AlexanderA
Member
The 1990's are considered to be the "golden age" for the Taurus PT92 (Beretta offshoot). This was after the adoption of the ambidextrous safety and the relocated magazine release (good), and before the addition of the accessory rail and the Taurus Security System internal lock (bad).
But there was constant evolution within the 1990's. Here are some of the highlights.
Pre-1989 production. This has highly polished surfaces on the front and rear of the frame, as well as the sides of the slide. The rear sight does not have white dots. Most of these came with wooden grips. Pictured are aftermarket Uncle Mike's rubber grips. The magazine floorplate has been replaced with an unmarked Beretta floorplate. (The Taurus floorplate is just folded sheet metal.)
December 1989 production. All surfaces of the frame are now dull, although the sides of the slide remain highly polished. 3-dot sights. Again, aftermarket Uncle Mike's grips and Beretta flooplate.
April 1994 production. Decocker version. (Model designation PT92 AF-D.) Sides of the slide remain polished. These grips are all polymer, although earlier decocker grips were polymer over a metal core. The metal-core grips can be identified by the word "Brasil" in the Taurus logo. Slide markings are laser-engraved rather than roll-marked.
September 1998 production. Decocker. The finish is now dull throughout. Wider slide serrations, as well as wider, simpler 3-dot sights. Polymer guide rod (replaced with metal). As produced, these guns don't have lanyard rings. Replaced the Taurus hammer-spring plug with a Beretta plug that includes the lanyard ring. (Note: the Beretta lanyard ring is rotated 90 degrees from the Taurus ring. This change is necessary because the new Taurus frame is not beveled at that spot.)
In this late production,Taurus eliminated 3 of the grip screw bushings, by combining them with the grip screws. I changed those to Hogue low-profile bushings plus separate Beretta grip screws. (If this conversion is done, you must put internal-tooth lock washers (in a standard size, which fits perfectly) underneath the grip screws, or else they will protrude into the magazine well.)
These guns were normally supplied with 17-round magazines instead of 15-round. Taurus 17-round magazines can be identified by their yellow followers. As before, Beretta floorplates can be substituted.
But there was constant evolution within the 1990's. Here are some of the highlights.
Pre-1989 production. This has highly polished surfaces on the front and rear of the frame, as well as the sides of the slide. The rear sight does not have white dots. Most of these came with wooden grips. Pictured are aftermarket Uncle Mike's rubber grips. The magazine floorplate has been replaced with an unmarked Beretta floorplate. (The Taurus floorplate is just folded sheet metal.)
December 1989 production. All surfaces of the frame are now dull, although the sides of the slide remain highly polished. 3-dot sights. Again, aftermarket Uncle Mike's grips and Beretta flooplate.
April 1994 production. Decocker version. (Model designation PT92 AF-D.) Sides of the slide remain polished. These grips are all polymer, although earlier decocker grips were polymer over a metal core. The metal-core grips can be identified by the word "Brasil" in the Taurus logo. Slide markings are laser-engraved rather than roll-marked.
September 1998 production. Decocker. The finish is now dull throughout. Wider slide serrations, as well as wider, simpler 3-dot sights. Polymer guide rod (replaced with metal). As produced, these guns don't have lanyard rings. Replaced the Taurus hammer-spring plug with a Beretta plug that includes the lanyard ring. (Note: the Beretta lanyard ring is rotated 90 degrees from the Taurus ring. This change is necessary because the new Taurus frame is not beveled at that spot.)
In this late production,Taurus eliminated 3 of the grip screw bushings, by combining them with the grip screws. I changed those to Hogue low-profile bushings plus separate Beretta grip screws. (If this conversion is done, you must put internal-tooth lock washers (in a standard size, which fits perfectly) underneath the grip screws, or else they will protrude into the magazine well.)
These guns were normally supplied with 17-round magazines instead of 15-round. Taurus 17-round magazines can be identified by their yellow followers. As before, Beretta floorplates can be substituted.
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