A Beretta slide failure is like the Glock KaBoom stories. Do they happen? Yes. Do they happen often? No.
I personally think there is a distinct difference in the military version, the American commercial version and, the various Italian variants floating around.
Anyone who has worked around miltary RFP's and contracts in general knows what I'm talking about. It's not about quality.
Minimum acceptable quality at the best price possible is a more general and more accurate thought that comes to mind. Please don't confuse military and civilian markets and the pistols made for them. I know from personal experience how different the military and commercial versions really are.
Am I huge Beretta fan? No. Why? Well .... I guess if I had not been fortunate enough to buy a Glock for my first center fire auto-loader and could have passed up that expensive SIG P226 a Beretta 92 would have had serious consideration. It's not that the Beretta is a bad pistol, it's more an issue of how it distinguishes itself from all the others. For a double stack double action 9mm, the SIG P226 fits more people better I think. The Beretta just seem too large. Is this size an illusion? The P226 just seems that much smaller. Also, until recently, there were real monetary issues involved. SIGARMS was viewed as the Rolex to most people and, Glock was the ugly duckling. When there was virtually no price difference in a Beretta and a SIG, most consumers (who are much more swayed by image and marketing) will choose the Rolex, even if it is slightly more expensive. While I liked the exposed barrel, I think most general average consumers did not because no one else had them - just one more thing to worry about.
Now, in today's market, Beretta has seen the light and offers a competitively priced double action double stack in all the popular flavors (DAO, DA..) and all the popular calibers (40S&W and 45ACP being recent additions). Why would someone want to switch from their tried and true SIG or Glock or Hi-Power .....? At ~$400 for current commercial versions made in the U.S., I think the consumer at large is served very well. Unfortunately, Beretta got competitive price wise when the 9mm double stack market died.
Another item that people tend to overlook is law enforcement sales. Smith and Wesson used to dominate but, now Glock has come on strong at S&W's expense. SIGARMS also has made strong progress in the law enforcement market. Beretta seems to pick up a few really large contracts here and there but, as I drive through various parts of the country and see police officers in diners and gas stations along my way, a don't see many Beretta's. Is this because a few L.A. gang bangers figured how to field strip them in a hostile confrontation? Don't know. Since most police are not concerned with concealed carry while in a squad car, I can't see that being an issue. Hmmm ... any police procurement officers around here?
I'm starting to wonder so, I'll close here,
Sid