What about Beretta 92?

[armedwalleye]

I’ve always been a third gen S&W guy, and loved the idea of the Beretta, same double stack, same DA/SA trigger, similar size and weight, and kept looking for the right deal. Never did find it, but kept finding third gens, and took it as a sign....
I think you’d do just fine with a Beretta. Solid platform, great shooters, battle proven, especially in less hostile environments.

 

[GHinNH]

No striker fired for me thanks... Double/single is the way.

92X RDO Vertek grip solves any complaint about being too big and comes with a "normal" grip if so desired. RDO comes with the slide milled for the same price as without, great trigger, short reset out of the box.

Probably already covered so pardon me, the reliability "problems" were because the powers that be decided to source mags separately and did not have the required sand resistant coating on them.

 

[Racinfan83]

And you still see them even in local IDPA/USPSA competition quite a bit.

The very popular CZ pistols you'll see in competition are also DA/SA. If yours was such a huge handicap, I'd think the obvious route to follow would be to get some instruction on mastering the DA trigger stroke

I'm an experienced shooter with lots of DA revolver experience. I have purchased a 16lb hammer spring from Wilson, when I have time to get it installed I will see if it makes a difference. If not - the gun will just stay in my "keep but don't shoot" section of my safe. I have many more that I like better anyway...

 

[9mmepiphany]

I'm an experienced shooter with lots of DA revolver experience.

This confuses me a bit as you'd previously posted that the DA trigger "ruined" the class for you.

I found the stock Beretta DA a bit heavy, but it was smooth...much better than a S&W 3rd Gen and a bit better than a SIG 226. Going to a factory "D" spring gave it a feel comparable to a nice stock S&W revolver. Going to a Langdon reduced power spring, and a cleanup, put it easily on par with a Performance Center revolver

 

[crestoncowboy]

This confuses me a bit as you'd previously posted that the DA trigger "ruined" the class for you.

I found the stock Beretta DA a bit heavy, but it was smooth...much better than a S&W 3rd Gen and a bit better than a SIG 226. Going to a factory "D" spring gave it a feel comparable to a nice stock S&W revolver. Going to a Langdon reduced power spring, and a cleanup, put it easily on par with a Performance Center revolver

Id say all My Beretta da pulls are comparable to all my sigs. The sigs are better in sa by a little. Both are 10x better than all my hk and people tend to be in love with anything hk. Lol. My old p series Rugers have better triggers than my best hk.

 

[9mmepiphany]

Both are 10x better than all my hk and people tend to be in love with anything hk.

I understand why you'd say that, but I'd qualify it a bit more closely. Most H&K triggers I've tried, after the H&K P7 and P9s, have been very smooth, but also very long in their takeup. Then you got to a mushy let off, almost as bad as a S&W, that made you think, "Is it ever going to release?" For me the H&K USP was much worst than the P30 or HK45

For many people the H&K LEM (Law Enforcement Modification) trigger was easier to shoot well

 

[Homerboy]

About the only gun I ever just said to hell with it and dumped for a loss was a vertec. I bought the first one anyone around had seen. Everyone hated it. The trigger pull was absolutely terrible. Plus at the time there was no holsters available but sorry universal ones.



Riggs and MacLaine definitely influenced my collecting of Beretta. Lol.

I like the 92/96.
View attachment 1045196

I’ve had several 92’s and am left with a civilian M9 and a Vertec. I much prefer the feel of the Vertec. Others must agree since the grip is back in the M9A3, M9A4, and the 92X series. I’ve replaced the standard trigger spring with a D spring.

 

[crestoncowboy]

For me the H&K USP was much worst than the P30 or HK45

All 3 of mine are in fact USP. Excellent gun but with what may be the worst 3 triggers of anything I own. Lol.

Others must agree since the grip is back

Idk. Could be seen either way. If most agreed it wouldn't have gone away in the first place and wouldn't still be offered without 20 years later. Back when I bought mine our Troopers carried a Beretta. They chose their new gun later, Eventually going with a 229.

