United States Army Launches New Year With Purchase of 25,403 U.S. Made Beretta M9 Pistols

[rossana at comodinoposta.org]

Il distretto armiero bresciano va alla grande.

ACCOKEEK, Md., Jan. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Beretta has just announced that 
ithas been awarded a multi-year contract by the U.S. Army to deliver M9 
pistolsto servicemen and women as part of the U.S. Government commitment 
to ensurethe operational safety and readiness of U.S. Armed Services 
worldwide.
The contract is for 25,403 M9 pistols with deliveries starting in 
June2008 and continuing until February 2010. The U.S. Army also reserves 
the rightto purchase additional M9 pistols as needed to meet their 
needs. All of theseM9 pistols will continue to be manufactured at the 
Beretta U.S.A. facilitylocated in Accokeek, Maryland.

"Beretta is always honored to assist the U.S. Armed Forces in 
defendingour country," stated Jeff Reh, Vice-General Manager for Beretta 
U.S.A. Corp."The Beretta M9 pistol remains the most reliable and 
well-tested handgun inthe U.S. military inventory, with tests resulting 
in an average of only onemalfunction every 20,500 rounds fired. U.S. 
Government witnessed testing atour factory has confirmed this remarkable 
reliability." Mr. Reh added that,"Beretta U.S.A. Corp. has supplied the 
Beretta M9 pistol as the standardsidearm for the U.S. Armed Forces since 
1985 and continues to make investmentsin manufacturing capability, R&D 
and product development to serve the needs ofthe U.S. Military and 
Homeland Defense community. "

"We are proud to be able to provide the U.S. Armed Forces with a 
reliable,robust sidearm that will perform when needed to defend the 
lives of ourservicemen and women", said Elio J. Oliva, Vice-President of 
Sales andMarketing for Law Enforcement and DoD at Beretta U.S.A. Corp. 
"We understandthat the M9 is not a primary weapon system and that it is 
often used a weaponof last resort, in close quarters and under demanding 
conditions. When U.S.servicemen deploy their M9 in theater it needs to 
work. All 350 employees atBeretta U.S.A. understand the importance of 
this mission and remain committedto delivering the highest quality 
products to our Military", said Mr. Oliva.

"Each of our M9 pistols is test fired with proof rounds and tested 
foraccuracy at 50 meters", said Gabriele de Plano, Vice-President of 
ProductDevelopment at Beretta U.S.A. Corp. "We have continued to invest 
significantresources to improve the quality and already impressive 
performance andreliability of the M9 through the years. We have also 
developed newaccessories such as high-lubricity sand-resistant magazines 
to deliverimproved performance in the unique environmental conditions of 
the Afghan andIraqi theaters", added Mr. de Plano. Each Beretta M9 
pistol ships with15-round standard magazines and is designed to accept 
20-round magazines.

In 2005, Beretta U.S.A. Corp. received 13 contracts for M9 pistols 
andcomponent parts from the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps. Many of the 
U.S.Army purchases were multi-year contracts lasting five years, from 
which over$31 million dollars in purchase orders have since been issued 
to BerettaU.S.A. Corp.

In addition to the M9, Beretta U.S.A. has developed the M9A1 pistol 
whichincorporates various enhancements such as integrated Picatinny 
rail, enhancedgrip checkering and magazine well modifications to allow 
for quicker tacticalreloads. To date Beretta U.S.A. has supplied over 
4,000 M9A1 pistols to theUnited States Marine Corps.

About Beretta Law Enforcement:

In addition to producing the celebrated M-9 pistol, the official 
sidearmof the five branches of the US Armed Forces, Beretta also outfits 
lawenforcement and homeland security agencies across the United States.

Through its recently-launched Total Solution(TM) system, Beretta 
combinesthe strengths and core-competencies of every company within the 
BerettaHolding Group to provide optimal products and services to the Law 
Enforcementand Defense community. Beretta's Total Solution(TM) provides 
a complete arrayof products to suit diverse regional conditions and meet 
agency objectives andneeds. These include the polymer Storm family of 
products (Cx4 carbines andPx4 pistols), the Benelli line of shotguns, 
including the M4 Super 90, adoptedby the United States Marine Corps, the 
SAKO and Tikka line of sniper rifles,the line of shotguns and pistols 
offered by Stoeger, and the hi-tech line ofoptics manufactured in the US 
by Burris. Beretta also operates several armorerand tactical training 
schools across the United States. For additionalinformation, visit 
berettaLE.com.

About Beretta:

Beretta established in 1526, is the oldest industrial dynasty in the 
worldtracing its roots through 16 generations of continuous family 
ownership.Firearms bearing the Beretta name have been sold for almost 
500 years. BerettaUSA Corp. was founded in 1977 and supplies the 
standard sidearm to the U.S.Armed Forces. Today Beretta manufactures, 
distributes and markets a completeline of firearms, accessories and 
apparel. Beretta also owns and operates sixretail Beretta Gallery stores 
worldwide. For additional information visithttp://www.BerettaUSA.com

http://www.ibtimes.com/prnews/20080117/md-beretta-m9-pistols.htm