New Beretta M9 fail at 42 rounds

[D.B. Cooper]

I never warmed to the 92 with it's upside down safety/decocking lever thingy...

This, in addition to the weight, is the other thing I can't defend the 92 on. I much prefer the frame mounted safety/decocker on the Taurus 92 and 99. So much so that I almost bought the Taurus in lieu of the Beretta, but then I'd have a Taurus. (I actually owned a Taurus 99 about 30 years ago, and it was every bit as good as my Beretta, but let's not clog up the discussion with facts.)

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Yes, some people say a Beretta made in Italy or a Sig in Germany are superior to American made ones. I do have a Beretta 92FS made in Maryland in 1991, that is excellent workmanship. Don't know if I would feel the same about a new 92FS made in Tennessee.

I have TN and MD produced guns. Fit and finish on both are excellent- can't really tell the difference except for the markings.

 

[Riomouse911]

Sorry for the loss, Rio...too many in your line of work have gone that way...we owe them the thanks that they never got.

And too....glad you got it worked out with the 92...those initial targets you posted, day 1 I think, showed some real promise and not a little skill by the operator behind the stocks. With the new spring set up, it'll no doubt work well for you.

Personally, when my #2 son enlisted in the Corps, he joined a reserve USMC MP detachment over in Lexington KY right out of high school. He had a month before he met the midnight bus to Paris Island, so I bought him a 92 to get familiar with. He was already good with a 1911 and any number of rifles and shotguns here on the farm, but a little fore taste of the gun he'd be carrying would help with training and also give his mom and I a bit of 'peace of mind'.

So in that month, we put 3660 rounds of reloaded 9mm through it...that's the number of bullets in a full case of Winchester FMJs...and off he went. Long story short, he led the Anniston trained MP class on the range, & was the Ky Det's pistol champ for the 4 yrs he served. Later, as a State Dept. contractor pilot in Afghanistan for three years, he carried the M4 and M9.

But being a 1911 and BHP guy myself, I never warmed to the 92 with it's upside down safety/decocking lever thingy, but if we're betting beer money now breaking clays at distance on the fence line in our lower 40...and he's toting that ancient 92...it's best not to throw too much into the winner's pot!

Best regards, Rod

Thats good stuff right there!

Stay safe.

 

[Riomouse911]

This, in addition to the weight, is the other thing I can't defend the 92 on. I much prefer the frame mounted safety/decocker on the Taurus 92 and 99. So much so that I almost bought the Taurus in lieu of the Beretta, but then I'd have a Taurus. (I actually owned a Taurus 99 about 30 years ago, and it was every bit as good as my Beretta, but let's not clog up the discussion with facts.)

I was issued a S&W 5906 when I was hired at my first agency, I carried that for a few years until we were allowed to carry our own guns. (I went to a Robar-tuned SIG P-226) I also have (or had) a few other guns with decockjng levers like a PPK/s, FEG SMK-380, Iver Johnson TP-22, etc., so slide decocking levers aren’t too wonky for me. (Don’t really like them a lot, but I don’t really hate them, either.)

Stay safe.

 

[Old Dog]

Long story short, he led the Anniston trained MP class on the range, & was the Ky Det's pistol champ for the 4 yrs he served.

Man, I remember Fort McClellan -- that's where we got sent for SRT training (SWAT school) since my branch (Navy) didn't have its own MP schools (we went through the AF's security police training for initial training, these days, Navy has its own Master at Arms "A" School). I just remember thinking the Army had all its bases in the armpits of the South (before an individual augmentee Iraq deployment, I got sent to Fort Jackson to be reminded how to shoot guns, in the summer, phew).

I have TN and MD produced guns. Fit and finish on both are excellent- can't really tell the difference except for the markings.

Same here. I do see a bit of bashing of the TN pistols on the internet, not sure why this is trendy, I'm not seeing any credible documentation that the Gallatin pistols have out of the ordinary issues.

I was issued a S&W 5906 when I was hired at my first agency, I carried that for a few years until we were allowed to carry our own guns.

It's funny; while still on AD, I was a reserve on a department that authorized the 5906 (around the time the military was transitioning to the M9), it was generally respected, but the more senior officers, when they got the choice, all went out and purchased their own SIG P-226s. Strangely, a bit later, the department issued the Ruger P-85 to its academy classes; that didn't last long after everyone discovered what POSs that pistol was. Concurrent with the military's transition, the 92FS became popular in SoCal law enforcement. Bottom line for me was, I was never bothered by the slide-mounted safety-decocker.

 

[JohnKSa]

The old argument was whether the Italian made guns were better than the U.S. guns. Now I guess there's the added twist of whether the TN guns are worse than the MD guns.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

Man, I remember Fort McClellan...I just remember thinking the Army had all its bases in the armpits of the South

#truth

Bottom line for me was, I was never bothered by the slide-mounted safety-decocker.

I wouldn't say I'm bothered by it. I ran a Taurus 99 for a bit 30 yrs ago, so, between the frame mounted vs the slide mounted, I prefer the frame. I was never a 1911 guy. They were gone looooong before I served. I never oned one as a civilian, and once I started to really learn and understand how guns worked, I quickly decided I didn't want to be a 1911 guy.

But my EDC is a Springfield Armory XD-E which is DA/SA, but the safety is frame mounted, and I much prefer that mechanism over that of the M9.

 

[OS/N]

Went through an M9 a year or so back for my son. General slick up and installed a complete set of wilson duty springs in it.

