Anyone have one and have any likes or dislikes you might pass on?
Thanks

btw-I am looking a the Sig, and Glock,also. Would like to mount a Streamlight M6 or the new LED model, possibly.

my only complaint, is that the grip is too big for my small hands. but then again, most full sized auto-loaders have this "problem."

Beretta 92's are very well built.  Hi-caps are generally available and not nearly as expensive as Glock Hi-caps.

Beretta does suffer from a few minor problems.  Disassembly of the slide, for example to replace the firing pin spring, is a bit complex and a three hand ordeal, especially the 'G' series guns.

More of an issue is the trigger spring.  A 92 used for serious social work should have the spring replaced with Wolff's upgraded INS trigger spring system.  

All things considered between Glock, Sig, and Beretta, the 92 is my choice.

Just got a used one.  92FS, and love it.

I have a 92FS and really like it.  Never had a single FTF or jam.  It's extremely easy to field strip.  All round great gun.

Have you considered a Springfield Armory X-Treme Duty pistol? I have one and I like it better than Glock. It also has a rail mount just like the Glocks do.

You can get it in 9mm, 40cal, or 357sig. Also you can get it with a 4" or 5" barrel. Black or OD green frame. The OD green frames look nice.

Factory trigger is lousy, if you get one, get the Wolff trigger but don't expect miracles.  Good gun to own, but if I could only have one handgun, I would probably buy a Colt 1911 stainless.  Sure there are better and more expensive guns out there but

1) none will hold their value as well
2) none have the zillion different drop in parts to improve accuracy, ect.
3) good 7 and 8 round mags can be had for about $10 (I like metalforms)
4) the 45ACP is a pretty versitile cartridge and accurate as hell with a little work and good loads.  About the same energy as a 40 S&W, much better than a 9mm

convinced?

not a bad deal for around ~$500-600

I have a 92FS Inox that I sent to Ernest Langdon for his Level III competition trigger job. It has to be fired to be believed!! The D/A AND S/A trigger pull are as light and smooth as it can get and still be dependable. Check out his web site
www.langdontactical.com

I have a 92FS I bought back in '89 or '90, my uncle told me after I got it that it would stove pipe like crazy. I've never had this problem or any other, it's always fed reliably and fired accuratly. The grip is a little big but not a problem if your hands are average size. All my magazines are Italian made and have functioned flawlessly without ever having been rebuilt and they were purchased in the same year as the gun. This is not meant to imply that others of different manufacture aren't just as good but I have no experience with them. Mine has been contaminated with sand(long story)and still fired with no problem although it's a tight weapon and I'm sure severe contamination would be a problem. Whew, in short I'd say you would be happy with one.

www.berettaforum.net/

Here's a good place to go.
I love my 96's.
Just had Trijicon fixed sights put on my Centurion.

What DarkStar said.  I've used Sigs, Glocks, Smiths, and Berettas for duty and my favorite is the Beretta 92.  I really liked my 92G, but it was a little big for my hands.  My new 92 Vertec rocks!!!!  It's small enough for me to comfortably reach the safety, and I can mount an M3 light without having to buy an adapter.  Runs great, no malfunctions so far with everything I've fed it, including 9BPLE +P+ and Winchester 127-grain +P+.  Great gun, and my choice over Sig and Glock.  However, Sig and Glock guns are great, too- I just have a personal preference for the Beretta.

Love my 96 Centurion, 96 Brigadier, 92FS, and my
92 Vertec. Only problem is I can't find a damn holster to fit the Vertec!

I love my 92fs, no wait, I LOVE my 92fs.  It is a great gun.  It feels good, it gives you a good sight picture unlike the glocks with their blocky slides, and it is TOTALLY reliable.  They eat absolutely anything and I have yet to ever have a jam or malfunction of any kind.  I have probably 10,000 rounds on mine, and have talked to others with over 20,000 on theirs and they have the same report I do.

BTW, I think the stock trigger is just fine, espescially in SA.

Mike

I love my 92fs.

Its my most reliable gun.

I use 9mm hollow points made by corbon since they will go through most vests, and rip through cars.

My only complaint is that it is heavy as sin.  Oh ya, also, mine came with a plastic guide rod, but sarco sells one that is solid steel for like $6.  I only wish I had bought the 92 centurian.  Well, who knows, I may have to slap on a suppressor on to that extra bit of barrel one day.

I hate the safety being on the slide. Not very accessible for me.

Might be an issue for people looking at getting one, make sure you check that out first.

