NICE weapon but is it a Beretta?
Being a Beretta 96 FS owner for the last decade, the idea that the military would do something better with a side-arm than the M9, a good pistol but one with not enough power to stop what an M1911 did with one, tops 2 shots, but less .45's in the mags. Personal experience of 7 years issued the M9/Beretta 92-FS and later as a U.S. Army (medic) retiree/Vet the better for my needs (same basic build) higher caliber weapon the Centurion, 96-FS, with maybe 5K rounds thru it to date, was what I wanted knowing how to use, fire & maintain the M9 as well as the M1911A1 I was issued prior to getting the M9 from our armories in 1990. I knew the gun well, but I wanted one with a .40-Cal punch. The 45 model was just too big and packed a hefty kick, not great if I wanted to shoot 400 rounds in 1 day of range fire and a real problem for concealment.
Not going to fuss about what works for me vs. what seldom brought down a charged-up Iraqi Republican-Guard without a good single head shot or 3-6 ball 9mm rounds close-in as in 20-30 meters (body shots) from still moving, still alive, still shooting back and still VERY dangerous pro-soldiers who had spent most of the 1980's fighting fanatical Iranians troops toting ex-Soviet arms. In the 1st 24 hours of that 100-hour ground war (most of) the Iraqi RG's were not scared of us, Saddam had convinced them they were the 4th largest army on the planet with lots of equipment and they had just defeated Kuwait to bolster their egos. I guess copies of Janes © were not making it to them! That fear kicked-in by day 2 when they found out what combined armor that out-ranged their best T-72's, arty, MLRS, total air anything and stand-off killing meant, very unlike the trench-style warfare of fighting Iranian troops for a stalemate of millions dead on both sides left them with a WWII concept of warfare. The Iranians did not have an option to retreat or surrender c.o. special units who drove them on or shot them down if they flinched or fled. The Iraqis had their own version of those deserter/coward control death-squads (Saddam's political cadre) who stayed VERY busy by day 3 when whole Iraqi conscript Brigade's were surrendering to reporters or cooks! By the 'Highway of death' route out of Kuwait CNN coverage, carnage even we figured out they were long beyond fighting until we saw what Nazi-type of 'fun' they had had with Kuwaiti civilians and we still hated them for being evil by deeds that went WAY beyond war into personal and sickening perversions; raped, tortured and crucified women & kids will leave an impression on even chaplains, and few wept for the crispy-critters in stolen Jags loaded with every luxury U could think of, but world opinion and even fellow Muslim allies said we had gone too far when 60 miles from B-Dad it all just stopped in the haze of still burning oil wells and the confusion most wars end up winding down into. My medics hated the M9 but had no other option but to use them or as most did, find an M16 or AK-47, plenty of those + ammo + mags all over the place by day 2, and 7.62 rounds were and still are better knock-down rounds for CQC out to around 400 meter kill shots, no one wanted EPW's to slow them down but all our units took them, with a few ignoble SNAFU's the allied Muslim nation's troops favored who deployed with us, and we seldom stopped what Muslims do to Muslims they capture, 'nuff said! A Muslim POW camp was an infidel concept they allowed us to set-up, knowing every Iraqi POW we sent home was heading for a hole in the ground as a traitor to Saddam.
Got a new Beretta 40-Cal 96-FS in 1998 and it's my range-fire gun of choice & my @ home 1st grab, but just too big for year round total concealment for my tastes/desire to stay legal & out of jail!
You may want to take a look a this site, seems the Israelis put a spin and their stamp onto this Italian designed (?) original, if it ever was a spin-off of the Beretta inventory: Link Removed
Bul M5 pistol which states: "The M5 pistol was developed in 1991-92 timeframe by a private Israeli company called Bul Ltd. Manufacturing of this gun commenced in 1994 and ever since it became quite popular as sporting (IPSC and IDPA), self-defense and service weapon, used by numerous police and special military forces around the world, to include Latin America, Asia and Europe. Produced in a wide spectrum of modifications, Bul M5 pistols combine time-proven design and ergonomics of legendary US M1911A1 pistol with most modern materials and production techniques. Calibers range from 9x19mm Para, 9x21mm IMI, .38Super, .40SW, .45ACP."
Top of page says: "Bul M5 "Government" model pistol.", but I don't even think it's a Beretta? It sports some impressive specs, and if U got one for $470 when I paid around $750 in 1998 dollars for mine, I hope it serves you as well as my 2 Berettas did since 1990. You say it's it's also known as the 92FS. That is a Beretta M9 family pistol and folks may call it that but a 92 designation was and still is a Beretta build when Uncle Sam bought 'em & issued them to us. Any Beretta gurus want to correct me on that and I will learn from you not argue with the feedback.
Please do not think I am doing anything but trying to figure out what this nice pistol is, your posted picture sure looks like a Beretta 92-FS!
Regards,
Canis-Lupus
Save the Luger 9mm ball for range practice. 
