should I replace my 92A1 plastic parts?

[socalbeachbum]

my Beretta 92A1 has a plastic trigger, mag release and half of the safety. I can't tell if the hammer is plastic of injection molded metal, does anyone out there know about the hammer material??

based on my years of plastics experience, no polymer is going to last forever. and I know that solvents and UV exposure will speed up the degrading of the polymers so I'm thinking I should replace the poly parts while Beretta has the parts available to us in steel.

just not sure about the hammer.

 

[tarosean]

Hammer is metal and the trigger is a metal skeleton with poly covering.

If you want to change them out just because.. go for it...

As for degradation? poly handguns have been going for almost 50yrs.. Used in rifles even longer.

Unless you have a habit of leaving your guns laying outside in the elements 24/7 for years I don't think much breakdown of the polymers will happen.

 

[Steve C]

Any more I don't fix things that are not broken. Have learned over the years that doing so just brings on other problems.

 

[socalbeachbum]

thanks, did not know the trigger has a metal skeleton, that's probably acceptable.

the plastic grips on the old 9mm Walther P-38 my uncle brought back from WWII still look good but I would not want to drop one on a concrete floor.

 

[JTQ]

...I know that solvents and UV exposure will speed up the degrading of the polymers ...

I'd find a new gun cleaning solvent.

As mentioned, the poly parts are all metal coated in polymer. The only poly piece is the guide rod.

However, if you've got to have all steel parts, Beretta sells them http://www.berettausa.com/en-us/ber...ger-safety-levers-recoil-rod-mag-rel-/e00706/

 

[pblanc]

I believe your recoil spring guide rod is probably also polymer. Only the button of the magazine release is polymer. The body is metal.

I have a 92FS and I wound up swapping the polymer or polymer-coated parts, but not entirely because I felt all metal ones would function better.

I swapped the polymer-coated trigger for an all-metal Wilson Combat short reach trigger to shorten the trigger reach a bit. I swapped the safety/decocker lever for a Wilson Combat single-sided, low-profile lever because I didn't need the right side lever and I wanted a cleaner slide profile. I swapped the polymer mag release button for a Beretta extended magazine release button because I wanted a bigger mag release button.

I did change the recoil spring and recoil spring guide rod to a Beretta titanium nitride-coated spring and all steel guide rod and that was mainly for appearance sake, although the spring is probably a bit better than the stock spring.

I very much doubt that swapping out any of your plastic parts will result in better function or greater durability of your pistol.

 

[JTQ]

Regarding my above post and the steel parts kit, remember the 92A1 is somewhat of an oddity in the Beretta line-up. Not all parts are transferable with the 92A1. The guide rod, for instance is a unique part.