I recently picked up a 92FS because I fell into a little play money and have always thought they were a beautiful pistol.
I'll be the first to agree that in the last 25+ years polymer has earned a proven track record for offering a firearm that is both lightweight and tough. Heavy duty use in law enforcement and the civilian market have gone a long way to offer some empirical evidence to the merits of polymer over something like aluminum alloy.
That said, I don't see how spending a single taxpayer's dime on a new pistol trial would be money well spent. The M9 is good enough for it's role in modern warfare. It's accurate, robust, easy to service, reliable, etc. It's certainly not cutting edge, but it is far from obsolete. It may not be the "best" service weapon out there, but I think it is a viable tool and has been for the last almost three decades.
From a civilian standpoint, I think the Beretta is incredible. It's got sleek lines, a formidable profile, and shooting standard 115gr ammo feels like popping off a .22. I tend to prefer DA/SA guns in my house for the added safety. I have a young daughter who knows not to touch a gun, but I feel much better about having that 12lb first pull on that heavy chubby gun. Much tougher for a little hand to be able to get it to fire. Furthermore, I rather like the safety/decocker. I will always prefer the typical down-to-fire on a gun where I use the safety, but on the 92fs I like the way it deadens the trigger and is a little tough to engage. Like most people, I don't carry it with the safety on. I simply use it for transport and storage. It makes it safer to take in and out of the bedside safe or truck console, and, once again, is one more doohickey that my daughter would have to actuate in order to get it to fire if I am stupidly negligent in leaving my safe unlocked for some reason. I don't think I would ever engage it while reloading. I generally slingshot, but that large slide release is really easy to use. I just drop the slide using that instead. No problem.
The 92FS isn't a gun that you can ride all day and put away wet (or dry in its case). It's not a Glock. Most things aren't. You have to be mindful of it. Preventive maintenance like inspecting and replacing the recoil spring is key. Take a look at the locking block every so often. Run it wetter than normal. It's a beautifully reliable and lovely pistol that will last for a very long time if given even the most basic of care and attention. It's certainly not the easiest gun to CCW. I've pretty much given up on carrying it as such. It's an HD, truck, and range gun for me mostly. I've got a nice comfy kydex holster for it that it carries in and draws from quite well. I've also got a couple of pancake holsters that will conceal it if I were a good size over-shirt or a jacket. I'm going to dabble with making an IWB holster in the next couple of weeks, but I think it's just going to end up being an exercise in proof of concept. It really is a thick heavy gun which I probably won't carry short of stomping through the woods.
I am a 1911 guy. I love the platform and shoot it better than any other type of pistol. That said, dare I say it, my 92FS oozes just a little more soul than my Springfield. Both are gorgeous pistols in my eyes, though. For the price point, I think they are a fine gun and an important part of our military history. If you like big, heavy 9mm's, it's hard to be the 92, IMHO.
