Is the Beretta 92 Still Relevant? Double action/single action all-metal pistols are no longer in vogue. Once the Beretta M9 pistol lost the U.S. military contract to a polymer single-action striker-fired pistol, the Tackleberry types moved on to the next high-speed, low-drag gear. I wonder if this is how the hardcore 1911 fanatics felt back in the 1980’s when they were sent out to pasture and replaced with modern hardware fresh from Italy.