Mine was the first anyone around had seen, including the man responsible for training and qualifying most of our Troopers, who agreed it was awful (trained our game and wildlife among others too). I have no doubt Beretta changed things on them since. It was absolutely terrible. I collected Beretta. It was brand new and special ordered. No issues at all with Beretta and this vertec never jammed from new with everything from fmj to their duty ammo. Most of the Troopers liked their Beretta as well as the sig. I don't know of any who didn't buy their personal Berettas when offered. None would trade me their worn blued gun for my new inox because of the trigger. Not the grip itself. The pull on mine was so long that 30 year veterans (again who carried the Beretta in 40 or 9) thought the gun wasn't going to go off. I eventually traded it (at the biggest loss I've ever had on a gun) for an identical non vertec gun which I still have.

Mine was a 96 inox BTW. Bought in the very early 00s. It was also the debut of their "short reach trigger" Was so new that nobody made a holster to accommodate the rail. The grip wasn't the issue the trigger pull was. Ive not used any other vertec since. No department uses a Beretta of any sort around here now.

Mine may have even been defective, but between myself and 15 or so local and state LE officers I don't think it ever jammed. I even used it to qualify myself. The sa pull was decent best I remenber.

 

[golden]

I bought a BERETTA 92X F Compact model 4 days ago as a present for my wife. She has been shooting my 92D Compact model as a house gun for several years and complained the trigger reach was a problem. The smaller circumference grip of the 92X series we handled at a range seemed to solve that problem, so I bought the 92X.
I tried it at the range and found it was accurate and reliable right out of the box. The trigger is fine as well.
I have been shooting 92's and 96's since 1997 and think they are fine. I have found them to be more accurate than average self defense handguns and extremely reliable. I have shot them upside down in training and sideways and never had a jam.
My biggest complaints were the grip was large which has been fixed by the VERTEC grip guns and the overall bulk of the full size 92/96 guns. With the 92X Compact, I think they have come up with the perfect 9 m.m. for me. It fits my hand better than my 92 Brigadier and is compact enough for comfortable concealed carry..

I may have to get another one for myself.

Jim

 

[nofendertom]

I had a Beretta 92 Centurion DAO---great trigger and very accurate.

 

[Sergei Mosin]

HK triggers are proof positive that how it feels in the store has little bearing on how it handles on the range. Long, mushy, and lights-out accurate.

 

[Homerboy]

To each their own. The Vertec fixed some of the complaints people had. Accessory rail, dove tailed sights, slimmer grip. I changed out the short reach trigger to a standard metal one just because I didn’t want a plastic trigger. Don’t even remember what the short reach trigger felt like. Also put in a D spring as I’ve done to all of the dozen 92 variants I’ve owned.

I have medium to large hands and the Vertec grips feels great to me. Putting the Vertec grip on the new line of 92’s means somebody likes them. I know if I ever get a 92X I would never use the grip adapter to mimic a standard 92. I like standard 92’s very much, but I prefer the Vertec. Only reason I have the M9 is for the markings. I like having a military marked weapon in my collection. Looks good next to my 1944 GI 1911.

 

[crestoncowboy]

To each their own. The Vertec fixed some of the complaints people had. Accessory rail, dove tailed sights, slimmer grip. I changed out the short reach trigger to a standard metal one just because I didn’t want a plastic trigger. Don’t even remember what the short reach trigger felt like. Also put in a D spring as I’ve done to all of the dozen 92 variants I’ve owned.

I have medium to large hands and the Vertec grips feels great to me. Putting the Vertec grip on the new line of 92’s means somebody likes them. I know if I ever get a 92X I would never use the grip adapter to mimic a standard 92. I like standard 92’s very much, but I prefer the Vertec. Only reason I have the M9 is for the markings. I like having a military marked weapon in my collection. Looks good next to my 1944 GI 1911.

Yeah, I ordered that gun mostly because of the rail, back then weapon mounted lights were becoming standard. Our HKs used a stupid proprietary rail too. Didn't help. I never minded the standard grip but even though I'm a big guy I prefer a Glock 17/22 etc or similar size grip. I always remove my e2 sig grips and put on the bigger standard grips though. I usually use a fatter 1911 or revolver grip too, often hogue. I don't recall the short reach trigger being plastic but it's been twenty years and we only used the gun a few weeks before I ditched it. It may very well have been.....The gun performed fine and I didn't mind the grip. All of mine now are standard.

