Beretta 92

[mljdeckard]

I have owned the T-92 and the Beretta, as well as having carried the M-9 extensively.

It's kind of a love/hate thing. Some of the things that make it nice to shoot are also the reasons I don't like it anymore. It is big, wide, and bulky. This makes it tough to conceal, but it also makes it very easy to shoot, as that weight soaks up recoil. Bulk isn't as much of a concern for a service pistol, where soldiers don't have to tuck it in their waistband, but it might be a problem for the guys who want to carry it concealed every day.

The single action trigger pull and recovery is as good as it gets. It seems to shoot itself. The double action pull is a bit long, but it's what I learned on, so I don't mind it. I also decided that it would have to be a split-second life and death emergency for me to have to draw it without having time to cock the hammer.

However, I carried it for a long time, and used other guns for a dozen years or so. Now I'm back in the military, and I have been issued an M-9 again. I really don't like the feel. After using mostly Glocks and 1911s for the last several years, the Beretta feels like a lump in my hands, not comfortable at all.

My T-92 experience wasn't good, I had a lot of problems with it. Light firing pin strikes, and the double-action was slipping, dropping the hammer before it was pulled all the way to the rear. A couple of gunsmiths told me it was just dirty, but they couldn't fix it, so I got rid of it. I did like the frame-mounted, downswept safety.

 

[outerlimit]

I do like the safety system on the Taurus vs. the 92FS's frame mounted safety. But I prefer a G type decocker over both. That is really my only complaint about the Beretta though. It is definitely the better gun of the two. I don't really see the point of a safety on a DA pistol. And Beretta mags are more available of course. Not that it is much of an issue post-AWB. I would prefer a G type decocker on my 92FS instead of the safety, because the safety really serves no practical purpose IMO, I only use it as a decocker.

The biggest weak point of the Beretta and Taurus 92 copy (I won't call it a clone, because it's not) is the trigger return sping. This part is prone to breaking and I've seen many do so on both guns. The Wolff INS unit solves this little problem and is an easy drop in part.