[xiphur]

EEEEEEEEE!! I feel like a little school girl:o I just bought my first handgun today. It's the Beretta 92 FS. I can't wait to go out and shoot it. My camera is broken so i can't post pictures:(.

The guys at the store gave me some pretty good advice though. He told me that since i was going to purchase my first hand gun, it really didn't matter which one (out of the three i wanted) i got. he told me that the more i shoot it the better I'll be able to judge how good the gun is for me. I figured that have to start somewhere and it might as well be with a gun that i like.

[mattw]

just wait until the day you buy your first 1911.. thats when the real trouble starts. I swear i really do want some different hand guns but I just can not keep myself from buying 1911s!

you made a good choice though, judging by your location you should have plenty of opportunities to use it and ammo will be plentiful for a 9 in cincinnati, ohio. Thats a rough city.

[Rexrider]

Congrats!

The 92FS is a fine handgun and a good first choice. The 92fs was my second handgun many years ago and I never had a problem with it. As a matter of fact, it was that 92fs that really sucked me into the world of firearms.

I do recommend Beretta factory mags over "generic" 92 mags. Although most of the non-factory mags work, there is a bigger chance of getting a bad one.

The only change I made to mine was to replace the grip panels with ones made by Hogue. The Hogue grip panels gave a more solid, tackier (for lack of a better word) feel to the handgun. You can get with wrap around finger groves but they make the 92 really bulky. I preferred the panels without the groves.

Be safe and good luck with it. Don't forget to stop back and give us a range report.

[KC&97TA]

My first handgun was a 92F, I sold it and bought a brand new 92FS over 20,000 rounds, not a single issue with it. I think it may have had 3 stove pipes off of re-load ammo. Never misses a beat off of WWB or Nato M882. I'm on the second recoil spring and still useing the plastic guide rod, had the trigger lightened a bit and put Crimson Trace Grips on it.

Just don't use the "military surplus asian made" magazines and you'll be good.



1911's are like some crazy drug... I have 3 of them now! If you buy one, you'll buy another, then decide that the first 2 are for different purposes and need a 3rd for something else and then maybe a 1911 of a different caliber and a compact model couldn't hurt and then all of those are blued or park'd models and I'd like to have a Stainless model... just like some crazy drug, LOL

[Ala Dan]

Congrat's on your purchase of a Beretta. I'm try'in too decide if I'm going
to be able too warm up to a new Beretta 90-Two. The jury is still out~!:eek:

[Lebben-B]

Congrats! Shoot straight and often. I might also recommend some formal training, if your budget and free time allow.

Mike

[Cousin Mike]

...so Congratulations! You purchased a fine firearm, and I'm sure you'll enjoy it. It's a great pistol to learn to shoot with, and a great gun all around. It should always stay in your posession. I sold mine almost 5 years ago, and haven't stopped kicking myself for it since. :fire:

By the way, these guys are right about 1911's. Handguns are addictive in and of themselves if you're anything like me, so it might be too late for you anyway. Welcome to the dark side! :evil:

Shoot as often as possible!

[Shipwreck]

The 92 is a nice gun - I have had a couple in the past - am now getting the new 90-Two - good gun :)

[Navy87Guy]

Congrat's on your purchase of a Beretta. I'm try'in too decide if I'm going to be able too warm up to a new Beretta 90-Two. The jury is still out~!

Have you shot one yet? I was favorably impressed when I tried one on Saturday at the Beretta Range Day. Probably not enough to run out and buy one right now --- but it could be in my future.

Xiphur, you'vre made a good choice. Like your dealer told you, use the gun to improve your shooting, learn what you like and don't like, then refine your future choices. There are lots of platforms out there and everyone has their favorite...you did the right thing by picking a gun that you like. You may find in the future that other guns suit your hands or your shooting style better, but the 92FS is a good place to start.

As far as the magazines, I would stick with Beretta factory mags or MecGar. Personally, I prefer the 17 rounds of the MecGar and they have an impeccable reputation (they used to be the OEM for Beretta mags before MDS).

Happy shooting!

Jim

[xiphur]

Yes i have shot the 92 before and I liked it. I have shot a few guns including the g-19, XD-9, Some .45's CZ 75 single action, and a .357 magnum. Now i can go to the range and shoot my own handgun.:) Oh and I saw some of those 17 round mec gars at midway usa for a decent price. Does that fit all the way into the gun or does it hang out a little bit? Saw some 20 and 30's from promag and triple K but I don't know how reliable those brand names are. wouldn't mind having one just for fun.

[taz-2005]

Nice gun. I love mine and will never part with it. Congrats. Remember guns are like potato chips, you can't have just one.

[holycrikey]

Yup, very good choice. I was able to shoot my buddie's 92FS, and I was impressed overall. Not for me, but a very well made firearm that shoots very well :) You'll enjoy it!

[gudel]

just wait until the day you buy your first 1911.. thats when the real trouble starts

yes, he's right. you'll be fixing it daily. :neener:

the 92FS is a fine gun, ultra reliable to boot. You will not be disappointed.