I have an old 92f and love it, though I rarely shoot 9mm anymore.  If you want to mount a light, the Vertec is the only one with a built in rail.  But because of that no one has a formed holster for it.  Well made guns though.

Quoted: I have an old 92f and love it, though I rarely shoot 9mm anymore.  If you want to mount a light, the Vertec is the only one with a built in rail.  But because of that no one has a formed holster for it.  Well made guns though.

theres adapter from streamlight for $42+ to mount the m3/m6. I use it on 92, made of hard plastic, light and very solid.

Very reliable guns, fired thousands of rounds through M9's and 92F-FS's.

Downside; not the most accurate guns, trigger is way to short SA if you have large mitts / DA pull is to long if you have small hands..

The 92FS/M9 is a nice combat weapon, but it is little large for concealed carry. You should go out and shoot all of your choices to see which you like the best. I shoot a number of different pistols at the range and the Beretta is very accurate for me. The only thing is that I like the way I get a quicker, more natural sight picture using a full size or mid size Glock over the Beretta. Eventually I will own both, the Glock for carry and the Beretta as a sidearm for my AR15 because I fell in love with that weapon the first time I shot one in the Corps. The Sig, I like the 226 or 228 models but not as much as the G22/23 or M9/92FS.

I love my 92FS but if I had to do it over again I'd get the model with 'decock only'  instead of 'decock/safety' because it is realy bad for the 92 if you pull the trigger while the safety is on. (Not that I do this but this would quaranty it not to happen ---but mabe you want 'safe'---just letting you know about an option within an option)

BusMaster007, where'd you get your sites done?  how much and how long? and was it good work?

Has anyone found a metal guide rod that will fit the Vertec? I'm can't say that I'm willing to trust a plastic guide rod with my life.

The Beretta is not a bad weapon, but a pain in the butt to build in to a NRA/CMP rules hardball gun.

Accuracy is not bad I tested over 50 stock M-9s' for accuracy with a "Heg" pistol rest. at 50 yards with Atlanta Arms match FMJ ammo (115 grain AMU load) and most of them shot 3 ten shot groups in the 8"-12" range, about 10 of them shot in the 7"-10" range
and 6 shot in the 4"-6". Military Ammo on the other hand was somewhat disappointing. the goup sizes were 12"-16" norm
a few in the 6"-12" range less than 8
and one that shot 4"  (all values are extreme spreads)

It is the only pistol that I have seen a firing pin break on in 2-3 places (a few times) and keep on firing (provided the tip does not break).
Most of the problems I have seen with failure to extract/eject are from "limp-wristing" every now and then the extractor wears out though.

**Military users beware** of Magazines marked "Chek-Mate Manufacture" they had a bad batch out there (I think they fixed it by now-but some of the mags may still be in the system)that causes failures to feed (normally the round will wedge nose first in the feed ramp on the barrel), or the slide will lock back on the before the last round is fired or will not lock back at all.

Great gun.   Reliable.    They will stovepipe if you let the slide dry out, but that is your fault, not the gun.    Not to good for people with small hands.   Not to easy to conceal unless you're a big person.   I think there a little on the heavy side.    I have owned 4 and I am down to one and will always keep at least one because I feel like I can depend on it.

Great pistol.  I bought one for my wife, an Air Force Officer, for her to practice with.  Mine, I mean hers,  came with the factory Trijicon night sights. Out of maybe, 2,000 rds, there has been no failures.  Hi cap mags are still pretty easy to find.  CDNN has, or had Asian military mags for $29.  The only thing I do not like about the gun is its size.  It is not something you would want to conceal.  They make much smaller 9mm handguns if you are planning on carrying concealed.  

I can say this.  They will eat any ammo all the time.  Accuracy is OK but not spectacular.  Trigger is OK,  The action feels like it is on ball bearings, very smooth right out of the box.  Not a very concealable pistol but they sure are IMO the prettiest.  Now the Sigs are just awesome.  P226 is very accurate and reliable but ugly as the day is long.  Neither of these are well suited for small hands.  Now I must say this.  The 1911 series in 45 is THE pistol hands down.  Accurate as you want to make it and easier yet to do so.  Drop in parts cheap and easy to find and like stated above 45 is a big ass bullet.  Fits small hands great too.  But as for the Beretta 92/96 they are fine weapons you can't go wrong with.

I do not currently own a Beretta, but have had two 92's and one 96. I have always been a fan of the .40 S&W, so I would recommend the 96. I had the Beretta 96 Brigadier Inox. It had the removeable front sight and heavier slide, with a wrap-a-round rubber grip. These are all standard features for that model.

