RidgwayCO
Member
I went to the range today, and had the opportunity to compare two pistols you usually don't see together (or really, even in the same sentence). I'm talking about a new-to-me Beretta 92 Steel I, and a new-in-box Glock 17 Gen 3.
The Steel I is a 45oz, SA semiauto with Beretta's Vertec-style backstrap. With my average-sized hands, it handles much better than the curved backstrap on the Beretta 92FS. The Steel I is also single action only, uses the standard 15 round Beretta 92 magazines, and has the safety on the frame instead of on the slide. Expensive? Yes, for a Beretta, but not compared to most custom 1911s.
It's also very accurate. Shooting (expeditiously) 50 rounds of the Fiocchi 124gr FMJ 9mm ammunition I used for the test, it helped me produce this target at 7 yards:
For me, that's excellent shooting.
Now for the Glock 17. I haven't held a Glock pistol since the early 1990s, and back then I wasn't very impressed. But after reading all the "Koolaid drinkers" on the internet, I decided to see what they were so excited about. A quick purchase from Bud's Gun Shop, and I soon had my very own Glock 17 Gen 3, weighing in at a trim 24 oz (with an empty magazine).
Well, the looks were what I expected (not much), and the grip fit my hand OK, and it does hold 17 rounds of 9mm. So how did it perform?
It just shoots. Nothing dramatic, no histrionics, no fanfare. Aim using the easy-to-see sights, squeeze the 5.5 lb trigger, and the bullet ends up remarkably close to where I aimed. Time, after time, after time. I must confess that the only surprise the Glock had for me was it's performance over the chronograph. The Glock 17, with it's 4.49" barrel, actually out-performed the Steel I and it's 4.7" barrel (1175 fps vs. 1140 fps) with the Fiocchi test ammo.
I also feel I should comment on the ammo. I bought this Fiocchi 124gr FMJ ammo a couple a years ago because it was the cheapest brass-cased 9mm round I could find (I plan on reloading the brass). What nobody told me was that it's performance is top-notch, and it's some of the cleanest-burning commercial ammo I've ever used. It may not be "made-in-America", but it's very good nonetheless.
So what did I learn? The Beretta Steel I is a mechanical, ergonomic, and visual wonder, capable of excellent performance, and well worth the money I paid. Conversely, the Glock 17 is an unpretentious workhorse that was 100% right out the box with surprisingly good performance. And I've still got 500 rounds of the Fiocchi 9mm ammo to play with.
Life is good.
The Steel I is a 45oz, SA semiauto with Beretta's Vertec-style backstrap. With my average-sized hands, it handles much better than the curved backstrap on the Beretta 92FS. The Steel I is also single action only, uses the standard 15 round Beretta 92 magazines, and has the safety on the frame instead of on the slide. Expensive? Yes, for a Beretta, but not compared to most custom 1911s.
It's also very accurate. Shooting (expeditiously) 50 rounds of the Fiocchi 124gr FMJ 9mm ammunition I used for the test, it helped me produce this target at 7 yards:
For me, that's excellent shooting.
Now for the Glock 17. I haven't held a Glock pistol since the early 1990s, and back then I wasn't very impressed. But after reading all the "Koolaid drinkers" on the internet, I decided to see what they were so excited about. A quick purchase from Bud's Gun Shop, and I soon had my very own Glock 17 Gen 3, weighing in at a trim 24 oz (with an empty magazine).
Well, the looks were what I expected (not much), and the grip fit my hand OK, and it does hold 17 rounds of 9mm. So how did it perform?
It just shoots. Nothing dramatic, no histrionics, no fanfare. Aim using the easy-to-see sights, squeeze the 5.5 lb trigger, and the bullet ends up remarkably close to where I aimed. Time, after time, after time. I must confess that the only surprise the Glock had for me was it's performance over the chronograph. The Glock 17, with it's 4.49" barrel, actually out-performed the Steel I and it's 4.7" barrel (1175 fps vs. 1140 fps) with the Fiocchi test ammo.
I also feel I should comment on the ammo. I bought this Fiocchi 124gr FMJ ammo a couple a years ago because it was the cheapest brass-cased 9mm round I could find (I plan on reloading the brass). What nobody told me was that it's performance is top-notch, and it's some of the cleanest-burning commercial ammo I've ever used. It may not be "made-in-America", but it's very good nonetheless.
So what did I learn? The Beretta Steel I is a mechanical, ergonomic, and visual wonder, capable of excellent performance, and well worth the money I paid. Conversely, the Glock 17 is an unpretentious workhorse that was 100% right out the box with surprisingly good performance. And I've still got 500 rounds of the Fiocchi 9mm ammo to play with.
Life is good.
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