30 Years of Beretta

[Dump1567]

I figured it was time to get a Beretta M9. I've owned a few 92FS' over the years but never kept them. When I was 20, I some how managed to qualify Expert with the M9 during Basic Training in 1990. Only time I ever shot it during my 3 years in the NG. Already added a steel guide rod and D spring (I love to tinker).

 

[Wyo]

Nice piece. People seem to either really like, or really dislike, the Beretta. Me, I like 'em a lot. Smooth as can be and about as reliable as an anvil. Yeah, they're big but they're a service gun! Whadya expect! Have fun with yours!

 

[Beretta Dawg]

Congratulations on revisiting the Beretta. I have a 92fs, and she (her name is Isabella) is my favorite by far. I have gravitated toward the M&Ps lately for carry purposes, but for these colder months I've been lugging the old Beretta around. Some complain about the long double action and having to transition to single action. I for one love that trigger. It's smooth as silk, and is the only gun that keeps a smile on my face the entire time at the range. Then you have to talk about reliability, accuracy, beauty. I better just stop now. I just love this firearm. She's basically a member of our family. My kids even talk about her like she's a person. Call us crazy, but we love her.

 

[BAM-BAM]

Never understood the hate....... got my first in 88/89 (pre 3rd Gen Smiths) a 92 Compact..........still have it and a few more...... my favorite is the M version a single stack 8rd 9mm..... feels like a old model 39 in the hand....with the short 4.2 inch barrel it's about the size of a Colt Commander.

The D spring is a must IMHO.....for a $5 trigger job; and a 8-9lb double action trigger...

My only issue with the M9 version is it doesn't have the radiused backstrap.... which I find to be a great addition to later models.

Check out VZ grips...... for G-10 grips...... slightly thinner than factory and nicely shaped.Arched vs flat.

 

[Arik]

Never understood the hate....... got my first in 88/89 (pre 3rd Gen Smiths) a 92 Compact..........still have it and a few more...... my favorite is the M version a single stack 8rd 9mm..... feels like a old model 39 in the hand....with the short 4.2 inch barrel it's about the size of a Colt Commander.

The D spring is a must IMHO.....for a $5 trigger job; and a 8-9lb double action trigger...

Guns tend to polarize people. Personally I like Beretta I just don't like their DA trigger

 

[swar45]

Awesome gun. I just got into the world of beretta, with a 92fs inox. I absolutely love this gun. I do have a question. Pretty much a noob question, but what's the difference between an m9 and the 92fs?

 

[Beretta Dawg]

Awesome gun. I just got into the world of beretta, with a 92fs inox. I absolutely love this gun. I do have a question. Pretty much a noob question, but what's the difference between an m9 and the 92fs?

There really are no functional differences. The M9 has a straight dust cover, while the 92fs is slanted a little. The grip screws are different. And the rear sights are a single white line on the M9, while its a 3 dot set on the 92fd. I can't think of anything else at this point. Oh, you can get an Italian 92fs while the M9s are American made.

 

[BAM-BAM]

The 92 "M9" is to the specs of the original military contract; IIRC 1984/85...it does have the FS large hammer pin.


Arik..... have you ever shot one with the D spring????? World of difference from the M9 or commercial FS

 

[Arik]

The 92 "M9" is to the specs of the original military contract; IIRC 1984/85...it does have the FS large hammer pin.


Arik..... have you ever shot one with the D spring????? World of difference from the M9 or commercial FS

I don't know. I just know that Beretta seems to like heavy DA.

 

[Harkrader]

I've been carrying Berettas since the late '80s and love them. I dearly wanted a Compact, but they were impossible to get. Have one now, however little I "need" it.
The full size in the photo is a Desert Storm commemorative. They didn't sell very well so I picked it up for a song. I just like the Arabic on it.
The Compact dates from 1988, about when I would have done nearly anything for one.
I enjoy them both a lot.

 

[BAM-BAM]

I don't know. I just know that Beretta seems to like heavy DA.

Factory hammer spring on an FS/M9 is 20# ... the D is like 16#s.... like shooting a tuned K-frame. If you have or have access to a 92 it's a $6 part...you've got to try!!!!!!!

Wilson sell 13# and 14# springs but only recommends them for competition.

 

[Arik]

Why 13/14 for competition? I don't care for heavy DA which is why I don't own many hammer guns. The few that I do have are light (relatively speaking) and smooth.

