Are Italian Beretta's worth/better than USA's?

A lot of people prefer the Italian-made guns because the fit and finish is always first-rate. When the first US-made guns came out of the Maryland plant they seemed to be every bit as well-made also. Recently however it looks like the quality of recent US-made Berettas is noticeably declining, and the use of plastic components (trigger, guide rod, safety lever, etc.) doesn't help either.

For me, while I too prefer the Italian guns I'll take an earlier US-made 92 any day. The new ones however look to me like garbage, and I won't buy one.

very interesting thread....i'll be lurking

My Beretta PX4 Storm is engraved 'Made in Italy', and then shows Gardone, VT.,(where-ever that is) then Beretta USA Corp, ACKK, MD. It's tough for some of us old guys to keep up with what's being made and where these days.

So where was my PX4 made???

Hmmm. I have a 92 Elite (US) and an Italian 92FS and recently had a 92FS Inox (us). As to the trigger, the Italian FS is real smooth, but then this gun is 15 years old with many thousands of rounds through it. My BUSA 92's are very well made and the fit is as good or better than the Italian made Berettas. The only difference I have noticed in quality is the Bruniton finish on the Italian made guns is far superior. I actually prefer to shoot my BUSA 92 over the Italian 92. It is just slightly more accurate.
I also have heard that the Italians are using plastic in some of the 92s produced in Gardone.

I have an american made(12 years old) 92 Inox and a new italian made 8000 inox. I can tell ya that the US made one is EVERY bit as well built as the italian and is more accurate to boot. I thought the same thing years ago that the US made was inferior. But I was wrong..

Frank

I prefer the Italian made Berettas...maybe because they are what I own...I'd like to think they are better than their US counterparts, I really don't know. I have been 100% satisfied w/ my guns and to me, that's all that really matters.

The Italian Berettas are worth more to some people. If you are going to sell it, you would get more more for a Beretta made in Italy than the same gun made in the USA. Does that mean that one is better than the other? Not always. I am happy with my BUSA guns but I wouldn't turn my nose up at one made in Italy. I wouldn't pay any more for one made in Italy either.

To the poster that said:
"Recently however it looks like the quality of recent US-made Berettas is noticeably declining, and the use of plastic components (trigger, guide rod, safety lever, etc.) doesn't help either.

For me, while I too prefer the Italian guns I'll take an earlier US-made 92 any day. The new ones however look to me like garbage, and I won't buy one."

I think that is a bit of a stretch. I hate the use of the plastic parts and there may be a slight decline in fit and finish but I would not say they looked like gabage! They may not be quite as nice as the older guns but then, what is? Garbage is much too stong of a word. Garbage should be used to describe really bad guns like Kel-Tec, Hi-Point, Intratec, Jennings and so on. A Beretta can never be described as gabage in a serious way. Maybe they don't look as nice as the old ones but compare a S&W revolver today with one made in the 1950s and you will find the same thing. Costs are cut but S&W still makes some of the best revolvers just like Beretta still makes some of the best and nicest autos.

I don't consider it a stretch. Have you noticed the frame profiles have changed as well? The new sloping dust cover and stepped backstrap looks U-G-L-Y. Yes that's just my opinion, but the post above was merely my opinion too. I much prefer the look of the Berettas that were being made before 2000 or so, be it Italian or American. In the last five years it seems they've been trying to cut manufacturing costs, and to me it shows.

The all-metal (and I think Italian) pistol that I was issued in the military was loose-fitting. It wasn't all that accurate either, but I was new to pistols then so I won't blame it on the gun.

Thus far, the new Police Special (which is a 92fs with night sights I believe) I picked up three weeks ago has been a great pistol. Accurate, well-built with no play in the slide. The trigger's improved noticeably after 800 rounds. I'd certainly feel more comfortable with metal parts, but it's still a great pistol, far from "garbage." To me it's not noticeably inferior to the pistol I was issued in the military.

I just bought a Model 85 "Cheetah" which is Italian made. I really don't have anything to compare it to, (excpet a U.S. made Bobcat) but out of the box, the trigger was great and no problems with the first 50 rounds, meaning no break in period, which is unusal today (unless its a Mak). Fit and finish is excellent also.