Beretta 92FS Hammer problem

[wannabeagunsmith]

On the 92FS I recently acquired, the hammer doesn't seem to want to stay in the cocked position when being fires, in other words it will only fire in DAO mode. I thought maybe it needed a cleaning, but I noticed that when locking the slide to the rear with and without a mag inserted and pushingdown on the release, the hammer falls forward more than half the time. What could be going on? Any one else with this problem?

 

[CNobbe]

Sounds like there might be a broken sear or sear spring in your gun.

 

[Spade5]

Weren't some converted to DAO

I seem to recall some were converted to double action only but that was a few years back. I cannot remember why and am probably wrong as usual.

 

[Steve C]

Beretta did make a DAO version called the 92D. It had no safety and was strictly a DAO operated handgun.

Does the hammer always follow the side when opperated manually (w/o ammo of course), even when the slide is ridden home? If it does its most likely been altered to a DAO mode sometimes due to requirements of a particular police department.

If the hammer does stay back in manually operated mode then there is a problem with the sear and sear notch engagement.

In either case if you want to repair or convert the pistol back to conventional DA mode you will need to have parts replace. Best to go to a gun smith for such work.

 

[I6turbo]

If I understand your gun's symptoms correctly, you are saying that it decocks after you fire a round. Is that correct? If so, check to see if the sear spring has either gotten tired, or if someone may have bent it in hopes of lightening the trigger or perhaps installed it incorrectly. I had this symptom in a 92SB. I checked the sear spring and found it mis-shapen. I reshaped it closer to the original shape and the gun ran flawlessly again.

You can see the correct shape clearly in this video. There's a great shot of the correct (original) spring shape at 32 seconds into the video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCbWUMv3Ir8&index=2&list=PLFF029AE836039B8E

 

[OregonJohnny]

Did you acquire this gun new or used?

On a standard 92FS, if the safety/decocker lever is in the down (safe) position, the hammer will follow the slide forward when releasing the slide. However, if that was the situation, you'd have a dead trigger because of the safety being on, and you'd know it.

Now, I'm confused about the hammer falling forward after each shot. That would make me think your gun would go full-auto. But if the hammer is following the slide forward when the slide is picking up the next round of the magazine while going back to battery, perhaps it doesn't hit the firing pin with enough momentum to pop the primer.

If you picked this gun up new, send it back to Beretta asap and they'll make it right. If it is used, it sounds like a previous owner fiddled around with hammer/sear surfaces. Bad news.

 

[wannabeagunsmith]

Case closed, someone has taken it apart before I bought it and reinstalled the sear spring sideways! Works flawlessly now.

 

[Miked7762]

Sideways? That's a new one.