the 19 over the 17? Plus, didn't Delta use the G22? Originally Posted By EncoreGolf: Originally Posted By Ruin: Most common would be the M9, M11, 1911, and the G19. Curious why the 19 over the 17? Plus, didn't Delta use the G22? Regarding the G22, yes they did however I never saw one. Considering our mission set it was M11’s for the most part. |
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Originally Posted By Retroguy2: What if I acquired the commetcial M9 with GI markings? Satisfactory? Yes. Your rifles sound like just general representations of issued rifles of the time. Doesn’t make a difference really where its made considering the markings will never be like the exact issue M9s anyway. It’s not like the markings on your rifles are 100% correct either. Just get an M9 and you’ll be correct. It’s what I carried as a medic in the Army from ‘02-‘04 while deployed. Never had any issues but I made sure I had Beretta made mags on me. Carried it in a Safariland 6004 on my leg. |
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Originally Posted By -OdieGreen-: M9A1 was the best version of the M9 the military ever used. Marines picked them up in 2005 I believe? Took them awhile to hit the civilian market at full production and they were pretty sought after since Beretta only offered a rail on the Vertec guns for some time. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/61399/IMG_5851_jpeg-3783031.JPG They still do runs of them and sell for $700-$800. IIRC it was 2006, they were a COTS purchase and still in LOGCOM stores as of at least 2020. To the OP's question, I was T/E'd an M9 on the one deployment I didn't get issued a Colt M4. There were some Glocks, P226's, P228/M-11, P239, various 1911s; but generally the answer to this question is going to be M9 (or M9A1 if you were a Marine...maybe). |
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Originally Posted By EncoreGolf: Anyone seeing sub $600 prices on commercial M9's anywhere that doesn't add a bunch of misc fees? Locked & Loaded is a bit above the 6 hundo mark. Best pricing that I could find in the past 90 days. The PSA deal at about 5 coupled with the now expired rebate was the time to FO. |
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Originally Posted By EncoreGolf: Anyone seeing sub $600 prices on commercial M9's anywhere that doesn't add a bunch of misc fees? Scored mine at a local pawn shop for around $450, practically NIB. Shiny feed ramp and virtually no cosmetic wear but no box and only 1 mag. Thankfully I had a bunch of Checkmate mags from my time in the Army. |
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For Big Army M16A4-go M9 For USASOC Block II you have several more choices besides M9 in M1911A1, G17 (not program of record), G19/G26, few M11s in Group MID and a few older KAC XM9 (suppressed). M17 came out as URGIs also replacing Block IIs especially with 10.3” Block II uppers as the 11.5” URGI didn’t start replacing till last year |
De Oppresso Liber
Iraq: 91,03,04,05,06,08,09,15,16,22-26'
Afghanistan: 09,10,11,14,17,-21'
Iraq: 91,03,04,05,06,08,09,15,16,22-26'
Afghanistan: 09,10,11,14,17,-21'
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Originally Posted By EncoreGolf: Curious why the 19 over the 17? Plus, didn't Delta use the G22? Yes CAG adopted G23 and SF CIF had G22s. Those and G17 COTs and not program of record. G19 program of record for compact handgun and G26 POR for subcompact |
De Oppresso Liber
Iraq: 91,03,04,05,06,08,09,15,16,22-26'
Afghanistan: 09,10,11,14,17,-21'
Iraq: 91,03,04,05,06,08,09,15,16,22-26'
Afghanistan: 09,10,11,14,17,-21'
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Originally Posted By dmk0210: To expand on what colklink said, SOCOMM tried to get the G17, but they were denied because the M9 was in already service and deemed suitable for the mission. So SOCOMM changed their requirements and stated they needed a concealable pistol (they do have non-uniformed covert and under cover missions such as bodyguard, urban covert surveillance, etc). The G19 was approved for that role. (Not sure why they weren't denied due to the M11 being already in inventory, perhaps higher capacity was a requirement) This is documented in this video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wET6SklVuucSIG had shut down M11 production and changed the pistol commercially and didn’t meet what operators wanted |
De Oppresso Liber
Iraq: 91,03,04,05,06,08,09,15,16,22-26'
Afghanistan: 09,10,11,14,17,-21'
Iraq: 91,03,04,05,06,08,09,15,16,22-26'
Afghanistan: 09,10,11,14,17,-21'