[mattw]

if you want to talk about having to fix a gun all the time just look at the 80s era M9s that the military used... slides cracking after 10000 rounds... failure of slide stops and resulting injuries to troops

[10-Ring]

Well done going w/ the 92fs! My 2 have been great performers over the years, there's nothing like the first time! :cool:

[medmo]

Nice choice on a first gun. I have a few of the varieties in the safe. I really enjoyed the 92SF when the USMC transitioned from the 1911 to the Beretta. I was a range coach and a PMI who was real busy for about a year straight. Yeah, they paid me to be on a shooting range all that time, nice huh? Those guns at Quantico took a lickin' and kept on tickn'. Each pistol had a record book and some went 15k+ rounds without a malfunction. Those pistols spent Monday through Friday from dawn to dusk sending rounds down range.

Don't tell me about broken slides, slide stops, injuries to who?, baloney, baloney...... Hell, I was there. Those son of a guns just kept on working.

[steveracer]

Those are good pistols, despite what I have said about them at my semi-annual quals with them. (I shoot 240 out of 240 every time, thank you very much! These things shoot straight, that's for sure.)
The gun is really very reliable, and soft-shooting.
My only real complaints about the 92 series is that they are HUGE for the caliber/capacity. They are practically crew-served in my mind for a 15-shot 9mm. My HiPower after shooting the 92 feels like a shrimp fork in my hand.

[1911 guy]

The model 92 is a good shooter. It doesn't fit my hand well, but it's accurate. Had to qualify with it, worked fine if I did my part.

As far as the slide failures, they were real (3 incidents first hand. One mine, the other two I was on the line when they happened.) However, it was a military only problem. I believe the final ruling was an ammo issue.

[Black Knight]

As Andy Grifith might say, Gooood gun. My police force sent me to the Beretta factory for their arnorer's course. A couple of tips to help keep it going. First don't use a tooth brush to clean the mag well, use a mag swab. The tooth brush can dislodge the trigger bar spring. This is a $1-$2 part but without it the pistol will not fire. As far as a lubricant the Army now uses Militec-1. It is a soy bean based lube and non-toxic. It will eventually saturate the pores in the steel and will make it easier to clean. Sand and other debris won't stick to it as easily. Also Beretta does not recommend lubing the inside of the barrel. They cliam the oil will increase the pressure in the barrel. I don't know about this but they have more knowledge than I do. Great buy, enjoy it. Hope it is never needed for self defense but if the situation arrises the Beretta will get you through it reasonably well.

[Navy87Guy]

Oh and I saw some of those 17 round mec gars at midway usa for a decent price. Does that fit all the way into the gun or does it hang out a little bit? Saw some 20 and 30's from promag and triple K but I don't know how reliable those brand names are. wouldn't mind having one just for fun.

MecGar 17-rd mags are flush fitting -- no overhang.

As far as ProMag and TripleK -- I've heard more bad than good about them. As long as they are "for fun", then the only thing you might be out would be the money for the magazine. But I think you'll find that your 92 consumes ammo at a pretty good rate with just the 17-rd mags!

Jim

[Lou629]

I don't think you can go wrong with the 92FS. I have one of these and a BHP in 9mm. They're both great guns, nearly identical in size and weight, and both fit my hands well. I can shoot more accurately with the beretta, the sights are much better. Good luck & stay safe with the new toy.

[Nightcrawler]

Stock up on Beretta factory and Mec-Gar aftermarket mags. Mec-Gar mags are as good as factory; they mage magazines for a variety of gun companies, as a matter of fact.

Plus, with Mec-Gar you can get 17 and 20 round capacities. The 17 rounders fit flush, too! Buddy has some Mec-Gar 17 round mags for his Ruger P89 and they run like a champ.

Get mags HERE (http://www.cdnninvestments.com/beretta.html).

Beretta Factory or Mec-Gar. Stay away from USA brand mags. If you ever come across a "Check-Mate" brand magazine, run away fast! They're the crappy lowest-bidder ones the military is using, and they're junk!

[Red Tornado]

Good choice Xiphur, but you've got to tell us...what were the other 2 that you wanted? We can't really tear apart your choice until we know what the other options were. :evil: I don't think you'll ever regret that purchase.
RT

[Nightcrawler]

The first thing you'll want to invest in, aside from magazines, ammo, and a cleaning kit, is a holster.

Fortunately, The Beretta 92, being a military gun, has about the widest plethora of holsters available. Concealment rigs, shoulder holsters, drop-leg tac rigs, police duty holsters, IWB, OWB, pancake, crossdraw, high-ride, low-ride, SOB, you name it. Probably every holster type except ankle holsters.

If you want to mount a light to it, there are aftermarket attachments that give you a light rail without permanently altering the gun.

Go stock up on some bulk 9mm and shoot the heck out of that thing! :D

[Black Majik]

Xiphur,

Congrats on the Beretta 92FS. One of my friends just got a 92FS for his first handgun too. We took it out last nite to break it in. No jams, very accurate, easy to take down. The prices for the Beretta 92FS has also gone down in price a little since the 90 two is coming out.

