Open to comments on Beretta 92 Series

Personally, I like the 92FS, which is slightly different than the M9 in military service (a few plastic parts like the recoil spring guide rod and trigger). The trigger is pretty good and it is very accurate. As your round count gets high (more than you'll probably put through it), just watch the locking lugs. If you see cracks starting to form, send it to a smith.

Beretta 92

I've owned several over the years (6) and currenty have two. They are high quality hand guns. Slide breakage was not a big issue (only on the internet) The Navy didn't like them and bought some Sigs, which also had some slide failures. Yes they are large and fairly heavy but are accurate and very reliable. Just rack the slide, no other pistol can compare. And no, I am not a Beretta nut, most of the 25 guns I own are S&W and Sig.

In their day they were good guns, but when compared to other new alloy or other steel and even polymer framed guns they are really out dated.

If the US military didn't use it as its standard side arm, it would probably be no longer made.

In comparison the browning hp, sig , cz75 , glocks, xd, fnh are a lot better guns.

If it fits your hand well, they are great guns. Accurate, reliable, and built like a tank. IMO probably the best DA/SA trigger pull out there. I prefer the safety setup on the Taurus clone to the original, but the Beretta has a much nicer fit and finsh.

None of my guns are outdated. I have a Colt from 1913, and a S&W from 1915. I have a Beretta 92FS, and it will do everything that my CZ, Browning, S&W, and Walther 9mm's will.

I've shot them pretty extensively and really like the platform. Like has been mentioned, they don't fit everybody's hands. The accuracy of the stock gun is fairly good for a gun designed for military/police applications.

You mentioned the slide breaking issue; I have seen three guns break the slide. All were M9s that had fairly high round counts through them. Unless you are somebody that shoots huge amounts of ammo, I don't think many civilians would shoot the gun enough to ever potentially cause an issue.

I really like the Beretta 92 series and have 2 myself. I've carried them as duty weapons and even concealed on occasion. Plenty accurate too. I aced 2 different state and a federal law enforcement qualification course with one of mine a while back.

Not to discourage your Beretta search in any way but you also might also have a look at the FN's made right there in your hometown. Them's some fine weapons too.

I shoot mostly HKs, sigs, and glocks. One day at the range I was shooting pretty well, and the guy next to me came over and asked what I was shooting. He handed me his 92 and said, "You seem to know what you are doing -- I cant hit anything with this." I gave him my P9S and took his 92 -- he shot well, I was all over the place.

Now, my hands are small so the 92 was chunky for me -- so it very well may have been the fit. My experience wasnt positive though. I sold the guy on HKs though...

The Beretta 92 series is the best pistol in its class.

i have a 92a1 and love it. i have glocks, rugers, and a springfield loaded. theres
something about the beretta. im thinking about maybe a second one. berettas been
around along time. i enjoy shooting it very much. good luck with your search.

Plan2Live:

I've had zero problems with mine, and they are very smooth. They seem to function on anything you feed them, at least mine does. They look cool, and if it fits your hand, go for it. One of the better features of the design IMHO is the open breech, you can shoot a lot, and it really doesn't ever gum up or get dirty, the powder resudue and soot seem to be a lot more free to escape than be trapped inside the action, like closed barrel autos with an ejection port. This is nice when you are shooting lead boolits, which seem to gum things up a bit more with the boolit lube and all.

Field stripping is a breeze, takes about 5 seconds. Accuracy seems to be pretty good although I'm not sure why (the barrel dovetails into the frame, rather than the slide, adding a lot more tolerance for mis-alignment with the sights).

The downside of the Beretta's is that it is very difficult to match fit a barrel for target shooting because of the design of the pistol. Military marksmanship units spent quite some effort to get the pistol to shoot to match standards. Closed barrel pistols, 1911's, SIG's, Hi-Powers, Glocks, etc, where the barrel is mated inside the slide are much easier to match fit for the demands of target accuracy. But we're talking about making a 2" gun shoot to 1" or less at 25 yards. That may not seem like much, but it's a pretty good jump for a self-loader. My Beretta is shooting 2 to 3 inch groups at 25 yards, and I really haven't started to work-up an accurate load for it.

I think they are a fun pistol to shoot, have fun.

Anyway, here are some pics:


Comparison groups between the Beretta and SIG 226. The Beretta is shooting about 2 1/2", and the SIG about 2" at 25 yards.




Open Port really vents powder and soot, keeping things clean when shooting.




Field stripping is easy.




One of the few caveats, the barrel doesn't have much dovetail surface for tight support, it can wiggle a bit when in battery, but it still seems to shoot pretty accurately.




This is the only support the barrel gets, unlike closed slide autos, where the barrel is supported at both ends by steel, the Beretta barrel is only partially supported, and not by steel, but by a dovetail in the aluminum frame, hence the wiggle factor. It is however, locked into the steel slide with the locking wedge, which does add stability.

I think you will like the 92A1 if you get it, since you are leaning that way.

I have two of them, and they are most excellent guns. My fav of any of the railed models

I have eight 92 variants, and the platform has become my fav, actually.

I have an M9, mostly for "its neat" purposes, and i can tell you its hard to use the sights, hard to steady, and hard to develop loads for. It liked a pretty good no longer published HOT unique load to make it shoot good. 124 grs at about 1250 fps on my across my chrono. Hammers are an advantage, triggers not horrible, and very easy to clean and maintain. Ide go S&W if I did it agian. Hope that helps

In their day they were good guns, but when compared to other new alloy or other steel and even polymer framed guns they are really out dated.

If the US military didn't use it as its standard side arm, it would probably be no longer made.

In comparison the browning hp, sig , cz75 , glocks, xd, fnh are a lot better guns.

Click to expand...

They are still one of the best guns made, IMO. Rack the slide on a 92 and it feels like it's rolling on ball bearings. Rack the slide on a Glock and it "clunks". They are top notch quality at a very fair price. They're big, but they're a service pistol. I wouldn't carry mine. No plastic pistol can even come close to the Beretta 92. I've owned Glocks, and I'll never own another. They look fugly, feel like a toy, and just lack style. If I could only keep one gun, it would be my M9. The 1911 has been around 100 years. it's not going anywhere, and neither is the Beretta 92. And the SIG is no better than the 92. I've owned a 226. Nice gun, but SIG's are overpriced (rivaled only by HK) and they are no better.

Take a look at the CZ 75 SA if you like sa pistol with a hammer, it's a reliable tackdriver.

If the US military didn't use it as its standard side arm, it would probably be no longer made.

Click to expand...

The Beretta* is one of the top three most used military and police pistols in the world.

*and its clones.

Just go get a Beretta. Go get 1, or 3, or er... 8... Or whatever

A 92FS with a "D" (hammer)spring is something to experience/enjoy. You cant go wrong by getting a Beretta.

xr1200 said:

In their day they were good guns, but when compared to other new alloy or other steel and even polymer framed guns they are really out dated.

If the US military didn't use it as its standard side arm, it would probably be no longer made.

In comparison the browning hp, sig , cz75 , glocks, xd, fnh are a lot better guns.

Click to expand...

I would have to disagree,I just bought a beretta 85fs in 380 auto cal.It is one quality made pistol.

Fine piece of machinery!

And thats all there is to it!

92FS x 2

Want to get a FS Compact, maybe this year!