I have room in my safe for only 1 hi-cap 9mm pistol. I therefore want the one I pick for this role to be the best I can find that suits my own preferences.

For me, I prefer steel / metal pistols. Nothing wrong with polymer; just my own preference for metal. It has to be reliable, and cannot be made by a company with spotty QC. I want the darned thing to go bang when I want it to, and I don't want to have to send it back to the factory to make it work.

It should have the option of extended magazines that work reliably. 18 rounds are good, 20 are even better.

I think I found the pistol that best fits ME: The Beretta 92FS. Got mine new, came with 3 15 round mags. It happens to have the straight dust cover and non-radiused back strap. I keep it loaded with 135 gr. Hornady Critical duty, with a MecGar 20 round magazine plus one in the chamber. I can carry it just fine in a DeSantis pancake thumbbreak holster.

What I like about it is the extensive documented testing this model has gone though. (Average 13,000 rounds before a single stoppage, some M9's have endured 100,000 rounds, 35,000 rounds average service life).

It's a big gun to be sure; but, that makes it easier to shoot fast and maximizes the 9mm velocity. It's just a smidgen longer than a Glock 17.

It may be a retro throw back these days, but for me, I like this pistol. Anyone else share my sentiments on this gun? Any personal experience (good or bad) with the 92FS?

Thanks.

Attached Images

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The 92 is one of those guns I like from far away. They look good, they even feel good in hand but that DA trigger is awful and I'm not the type to start swapping parts. But I have the same feeling towards most DA guns. The 10 - 12 lbs trigger pull is ridiculous. I'm probably 5x slower with those gun then with strickers. That being said they are reliable as long as they are serviced. Like old Sigs they have (had) issued with the ..... (ok brain far, can't remember the name of the part).

I tend to go for reliability over esthetics so most of my guns are HKs (I have Glocks and Sigs and 1911 as well). While no manufacturer is 100% the USP series and the P series have proven to be above and beyond all others when it comes to pure reliability and longevity

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I had a 92 FS, and couldn't hit my butt with either hand with it. Gave it to my son who shoots it pretty well. His wife is "lights out" with it. Go figure.

I've fired many, many rounds through one I purchased new more than twenty years ago. Yes, they're huge and heavy. The grip is unwieldy, but then I question the "need" for any handgun that uses a double stack magazine. Probably better to learn to shoot than rely on handfuls of cartridges.

On the positive side, these guns are incredibly reliable. I've never been a fan of the 9mm cartridge, but with oversize cast bullets (all I shoot in mine anymore), it's quite an accurate pistol, closely rivaling my Sig 226.

The Beretta will feed SWC .38 Special cast bullets flawlessly, bullets for which it was never designed to function with. Try that in the temperamental guns, like H&Ks, Glocks, etc.

Certainly not my favorite pistol, but for the 9mm enthusiast wanting a good, reliable, accurate handgun that will last, the Beretta is a good one.

HK USP 45 will shoot 45 supper with a change of the recoil spring. The same gun can can also dislodge a squib with another fired round and continue to fire without issue. Try that with a Sig or Beretta

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My current, and likely my last, is an Italian made 92FS Inox. Large and thick, but totally conceilable with the right holster.

I like the 92...but, it is aluminum and it is big. So big in fact that it is to the point where there are other {at least for me} guns I would carry that are that size before I would carry the Beretta. That aside, it is extremely very reliable and it is accurate. If you cannot shoot decent groups with a 92 then there are a whole lot of other handguns you might just as well forget.
I once shot 3500 continuous rounds thru an M9 in one afternnon{had to use the rounds, they were assigned to the range and couldn't give them back or take them home.} So we decided to see at what point the gun would just quit working. It never did...in fact, it shot them all and the last 100 or so you could watch the slide open and close slowly it was so dry.

Arik-
Sorry, I thought this was in reference to 9mms. Didn't realize .45s were included.

There is plenty that one can say negative about the 92. It is too large, the trigger is too heavy, the safety is not quickly removable if you carry with the "dingus* down," the grip is almost as uncomfortable as the Glock 20/21 large frame guns, it is a 9mm, etc.

