Beretta "92 FS"

[bobsguns]

Totally unimpressed with the reliability and ergonomics of these bricks when I was in the service.

Now they’re gone to the Sig polymer 9mm. From what I’ve been told nobody misses the Berettas!

Do you base your food preferences on the mess hall food? Your judgement of cars based on military issued vehicles? Are the military "birth control" glasses your fav?

A privately owned Beretta 92FS has almost nothing in common with the M9 issued by the US mil.

 

[bobsguns]

High capacity polymer frame pistols were not being made at that time.

Never heard of Glock? Or H&K?

But neither of those would have, nor agree to building, a US mfg plant to make the gun(s). Beretta did & that's why they got the contract.

As a Sig owner, I contend the 92FS is ten times the gun the 320 is.

 

[Harv 24]

Do you base your food preferences on the mess hall food? Your judgement of cars based on military issued vehicles? Are the military "birth control" glasses your fav?

A privately owned Beretta 92FS has almost nothing in common with the M9 issued by the US mil.

There like 95% the same, other than the grips and grip screws. the dustcover shape and the sights.

 

[bobsguns]

Most folks seem to rave about them, but my father wasn't a fan either. He said he had issues with their reliability as well. EDIT: Those were with factory Beretta magazines as well.

Those guns had all be touched by mil armorers. Lord only knows what they did to them.

My original 92FS has thousands of rds through it in USPSA, 3 Gun & Steel Plate matches. Original bbl, thousands of rds through it & it's STILL among the most accurate gun I own. And I own Nighthawk, Les Baers, H&Ks, Walthers, etc. The 92Fs hangs right in there.

 

[bobsguns]

Said it was common to rotate the mags being carried, had feeding problems if a mag was left loaded for very long. A lot of the guys would tear them down regularly, clean them and give the springs a little stretch and that seemed to help.

I have about 10 of the Checkmate mags. I've used all of them in matches & have never had the first issue out of mine. Not one. Nor have I ever disassembled them for any reason.

Could be your son's unit got a bad batch, I don't know.

 

[S-W4EVER]

Most folks seem to rave about them, but my father wasn't a fan either. He said he had issues with their reliability as well. EDIT: Those were with factory Beretta magazines as well.

That is really unusual. In the agency I’m retired from we carried the Beretta 92F, 92FS, or 92FS Type M (1,000+ pistols) for a decade and the only FTF’s I observed as a Firearms Instructor were due to inadequate lubrication (same guys every time) and one broken trigger spring (on a 92F near the end of its service life).

 

[S-W4EVER]

I have about 10 of the Checkmate mags. I've used all of them in matches & have never had the first issue out of mine. Not one. Nor have I ever disassembled them for any reason.

Could be your son's unit got a bad batch, I don't know.

The early batches of Checkmates had issues but I believe they fixed the problem in later years. (I’ve got a bunch of the later issue ones and they seem good to go.)

 

[white cloud]

Glenn, the M9 and 92FS were the perfect Service Sidearm, JMHO. You probably never listened to anybody who said positive comments about the Berettas. Sarge

Why did the Army get rid of the M9?

 

[Harv 24]

Why did the Army get rid of the M9?

Service life, they were at the end of it, and the Army wanted a more modular system that could have different frame sizes, add suppressors, red dots.

 

[Harv 24]

The early batches of Checkmates had issues but I believe they fixed the problem in later years. (I’ve got a bunch of the later issue ones and they seem good to go.)

M9 Mags were always made by Beretta. Once the GWOT kicked off, the Army wanted a second source and gave a contract to Checkmate. The Army specified that the magazine have a Parkerized Phosphate finish.

Check mate complied. The Beretta magazines were very smooth on the inside and allowed the cartridges to rotate as the spring pushed the follower up thru the magazine. With the phosphate finish, the rough, porous nature of that coating, combined with the fine talcum powder like sand of the Middle east caused the cartridges to bind up and not rotate properly causing failures to feed.

A lot of troops stretched the spring to help overcome this issue. later contracts of magazines from Checkmate did away with this finish, but the reputation damage to the M9 was already done.

 

[sshakrr]

My only Beretta

 

[VaTom]

Never heard of Glock? Or H&K?

But neither of those would have, nor agree to building, a US mfg plant to make the gun(s). Beretta did & that's why they got the contract.

As an Sig owner, I contend the 92FS is ten times the gun the 320 is.

Thanks. I stand corrected. Glock 17 entered service with the Austrian Military in 1982. Yes the contract called for building the pistols in the US. As I understand it the military pistol selected at that time must have a manual safety, deco key and double action on first trigger pull. Good article on Wikipedia about the tests and design criteria and selection process. The Beretta and Sig 226 were the two finalists.

 

[pharmer]

I don't shoot this Centurion near enough. 100% reliable. Spent extra for the SS barrel, grip and the SS screws.

 

[fiasconva]

Ever notice how on most of the action and cop shows all the bad guys seem to be carrying the 92's?

 

[Tinyman]

Really enjoyed mine but my son seems to have loved it -- he's doing very well with it.

 

[James K]

Put these polished cherry grip panels on mine. Also, some finger cut Pachs for the more sinister look.

 

[Arm]

Well, should you run out of ammo with a Beretta it's still lethal, you can beat the enemy to death with it unloaded...yep.

 

[S&W Fan]

I used to have one of the early made in Italy all stainless versions and it shot like a laser! A Beretta collector talked me out of it. During my son's first deployment 2006-2008 I ordered some more of the "sand cut" mags from Beretta for his M9 (he was a Combat Medic and had the pistol in addition to his M4) and they sent them to his APO address. They functioned flawlessly for him.

 

[AJ]

Was on Active Duty when the transition from the M1911A1 to M9 went down Did not like the M9 when compared to the M1911A1. Did not have a choice in what to use and qualify with. I did qualify Expert with the M9 a couple of times. After I retired my drug of choice was the M1911A1 and still is. I do have a Beretta 92F, that I picked up when my S-I-L's Sheriff's Department switch to Glock's in .45ACP. Got it for $200, so can't complain there. I do shoot it from time to time just to get the muscle memory reacquainted with it.

 

[Bad Habit]

The Beretta 92 is one of my favorite firearms, but unfortunately when the time came to finally purchase one, I strayed...

I just plain like the frame mounted safety better. Yeah, yeah, I know... Beretta offers models with frame mounted safeties, but they're way more expensive than the base models, have no decocker, some are SAO, and others have steel frames and weigh substantially more as a result.
Rest assured, had Beretta simply offered a variant of the 92A1 with a frame mounted safety, then I would have chosen that instead, but they didn't, they still don't, and frankly I'm happy with the PT92.

I much prefer the frame mounted PT92 also.
Liked it so much that I snagged a PT92 Compact, new old stock (real old 1994) at $400 OTD.
Sold the full size for the same amount as the Compact.

Earlier this year I found another new old stock Taurus, a M85 with 3” bbl. Doesn’t appear to have been shot.

I know I know they aren’t a Beretta or an S&W. They are nice weapons that didn’t break the bank. They will do for their intended purposes.

So you all can flame away, I can take it.