 

[Homerboy]

Yeah, I ordered that gun mostly because of the rail, back then weapon mounted lights were becoming standard. Our HKs used a stupid proprietary rail too. Didn't help. I never minded the standard grip but even though I'm a big guy I prefer a Glock 17/22 etc or similar size grip. I always remove my e2 sig grips and put on the bigger standard grips though. I usually use a fatter 1911 or revolver grip too, often hogue. I don't recall the short reach trigger being plastic but it's been twenty years and we only used the gun a few weeks before I ditched it. It may very well have been.....The gun performed fine and I didn't mind the grip. All of mine now are standard.

Mine was made in 2007 and it surely had one. I still have it in my parts bin. Yeah, the proprietary rail was a bit of a stumble, but rails weren’t so common back then and I put a TLR2 on my Vertec and it for fine. They make adapters for them now. Either way, mine is a range gun only and will never see a weapon mounted light anyway.

 

[crestoncowboy]

Mine was made in 2007 and it surely had one. I still have it in my parts bin. Yeah, the proprietary rail was a bit of a stumble, but rails weren’t so common back then and I put a TLR2 on my Vertec and it for fine. They make adapters for them now. Either way, mine is a range gun only and will never see a weapon mounted light anyway.

At least Glocks rail could be made to accept a standard light in 30 seconds with a file. Lol. Of all the guns I've used, one Glock was the only one to ever actually wear a light. Handgun at least.

I never actually put a light on that vertec. No idea if it were proprietary on the Beretta. Never found a decent holster either. Even safari land stated 6 months at least. I know that when I bought mine was between 02 and 04. Based on the vehicle I had at the time. I did have a lasermax internal laser in it. I put it in my replacement Beretta. In short time it broke though. The recoil broke the tail cap off lasermax offered me another at half price but since it only took a couple thousand rounds I just went to a standard metal guide rod

 

[Homerboy]

Yeah. Lasermax seemed destined to fail. Rod getting battered with every round fired and the lens getting covered in powder residue. Crimson Trace was a big improvement. I had one of my old 92. Sold it to buy something else. I’d put one in the other ones I have but it doesn’t do home defense duty or carry so it would be a waste. I do have one on my S&W Model 67. That’s the gun my wife would grab if she needed one and she needs all the help she can get.

 

[redcon1]

I have found one at a nice price, but I have no experience with this gun. I know it's 9mm, looks really cool and the US military went to them in 1986. Does the mighty High Road Brain trust recommend this firearm for plinking and home defence? Are they considered to be reliable? Do they shoot straight?

Frequently described as being the most reliable handgun you could own (excluding revolvers perhaps). I don't have one. I want one though.

 

[spraay]

I've had one for many years. Definitely reliable and easy to shoot. I never had to carry one in battle but I carried one as my CPL gun for years. I would trust my life to it.

 

[Racinfan83]

This confuses me a bit as you'd previously posted that the DA trigger "ruined" the class for you.

I found the stock Beretta DA a bit heavy, but it was smooth...much better than a S&W 3rd Gen and a bit better than a SIG 226. Going to a factory "D" spring gave it a feel comparable to a nice stock S&W revolver. Going to a Langdon reduced power spring, and a cleanup, put it easily on par with a Performance Center revolver

I got a new spring just haven't installed yet. My issue was that long hard pull when trying to draw quickly and get the first shot on target was throwing me off. It was longer and heavier than any of my DA revolvers. Switched to an XDM for competition classes, then a Glock 17 as well. Consistent trigger pulls with those made a big difference....

 

[gc70]

Consistent trigger pulls with those made a big difference....

I have never understood the "consistent trigger pull" argument with high capacity pistols.

When I shoot one of my son's Glock 17 pistols, I have 17 trigger pulls of 5.5 pounds each. When I shoot my Beretta 92A1, I have one 7-pound trigger pull and 16 trigger pulls of 4 pounds each. While the first shot with the Beretta is arguably less precise due to a heavier trigger pull, the far larger number of arguably more precise shots with a lighter trigger pull more than offset any deficiency in that first shot.

 

[trackskippy]

Im just the opposite, the first shots with my DA guns are almost always more accurate than the SA shots that follow.

If I shoot groups to compare, the DA groups are always smaller than the SA.