If you can live with those things, however, the 92FS is simply one of the three or four most tested pistols in the world, it is completely and utterly reliable, accurate, has redundant safeties, and all of the problems are well known. It is mostly user repairable for those pesky things that do go wrong. For example, the pistol is so extensively tested, you can almost set your watch by when the locking block will break. That is ok, however, it is easily replaceable, and Beretta sells the kit on its web site. Magazines are plentiful and inexpensive, as are other spare parts, such as springs, etc.

The pistol has standard 15 round magazines, Mecgar sells a 17 round magazine, and the factory also has a 20 round magazine for those times when you want an extended magazine.

Personally, in the role you want, I suppose I would get a Glock 17 or 19, but the Beretta is certainly a very fine weapon. You could do much, much worse.

All in all, I say you made a great choice.



* Dingus: Jeff Cooper coined the phrase, "Don't get caught with your dingus down." The "dingus" is the slide mounted safety/decocker that was probably first introduced by the Walther people on the PP, and then used on the P38, which later appeared on pistols that copied the design, such as the Beretta 92FS/M9, the S&W 39/59 and newer generations, and similar. It is worth noting that Beretta, unlike S&W, addressed the occasional breaking of the safety drum that occurred on P38s, especially those made during WWII, by inserting what amounts to a second firing pin in the drum itself, which when hit by the hammer, transmits the blow to the real firing pin. You will note on the Beretta that when the safety/decocker is rotated, the piece that is in the drum that actually strikes the real firing pin actually rotates out of the way so that when the hammer falls, if the drum were to break, the blow would not be transferred to the firing pin as it would on the P38/S&W design.

The grip of your basic Beretta 92 is just too big for my hands. Nothing wrong with the way it runs. Very fine firearm. Glock is my choice for a double stack 9mm, followed closely by my 6906 . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

I just referenced that cause that was the test gun. The USP 9 is the same gun but obviously different caliber.

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May I also suggest the OP take a look at an older Sig P228? These are fine pistols as well.

I own three of them, I like them all a lot.

In a word-yes. I have sent thousands and thousands of rounds through probably a dozen different 92's over 20 years. Never ever had one malfunction. I have a 92A1 set up with rail light right now as my nightstand gun. Big in this new world of micro 9's for sure, but it's a reliable, accurate and soft shooting weapon. Btw, a quick d spring change takes care of the hard heavy DA trigger pull. Takes a few bucks and 5 minutes to install.

G model with a D spring is hard to beat.

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Straight shootin'
SWCA#2439

The 92 is a fine gun, but if I were only keeping (1) my choice would be the Browning Hi-Power. Sure, I'd lose a few rounds, but it's more comfortable in hand, has a better positioned safety, and is better looking.

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Stay protected my friends.

Would like to have a military one for my safe but just never was overly excited by them,guess it's because they aren't a 1911.

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Hue 68 noli me tangere

I once owned a 92FS and a CZ 75 at the same time. The 92 is a great gun. But the CZ kept up with the 92 in every manner.

I grew to like the CZ more and more as I shot it and the 92 less. So I got rid of it.

I'm not nor ever will be a fan of slide mounted safeties or decockers. The CZ could be carried cocked and locked. And higher capacity magazine are available.

That being said, enjoy you new gun!

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Life Is A Gift. Defend it!

My department issued the DAO, .40 caliber version of the Beretta, the -96? The trigger pull was so heavy that, in training, the shooters with small hands (and apparently small muscles) would be unable to pull the trigger with the muzzle anywhere on the target after 100-150 rounds. Some of the women cheated and used both index fingers together. Our range staff had nothing else to offer, and as soon as someone turned in their S&W 4006 (the prior issue pistol), a Beretta carrier would swap put for the S&W, even though they had to buy another retension holster (cops are often cheap). Meanwhile, those of us carrying 1911's laughed at everybody.

It was easy to tell who was carrying one in court from the huge bulge under their sport coat.

That said, the guns worked splendidly. I have never handled a production pistol where the slide ran so smoothly. The deputies who wore a uniform and had bought their 92's with their own money praised them highly. I never saw one malfunction.

With the OP's goals in mind, you could certainly do a whole lot worse than the -92. I think the only other metal frame, high capacity 9mm that might rival it is the Sig P-226. Then, it would be Granny Smith vs. Macintosh.

