Talk me out of this Beretta 92

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mtnbkr

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I have been offered a "Basic Model" 92 with 4 or 5 high capacity magazines (he can't remember how many he has, but it's at least 4). Cosmetically, it's probably 60% or 70%. Mechanically, it's in great shape. The trigger is smooth in DA and SA. The slide isn't tight, but it isn't loose either. Well broken in seems to describe it best. The frame rails aren't peened or damaged. It seems to be accurate. I'm hardly the person to evaluate a handgun's accuracy, but it seems to do well. I've run about 100 rounds (WW White Box) and it hasn't had a single hiccup.

Here's what I don't like:
It's large (but no larger than my GP100).
It's the old model with the low mounted mag release and frame mounted safety. Because of this, grips and other accessories either don't fit or have to be modified.
It's rougher cosmetically than I would normally like.

Here's what I like:
The price ($325) seems good to me.
It's very reliable
It's accurate (more so than the Kahr K9 I've been shooting along side it
I like DA/SA.
15 rounds!
I don't have a full sized auto.

I'll probably use this as a range toy, house gun, and occasional CCW.

BTW, can it be refinished? I read *somewhere* that it's not a good idea to refinish 92's because the tolerances are so tight, no aftermarket finish would be thin enough not to interfere with the mechanism (dunno what they were talking about, but it's what I read). I think it would look good with an OD frame and black slide. :)

Chris
 
I bought a police trade-in (from a local agency) for a very attractive price, partly on principle and partly out of curiosity. Downside: they're big. Upside: the thing is a machine. The low bore axis and large size:recoil factor make it a real raygun.
 
go for it

They're excellent pistols. I've been carrying/using 'em on duty now for past ten years ... parts are easy to find, you can order a good barrel from Jarvis for a reasonable price should the need arise ... for a range gun that's fun to shoot or a house gun, you can't go wrong. Never heard that re-finishing 92s wasn't recommended ...
 
Given that you can feel some looseness in the slide to frame fit, I don't think you'll have any problems with refinishing. In fact, it might tighten things up a bit--maybe even improve the accuracy some.

I don't know if the price is good or not...the Blue Book says that the price for a 90% 92 or 92S is $300, 80% is $250-255. Of course sometimes the Blue Book numbers are crazy wrong too. I don't think you're getting taken but you might try to get them to knock off another $25 bucks or so.

The pistol was made sometime between 1976 and 1980.
 
If its got the frame mounted safety its likely it'll do cocked and locked meaning DA/SA will require manually lowering the hammer on a loaded round.

As far as I know the Taurus "three-way" safety (safe-fire-decock positions) first appeared on the PT-92/99 although variations of it are on several guns now (HK USP, Beretta 9000S are two I can think of besides other Taurus guns). I don't think Beretta has ever made a gun with a frame mounted decocker besides the 9000S (which is three-way safety)

Since you say you like DA/SA, you may find this a show stopper.

--wally.
 
So it this a Taurus or Berretta? I wasn't aware of any frame mounted safety Berrettas except for some oddball old mil-surp imports and I might not even be remembering that right. I thought the only diff in those were the mags and mag release.
 
Yup, it's an actual Beretta. Says so on the slide.

I don't consider the lack of a decocker a showstopper. Lowering the hammer to the halfcock notch isn't the safest thing to do, but it's acceptable as long as you are careful. I've had to do it on other DA/SA guns I've owned in the past and I have to do it today on my levergun (unless I want to walk around the woods with a cocked and loaded Winchester).

In all likelyhood, I'm going to buy it. Thanks for the input folks.

Chris
 
The Taurus equipment was originally used to make Beretta pistols.

The original 92 had a low mounted button magazine release and a frame mounted safety.
 
Lowering the hammer to the halfcock notch isn't the safest thing to do
Click to expand...

Unless the gun also has a trigger activated firing pin block, half-cock is likely not the safe way to carry it! Contact Beretta for a manual, read and heed!

--wally.
 
Mike says "Thank you for your business, Rover."

He's now threatening to drag me to the skeet range to try that with the shotgun he's going to buy.
 
"Which shotgun..."

Beats me.

Ask him.

20?

28?

What would you hunt/shoot with one of those?

Isn't a 12 big enough?

Could you even hold onto a 28?
 
He's looked at both.

You've got it wrong. The smaller the number, the larger the gauge. A 12 is bigger than a 20 is bigger than a 28.

20s and 28s are good for small game, upland bird, and shotgun games. :)

Chris
 
Actually gauge is deterimed by the number of lead balls the dia of the bore it takes to make a pound. ie:
12ga= 12 balls
20ga= 20
And so on-------------fun isn't it---------Now there's dram equivalent----------
str1
 
Don't for get that bastard child known as the .410. I can't remember why, but it's listed in caliber rather than bore.

Chriswonderinghowadiscussiononthemeritsoftheberetta92turnedtoshotgunsAllen
 
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