 

[howiema]

Beautiful gun there DUMP, you can never get sick of lookin at that pistol.

I have to admit it also I have one of them in the old safe and she has probably more rounds through it than any of my other guns, This is a newer 92A1, that I really enjoy, I like the rounded trigger guard look.

I was pushing some night sights on this last night so sans the sights

Pete

 

[BAM-BAM]

Why 13/14 for competition? I don't care for heavy DA which is why I don't own many hammer guns. The few that I do have are light (relatively speaking) and smooth.

Slight chance they won't be 100% with hard primers.......just 99.9999

Are you a "striker fired" guy? I grew up shooting DA revolvers... I prefer a "long" but not a "heavy" DA trigger on a carry gun.........

Heavy is relative but some guns can go 12 to 16lbs.... think Walther PP/PPKs

 

[W.E.G.]

The M9 now qualifies as a "classic" design.

Good choice.

I dislike the latest-greatest 92-series Beretta guns with the cheese-grater rail section on the front of the gun.

If I could change anything about the M9, I'd lose the "snowman" sights, and replace with sights that utilize tritium AND fiber-optic.

...although sometimes the type of sights just doesn't matter.

 

[USAF385]

Very nice.

The M9 was my first non-.22 handgun experience. I was impressed with it and qualified expert so I figured I'd get one, or a 92FS, when I decided to get my first handgun....

Well I didn't, and have since lost interest in them, but every now and then give them some thought. Mostly out of nostalgia. Maybe when I'm done with the AF I'll consider one again.

 

[Josefius]

I figured it was time to get a Beretta M9. I've owned a few 92FS' over the years but never kept them. When I was 20, I some how managed to qualify Expert with the M9 during Basic Training in 1990. Only time I ever shot it during my 3 years in the NG. Already added a steel guide rod and D spring (I love to tinker).

I had one in the late 90s, never shot it. I sold it because my girlfriend at the time hated guns, regret that decision. My late father showed me how to do regular maintenance and told me how much he didn't like the 1911 that he carried in Vietnam because it would rattle when you shook it. He liked the well made Barretta how tight it was when you shook it and told me his story. It may have also been because he was Italian and a law enforcement officer. I miss mine now :/ I inherented his Sig 229 .40, it is well made too.

 

[kbm6893]

I had one in the late 90s, never shot it. I sold it because my girlfriend at the time hated guns, regret that decision. My late father showed me how to do regular maintenance and told me how much he didn't like the 1911 that he carried in Vietnam because it would rattle when you shook it. He liked the well made Barretta how tight it was when you shook it and told me his story. It may have also been because he was Italian and a law enforcement officer. I miss mine now :/ I inherented his Sig 229 .40, it is well made too.

I've had a bunch. Down to 1 now, a 92fs Vertec. Straight grip is a big improvement in my book. And I always replaced the stock spring with a d one. Makes a big difference.

 

[Edmo]

Congrats on your new Beretta!

I carried the M9 during most of my 21 years in the USAF and it always shot "expert" in my hands. It is definitely a smooth shooting and accurate pistol.

I've also always wanted one and last December I found a gently used 92FS which was manufactured in 1990. It is a 92FS, but unlike current production guns it is more like like the M9s I handled in the service.

My 92 has a M9-style back strap, dot-over-dot sights, a straight dust cover, no nanny-state warnings etched in it, and no plastic parts (other than grips).

I had to do something about the 300 pound double action trigger pull so I installed a "D" spring and it really made the double action tolerable.

The first pic below shows how this 25 year old gun looked the day I bought it in December 2014. It came with the case and several mags. The gun shop guy was the owner and rarely shot it in the 25 years he owned it. It was for sale because he wanted to fund another project.

The second pic shows the shorter D spring next to the stock hammer spring. This is a no-brainer of an upgrade! Less than $10 for the spring and 10 minutes to install.

Edmo

 

[S. Kelly]

I have just picked up a beater M92 from 1993. Looks OK, carried (beat) quite a bit and fired a little bit. I have a D mainspring to swap in. It came with 6 beat mags, factory and Checkmate. I got it because my youngest was pissed that we didn't have an "M9" in the house after I sold my last one. They are big, smooth shooting 9mms. This one's a range toy, maybe I'll get a spare new-style locking block to keep around, if the orig square eared one ever breaks.