This is a highly desirable example of a Beretta Model 92F pistol that has been factory modified with an external slide lock and an extended barrel for use with the Knight's Armament Co. Vero Beach manufactured 9 mm Snap-On silencer. A very limited amount of these were ever released for public sale. This design of pistol was originally developed in the late 1970s at the request of the Navy, and then later on, after the U.S. Army contract was awarded, a small number were supplied to the Navy for testing. The modifications to the basic M92F pistol include a one-piece yoke attached to the underside of the pistol, held in place by two screws at the front end (one on each side) that allow the rear end to swing up and down. At the rear of this yoke mechanism is a locking lug that when pushed upwards engages into corresponding notches on the lower edges of the slide. This prevents the slide from cycling when the pistol is fired which makes it much quieter and does not allow shell casings to drop on the floor. Based on and very similar to the original concept used during Vietnam on the silenced S&W Model 39 pistols, a.k.a. the "Hush Puppy" as the Navy SEALs used them to eliminate guard dogs. As noted, the pistol is also fitted with an extended barrel that is approximately 5 1/2 inches long, designed for use with the KAC suppressor. There are several references to this pistol design and KAC suppressor (silencer) noted on pages 303-305 in the book "The U.S. Military Automatic Pistols 1945-2012" by Meadows.

Also known as the XM-9 in military service, the Snap-On silencer is designed with a spring loaded quick mounting system compatible with the Beretta in this lot, and with a bead front and notch rear sight set on top of the tube, as the Snap-On comes up high enough to obstruct the standard pistol sights. A relatively early design, the Snap-On uses rubber wipes to contain waste gas, with the bullet punching through the wipes on the way through. For ease of use in the field, the expendable components are all contained in a single module, which can be rapidly removed and replaced. About 2/3rds of the interior of the silencer acts as a single expansion chamber. Dimensions are 5 1/2 inches long and 1 1/2 inches in diameter, with "MFG. BY KNIGHT'S ARMAMENT CO./VERO BCH, FL./9MM SNAP-ON/SER. NO. BER055199Z" marked on the tube, matching the pistol. Includes sixteen extra rubber wipes contained inside the hollow end of the silencer tube.