Quoted: I love my 92fs.  I only wish I had bought the 92 centurian.  Well, who knows, I may have to slap on a suppressor on to that extra bit of barrel one day.

Here I go pimping for Ernest again!
He can fit a Barsto barrel that will give you that Centurion look. They custom make them just for LTT and his price on the barrel and labor is very reasonable.

I dont know what everyone is complaining about how it is soooooooo hard to conceal carry a Berretta 92FS? Just get a good In The Waistband Holster, or a fanny pack and you will be fine.

I own a Beretta 92FS. I bought mine back in November of 2001. Very Fine firearm. I use it for my main Conceal Carry Firearm, and yes I will admit at times I need to be a little creative on clothing, but In general I have no problems concealing my Beretta. I use a Milt Sparks Versa Max 2 IWB holster for my Beretta 92FS, it works great.

I also use my Beretta 92FS for USPSA competition shooting, so I have put through my Beretta around 5,000 rounds and not one problem at all. Very fine firearm, much better then I can say for some Glocks,Sigs,H&K's, and Kimbers, that I have seen have problems during a shooting competition.

Beretta makes a good firearm, you cannot go wrong with a beretta 92Fs. Maybey that is why it is issued to our Armed Forces? If it is good enough for them, then it is good enough for me!

You will get the old and ongoing debate of what is better a 9mm round or a 45 acp round? You can stack it up with the old debate of what is better a ford or a chevy?

For self defense against a human threat 9mm round will work just fine. If you are going to use the firearm for a sidearm while hicking around the woods well i would consider something with a little more punch, bare minumum of 40S&W. Bears dont go down very easy!

They're pretty good.  For the money and style (rounded as opposed to blocky), I prefer a CZ75.  However, it's hard to go wrong with the newer makes.

I've only owned one in 9mm, so I don't know how the .40 adds more wear/tear than you want (I sometimes disagree with gunmakers just changing a barrel and magwell to handle .40... but that's my problem).

My first 9mm that I ever had was a Beretta M92F that I bought in 1989, one fo the last Italian produced ones.

I must have had over 12,000 rounds thogh mine without a single FTF or FTE, and yes, I did shoot the hell out of it, but you know what, it was just as tight and was shooting better when I sold it than ever, I just had to make room for something else.

I'd buy another one, they are accurate and reliable, but honestly, I prefer the CZ-75, since I am more comfortable and more accruate with a single action cocked and locked mode of carry.

For those of you with Vertec's, Milt Sparks now has the form to make holsters for them.  Now if they could only do something about the 10-12 week wait!  Talon Tactical also makes kydex holsters for the Vertec.

TXDOC:

If you live near Houston or get there often, shoot me an email...

[email protected]

I cannot see how people can find problems with this gun.  My buddy who has a HK tactical talks crap all the time about HK----but...I enjoyed laughing at him when his gun jams with wolf ammo.  The MRBOF is over 30,000 rounds....amazing.  I do know a lot of military guys that don't like the weopon...they were also quick to point out that some of them have been in service since 1986 and have been poorly maintained too.  Don't be fooled--this is perhaps one of the greatest handguns on the planet.  If you ever get to read any info on the US Army's testing of it you will be very surprized.

Quoted: BusMaster007, where'd you get your sites done?  how much and how long? and was it good work?

I had a coupon for the fixed sites sitting around in my stuff since 1997 when I gave up the old FFL.
I called Trijicon and the nice lady on the phone told me to send the slide, coupon and $45 to them.  The installation is $35 and the other $10 is for return shipping.  
She specified UPS or FED EX as they've had some things disappear in the USPS...go figure!

Anyway, I got it back in about 2 weeks instead of the 6-8 she'd mentioned.  Nice going.
I think they farm out the Beretta slides with integral front sight to be precisely drilled for the tritium lamp insert.

Call 'em up and see what you need to do.
They're first class all the way.

After badmouthing Beretta's for years, I bought a 92FS, used. Damn fine little gun. Ok, not so little.  >gg<  Accuracy was way better than I expected, actually pretty good.

A trigger job is almost a must. I haven't yet done it but they say the DAO main spring makes the trigger super nice.

Have been running an Italian built 92FS since 88 or 89.  Never, repeat never, has jammed. As accurate as I am, faint praise tho that may be.  Grip is large for my small hands but I seem to make do.  The Wolk spring kit is a definite improvement but don't expect the trigger to match a high end 1911.  Just different critters.  

