Why not sit back, wait and watch what happens? Let's all be polite and cordial in the meantime, and bear in mind the forum rules, of course.
It's not surprising that the M9 is sometimes apparently reported to exhibit a bit of a potential sensitivity when it comes to functioning in a sandy environment. Of course, nothing mechanical LIKES sand, when it comes right down to it.
I always chuckle when I see folks bruit about some of the so-called "torture tests" involving sand exposure/immersion ... and then think of the very same makes & models of pistols that come through our range, and often exhibit functioning problems the first time an empty magazine is simply dropped onto the sand covering the range, and then 'functioning problems' occur once some of the magazines are reloaded and continued to be used ... with sand inside them.
Wanna impress me with "torture tests"? Take 100-500 representative makes & models of the same pistol and subject them all to the same conditions, at the same time, in the hands of different shooters ... and then see what happens. Don't be disappointed if some may function without problems, and some exhibit functioning problems, under the same conditions. Things happen.
Anyway, I thought it interesting that the USAF has actually expressed a potential interest in a pistol chambered in either .40 S&W or .45 ACP.
It'll be interesting to see whether the variable grip dimensions, especially in some of the newer polymer-framed pistol platforms, permit a .45 ACP pistol to fit the anticipated needs of the various intended shooters/users. The smaller framed .40 S&W models may offer a better 'fit', but I guess we'll see what the USAF thinks about things, won't we? Presuming, of course, this actually proceeds and goes somewhere in the next couple of years.
Might be interesting to see what this does to ammunition availability and cost of either caliber selected, too, when it comes to civilian/commercial sales.
This wouldn't be the first time the USAF has initiated a trend in small arms procurement for our military forces, either.
Not as sexy as the SOCOM pistol subject, but it might turn out to have legs ...