The Firearm Blog

American Tactical Imports are now selling the MKEK Yavuz 16 branded as the ATI AT 92.

American Tactical AT 92. Full size model.

If you are thinking that this pistol looks familiar, you are right. The Yavuz 16 is a copy of the Beretta 92FS (M9 pistol). It is made by the Turkish state-owned arms manufacturing giant MKEK. I was told that the story behind the pistol is that one of the MKEK factories did manufacturing work for Beretta. Once their relationship ended, which I presumed did not end well, they cloned it and started manufacturing it for local law enforcement.

Some years ago Beretta switched the guide rod and trigger from steel to polymer. The AT92 is all steel, which should please some customers.

AT 92 Compact Nickel Finish

It is available in a black or nickel finish and in a full size and compact model. Because of BATFE restrictions on the size of imported pistols, the compact is not much smaller than the full size model.

Many thanks to Chris for supplying information.

UPDATE: Dutch Ton pointed out in the comments that these guns are manufactured by a company named Yavuz 16, which is part of MKEK.

Hat Tip: Gun Reports

I was under the impression that the military had given up the idea of replacing the M9. Apparently not, according to Military.com:

The Air Force had asked for $90 million in the 2007 supplemental to buy new, more powerful pistols. Instead, congressional negotiators appropriated $5 million for a joint study on a new combat pistol, with the Army as the lead agent.

The US Army and Navy have recently purchased more M9 pistols.

More here.

Following the recent purchase of 10,000 M9 pistols by the US Army and Navy, Beretta has announced a new multi-year contact to supply the Army with another 25,403 M9 pistols.

From the press release

Beretta has just announced that it has been awarded a multi-year contract by the U.S. Army to deliver M9 pistols to servicemen and women as part of the U.S. Government commitment to ensure the operational safety and readiness of U.S. Armed Services worldwide.

The contract is for 25,403 M9 pistols with deliveries starting in June 2008 and continuing until February 2010. The U.S. Army also reserves the right to purchase additional M9 pistols as needed to meet their needs. All of these M9 pistols will continue to be manufactured at the Beretta U.S.A. facility located in Accokeek, Maryland.

According the Guns Magazine the US Army and Navy have purchased 10,576 M9 pistols (I do wonder how they come up with these exact numbers).

Beretta USA received purchase orders from the US Army and US Navy for a total of 10,576 M9 pistols (5,969 for the Army, 4,607 for the Navy). The purchase orders were issued against a multi-year contract between Beretta and the US Army, which serves as executive purchasing agent of the M9 pistol for all branches of the US Armed Forces.

So the M9 is not going anywhere in the near future.

“The Beretta M9 pistol remains the most reliable and well-tested handgun in the US military inventory, with tests resulting in an average of only one malfunction every 20,500 rounds fired.”

Apart from the special forces it is the only pistol, isn’t it?

According to wikipedia the last big order was in 2006 for 70,000 pistols.