I owned a 92FS in 93-94 for about 9 months or so, and found that it would digest anything.  Accuracy was lousy as the sights were not regulated well; it would print 9" low and about 8"-9" to the left with just about anything I fired in it.  Group size was about 4"-5".  Since I could hit POA with half that group size with either of my two High Powers, and Beretta wanted a check for $45 to regulate the sights on a handgun still under warranty, I peddled the 92FS and several GI hi caps right after the 94 ban for about $100 more than I paid for the lot.  I got really PO'd about the $45 charge, though.

I attribute the group size of the 92FS to my difficulty in firing due to the unregulated sights. Since then, I have purchased a CZ 75 and a 75B and LOVE them with their extremely smooth actions and BHP-like grips.  The CZ 75 and 85 are the really unsung hi-cap "standard design" (non-striker like Glock and HS2000 / Springfield XD / and the unlamented S&W Sigma)9mms out there.

There is some US Army experience with cracked 92 slides after steady diets of NATO ball, but plenty of owners have fired many thousands of rounds through their 92s without developing cracks.  

If it fits your hand, go for it!

Noah

I don't understand the cracked slide myth.  And I think it was actually supposed to be cracked locking blocks.  I've put 10,000 rounds plus through my 92FS at this point; no problems, ever, even with much rapid fire on my part.  In fact, the amount of wear showing is minimal.  Mine is a stainless gun, I think in blue it would be different.

I have a Glock 17, Sig Sauer P226 and a S&W 908, none of them feel as good or shoot as well as my 92FS.  

Yeah, the cracked slide myth thing still rages on today.  It wasn't the NATO ball ammo that caused the slide failure.  It was the fact that factory "proof" ammo was used exclusively in the testing of the guns.  Generally a gun doesn't fire more than 5-6 "proof" rounds in the prototype weapons.  The military tested seveerl hundred rounds of this "proof" ammo in the gun, causing slide failure cracks.  

Since then, Beretta then created a feature on the 92's that is really a worthless item.  It's the round disk safety on the left side of the frame, conected to a common shaft with the hammer bolt.  Also, the addition of a cut out groove on the left side of the slide, underneath the safety lever.  The gun then became known as the "92FS", instead of "92F".

The old rumor of a 92F slide breaking and hitting a man in the face is bewildering.  To this day, not one person has ever found this "man" and/or "men" that was actually hit in the face with a Beretta slide....

Rumors suck.

I own 3 92FS's.  I love them all.  One has over 40,000 rounds of shooting through it.  Mostly combat competition courses and LEO training.  That gun has had the trigger spring replaced twice, due to lots of "dry firing" with the safety on.  The spring just plain wore out.  No biggy, 5 minute repair job with a new spring and the gun was back in battery.  I've always kept an eye on the left side of the locking block which is the common area of a crack.  Which by the way, the gun will continue to fire even if the locking block is cracked.  One doesn't need to worry in times of "combat".

The 92FS has saved my life twice.  It's been tortured in training with and without oil; it's been contaminated with sand, saltwater and wet grass/dirt.  The gun is like a Timex watch...it just keeps on ticking.

Although I switched to an Hk45, because I like the bullet better.  Another story.

Quoted: I don't understand the cracked slide myth...I've put 10,000 rounds plus through my 92FS at this point; no problems...Mine is a stainless gun, I think in blue it would be different.

Blued would be different how?  Worse/more likely to break?  I don't think so.  Carbon steel is stronger than stainless steel.

So, the only difference SHOULD BE that it would be stronger and less likely to have a cracked slide.

Quoted: Blued would be different how?  Worse/more likely to break?  I don't think so.  Carbon steel is stronger than stainless steel. So, the only difference SHOULD BE that it would be stronger and less likely to have a cracked slide.

I wasn't clear what I meant there.  I was saying only that the blued would SHOW more wear than the stainless as the finish gets rubbed off.  Not that it was any stronger or weaker than the stainless slide.  I disclaim any metallurgical expertise on that subject.

I used the SIG P226 and the 92FS along-side eachother when I was in the Army.  I carried my P226 when I worked as an Aide (military CCW), but took too much grief for carring a POW, and my M1911A1 was a POS.  So, I bought a 92FS through the mail (really) direct from Beretta (military sales program).
1.  Very nice looking gun.
2.  The sight height was nicer than my P226 (very high).
3.  The trigger was so-so.  I preferred my factory-tuned SIG trigger.
4.  The mags were CHEAP.  Wish my P226/P229 mags came as cheap, I'd have dozens.
5.  The firing pin on my 92FS broke twice in one year.
6.  The finish on the frame wor off on the frontstrap and backstrap, and Beretta wanted nearly $200 just to refinish it.