I vote yes. Gobbles up everything I put in it, Brown Bear, Tula, Wolf, Reloads, the Good Stuff, anything with a aluminum case etc. Accuracy is great IMO and the Italian ones are definitely the way to go. I prefer the blued, rounded trigger guard models. Particularly the 92SB's



Best Regards
SVT28

I've owned a bunch, and they are my favorite pistol. Close second is the S&W 3rd gen's. I am left with one 92, the 92fs Vertec. The straight grip and dovetailed sights are an improvement over the original.

No polymer, striker fired weapon will ever equal a beretta. Racking the slide feels like it's rolling on greased ball bearings. Double action pull is not bad, and can be improved if you want with a 5 dollar D spring and 30 seconds to install it. The quality and pride of ownership will never be there for a Glock or an M&P. Can you imagine passing down a plastic gun to your heirs? Not me.

Thanks for all the feedback. There are two main themes that I keep hearing about the Beretta 92 which really make me a fan:

1) 'I've never seen one malfunction'. I've read many times, even from 'experts' who train and write about guns, say things to this effect.

2) Documented cases where 92s go 50,000, 100,000, even 200,000 rounds without ill effect to the frame and slide.

Documented confirmation about reliability and durability speaks for itself. And, I just love the way it looks. All those 80's and 90's action movies featured the good guys with Beretta 92s.

I have owned several Beretta 92 series pistols and I like them a lot, If I ever get a 92G then I may make that a carry pistol. Always had a hard time turning down a Beretta at a good price.


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I trust mine every day that I go to work.... I have a lot of choices for a duty sidearm so I think that it must be something important for me to feel the way that I do...

I carried one at my first agency; it was great. I moved on to two different Glock agencies. I'm hoping to go back to my first agency and look forward to the Beretta again.

Yes, it is heavy and large for a 9mm, but I'd take it over a Glock, M&P or XD all day long.

I think the P226 is better for a SA/DA 9mm and prefer it or a USP in 9mm but the Beretta is just fine.

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Cheers, Charles
SWCA #2442

Found one at a show that I could not pass up last year.



It shoots great, but I prefer my XDM 5.25

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Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda

I can recommend to the OP with a high level of confidence that he needs a bigger safe.

Why just 1? There are plenty of great wondernines out ther.

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My sgntr is mor thn 30 chrctrs

There's nothing about the 92 series that can't be fixed by Wilson Combat. I'm currently building a Beretta Centurion and swapping out parts whenever I have spare money. This will work until I can finally send it to Wilson for checkering, refinish, and possibly more options if I can get my air conditioner paid off.

Here's where it's at right now:




Here's a tally of what I've added:

1. 14# Hammer Spring (Now 8#/4# DA/SA trigger and 100% Reliable)
2. Battlesight Rear Sight (Large U Notch Sight with the perfect sight picture)
3. Fluted Guide Rod
4. Flat Wire Recoil Spring w/Shok Buff (springs good for 10,000 rnds)
5. Oversized Checkered Mag Release (this was a bitch to put in)
6. Black Cherry Ultra Thin G10 Grips (makes the gun feel smaller than a 5906)

I have an Elite II hammer on order and will go into this gun. Right now with gun and parts I'm at $550. If I was going to carry this gun, I'd put the low profile safety levers on it that makes it impossible to put you gun on safe accidentally. If I find out my levers are plastic, I'll probably have Wilson change them out when it gets to Arkansas. I'm also not going to spend the money for the G conversion (again, I'm not carrying this gun).

What's 100% confirmed (besides how much I love this gun) is I'm getting front/back checkering, front sight drilled for a green fiber optic, and a refinish. The slide's getting black ArmorTuff and the frame is getting a different color. I just can't decide between Gray, Burnt Bronze, Federal Brown, or their dark OD Green.

Not a bad pistol at all, but I think you'd really like the Beretta 92g, a Beretta/Wilson Combat collaboration that elevates the platform IMO.


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No flies on the Beretta 92 series. In the early 1980's my department (CT State Police) was one of the first major departments to switch from revolvers (S&W 66's) to the 92. Beretta ran a magazine ad showing a couple troopers wearing the 92 on their belts, wit the caption "The gun that protects Connecticut", or words to that effect.

At first, a lot of the guys, me included didn't like the idea. I was used to my revolver, good with it, and had faith in the .357's stopping power.

Funny thing happened though. After a few "teething" problems switching to the new weapon platform, qualification scores improved for most troopers, and reliability equaled and maybe exceeded the revolver. Stopping power of the 9mm in actual use could not be shown to be any different than the .357, at least statistically speaking, within the department.

