This version of the Beretta M1951 was replaced around 1955 by the steel-framed "second series" model. (Although in 1975 and 1976, a small number of alloy-framed Beretta M1951s were made using the new alloy developed for the soon-to-be-released Beretta 92 pistol.) The "second series" Beretta M1951 was nearly 250 grams heavier than the alloy version, but the balance was improved. A special version of this "second series," the Egyptian Contract Model 951, was modified according to the wishes of the military of the Egyptian Arab Republic, who placed Beretta in competition with the Hungary's Tokarev to become its primary supplier of sidearms. The Egyptian Contract Model 951's particular modifications included larger sights, a simplified, narrower grip and an external thumb-spring magazine release, a departure from the push-button release in the lower-right grip of the M1951s. The Egyptians appreciated the Egyptian Contract Beretta Model 951's accuracy, power and uncanny reliability in desert conditions, and approximately 50,000 were produced. Despite intense pressure and incentives from the Soviet bloc, Tokarev's challenger, dubbed the "Tokagypt," was produced in comparatively small quantities.