[brfurst]

Hi, first time here. I've read some threads and it sounds like this is a good forum. My 60 day old Beretta 96 Elite II after about 750 rounds has a problem with the hammer. While cleaning I tried a dry fire with the hammer cocked, the hammer wouldn't fall. I continued to clean the h-e-double hockey sticks out of it and it still happens about once every 10 dry fires. I like the gun, but - after only 60 days a problem? Anyone out there experience or hear of the Berettas having this as a common issue?
Brian

[Redhat]

Does it fail to operate in double action?

Were you cleaning inside the magazine well with brush?

[brfurst]

Double works fine, no brush antwhere near the mag. what are your thoughtd?

[brfurst]

Double works fine, no brush anywhere near the mag. what are your thoughts?

[Redhat]

If you clean inside the handle (magwell not the mag itself) it is possible to dislodge the trigger bar spring, which in turn stop the trigger pull from releasing the hammer.

It's easy to check, just remove the right grip and the trigger bar rides horizontally under it. The spring causes the trigger bar to rise up and engage the hamme for release.

Give it a look and let us know what you find. The spring looks like a hair pin more or less.

[brfurst]

Yea, I had it apart trying to maybe see if something looked haywire. I remember the "hairpin" you are referring to, it looked intact. I don't have the gun right now - sent it back right away. It's important to know that the hammer would fall correctly about 90 % of the time

[Redhat]

Were you dry firing with the slide removed and the hammer cocked?

Unusual for a Beretta to have any malfunction like this, especially with a low rouund count.

[brfurst]

I did, maybe twice or thee times, didn't feel good about it and stopped. This is my first handgun - I'm not what many of you seem to be - that's real knowledgable about guns - not a good thing to dry fire with the slide off?

[Redhat]

No it isn't. Steel hammer versus aluminum alloy frame.

Did you get a copy of the owners manual with the pistol?

[brfurst]

yes I did - ? not very enlightening