The only issue we experienced was troopers with small hands had problems with the double stack grip. For most, it was offset by the reduced recoil, faster follow up shots, and the increased capacity.

On the big side for concealed carry, they were an excellent uniform carry gun, and still are. With so many different designs and construction materials available now, the 92 series is not as popular as it once was, but that does not distract from the fact that if it fits your hand, and you are comfortable with its operating system, it is a great choice that will serve you well.

Larry

I agree with the others that there are better selections today as far as features and functions but ......given the extensive military service of the Beretta 92 (like) pistol, and the fact that it will likely soon be replaced, I almost feel obligated to own at least one. It's like owning a piece of history.

FWIW, I can shoot mine (on the range) as well as any of the other 9's in the stable. True DA triggers can be stiff but replacement of the trigger spring with an "M" version goes a long way towards making it better. ( Like none of us have tinkered with the triggers on our Glocks, M&P.s , etc :-)

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Dave

I got my first Beretta 92 in 1988 .... still have it and a few others....

Reliability has been unsurpassed............

But IMHO the M9 (full size)really is too big for a" civilian/daily carry" 9mm.

My preference is the Compact or the Centurion for a full size carry gun. Both are 3/4 of a inch shorter than the M9.... the Compact is 13+1 and the Centurion can be 15,18,or 20+1..... both can use full size magazines as back-ups .... with a Farrar magazine collar on a full size mag you turn the Compact into an Centurion.

Get the factory D spring for an instant trigger job......... $5

After 25 years I've settled on VZ G-10 grips on my carry guns... for the thinnest/strongest grips.

___________________________________

Three other 9mm's to consider are the

Smith 915.... this is the S&W forum...

Browning HP....... still a great gun ....... would be my first choice if I carried cocked and locked

Beretta 92 Compact Type-M the 8+1 single stack version of the 13+1 Compact........ my second favorite Concealed Carry 9mm after the Smith 3913/14 series.

I've fired a fair assortment of 9mm pistols and of all that I've fired, the Beretta comes the closest to feeling like the slide is on roller bearings. It shoots really smooth and recoil recovery is easy.

That said, the Beretta was designed as a uniform duty weapon and attempts to CC this baby is, at best, a compromise, even for large individuals.

A couple of years ago, ran across a nice 92FS made/shipped in 1986 for $150. Too good to pass up. CC certainly is out of the question, but despite its large grip, it's great fun, accurate, easy to shoot and absolutely reliable. My BUG for home defense, if I ever empty the 1911. My favorite 9mm; the rest are for a special purpose like CC.

Earlier this year I picked up on one of those 92S surplus guns and love it! I realize it's not as refined as later versions but it works for me!
I also own two Beretta Cougars which I did at one time carry the 8040, in general I do like Berettas!

It all sort of depends on what you want it for and your perspective in owning one.
I think of it as a TOOL rather than a gun I get any particular pride or pleasure from; as such, while it is a bit clunky, it is a serviceable tool and will get the job done.
However, my personal preference is to have guns that I can enjoy as more than just a functioning tool and this is not one of them.

An awful big 9mm, but looked upon in the light of 'it's a tool', there's not much wrong with them.

Personally, I absolutely hate a slide-mounted safety. Several years back, I picked up the Taurus version, a used SS PT92, which has a frame mounted safety, ala-1911. Paid $200 and figured I'd mess with it a bit. Couldn't get it to malfunction.
Later, it became a loaner pistol for classes I was teaching. It never failed, regardless of ammo choice over many thousands of rounds. (Yes, a Taurus)

But, my choice in a double stack 9 will probably always be the Browning HP. Near-perfection to me.

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Ret'd LEO
SWCA #2275

I don't know what it is about them, but I agree. They just look so wrong.

I had a 92 for awhile. It was okay, but just didn't fall in love with it. Awfully big and heavy, and while my hands aren't small, they are on the small side of medium.

No recommendations for the CZ yet, so I put mine out there. A CZ-75 SP-1 does everything the 92 will do, and with, I think, less felt recoil due to the low bore axis.

Tried one back in the day..
Shot good liked the hi-cap mags.

However, it was like trying to conceal
a Nine iron during plainclothes carry.

I would, but after this takes a trip to Wilson, it'll be hand finished with better build quality than the factory Wilson/Beretta guns.