Enjoy that Beretta, its a great handgun. Also look into a D-spring. It is a great simple mod for only a few bucks.

www.berettaforum.net

just wait until the day you buy your first 1911.. thats when the real trouble starts. I swear i really do want some different hand guns but I just can not keep myself from buying 1911s!

+1!

[xiphur]

I just took it out to the range today and put 100 rounds through it. Recoil isnt bad and it's accurate as long as i dont flinch before i pull the trigger:o. I'm still new to shooting handguns and its gonna take a while before i can fully control the recoil without tightening up first. I bought a some cleaning supplies (all hoppes) and an El-cheapo pistol case for 10 bucks; not really all that bad.

The other two were the XD-9 and the CZ-85. I would have gotten the CZ if i could have found one for sale. I cheked gun stores in two cities and neither had one. When i do buy another handgun(which won't be for a very long time), it will be that gun.

Edit: Is it ok if i store my pistol in my case? It has egg crate foam on the inside and it looks like it takes the oil off of the gun where the foam protrudes. If not there then where and how should i store it?

[TimboKhan]

Xiphur,

It is perfectly OK to store your gun in its case. Frankly, there really shouldn't be that much oil on the gun to where that would be an issue! It's a common mistake for new shooters to drench their guns in oil, and its a mistake for a few reasons, the biggest one being that it just isn't necessary. In truth, your gun needs very, very little oil for it to funtion properly. My rule of thumb is that more than a drop is too much, but then again I long ago stopped using oil on my autos in favor of graphite grease (on the advice of my local gunsmith). Anyway, just a drop along the rails is plenty enough, and your foam case shouldn't interfere with that at all.

On a different note, did anyone else think that the advice that it didn't matter what he picked because he was new was bad advice? The 92 is a fine gun and a perfectly good choice, but it just seems to me that the people that work behind the counter are supposed to help fill in the blanks for new shooters.

[kmrcstintn]

the Beretta 92 FS/m-9 is my favorite 9mm autoloader...reliable right out of the box unlike 75% of the various brands, sizes, and trim packages of .45acp 1911's I have owned...

my current autoloader is a Ruger p89dc due to financial responsibilities and the cost of the guns...I got the Ruger for $275 w/ 2 Clinton mags and the average price for used and new Berettas hovers between $475 t0 $650 with either Clinton or post-Clinton mags

enjoy your purchase!

[xiphur]

I used a drop on a q-tip to oil all of the moving parts, but i slathered it all over the outside. Q-tip works fine to cover the entire gun although it does take some time to do it that way. It retains oil pretty good and makes it easy to give it a nice even coat. i just don't want to see any rust on that gun ever. It's also really humid outside right now.

[KC&97TA]

if you want to talk about having to fix a gun all the time just look at the 80s era M9s that the military used... slides cracking after 10000 rounds... failure of slide stops and resulting injuries to troops

Don't worry about this with a 92FS, hence the "FS", these problems were taken care of, with the civilian models and the M9's... also remember that what military personel do to weapons, isn't the same as what "normal" people like us do. I've used my issued M9 to pound nails, modify the body of hummers, break car windows and help open locks that were filled with fine sand. When you didn't dirrectly pay for it, you get pretty rough on it. My personal 92FS is in 90% condition, minus some holser wear and wearing on the back side of the pistol grip after almost 2 years and over 20k rounds, it still shoots like the day I brought it home and 99.9999999% reliable, had maybe 5 stove pipes on reloads in 2 years.

Don't listen to the 'dirty military storys' about the M9, it's a good gun and doesn't require much maintence, for it to even be in the US Arsenal, it went through h*ll and back. Just like the 1911 has stood the test of time, so will the 92 series Beretta's.

[TimboKhan]

Xiphur,

Lol, you really don't need to slather it all over the gun! Actually, your probably doing more harm than good by doing so because all that oil acts as an instant attractant for grime and grit. I think that if you keep your gun dry and stored away in its case, your not gonna have a problem. A better, less messy solution might be to throw some dessicant packs into your case, but I don't think even that is necessary. Granted, I live in Colorado where the humidity is not bad at all (read: virtually nonexistent most days), but I don't think coating the gun in oil is probably necessary.

As an aside, there were some problems with frames cracking in the M9 early on, but as previoiusly mentioned, those problems have been taken care of long ago. Having carried an M9 for a few years when I was in the Marines, my biggest and only complaint with it was basically the caliber, but as time went on I changed my opinion on that front somewhat. I shoot a lot of 9mm these days because its fairly cheap and I have grown to appreciate the fact that I can shoot it all day without feeling beat up. I don't think that it's the best defensive pistol cartridge around, but it's a long ways away from being a bad choice, and with the array of available civilian defensive loads (Hydra-Shok being tops among them, IMO) it is a pretty darn good choice.

[Checkman]

Good choice. The 92 is a big gun, but it's an excellent platform for shooting the 9mm. I carried one for a couple years in the Army and I never felt like I was carrying a substandard gun.

[TimboKhan]

Also, might I add that I have not one, but two of the Taurus versions of this gun (in my case, both are PT99's) and I love them dearly. One serves as my primary truck gun, and the other serves as my bedside gun.

[GroovedG19]

A fine choice indeed.Congrats.:cool: