kmrcstintn
Member
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2006
- Messages
- 1,236
Beretta 9000S; 9mm Parabellum; Serial # SZxxxxxx; 2 hi-cap mags-12 rounds (one with hinged floorplate to allow full grip); cleaning accessories; cable lock; factory paperwork; box; 350.00 + tax + PICS;
added:
2 hi-cap MecGar mags -17 rounds (they fit Beretta 92 & work with adapter sleeve to fit Beretta 9000); 2 adapter sleeves; hinged floorplate for the other factory hi-cap mag; 2 hi-cap Beretta 92 mags -15 rounds (I had some problems with MecGars feeding and locking the slide latch back and these Beretta mags are the replacements);
I've been interested in the Beretta 9000 for nearly 2 years; Gander Mountain had them on again and off again; I handled several in .40 S&W and 9mm (these were earlier production models that had the catalog # stamped into the front of the slide), but the triggers were so heavy that I couldn't manipulate them in double action with my weak hand (I have been firing doulbe action revolvers for years, so it wasn't a lack of grip strength or unfamiliarity with longer trigger pulls); a few months ago I spotted a new batch of 9000's in 9mm with hi-caps for $350 (the original batch I handled only had 10 round mags and went for $430); this time the trigger was much better, so I took a chance and bought it;
to this point in time and my feelings:
the safety levers were very stiff and hard to manipulate and took alot of practice to get used to them; I bought some heavy duty snap caps and integrated fry fire practice sessions with manipulating the controls before going out the first time and this was very helpful; the safety levers are still stiff, but familiarity with the gun and learning different ways to manuipulate the controls makes handling second nature;
the grip size and shape took some getting used to at first, but I find it comfortable and almost second nature (my favorite platforms are medium-sized .38 special & .357 magnum revolvers and these always feel the most comfortable to me); having the hinged floorplates on the factory mags and the ergonomics of the adapter sleeves (the ones needed to get Beretta 92 mags to properly fit and work in the 9000) add to the comfort and help with controlability under recoil;
I have fired nearly 2,000 rounds in this gun (multiple manufacturers; multiple bullet weights; fmj and hollowpoint; normal pressure and +p; DON'T ASK ME TO RECALL SPECIFICS AT THIS POINT) and have the following observations:
there were 2 constant thorns in my side to deal with...
1) every so often I experienced a failure-to-extract when firing Winchester factory ammo (1 with a 147 grain hollowpoint and 2 with 115 grain fmj's); if I was hellbent on only using Winchester ammo as my defensive load, this would be a major infraction and the gun would go back (I like the price and the quantity in the 50 round boxes of Winchester WWB Personal Defense loads, but there are plenty other choices to choose from); 3 FTF's isn't really a big deal, but your defensive firearm should run flawlessly after break-in barring parts wearing out like springs; I have no idea why my gun's extractor occasionally hiccups with only Winchester factory brass; I still may choose to send the gun back to have the extractor looked at, but after hunting season when I can use my revolver for defensive work again
2) MecGar aftermarket B92 mags...after putting nearly 600 rounds thru these mags, I started having failures-to-feed with Federal HST's and they wouldn't lock the slidelatch back when the mags were empty; this again is weird considering the high quality that MecGar instills in their products; I did some overhauls by cleaning, lubricating, and even switching the followers and springs between mag bodies to no avail; I gave up and bought Beretta factory B92 mags and put nearly 400 rounds thru them recently without any problems; the Mecgars work fine when I tried them in a Beretta 92 at the shop, so I might sell them; I only would load 15 rounds into the MecGars to reduce overcompressing the springs, so switching to the 15 round Beretta mags wasn't a major concern (Beretta incorporates a stop on the bottom of the follower to prevent overloading the mag and causing damage to the spring)
summary:
I have grown to like this gun inspite of the problems I had with ammo and the aftermarket mags; my accuracy and shot placement have improved since buying the gun (my groups are tighter and I am not pulling the gun down as far when anticipating recoil--point of impact is closer to point of aim); manipulating the safety levers has become second nature due to the more I shoot and dry fire practice with the gun; the trigger characteristics lean toward a combat handgun and are not competition grade (the more I shoot it and dry fire practice, the smoother it feels);
the idea of the adapter sleeve to be able to use Beretta 92 mags is neat and shows attention to detail that Beretta is famous for (think of how many Beretta 92 mags are in existence and this allows higher capacity without having to spend high $$$ to get specific model 9000 mags); the hinged floorplate is also very handy and is a nice touch (without it, I found that my pinky went underneath the mag bottom and my grip was similar to shooting a snubbby revolver with concealment grips);
the overall aesthetics of the gun remind me of sculpted artwork and has grown on me (it attracts attention at the range and some people want a closer look); the internal construction is robust and is well executed; I would like to see this model gain higher acceptance and wider distribution, but Glocks seem to have the majority of the market for polymer-framed handgun;
this will be my final input on this firearm barring some major revelation like a major breakdown
added:
2 hi-cap MecGar mags -17 rounds (they fit Beretta 92 & work with adapter sleeve to fit Beretta 9000); 2 adapter sleeves; hinged floorplate for the other factory hi-cap mag; 2 hi-cap Beretta 92 mags -15 rounds (I had some problems with MecGars feeding and locking the slide latch back and these Beretta mags are the replacements);
I've been interested in the Beretta 9000 for nearly 2 years; Gander Mountain had them on again and off again; I handled several in .40 S&W and 9mm (these were earlier production models that had the catalog # stamped into the front of the slide), but the triggers were so heavy that I couldn't manipulate them in double action with my weak hand (I have been firing doulbe action revolvers for years, so it wasn't a lack of grip strength or unfamiliarity with longer trigger pulls); a few months ago I spotted a new batch of 9000's in 9mm with hi-caps for $350 (the original batch I handled only had 10 round mags and went for $430); this time the trigger was much better, so I took a chance and bought it;
to this point in time and my feelings:
the safety levers were very stiff and hard to manipulate and took alot of practice to get used to them; I bought some heavy duty snap caps and integrated fry fire practice sessions with manipulating the controls before going out the first time and this was very helpful; the safety levers are still stiff, but familiarity with the gun and learning different ways to manuipulate the controls makes handling second nature;
the grip size and shape took some getting used to at first, but I find it comfortable and almost second nature (my favorite platforms are medium-sized .38 special & .357 magnum revolvers and these always feel the most comfortable to me); having the hinged floorplates on the factory mags and the ergonomics of the adapter sleeves (the ones needed to get Beretta 92 mags to properly fit and work in the 9000) add to the comfort and help with controlability under recoil;
I have fired nearly 2,000 rounds in this gun (multiple manufacturers; multiple bullet weights; fmj and hollowpoint; normal pressure and +p; DON'T ASK ME TO RECALL SPECIFICS AT THIS POINT) and have the following observations:
there were 2 constant thorns in my side to deal with...
1) every so often I experienced a failure-to-extract when firing Winchester factory ammo (1 with a 147 grain hollowpoint and 2 with 115 grain fmj's); if I was hellbent on only using Winchester ammo as my defensive load, this would be a major infraction and the gun would go back (I like the price and the quantity in the 50 round boxes of Winchester WWB Personal Defense loads, but there are plenty other choices to choose from); 3 FTF's isn't really a big deal, but your defensive firearm should run flawlessly after break-in barring parts wearing out like springs; I have no idea why my gun's extractor occasionally hiccups with only Winchester factory brass; I still may choose to send the gun back to have the extractor looked at, but after hunting season when I can use my revolver for defensive work again
2) MecGar aftermarket B92 mags...after putting nearly 600 rounds thru these mags, I started having failures-to-feed with Federal HST's and they wouldn't lock the slidelatch back when the mags were empty; this again is weird considering the high quality that MecGar instills in their products; I did some overhauls by cleaning, lubricating, and even switching the followers and springs between mag bodies to no avail; I gave up and bought Beretta factory B92 mags and put nearly 400 rounds thru them recently without any problems; the Mecgars work fine when I tried them in a Beretta 92 at the shop, so I might sell them; I only would load 15 rounds into the MecGars to reduce overcompressing the springs, so switching to the 15 round Beretta mags wasn't a major concern (Beretta incorporates a stop on the bottom of the follower to prevent overloading the mag and causing damage to the spring)
summary:
I have grown to like this gun inspite of the problems I had with ammo and the aftermarket mags; my accuracy and shot placement have improved since buying the gun (my groups are tighter and I am not pulling the gun down as far when anticipating recoil--point of impact is closer to point of aim); manipulating the safety levers has become second nature due to the more I shoot and dry fire practice with the gun; the trigger characteristics lean toward a combat handgun and are not competition grade (the more I shoot it and dry fire practice, the smoother it feels);
the idea of the adapter sleeve to be able to use Beretta 92 mags is neat and shows attention to detail that Beretta is famous for (think of how many Beretta 92 mags are in existence and this allows higher capacity without having to spend high $$$ to get specific model 9000 mags); the hinged floorplate is also very handy and is a nice touch (without it, I found that my pinky went underneath the mag bottom and my grip was similar to shooting a snubbby revolver with concealment grips);
the overall aesthetics of the gun remind me of sculpted artwork and has grown on me (it attracts attention at the range and some people want a closer look); the internal construction is robust and is well executed; I would like to see this model gain higher acceptance and wider distribution, but Glocks seem to have the majority of the market for polymer-framed handgun;
this will be my final input on this firearm barring some major revelation like a major breakdown