I don't doubt that at all. My comment was in response to the OP's question about the 92FS. Cheers.


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Let me put the size issue into perspective. Here is my Beretta 92FS Inox and S&W 65-3 together.

That's a great perspective on size. Everything is relative to something else, and sometimes we forget to keep things in a certain perspective. People, generally, love to extol the compact size and ease of carry of the K-frame S&W, especially the 3 inch version. They weigh 'only' around 32 ounces or so, and are short and compact. Conversely, the Beretta 92 is a huge leviathan, impossible for EDC, only good for open carry in a leg drop, is too heavy, etc.

Then, put them next to one another: What happened to the K-frame's compact virtues? The 3 inch K-frame, the epitome of blending compact size with light weight and full capacity, is now the same size and weight as the unwieldy Beretta, which, by the way, has the advantage of nearly 3 times the ammo capacity, and is flatter than the cylinder of the 6 shot wheel gun.

Thanks for posting that picture.

If you like the beretta but think it's too big, get the compact or centurion model.

People always say a gun is a tool. It is, but a fun like the 92 and a plastic fun like a Glock or an M&P just don't occupy the same place in my opinion. A BIG part of owning a gun for me is pride in ownership, and while I have a couple of plastic guns, bought solely for carry since they are lighter, I much prefer a metal TDA weapon. If one of my plastic guns was lost or damaged, I could care less. My young children are instantly drawn to my metal TDA guns. They don't even glance at my LC9-S or SR9.

I've never been much of a 9mm guy. And like many others always felt that the Beretta was just too big. But a friend of mine offered me his 92FS at a price I just couldn't turn down. One trip to the range was all it took to convert me. It feels good in my hand and shoots great.
I still think its too big for EDC and I much prefer my 1911s anyway. But if the day comes when the SHTF, considering that the M9 is current military issue and that 9mm will likely be the most available ammo, My 92FS has earned a permanent spot in my B.O.B.

Interesting story about this particular gun. It was originally sold by the factory to our local PD. Some years later when they changed to Sigs, officers were allowed to buy their Berettas dirt cheap. A few years later that officer sold his to my friend, who later sold it to me. This gun is now over 20 years old, I'm the 4th owner and from the day it arrived from the factory, its never left our little town.

I'm very pleased with my 92FS but be that as it may my CZ-75b is the one I go to the most when I want an all steel 9x19. Besides the cocked and locked option of the CZ I prefer the grip angle and the thinner grip. YMMV

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BCCI Life Member #2068

I've got one left. Don't think it would be my last 9mm to go, fortunately I'm not having to do that, yet. Never fail and relatively light for an "extra-size" handgun. Joe

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Behavior Creates Destiny

I have a Beretta 92FS, get one you can not go wrong with it!!!...., it feeds any ammo you put in it with no issues at all!!, five shot groups 2-2,5" hand rested and 2,5-4" unrested both hands, with 124gr FMJ factory ammo at 25yds!! Also a very well finished and good looking handgun!!!...
Best Regards
Roberto
Roberto

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"Off we go..."

When I started my career, except for the old timers still packing wheel guns, most of the Department had Ruger P89s (cheap and provided by the City, but they did work) or Beretta 92s. I was a bit more of a gun guy than most cops at the time, but I took notice that the swat guys mostly carried Sig. I jumped into the Sig world and throughout my career it's been all Sig or 1911's. That said, I've owned and shot a Beretta off and on for over the last 20 years and never once had a malfunction, saw one at the range or out in the field. Sure parts break, like any gun, but the Beretta is an outstanding design that is very reliable, accurate and just feels good.

I currently have a 92FS that I've had for quite a while, a 96FS that I traded into (honestly, I don't really care for it in .40.....) and I'm patiently/anxiously awaiting a Wilson/Beretta Brigadier 92G that I won a few months back during a fund raiser raffle for brain disease research in infants.

From what I've read on that particular pistol, it might even become something to carry.

Overall, they are great pistols - evident, if by nothing else, that this thread keeps growing with little negative said.

You can't go wrong with the Beretta. I am very impressed with the 92FS. I have fired them often in the military and recently used a friends to do some target practice. As previously stated, efficient, tested, accurate, and a little large for EDC carry in all situations. I compare the accuracy to a Browning HP and love both. Main thing is, if you can hit with it and the ergonomics fit your frame, other people's opinions don't matter much. Enjoy!