Beretta 92S

[stanmerrell]

Funny how I sometimes dismiss a good gun for no reason or another...I never liked the Beretta 92 or its Brazilian cousin, but recently I came across some old threads about the 92S surplus pistols that came onto the market in 2008, and I wanted one. These are not $350 in nice condition anymore, but they can still be had for a reasonable price.

 

[Dave Baird]

Smoothest working pistol I've ever owned.

 

[stanmerrell]

I'm not sure if mine is an Italian Police trade in or not? It does not have an import mark, like so many I have seen. It has the Berben NY markings, which I think may suggest that this pistol was bound for the US market from the beginning. Maybe?

 

[LVSteve]

Berben was likely the importer. That is one very nice looking gun. It doesn't look like the average surplus example.

 

[damienph]

A 92S was my first Beretta 9mm. The 92 just fits my hand well.
I’ve added a few since then, a couple of 92FS (one Italian and one US made), a 92A1 and an M9.

 

[stanmerrell]

Good picture

A 92S was my first Beretta 9mm. The 92 just fits my hand well.
I’ve added a few since then, a couple of 92FS (one Italian and one US made), a 92A1 and an M9.

Looks like a good group to take to the range.

 

[Redcoat3340]

Great call on the 92S. Mine was police surplus. At some point I caught the bug and added a 1951 SAO and Inox 92FX. Then decided I needed more so a: PX4 in 9mm, PX4 in .45, .380 85F, .32 M81 "Cheetah," M70 and 1935 both in .32acp. I keep looking for a 96 (or the Taurus equivalent) but can't find a "bargain." But I'll keep looking.

After Smiths it's the most numerous roll mark in the safe. Except maybe for Sig. Too many of them as well.

 

[BAM-BAM]

Got a couple of the S Compacts.........13+1 BBQ guns!

 

[VaTom]

Very nice 92S. Berben was the importer prior to Beretta building a factory in Maryland . The Berben Ny Ny script on the right side of slide is the important mark. The right side trigger guard has a two digit alpha code stamped inside a square box that willl give you the date it was made. All Italian Berettas have it.

My Beretta 92F is Italian made and has an AN stamp indicating 1985. Also has the Berben NY,NY script on the slide. The 92F was the design that the US Military chose in 1985 for it's pistol contract. Later a safety feature was designed in the slide and it became the 92FS

Great pistols, enjoy!

 

[Bullet Bob]

I bought one of the 92S's when the flood hit. Beautiful finish, and even slicker than my 92FS, and that's saying something. However I sold it because the sights were too small for my old lamps.

 

[VaTom]

I bought one of the 92S's when the flood hit. Beautiful finish, and even slicker than my 92FS, and that's saying something. However I sold it because the sights were too small for my old lamps.

I have read other posts where folks have said that the Italian made Berettas are slicker than those made in the US. The military contract with Beretta required that the pistols be made in the USA. That is why Beretta built the manufacturing facility in Accomack, Maryland.

Beretta experts please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[Echo40]

I'm so sad that I missed out on getting one of those. Back in 2019 PSA had them for $399 in Good Condition, but folks who bought them kept reporting receiving them in Like New Condition.

Alas, I didn't have the money at the time, and by the time that I did, they were sold out. I left myself on a backorder list, but never received an e-mail.
The part that really annoys me is the fact that multiple reviews on the sight openly admitted to ordering multiple guns to sell later. I really wish that PSA had a strict Limit One Per Customer policy on Police Trade-ins like that.

On the bright side, I used the money I had intended to spend on a Beretta 92S on a California Highway Patrol S&W 4006TSW, which was a personal grail gun for me, so it all worked out for the best.
Still, I wish that I could have gotten one of those Berettas. The price was outstanding and the bluing on them is absolutely fantastic, much more attractive than the Bruniton (Teflon) Finish that they replaced it with.

 

[VaTom]

Stanmerrell

Curious to know the year code on your 92S. Please post. Also is the barrel on your 92S chrome lined? My 92F has the chrome lined barrel as required by US military contract.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

Admittedly, not the best picture - this 92S Italian police surplus (see the lanyard loop) looks pretty doggone good; it shows some wear but, still, nice, deep color -

Smooth pistol, fun to shoot..........but it lives its life in a secret place with two extra magazines for when the balloon goes up.....as we used to say in the military - but wait! The balloon is up!!! Sorry, I couldn't resist due to today's excitement in the news..........

Importer was P. W. Arms Redmond WA

 

[LVSteve]

I'm so sad that I missed out on getting one of those. Back in 2019 PSA had them for $399 in Good Condition, but folks who bought them kept reporting receiving them in Like New Condition.

Alas, I didn't have the money at the time, and by the time that I did, they were sold out. I left myself on a backorder list, but never received an e-mail.
The part that really annoys me is the fact that multiple reviews on the sight openly admitted to ordering multiple guns to sell later. I really wish that PSA had a strict Limit One Per Customer policy on Police Trade-ins like that.

On the bright side, I used the money I had intended to spend on a Beretta 92S on a California Highway Patrol S&W 4006TSW, which was a personal grail gun for me, so it all worked out for the best.
Still, I wish that I could have gotten one of those Berettas. The price was outstanding and the bluing on them is absolutely fantastic, much more attractive than the Bruniton (Teflon) Finish that they replaced it with.

Call me suspicious and/or cheap, but $399 for a surplus gun is on the ragged edge of what I would pay to PSA, and I certainly wouldn't pay any more to provide profit to a reseller. Surplus guns are surplussed for a reason, and when they come from another country, that reason is long lost. Unless the gun is something more unusual like a H&K P7 or PSP, $399 is a up there as far as I am concerned. 2019 was before the COVID madness, so if I even saw the ad I likely snorted and moved on. That said, I do kick myself that I let the $600 PSP pistols slide by when CDNN had a bunch of them, but that's ancient history now.

 

[jeffrefrig]

This is probably the best shooting pistol, as far as accuracy, I own. I had to get rid of the stocks, as they were all scratched up & ugly. It was also imported by that place in Washington. PW Arms I think.

 

[Jimmyjones]

I have one, it's the only 92 I own, imported by PW Arms also.

 

[stanmerrell]

Very nice 92S. Berben was the importer prior to Beretta building a factory in Maryland . The Berben Ny Ny script on the right side of slide is the important mark. The right side trigger guard has a two digit alpha code stamped inside a square box that willl give you the date it was made. All Italian Berettas have it.

My Beretta 92F is Italian made and has an AN stamp indicating 1985. Also has the Berben NY,NY script on the slide. The 92F was the design that the US Military chose in 1985 for it's pistol contract. Later a safety feature was designed in the slide and it became the 92FS

Great pistols, enjoy!

Thanks. Nice pistol. The date code is AH. From what I have learned the S model was only made from 1978-1982. Thank you!

 

[stanmerrell]

Thanks Tom

Stanmerrell

Curious to know the year code on your 92S. Please post. Also is the barrel on your 92S chrome lined? My 92F has the chrome lined barrel as required by US military contract.

The date code is AH, and I'm pretty sure the barrel is not chromed. It does look like the guide rod might have been replaced as it is in the white...I read somewhere that the imported 92S from police service were all arsenal refurbished with new parts and sometimes refinished slides.

Not really sure about that though. Thanks again!

 

[BAM-BAM]

Notice the different mag releases ...... some are behind the trigger (American style) some at the base of the grip (European style).

Both my Compacts (early [straight] and later [flared] front straps) are behind the trigger guard .