The Beretta 92FS, a highly accurate 9mm handgun that's functional and safe

Its makers call it the world's most trusted military pistol.

And the Beretta 92FS is its latest incarnation, being demonstrated in the video above by Italian soldiers who provide close protection for VIPs.

The US armed forces used the design for many years, only recently replacing it with the SIG Sauer M17.

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It can be operated in double action mode, where pulling the trigger both cocks and drops the hammer, but can also be fired in single action mode for increased accuracy.

Beretta's 92FS is a semi-automatic 9mm calibre pistol that employs an open-slide, short-recoil delayed locking-block system, giving a faster cycle time to augment accuracy and reliability.

The open-slide design practically eliminates "stove-piping", where the ejecting case doesn't make it out of the way of the slide as it shuts – giving it flawless cycling and feeding even after thousands and thousands of rounds.

The magazine contains 15 rounds, and a reversible magazine release means you can set it up for whichever hand suits your tactical magazine changes.

An ambidextrous safety-decocker makes it exceptionally safe and gives shooters flexibility depending on their different grips and shooting styles.

This makes the weapon safe to carry, but ready to fire.

Its military spec Bruniton finish – Teflon over Parkerizing, which is a method for protecting steel – makes it highly resistant to sweat and corrosion.

And a tool-free disassembly latch makes it easy to disassemble for cleaning.