Personally, I still prefer my P226, and it's got over 42,000 rounds through it with one repair (trigger bar).  I sold the Beretta to a ROTC cadet for $250.

Since then, I've received hundreds of M9 (improved) pistols into the USAR inventory for Arty units in Indiana and Michigan, and and at least 10% of them had some sort of manufacturing or assembly defect.

However, the newere M92 pistols I'm seeing, particularly the new-framed models (?) and the Elite II series are very nice.

A few slides have broken, one of the people in qusetion was a Navy SEAL. And I have heard from army S.F. instructors that a few have failed but it is not many-Far more often the locking blocks break on military M-9s though. But there is a newer one out there and it is alot better but it does break every now and then.

I think one of the reasons there are so many anecdotal stories regarding Beretta problems is the fact there are millions of them out there.  There are only a fraction of the number of P226's in use.  So, anecdotal stories about the Beretta accumulate more.

The P226 does have a nice trigger though.

For your edification:

M9 Pistol Slide Update
(May 10, 1988)

The following is a memo from Beretta to its dealers on the slide breakage that was reported.

"As part of our effort to keep you advised on the most current developments as associated with the M9 slide breakage, we have prepared this second update notice. Facts contained in this update should help set the record straight and correct inaccurate and outdated information that is being circulated, in some cases, as part of a misinformation campaign against the Beretta made U.S. military M9 and 92F semiautomatic pistol.

  1. No problem exists with the military M9 pistol. U.S. Government engineers and technicians have extensively examined the metallurgy, dimensions and manufacturing of the M9 pistol and can find nothing which indicates that the cause of breakage lies with the weapon. U.S. Government examiners have commented on the remarkable quality of the product.
  2. The two unexpected slide breakage incidents occurred with non-NATO certified ammunition during non-standard, continuous endurance firing. Field use of the weapon was limited to 3,000 rounds each while a study of the cause of the breakage was being conducted.
  3. The focus of the study is now shifting to the ammunition which broke the February slide. Preliminary analysis by Beretta indicates that the ammunition may produce pressures exceeding 50,000 psi, or almost double the pressure of a standard cartridge.
  4. That the breakages were caused by excessively hot ammunition is corroborated by the fact that no one has been able to duplicate the type of breakage with any type of ammunition other than the uncertified type involved in the February, 1988 incident. Over 150 M( designed pistols have been endurance tested under the direct supervision of the U.S. Government or by various foreign governments to 5,000 rounds and beyond (several tests going beyond 10,000 rounds) using non-problem types of ammunition. Not a single breakage, crack or even microscopic indication of breakage has occurred.
  5. Since the ammunition involved can only be purchased by the U.S. military, no general warning notice to industry about the ammunition is being issued by Beretta at this time.
  6. One million slides of this type have been manufactured to date. No other reports of breakage of this type have ever occurred in the history of the weapon. Law enforcement and military confidence in the weapon remains high.

For further edification:

beretta.squawk.com/blocks.html

P.S. Locking blocks are a high-wear item. Do not be surprised if they need replacement after approximately 20,000 rounds of commercial ammo.

Brownells sells them. I do not know if they are Genuine Beretta® parts though. Probably not.

www.brownells.com/Product/productDetail.asp?ProductID=917092001&CategoryID=0

Sure, you can break them.

But, reading some of the "torture tests" is hilarious.  Same thing with Glock "KB tests"...  

If you load a bunch of extremely hot ammo and shoot it all through the gun in a short period of time... yes you will break the gun.

I can tear a BMW up in a day, too...   Just because the transmission fell out the 100th time I throw it into reverse while going 100 mph doesn't mean that BMW designed the car poorly.  It just means I'm a jackass.

Finest Combat Pistol ever made!!

I have owned a 96D, nice but to big for me.

I have owned a 92SB Compact M frame for 6 months not.  No misfires of any kind, accurate and great to shot, clean and carry.

Quoted: I don't understand the cracked slide myth.  And I think it was actually supposed to be cracked locking blocks.

Nope, it was slides. I know of a guy who took his boss out shooting for the guy's first time to ever shoot.

Dude loads up his 92 & hands to the boss. Boss sights in & BANG! Slide comes back in two pieces & hits boss, breaks his jaw & knocks out a tooth or two.

I don't know if he kept his job or not.  >gg<  The slide breaking is the resulting change for the 92 to the 92FS.