I've owned two Beretta 90-series pistols.
92-Compact Type L (left). 92fs (right).
The 92fs is a great pistol. The 92fs uses a falling locking block design inspired by the Walther P38/P1. Since it's not a Browning type tilt barrel, rounds from the magazine feed almost directly inline with the barrel, reducing the probability of failure to feed issues. Since it has an open slide design, the probability of failures to eject & stove-pipes is greatly diminished.
The most recent 90-series pistols have improved locking blocks and integral recoil buffers in the frame. This increases longevity of the pistol. The barrel is chrome lined, making for easier cleaning & maintenance. If you are mechanically inclined, detail stripping & replacing wear parts is not a problem.
The double action trigger pull is stout, but with a clean predictable break. The single action trigger pull is, to me, feather light. The 92fs has stock 3 dot sight set up. Keep in mind that on a 92fs the front sight blade is fixed. The rear is dove-tailed. This means that you can not easily mount a front night sight to it. The 92fs dust cover is smooth, no rail for accessories.
The fit and finish of the 92fs, whether made in the USA or Italy, is superb. Rack the slide, and it feels as if it's riding on greased bearings. The exterior finish on the slide reminds me of teflon.
There are variants in the Beretta 90-series line. If you have the chance, you might want to handle all of them.
M9 = Less radius cut on the backstrap by the beaver tail making it less comfortable for smaller hands. Dot over dot sight set up. Front and rear sights are dove-tailed.
M9A1 = all of the above + accessory rail
92A1 = The same radius cut on the backstrap by the beaver tail as the 92fs, making it more comfortable for smaller hands. Three dot sight setup. Front and rear sights are dove-tailed. Accessory rail.
These are the 4 commonly encountered types of Beretta 90-series. There are variations within the line. Compact Type L, Compact Type M, Brigadier, Centurion, Inox, etc.
My
opinion.
1. Handle a 92fs. If possible, rent one and feel it under live fire. There are no back strap adjustments like on the M&P 9fs. The 92fs will either be comfortable or not. The only adjustment you can make is in the side grip panels: buy after market thinner or thicker ones.
2. If you are planning to use a Beretta 90-series as a home defense handgun, buy the 92A1 or M9A1 so you get the accessory rail & dove tailed sights.
3. When you handle the 92fs, really make sure to try engaging and disengaging the frame mounted safety with your strong hand thumb. I never liked the slide mounted safety. It's in an ergonomically awkward spot for me. Engaging & disengaging the safety was never an easy flick of the thumb for me. This is the reason why the Beretta's I had turned into trading fodder over the years.
4. Handle the Beretta 90-serie's Brazilian cousin, the Taurus PT92. Beretta used to manufacture the 90-series in Brazil for the Brazilian military. Beretta exited the country in the late 70's, and Taurus bought the machining & factory. The Beretta 90-series & Taurus are similar, but took different evolutionary paths. The most evident evolutionary fork is that the Taurus PT92 kept the frame mounted safety of the original Beretta 92.
I recently purchased a mint condition, used Taurus PT92. The frame mounted safety is superb. It can be engaged hammer down, so your first pull is DA. It can also be engaged with the hammer cocked & locked, similar to a 1911. Some will disparage Taurus semi-auto pistols. It could just be me, but there is a felt difference in the Taurus grip. The backstrap & radius on the PT92 are more comfortable in my smaller hands. IMO, the PT92 is the one semi-auto is the only Taurus semi-auto I will and have purchased.
If you have an itch for a metal framed 9mm, you should also take a look at the CZ75 family of pistols. All steel construction. Frame over slide, full length rail, low bore axis, frame mounted safety.
