Question about a Beretta 96

[ChasMack]

I saw an ad where a fellow is selling his Beretta 96 a .40S&W with a 9mm barrel and 9mm magazines....so 2 guns in one. I knew that could be done with Glock and I actually have a G23 for 40 and .357 sig and 9mm barrels for it. I did not know you could do this with a Beretta. Has anyone had any experience with this set up?

 

[WestKentucky]

I have heard that it's possible. It's one of the few things I never tried with the 92 platform, but I don't care for 40sw. What I always heard was that you could put a 9mm barrel and mag into a 96, but not the other way around. If you are wanting the 40 and don't really care much about the 9mm, you could always sell that barrel and mag.

 

[highlander 5]

Don't know how reliable the pistol would be,but I had a 96 and used the standard 9 mm mags in it and as I recall could get 12 rounds in them and they functioned flawlessly.

 

[DaBruins]

Yes, the 40 cal. Model 96 barrel and magazine can be replaced with a 9mm Model 92 barrel and magazine, giving you the option to shoot 2 different calibers with 1 pistol. But, you cannot swap a 40 cal barrel into a 92 frame because the 9mm breach face is too small for the 40 cal. casing.

 

[Devonai]

I can also confirm that 92/96 series mags are virtually interchangeable, but I would be reluctant to use a 9x19mm barrel with a .40 S&W slide for fear the extractor would slip over the rim and cause problems.

 

[ClickClickD'oh]

Another vote on the mags. I used surplus M9 and police turn in M92 magazines in my M96 when 12 round M96 magazines were almost impossible to find during the AWB.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I'll confirm that the magazines of the 92 and 96 differ mostly in the follower. I've had no problem using a 96 mag in a 92...the .40 follower reduces capacity by a couple of rounds.

However, I'd be reluctant to change calibers on a 96 with a simple barrel swap. Most successful changes I've seen have been the whole top end