The trigger spring is a PITA to change because of the slide stop spring you have to take out an put back. My guess is that spring is not set in the stop pin hole properly and may be preventing the trigger from reaching its reset (part #22 & 26 in image). You may want to debur the trigger workings also or look for any thing floating around in the housing.

One thing to watch on the M9 series is to keep heavier lube on the barrel locking lug (barrel side where it slides up and down) or they will short stroke and stove pipe. Stoning the lug so it slides better allows the use of lighter slide and hammer springs also. A heavier spring 26 keeps single action pull around 4.5 lbs and lets the dbl pull be brought down via slide and hammer spring change so there is less difference between the two.

 

[Riomouse911]

Went through an M9 a year or so back for my son. General slick up and installed a complete set of wilson duty springs in it.

The trigger spring is a PITA to change because of the slide stop spring you have to take out an put back. My guess is that spring is not set in the stop pin hole properly and may be preventing the trigger from reaching its reset (part #22 & 26 in image). You may want to debur the trigger workings also or look for any thing floating around in the housing.

One thing to watch on the M9 series is to keep heavier lube on the barrel locking lug (barrel side where it slides up and down) or they will short stroke and stove pipe. Stoning the lug so it slides better allows the use of lighter slide and hammer springs also. A heavier spring 26 keeps single action pull around 4.5 lbs and lets the dbl pull be brought down via slide and hammer spring change so there is less difference between the two.

View attachment 1182579

I replaced all the OEM springs with the M*CARBO kit, it did make a huge difference in DA/SA trigger pull weights over the OEM weights. Plus I smoothed a few things and flushed out/ relubed the innards so the gritty feel is gone.

The trigger spring wasnt too bad, the you tube M*CARBO channel had a good how-to. Having the right tools is also a huge help, especially a micro flathead to lift the spring “hook” end into the proper position. Without one, that could be a bear!

I did have one major issue; either my punch was slightly oversized or the firing pin retaining pin hole was slightly undersized. I stuck the punch in the hole trying to drive the retaining pin out. I couldn't get it loose and had to cut it off and drill out the center of the punch tip that was stuck in the slide with my drill press. This allowed me to use a smaller punch to pop it all free. (All with no damage to my slide!)

I must say that compared to a SIG, CZ-75 or 1911 there were a lot of little pins holding all of the M9 slide bits together, but with the tutorial videos it isnt tough.

Stay safe.

 

[EMC45]

M9/92 is a good gun. Carried one in the Navy and the Air Force, also as a DOD civilian. Ball ammo all the time and always “qualled” Expert (ribbon with chrome “E” for Navy, no award for Air Force but maxed score). Having said that I will say they really don’t fit my tiny hands. BHP, CZ-75, Glock 48 etc way better fit.

I bought one years ago when I lived in MS and wanted to love it. It shot horribly. Ate anything I fed it, but hit like lightening - never in the same place twice. Every other M9 I ever shot shot better then I could shoot it; even the ones worn silver from gazillions of troops shooting before me. I cracked a slide on one around 2009 qualling and still maxed score. They’re good.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

M9/92 is a good gun. Carried one in the Navy and the Air Force,

Funny how many people leave one branch and go to the Air Force. I've met lots of guys in the AF from other branches, but I've never even heard of someone leaving the Air Force for another branch. I mean, their marksmanship program is quite poor, but guns and shooting isn't why people join.

 

[Miami_JBT]

Man, I remember Fort McClellan -- that's where we got sent for SRT training (SWAT school) since my branch (Navy) didn't have its own MP schools (we went through the AF's security police training for initial training, these days, Navy has its own Master at Arms "A" School). I just remember thinking the Army had all its bases in the armpits of the South (before an individual augmentee Iraq deployment, I got sent to Fort Jackson to be reminded how to shoot guns, in the summer, phew).

Same here. I do see a bit of bashing of the TN pistols on the internet, not sure why this is trendy, I'm not seeing any credible documentation that the Gallatin pistols have out of the ordinary issues.

It's funny; while still on AD, I was a reserve on a department that authorized the 5906 (around the time the military was transitioning to the M9), it was generally respected, but the more senior officers, when they got the choice, all went out and purchased their own SIG P-226s. Strangely, a bit later, the department issued the Ruger P-85 to its academy classes; that didn't last long after everyone discovered what POSs that pistol was. Concurrent with the military's transition, the 92FS became popular in SoCal law enforcement. Bottom line for me was, I was never bothered by the slide-mounted safety-decocker.

Navy still sends MAs to AFB Lackland for A School.

 

[EMC45]

Funny how any people leave one branch and go to the Air Force. I've met lots of guys in the AF from other branches, but I've never even heard of someone leaving the Air Force for another branch. I mean, their marksmanship program is quite poor, but guns and shooting isn't why people join.

I do know a local guy who went from Air Force to Navy. Got out as a Staff Sgt. (E-5) and went into the Navy. I asked him if he hit his head.

I liked the food better in the Air Force. Also the fact I got treated like an adult in the AF vs. petty, micromanaging Navy nonsense.

 

[9mmepiphany]

Concurrent with the military's transition, the 92FS became popular in SoCal law enforcement.

I remember those days. I thought it was interesting that Don Hulme made a duty holster for LA, can't remember PD or SO, with an extra piece of leather on the thumb strap that flicked the thumb safety off

 

[D.B. Cooper]

I liked the food better in the Air Force. Also the fact I got treated like an adult in the AF vs. petty, micromanaging ARMY nonsense.

Fixed it for you.