PAMAS G1S: France's Licensed Beretta M9, Built With Its Own Rules
A rare French-made Beretta variant gets a hands-on look in a video from Mrgunsngear Channel, which covers two serial-sequential PAMAS G1S pistols imported into the U.S. in a limited batch through Nice Guns.
Snapshot
The host walks through the PAMAS G1S, a Beretta 92/M9 pattern pistol built in France under license and issued to French military and police. He argues some of its contract-mandated changes, particularly the decocker-only control, actually improve on the standard M9 setup, making it an interesting piece for military collectors rather than a practical upgrade for everyday carry.
Key points
- Origin and rarity: Mrgunsngear Channel explains France adopted this Beretta-licensed design after reviewing publicly available U.S. M9/P226 trial data, with production estimated at over 100,000 units, though very few have legally entered the American market.
- French-made components: The grips are MAS-manufactured and marked, and according to the host they contain embedded RFID tracking, while slides and most parts were produced entirely in France under Beretta license.
- Decocker-only control: France's contract required a decocker-only system rather than the M9's safety/decocker lever, which the reviewer says is the superior configuration for nearly any shooter.
- Full-power hammer spring: Unlike the lighter 16-pound spring found on Beretta 92G-style decocker guns, the PAMAS kept the full 20-pound M9 spring, which the host attributes to a French preference for reliable ignition.
- G1S designation: The "S" marking ties to the same slide-cracking concern that affected early U.S. M9 testing, addressed here with a safety modification noted on the slide itself.
Quick take
Mrgunsngear Channel frames the PAMAS G1S as a mechanically familiar but historically distinct cousin of the M9, worth seeking out mainly for collectors interested in NATO small arms history rather than shooters looking for an everyday Beretta.
Watch the full video: Mrgunsngear Channel