Does the military Beretta M9 shoot low by default?

I shot in a service pistol competition with a rack issue M9 a while ago. My score was a depressing 98/300. I noticed that the pistol was shooting quite low. I had to aim at the top of the black circle before I could even hit the black circle. Is this normal for an M9? I think I read somewhere that they are made such that the shooter has to cover the entire target with the front sight post, but I don't know if that's correct.

Correct. Most "battle" pistols are set up with mid circle or 12 oclock point of aim. Typically in the combat scenario you are aiming AT what you are shooting.

Right, most are set up with point of aim. This one seemed to be set up slightly higher than 12 o clock.

I have a civilian M9.  Before Roddy upgraded it, it shot in the 50y black mostly 9 ring size groups.  But I had to hold centre to be there.  This is off the shelf gun and ammo

All of the military M9’s I have shot of shot point of aim, point of impact.
Jon

The M9 I was handed off the rack was very loose. I shook it side to side in my hand, and I could hear the barrel rattle. The barrel had no blueing left on it. I could hardly stay on paper with it. But I'm also not used to M9s.

The last Small Arms Firing School for Pistol, I attended, the M9 I was issued shot in the ten ring at 25 yards. It did shoot to  where the sights were pointed, NOT a 6 o'clock hold.

I carried and qualified with the M9 for a lot of years and found it holds POA up to 25 meters.

JUST A THOUGHT. I'VE SEEN THIS A FEW TIMES. THE OVER TRAVEL OF THE TRIGGER IS LIKELY THE CULPRIT. AS THE SEAR RELEASES THE HAMMER THE HAMMER BEGINS TO FALL AND THE TRIGGER IS STILL MOVING, QUITE A LONG WAY TO THE REAR. IF YOUR USED TO A 1911 WITH MINIMAL OVER TRAVEL. IT WILL TAKE SOME TRAINING TO OVERCOME THE ISSUE. JP

Minimum over travel is overrated! Grip, aim, pull, bang!
Jon

That was a horrible match. I did worse in that match than the first EIC match I ever shot in. I didn't even hit the backboard for the first three shots. I really think the M9 is too big and clunky, and a low quality pistol. The military should have stayed with the .45 caliber 1911.

Don't have one anymore but I had one accurized by Roddy. I was impressed by the improvement. He explained that one of the things that were a must to do was lighten the hammer strike. From the factory they hit so hard they will force the nose down. A Victory also strikes super hard. That could have been the problem.

If you can stand a short story:

I bought a commercial 92FS because I was shooting and carrying them at the time (USAF).  I never got any kind of group from it, even though I was already a Master level competitor in BE.  One day we had a kind of show and tell and a friend wanted to try it.  He shot a ten ring sized group at 25 yards.  I went back to my home range and realized it really was a ten-ring gun at 25 yards out of the box.  I had just never thought it was.  50 yards was another story, which a new drop in barrel fixed.  It's now a ten-ring gun at 50 yards as well. I had added a trigger stop early on.