Beretta 92FS question

[Nick5182]

Hey everyone,

First off I'd like to thank those who told me where to buy spare Beretta parts. I've got some parts, and will be ordering the other ones shortly.

The parts I've got so far and installed are the Elite II skeletonized hammer, and a 92D hammer spring.

The question I have is about recoil with the new hammer spring. Racking the slide now is a breeze with the new parts, and I was wondering if I should get a higher power recoil spring to make sure the slide isn't slamming the frame harder during recoil, than with the factory parts? Pretty much will the faster movement of the slide due to new parts hurt the firearm because of recoil?

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,
Nick

 

[BADUNAME37]

I have never done this before, but it is worth a try.
Try to figure out exactly which points the moving slide is hitting and stopping when making contact with the frame. Once you have established that, carefully clean with alcohol to remove any grease, oil or powder residue and cut tiny pieces of masking tape to cover the places where steel is obviously hitting steel during the stop of the slide's backward-movement.

Shoot one shot, then remove the slide to see if the tape has been smashed or "mushed" thus indicating metal-to-metal contact at fairly high impact.

You could even double up or triple up on the tape to see if the little tape pieces are surviving a single shot. If so, then try, perhaps, five shots.

If the tape does indicate the signs of "hammering" metal-against-metal, then try a stronger recoil spring. Wolff Springs has many aftermarket springs and are supposed to be excellent quality - perhaps better than original. I know they sell certain "packs" of springs for experimenting with different weights to find the spring which works best.

With a bit of experimentation, I think you would be able to find the perfect spring for your particular gun and load!

 

[Runningman]

I'm going to assume you also changed out the stock hammer spring to lesser power??

Yes it would be a good idea to go up on recoil spring. Like the recoil spring the hammer spring pressure also has an effect on slide velocity. Many people over look this when they start changing hammer springs. But as you observed "Racking the slide now is a breeze with the new parts".

How much is the question. I would get some Wolff springs in a +1#, +2#, and +3# Wolff springs over stock rating and start out testing with the +3# one. Its mostly going to be a trial and error deal. If it short strokes on you than you will know you need to drop down on the recoil spring.

 

[Nick5182]

Thanks inspector and running man, that's what I thought. Yes, I swapped the stock hammer spring with the lighter one, and even though the trigger pull is way better, like I said, there is almost no effort required to rack the slide. I'll take the advice and purchase some + power recoil springs. Thanks again!

 

[Shipwreck]

Go check the Beretta Forum.

SOME people do up the recoil spring by 1 or 2 lbs. I have never bothered with the D spring in the gun.

 

[rhodco]

I did quite a bit of "trial and error" like this on my 92FS with springs, trying to get just the right balance. The Wolff pack of springs is great for this. Just don't get them mixed up in the wrong bag or you won't know what weight you are working with.

I got a set of mainsprings (hammer) that replace the stock spring with various lighter weight springs, and a set of slide recoil springs that replace the stock spring with various heavier weight springs.

My strategy was to lower trigger pull down to about 5 - 7 lbs., then increase the slide spring as much as possible while still allowing the weakest loads to cycle the action reliably. Since the weakest load I shoot is 124gr. NATO FMJ, I tested with that first. I started with the heaviest slide spring and it would sometimes jam, so I dropped down to the next weight and tested some more. Malfunctions were less frequent, but still occasional. I dropped down to the next and continued to test until - over several weeks of practice - I felt confident in it's reliability. Now, shooting the +P and even +P+ loads are more comfortable, and I am more accurate with them. And, the NATO loads feel like I'm shooting a .22 instead of a 9mm.

I also used an India polishing stone to smooth the sear surface on the underside of the hammer where the trigger contacts - but be careful not to smooth it too much. Just a few strokes makes a big difference.

As a result, my 92FS is now a much sweeter shooting pistol for me. It takes a lot of patience to get it just the way you like, but it's worth it.