France's PAMAS G1S: a rare M9 variant with RFID grips, decocker-only fix

Most Beretta 92 content in the U.S. is about M9s and 92FS clones. This one is different: a genuine French military and police sidearm that almost never crosses the Atlantic, reviewed in detail by Mrgunsngear Channel.

Snapshot

Mrgunsngear Channel examines a pair of PAMAS G1S pistols, French-made under license from Beretta and built on the 92/M9 pattern, imported in a rare legal batch through Nice Guns. The host walks through how France adopted the design after relying on published U.S. military trials data, and argues the French contract changes actually fix some of the M9's known shortcomings.

Key points

• Origin: France adopted the Beretta 92 pattern in the 1980s after reviewing the same public trials data that led the U.S. to pick the M9, building the PAMAS G1S in France under Beretta license for military and police use.
• Decocker-only controls: The French contract required a decocker-only system instead of Beretta's safety/decocker lever, which the host says he prefers over the standard M9 setup.
• RFID grips and unique parts: The French MAS grips carry embedded RFID tracking chips, and the magazines, while standard 15-round Beretta pattern, come from a different production run than the U.S. military's problematic Check-Mate contract mags.
• G1S designation: The "S" marking traces back to the same slide-cracking concerns that shadowed early U.S. M9 adoption, addressed here with a modification stamped onto the frame.
• Rarity: The host estimates roughly 100,000 were produced, with many surplused to Ukraine, making this small imported batch unusual for U.S. collectors.

Quick take

This is a video for Beretta and military surplus collectors more than everyday carry shoppers. Mrgunsngear Channel makes the case that French contract requirements solved some real M9 complaints, even if the gun's value here is historical rather than practical over a new-production 92FS.

Watch the full video: Mrgunsngear Channel