Taurus 92 compared to Beretta

Many will say that the pt92 is the exception to the rule. I have one and it works perfectly. I got it over the Beretta because I like the Taurus safety better. Two of my buddies have Berettas and they both have better fit and finish than the Taurus, but you'll pay more.

hope it helps
mole

Mine from the mid 80s was big but ran flawlessly. I own more expensive handguns now but I really regret selling it ....not to mention I sold it too cheaply.

Great warrenty!

I got a PT-99 (92 with fixed sights) second hand, then noticed that the fired casings were ballooned out near the base. When i examined the feed ramp, it was clear that someone had polished the heck out of the ramp and the chamber, and the casings were not fully supported in the chamber when they fired. It was an unsafe condition.

I wrote a note to Taurus and explained the situation. I offered to pay for any repairs, since the problem was not caused by a manufacturing defect or material failure. It wasn't their fault.

Taurus fixed it for free. As far as I was concerned, they had no duty to do so, but they did it anyway.

I'm a Taurus fan.

BTW: Try one of their new .380s. The carry case is really nifty, and the felt recoil is less than a Bersa. My wife and daughters love them.

- - - Yoda

You can in no way go wrong by selecting the Taurus PT-92 over the Beretta as you can use the money saved for ammo or accessories. That being said, the Beretta 92 is a great gun with only a few slight differences (no frame-mounted safety/decocker etc.). I have had great luck with all of my Taurus semis (92, 24/7, PT-25). Go for it!

-Cheers

As I understand it, those Taurus "copies" are made from actual Beretta machinery. Why or how this came about, I don't recall.

I don't favor the current incarnation of Taurus's 92: I don't like a frame mounted decocker to also be the safety.

Unless something has changed...the locking blocks are different too. Not saying either one is any better than the other...just that they are different in Beretta than in the Taurus.

I don't have a Taurus but a good friend does, I have a Beretta 96 Vertec...both are 40's and the locking blocks are different.

I have both, and this is my take on it:

The Beretta is finished much better, but I hate the slide mounted safety. Overall it is the "better made" gun in terms of fit and finish.

The Taurus is functionally exactly the same, minus being dehorned and finished as nicely, with an inherently better safety position ....

So honestly I'd ask where do your priorities lie? Do you want the more intuitive safety as compared to a whole lot of pistols, or do you like the beautiful aesthetics of a nicely made gun more?

David E said:

As I understand it, those Taurus "copies" are made from actual Beretta machinery. Why or how this came about, I don't recall...

Click to expand...

Here's the long and short of the Taurus/Beretta connection:

http://www.taurususa.com/history.cfm

Beretta had won a huge contract in 1974 to produce small arms for the army of Brazil. Part of the deal was that Beretta construct a Brazilian factory and use Brazilian labor. This they did, in the southwestern coastal city of Sao Paulo. When the contract ran out in 1980, Beretta sold the plant, literally "lock, stock and barrel," to Taurus. Taurus now owned everything that once belonged to Beretta, including drawings, tooling, machinery, and a very experienced work force. Taurus was in the pistol business, and immediately sought to improve on the Beretta design, resulting in the popular and acclaimed Taurus PT-92 and PT-99 9mm pistols.


-Cheers

generally i like the beretta better. i like the 92fs with the angled dust cover and no rail,the slightly deeper radius cut for the webbing of the hand,the forward flared bottom on the front strap,plus the option of other beretta 90 series family(evolution if you prefer) to choose from and they all come stock(current models NIB) with the latest beretta falling block. overall the berettas have been forced to go through a bit more "hell",forced to listen to it's main users a bit more and come out the other end a bit better for it.

not all new berettas come with everything above though,you have to know what you want and get it.

i've kinda always prefered the safety/decocker of the taurus on the frame but as time(years really) has gone by,i see it less and less of an issue and it's not a deciding factor for me any more.

i do think that in black the beretta has a better,more durable finish but you can always go with the taurus stainless look,..although,the stainless on the taurus can have a strange rainbow effect that i don't like,some taurus stainless don't have this but you have to look for them. i'm sure you can find an AFS. of course,there's the 92fs INOX.

the newer 917 have finger grooves,bit shorter barrel/slide and dove-tailed front sight and they can come stock with fiber optic front. i was disappointed when the 917 disappeared from their site but you can still find them. i actually like this one over at least some berettas and it comes in black or stainless. the features on this one just seem to come together nicely.

i like the fact you can get pt99 with adj rear that doesn't cost much more but i wouldn't go into enduring harms way with those,shouldn't be an issue otherwise. great factory NIB option and one up on beretta for this.

i'm not a brand snob when it comes to either one but long story short,neither one are losers,both are great but the scale tips towards beretta for me.

if you like the taurus,go for it. absolutely nothing wrong with it and you don't need to like what i like. other taurus models may be popular to many people and may have had no problems but the pt92 series has been a shining star in the taurus catalog for a long time now and unlike some other taurus models,refuses to go away. the gold colored controls option look gaudy to me but another factory option if you like.

sorry i discussed the beretta but i like both. both should be reliable.

35, 10/25/11

I have owned the Taurus PT-99 for about fifteen years. It is the same as the PT-92 except it has an adjustable rear sight. I had problems with the rear sight roll pin walking out of its hole during firing, then having the rear sight fall off onto the ground. This really slowed down my competition times in the local pistol matches. I got tired of replacing roll pins and finally filed a dovetail into the slide and mounted a spare HK-USP 45 fixed rear sight. No further problems.

