[funkychinaman]

Originally Posted by Yournamehere

Good use of a source. I knew that including mags and parts that Beretta won by cost, but I didn't know that with just the guns, the SIG was cheaper per unit. I wonder why SIGs are generally more expensive then.

While we're on the subject, I was also under the impression that Beretta also decided in favor of having a manufacturing facility in the U.S. whereas SIG did not at the time. This is of course why there are both USA and Italian made Berettas on the market. On the subject of magazines, Beretta was able to cut the overall costs by rejecting the Mec Gars they were going to include, and switching to magazines made by two companies called Check-Mate and Airtronics. Sadly enough, the magazines were finished poorly and included relatively weak springs and as a result made the M9s less than reliable guns. After 2006, Check-Mate changed the finishing from it's initial rough parkerizing to a spray on type finish to reduce friction in the mags, and they may or may not have changed the spring specs. I got one with my 92SB, and comparing the spring tension side by side with a relatively new factory magazine, I could find no strength difference.

There's a link to the original GAO report below, if you feel like plowing through a dry government report.

http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=20529