A friend of mine is selling off his NIB Baretta 9mm. He tells me that it is called a Desert Eagle, and has an eagle on the side of the slide.  He is asking $450 for it.
Does any one know anything about this pistol?  Is it a variation of the POS 92 series, or a different design.  Any help would be appreciated, thanks

Beretta has made several special editions of it's 92 pistol, and I seem to recall a commemorative Desert Storm pistol, so maybe that's what it is.  There were some others that had Eagles laser etched on the slides but I can't think of anything with desert in the title.

But if he doesn't know what it's called and you consider the 92 to be a POS, then it sounds to me like he needs to sell it to somebody that isn't you before one of you wins the Darwin Award that such unintelligent people are so apt to earn.

Hoplophile, First of all thanks for the info.  For some reason I couldn't get the Berreta web site to come up yesterday to look this info up.  From what he told me your info sounds like what he has. I had to ask three times to get this far with him on the info.

Second, I am not buying the piece, I will stick with my 1911's, Glocks, CZ's, and Walthers, I just didn't know anything about this gun and thought I would ask.   This is a guy who I had convinced the proper way to clean his gun was to soak it in salt water. (Someone stopped him before he did it) He obviously has no idea, and neither did I.

By the way, WTF is with the personal shot? I asked a simple question. Obviously if I think it is a POS I am not going to buy it. If you can't handle someone with a different position  on a Berretta move to F*ing Russia. Many people like them, I don't.

I sincerely appologise ahead of time if I am taking your post out of context, I can take a shot as well as the next guy, but come on, we are trying to learn something here.  Thats what this forum is for.

Anyway, anyone out there.... does $450 sound like a good selling price?

Sounds like a fair price, o916, especially if 15 round mags are included and is in good shape. What formed your opinion of the 92 being a POS? I wonder if Uncle Sam noticed yet?

Thanks for the price info.

My reasoning for saying the 92 series is a POS are as follows.

We all know about the early models that the army had the problems with.  To my knowledge Beretta said the problem was the ammo.  If the gun can't handle the ammo it was made for, how good are the later models? I just don't trust them.  I won't even stand next to someone shooting one.  I know I am over reacting to an old problem, but I have had an old model 52 that I couldn't hit a target 5 feet away with, and would jam frequently. The gun just blew up one day. Literaly.  3 metal fragments just missing the left eye, and some badly bleeding hands. It was Winchester U.S.A. ammo.
For some reason I have always just had a burr up my butt about Beretta weapons after that. It is also my understanding that the 92 is designed on the old model 52, makes me wonder how good they are.

I also dislike it for ergonomic reasons, but that is nothing I can criticise the Mfr. for.

Uncle Sam buys them because it was a political deal.  If you ever read the data from the trials when they switched to the 9mm, you can tell they knew what they were going to buy before hand.  Special Ops guys are dumping them for .45's from other makers as fast as they can though.

Like I said before, everyone has opinions on what they like and don't like, I don't like Beretta,a lot of guys do, a lot of guys don't like Glocks, I do.  The Beretta 92 series has been somewhat controversial in the past and always will be, and I don't want to start a whole arguement on that issue, I am sure it has been debated to death on this forum.

Obershitze916

   I have read about many more Glocks on the boards going KB then Berettas. I have also witnessed two GLocks go KB at a range in the last year. As to your problem with the slides from what I have read they where using SMG ammo with over twice the chamber pressure the Beretta was designed for, not the ammo it was made for, even then it took thousands of   rounds before the failures occured.

BKVic
   

Not seeking argument here either, just curious about what formed the opinion. I like Glocks and Berettas and Colts and Rugers and Smiths even. I would be equally concerned about Kbs in Glocks as Beretta slide failures, especially if reloading is involved. BTW, are you around Cleveland?

Canton

Quoted: Canton

Oh cool. Check out the AK site here as Campybob hails from that area. And Lumpy223 may have some CDs left of the bulletfest that were taken from the range there, in Canton, in June. Back to Berettas, they now have a slide safety built into the frame to retain it in the unlikely event it would fail. Not that I'm selling Berettas. Gunshow in Akron this weekend too. I would swoop on that 92, myself.  I have used sub machine gun ammo in my 92, it liked it!

Thanks for the design update on the berretta. I stay away from them so I did not know that.
The last thig I need is another pistol.  13 is enough, I old my .380 to a friend just to cut down on calibers.  Thanks for the advice though, I will pass it on.

I am new to the board, I have heard of the bulletfest but that is it. Any idea where it is? What range.  I will contact them on the AK forum to find out more. I could get into something like that.  I shoot thousands of rounds a year in WWII re-enacting, but it really cuts into my range time.  I haven't shot anything other than blanks in two months!

Quoted: Thanks for the price info. My reasoning for saying the 92 series is a POS are as follows. We all know about the early models that the army had the problems with.  To my knowledge Beretta said the problem was the ammo.  If the gun can't handle the ammo it was made for, how good are the later models? I just don't trust them.  I won't even stand next to someone shooting one.  I know I am over reacting to an old problem, but I have had an old model 52 that I couldn't hit a target 5 feet away with, and would jam frequently. The gun just blew up one day. Literaly.  3 metal fragments just missing the left eye, and some badly bleeding hands. It was Winchester U.S.A. ammo. For some reason I have always just had a burr up my butt about Beretta weapons after that. It is also my understanding that the 92 is designed on the old model 52, makes me wonder how good they are. ---snip---

What everyone might not know is that SF teams managed to destroy the 92 with a steady diet of +P+ ammo. I would say that's not very remarkable.

Your beloved 1911 had it's problems back in it's day too. So did the M-16, M1A Abrams MBT, the Agesis weapon system...

I like steel over plastic on my handguns and plastic over steel in my rifles (stocks)!

I was really trying to avoid an arguement on the good/bad points of the Berretta.  Like I said, it is just my opinion.
Your points on the other weapon systems having problems is valid. I never heard about the
M-1Abrams, but most systems have teething troubles. I had a lot of trouble with my NEW Colt 1991A1. To many plastic parts.

I could start an even bigger stink and say that they had to use +P+ ammo because 9mm stinks...

But then I would be a troll, especially since I own 3 guns in that caliber.
Please, lets not start that arguement, I am just being mischievous.

obershutze916, you can hate a Beretta all you want, but please get the facts straight.

The 92f was cracking slides due to the military(SF) using SMG (MP5) ammo +P+ in the pistol and using suppressors that were caming the barrel down and delaying the slide. If you do some searching, you will notice that not only was the pistol fixed, but they have gone to a  device in the current suppressors (Mark 23) to add the slide.


The new M-9 is not a 52.  It's like comparing the first AR's to the current M-16a2, they are worlds apart.

For the last time, yes i hate the #$!@%&^$%@ Beretta.  I don't care what they have done to it.  I Hate them.  I thought this was settled

Read my lips.  This is only my opinion.  Thats all it counts for.  If you don't like it fine, get over it, I am sure you hate things that I like. I read the posts all day about things I disagree with, and/or are wrong, but it does not bother me because I realize everyone has their own opinion.

Thanks to those who stayed on subject here.

Edited for removal of stupid reply