At about a 3000 round count the slide locked up solid in the frame after firing a round. The locking block had broken and it was a bear to get the slide off. It took three days of calling Taurus' customer service before anyone answered the phone but they said to send in the defective part and they would replace it. Three months later I had not received the part. I called them and finally got hold of a helpful gentleman who looked up the pertinent facts and found they had shipped my part to the wrong state. He arranged shipment back to me and several weeks later it came in.

I own some Berettas but not the 92, although I have shot the 92. I think the fit, finish and quality is better with the Berettas and would go with a used one over a new Taurus 92/96. Resale value will also hold up much better with the Beretta. While the Taurus PT-92/99 is a bright spot in their pistol lineup I would not buy another Taurus if it could be helped.

best wishes- oldandslow

The slide mounted safety/decocker on the Beretta is now a deal killer for me on a defensive/CCW gun, after owning my Stoeger Cougar for a while. I only bought it as a cheap range toy so I don't worry about it too much. That's really my only beef with Berettas, might not matter to you.

I only have a little bit of experience with both Taurus and Beretta, Beretta no doubt puts out a nicer product but both have always worked for me.

I've both. I shoot the Taurus because I dislike DA/SA operation. The Beretta looks prettier, but the PT-92 shoots just as good. Its the best Taurus makes and a very good pistol IMHO.

The big problem with a frame mounted safety/decocker is that it's very easy to decock the gun while you're shooting it. This "feature" can be very detrimental, perhaps deadly, on a serious gun.

Do you feel the same way about all the FN/H&K etc. pistols with a similar system?

I disagree that it's "very easy" to decock the gun while you're shooting it. I VASTLY prefer the frame-mounted safety/decocker vs. the Beretta slide-mounted variety (I own both).

I've never had a single malfunction of any kind with my Taurus PT101. I have, however, had unintentional decocks while clearing malfunctions in the beretta.

I've had both. Feedback above is good. My Beretta 92 was much better "finished" than my PT92, but I much preferred the frame mounted decocker of the Taurus to the slide mounted Beretta. I would say that both were equally smooth in their operation and reliability. Lots of PT92 info at taurusarmed.net re: model 917, and other pistols Taurus has created from the PT92 based design (and others).

Hunter 35:

In my opinion, the Taurus PT92/99 series is severely underrated. My circa-1990 Taurus PT92 (no decocker) has had thousands of rounds put through it and has performed flawlessly.

I have no personal experience with the Beretta, but I can tell you that my Taurus PT92 will shoot rings around a stock Colt 1911. I love the Colt 1911 and have owned more than a few over the past 35+ years, but the Taurus is a better gun, period. It has more than double the capacity, much better reliability and superb accuracy. Field stripping is easier, too.

If you like the PT92/99 configuration, get the Taurus (instead of the Beretta) and then alot the leftover $ to ammo and/or a good holster.

One caveat, though. The PT92/92 (and their Beretta counterparts) have a fairly wide grip. If the gun fits your hand, you'll be happy. But if it's a stretch, or simply uncomfortable, look for something else.

And as has been pointed out in this thread, the Taurus warranty is hard to beat.

Bottom line: You can't go wrong with a Taurus PT92/99.

Your mileage may vary. Just my $.02.

Mr. Doughnut

The PT-92 series is no longer made on authentic Beretta machinery. Not for some years now.

For my two cents, get the original, not a cheaply finished imitator. Will you remember the $100 you save in 5 years?

I have a beautiful Taurus PT 92AFS and it's a great pistol. It's made with genuine "old world" machinery unlike some of the newer stuff Taurus makes. I think it's a sensational value. There is obviously nothing wrong with a "real" Beretta, but I'd sell mine to anyone with zero guilt and am sure the new owner would have a smile upon his/her face after shooting it. It's not for sale however. A GREAT pistol.

I've had trouble with some of the newer Taurus autos out of the box, but after a trip to Taurus - they work perfectly. Taurus pistols are well designed but the work during assembly leaves a lot to be desired.

1KPerDay said:

Do you feel the same way about all the FN/H&K etc. pistols with a similar system?

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Both the FN and HK systems are similarly lacking. Could I work around it if I absolutely had to? Sure, but why get a gun I have to go out of my way to work around?

I disagree that it's "very easy" to decock the gun while you're shooting it.

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It depends on the shooter. If they are diehard 1911 shooters who keep their thumb properly on top of the grip safety while firing, they can easily decock the multi-function frame mounted decocker.

I, however, had unintentional decocks while clearing malfunctions in the beretta.

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Which is why the good instructors and shooters teach or add a separate additional step to the clearing procedure. My Beretta is decock-only, so the worst I can do is revert back to a DA pull. (that's never happened, since the lever has sprung back up before the slide returns to battery)

But there is ZERO chance of decocking/deactivating the gun while firing.

Were I suggest a modern 9mm to someone, the Taurus and Beretta would both be pretty far down the list.

David E said:

Which is why the good instructors and shooters teach or add a separate additional step to the clearing procedure.

Click to expand...

What would that be?

Law... can you educate me on this statement? Was this due to machinery being replaced, factories moving or other factors?

Look at the ATI C92. It's a direct clone of the Beretta centurion.