Beretta 92

[walks with gun]

Going to look at a Beretta 92 and some others this week with my father, he had a stroke several years ago and it left his hands pretty weak. Anyhow he needs a new woods gun while roaming around on the four wheeler and for general defense. Anyone have a commercial Beretta 92, the slide is supposed to be very easy to rack and there supposed to be danged accurate, any thoughts. He's got very large catchers mitt hands so that's not a problem.

[Malamute]

There seems to be a fair contingent of people that like them. Not hobby type users, but fairly serious shooters.

I dont have any experience with them, but have heard thay are above average accurate for service type autos.

[Mescalero]

They feel like a 4x4 in my hands,
there was at one time a slide cracking problem.

[Mich Hunter]

I have about 16 years of shooting and smithing on them for Uncle Sam. I have also been through the Beretta armorers course. My opinion of them are…………..There are much better and simpler choices out there for their price range. Yes they did have slide cracking issues (still do) along with the falling locking block design that also has cracking issues. The newer models have had many critical parts replaced with plastic in order to cut cost and weight. This includes the guide rod, safety/decocker, trigger etc. I have had a lot of problems with them since they started to do this. It's gotten to the point where even the military doesn't want them anymore. Some SOF and non standardized units have transitioned to the Sig M11 (much better pistol in my opinion) and the Glock 19 along with a few others. The Army has also recently rejected the improve model for the Beretta opting for a more modern design.
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2015 ... istol.html

If you are dead set on the M92, I would handle and fire one first if you can. Again, just my opinion.

[Mossyoak1957]

I never had any problems with my Beretta 92's

Also the frame/slide cracking story's should be explained in full when brought up,I would think any firearm would experience some problems after it was fired 30,000 times.

It's not fair just to say..."oh you have a Beretta 92 the frames crack on them." or "Don't buy a Beretta 92 all the frames crack on them".......just sayin

[Mescalero]

I thought the issue was the slide cracking?

[rjohns94]

I think they feel like a well fitted glove, very smooth, always reliable. I had a pair when going through dive training and beyond. I easily put 40k rounds through them on uncle SAMs nickel. Great guns. I can't remember a FTF in either one.

[AJMD429]

I prefer the similar Taurus PT-92's...they don't have that non-intuitive 'push forward and up' safety, but rather have a 1911 style sweep-down safety. Otherwise the same design. Mine is reliable and a good full size carry gun.

[Malamute]

As I understand it, theres a variety of safety types, including some frame mounted I believe, and hammer droppers only. The hammer dropper only can be fitted to others I think. Theres a variety of grip types also, the wood ones probably being the thickest.

I had no idea there were so many varients until I saw people talking about them. Wilson Combat has been working on them, and collaborated with Berreta on releasing a model with Wilson designed and spec'ed parts. I don't think it's just a standard gun with some parts thrown at it, but a better fitted gun overall.

[BILLYDIXON]

I've had a 92 Beretta since the late 80's. I traded another pistol for it. I put a pair of wrap round pack grips on it. I had a gunshop back then and we got a ton of Egyptian 9mm and laupau 9mm. Those rounds had the hardest primers. The Glocks couldn't fire one round. The Sigs 226 would have a misfire every 5 rounds. The Beretta had one misfire every 100 rounds. I shot thousands of round and never cleaned it. I'm a 1911 guy. But the Beretta is a close second. Don't like to toot my horn much but I've had a lot of experience around firearms. Buy the Beretta and don't look back. The Taurus is a very nice copy because u can carry it cocked and locked. I think J&G has some 92's for a pretty good price.

[MrMurphy]

The 92 was a good gun in it's time. Like most Berettas, larger than needed in it's caliber.

The safety is counterintuitive, but they borrowed from the Walther P38 (at that time, the only successful DA) as did S&W's guns.

The "G" variant specified by the French Gendarmerie is the decocker-only version and my favorite.

I've probably got somewhere upwards of 6-8,000 through my personal 92FS before needs dictated it went somewhere else. Another thousand or so through issued M9's.

Civilian 92s generally have spectacularly good triggers and smooth, easy racking slides. Military M9s, being beat to hell, generally have neither once they've been around troops for a month or two. Same issue they had back in the day with 1911s......

They're not my favorite pistol, but I can shoot them well.

A full-size 1911 in 9mm with light springs would probably be just as easy to rack, and have a better trigger.

[TedH]

I prefer the similar Taurus PT-92's...they don't have that non-intuitive 'push forward and up' safety, but rather have a 1911 style sweep-down safety. Otherwise the same design. Mine is reliable and a good full size carry gun.

+1
I bought an older Taurus from a Pawn Shop for 3 bills, and it just keeps going and going. Like others have said, they are a big, heavy gun, but that isn't all bad when it comes to accurate shooting.

[walks with gun]

Well the hunt is over, his old boss at the local gun shop sent him home with a Springfield Range Officer in 9mm, price was just to good and it shoots like a dream, this should keep him happy for a few months till something else catches his eye. Thanks for the input guys.

[Ysabel Kid]

I prefer the similar Taurus PT-92's...they don't have that non-intuitive 'push forward and up' safety, but rather have a 1911 style sweep-down safety. Otherwise the same design. Mine is reliable and a good full size carry gun.

+1
I bought an older Taurus from a Pawn Shop for 3 bills, and it just keeps going and going. Like others have said, they are a big, heavy gun, but that isn't all bad when it comes to accurate shooting.

+another

I have the PT-99 (the adjustable sight version). Have had it over 20 years and can't recall a single jam.

[Paladin]

I have about 16 years of shooting and smithing on them for Uncle Sam. I have also been through the Beretta armorers course. My opinion of them are…………..There are much better and simpler choices out there for their price range. Yes they did have slide cracking issues (still do) along with the falling locking block design that also has cracking issues. The newer models have had many critical parts replaced with plastic in order to cut cost and weight. This includes the guide rod, safety/decocker, trigger etc. I have had a lot of problems with them since they started to do this. It's gotten to the point where even the military doesn't want them anymore. Some SOF and non standardized units have transitioned to the Sig M11 (much better pistol in my opinion) and the Glock 19 along with a few others. The Army has also recently rejected the improve model for the Beretta opting for a more modern design.
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2015 ... istol.html

If you are dead set on the M92, I would handle and fire one first if you can. Again, just my opinion.

I agree, I have a Beretta 92 and some other models will not carry it if I expect problems as a primary or secondary (had one fail in Iraq) but it does work well with a suppressor.

[revolvergeek]

You might check out some of the various 1911a1s in 9mmP. They tend to have fairly light recoil springs due to the weight of the slide and are normally very easy to operate.