Single Action Berettas

[Mr Kablammo]

I was browsing the Beretta catalog and came across the Beretta Steel I. The single-action M92 was an intriguing proposition until I looked at the MSRP, $1,600. Does any one own/shoot one of these? What is the evaluation? How does it compare to SW 952, Sig P210, etc? Do you use it for IPSC, PPC or are just proud to own it?

 

[Whiteymin]

Cant answer your questions in comparison to the ones you mentioned, but can tell you a little about the Beretta single stacks. Not the newer ones but the older ones. My wife bought me a Egyptian Helwan 9mm at Christmas time. This handgun is a liscensed copy by Beretta of the Beretta model 1951 which is a single stack. It was made in Egypt on Beretta tooling they had moved there to produce these for them. I am very well pleased with mine and liked the way it shot so well that I inquired on here about where I may find a more modern single stack Beretta. Comes to find out they are rare. However, If you check the auction sites such as "auction arms." "gunbroker," "guns america," you can find these Egyptian made Helwans for under 200.00. I got mine for 120.00 but have seen them on the sites new for around 150.00. Give it a look and you will not be dissapointed. Many do go back and forth as to some are crude, some are not yada yada yada. I think it all a matter of opinion though I could be wrong.
Whitey

 

[vagabundo94]

I've got a couple Beretta Single Action handguns. I've got the Steel I you are asking about. I've also got a couple Billenniums.

The Steel I is an awesome handgun. I love it. Being all steel, it has a nice weight and great balance. It's a heavy gun - great for taking to the range, not so great for carrying around all day. As you probably saw in the picture in the Beretta catalog, it has the Vertec-style grip, as opposed to the standard, curved, 92-style grip.

The Steel I comes as either a DA/SA or a SA-only model. The SA-only model has the same configurable trigger-action as the Billennium.

It's a great gun and a lot of fun to shoot.

Not sure if they are still being produced by Beretta.

The last MSRP was, indeed, $1,600.00. And that is what they had been going for for quite some time. Recently, however, distributors have unleashed a bunch onto the market, and you should be able to get one in the $900 - $1,000 range (see this one here on GB: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=68976101. I'm in no way affiliated with the seller, by the way).

If you are seriously interested in getting one, now is the time to do it, because once this current inventory is consumed, they'll be back up to that $1,500 - $1,600 range. In fact, if you do a search on Gunbroker, you'll find many in that range already.

If money is not a big concern, and if you have the patience to wait until one comes on the market, it's my opinion that the Beretta Steel I is secondary to the Billennium. The Steel I and Billennium both share many of the same components, but the Billennium has the standard grip (which I prefer), and is just a bit heavier than the Steel I. The slide on the Billennium is so smooth, it seems as if it runs on ball-bearings. And the weight and balance of the Billie is absolutely unmatched, in my opinion. It makes shooting 9mm feel as if you are shooting .22lr!

Good luck!

 

[briansp82593]

steels to me weigh too much, but i do like how rock solid they are

 

[briansp82593]

i have a converted triggerbar to make my 96 sao, i think it rocks

 

[Mr Kablammo]

Thanks for the replies. The Steels, even at $900-1,000, are out of the price range. However, if a particular Made in Italy 92FS shows up at the next gunshow it will find a new home.