Sorry to all of you who were looking for my photos in this post, the old server wanted money to host :(
I have been trying to gather the photos back into another photo server. Hopefully it will no be much longer before I get them linked back up to this post.
With all the internet drama put to the side, the Beretta 92F series pistol is a strong and reliable gun. As with all things made by man, there is a possibility of broken parts that can cause your pistol to go down for service. These are also things to look at if you are thinking of buying a used 92FS pistol, as well as minor upkeep to prevent problems.
The items pictured can take a bit of work to get the pistol apart, so break out your reading materiel if you don't know how to get the pistol disassembled
So with the knowledge that these are pistols that were shot a bunch, and then mostly continued to shoot some more......
On with the carnage!
Locking Block:
The locking block is exposed to a degree of force every time you fire the pistol. The left side "wing" of the locking block is usually the first area of concern, but I have seen both "wings" snap off and stop pistols from working.
Always inspect your locking block for signs of cracking during routine cleaning. See the red arrow:
If your locking block breaks, do not force the slide (hammering/banging) off of the pistol. First make sure you align the broken "wings" into the locked position on your slide. Use a dental pick or anything thin enough to support the broken part as you gently allow the slide to go forward off of the frame rails. The broken parts can then be replaced:
Slide Cracking:
You do not want this to be the result of poor maintenance and failing to spot cracks ahead of time. The 92FS has an improved hammer pin that will stop the rear of the slide from leaving the pistol at a high speed. It catches the broken slide. The old 92F does not have the improved hammer pin, and will allow a broken slide to hit you in the face.
Allow the slide to hand freely from your finger as pictured. Tap each side of the slide with a brass hammer (or even the metal guide rod from the pistol) and listen for a "tuning fork" ringing sound. If the tap produces a dull "thud" sound, you may have a cracked slide. If your slide is cracked, it needs to be replaced.
See red arrows for signs of cracked slides. These pistols still functioned, but will eventually break if not caught:
Barrel Cracks:
This is not very common, but if your pistol has been used a bunch and has broken several locking blocks, you need to keep and eye on this area. This pistol was still functioning, but suddenly started to shoot about 25 inches higher than normal.
Other Barrel Troubles:
The rear surface of your barrel impacts the breech face of your slide. As the pistol is fired, over a long time, you can weaken the recoil guide spring. The weak spring allows the pistol to beat itself to death, breaking parts and recoiling harder than normal. The rear face of the barrel can get a small ridge of metal in this area (red arrow). The top end is shiny from use and the bottom end still retains its finish. This ridge of metal can be easily removed by light stoning.
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The above issues can be avoided by simple maintenance.
- Replace your guide rod spring every 3000-5000 rounds, or replace it if it is shorter than your guide rod.
- Keep the pistol lubed, it requires oil on the locking block and slide rails. The oil needs to be there, but does not have to drip off the pistol.
Hope you enjoyed the images
<Edited to Bold Title.....dpmmn>