Surplus guns

[69camfrk]

I have found out along the way that I have a certain weakness for surplus guns. I recently got a Beretta 92S Italian police trade in, and I have a Star Super model B on the way. I paid for hand select on the Beretta, and it is in very nice shape. I ran the codes on it, and it came out to be a 2004 model. For $320 I couldn't pass it up. the Star was only $250, and I'm not concerned about the finish as I want to have the frame duracoated and the slide parkerized. Once I get the Star in, I'll post up some pics. It seems like these guns come and go on the surplus market in a hurry, so I didn't wait around this time. Both should be good shooters, and I'm ready to get to the range. Too bad I have to work this weekend....

 

[Tom_R]

The beretta 92 is a great gun. All people ever want to do is rip it down, but it is a great firearm.

 

[Twogun]

I like the Star. I had a Star Megastar, 45 Auto, 15 rounds. When on my hip, I leaned away from the gun 15 degrees to compensate for the weight.

 

[69camfrk]

The beretta 92 is a great gun. All people ever want to do is rip it down, but it is a great firearm.

What's funny is, I'm not a huge 9mm fan, but they are pretty cheap to shoot, and I didn't want to pay new price for a 92FS. I cleaned it up when I got it home, and the internals look great and the action is like butter. Heck, give me a minute, and I'll post some pics. I was going to wait, but like a chick with a new pair of shoes, I've gotta share!

 

[Derosa]

lol - are the shoes red?

 

[69camfrk]

lol - are the shoes red?

Yup!!

 

[schgsd]

I like the idea of sending such a gun out to get a finish on it. I have my eye on a couple of low priced 9mm. Never would consider it with my Steyr because it's an EDC but you got me thinking.

 

[69camfrk]

I like the idea of sending such a gun out to get a finish on it. I have my eye on a couple of low priced 9mm. Never would consider it with my Steyr because it's an EDC but you got me thinking.

Really for what I paid for the gun, and the fun factor, I look at it as a bargain. It already has wear, so I won't be uptight about keeping it pristine. It's too bad firearms can't talk, because I always wonder what kind of stories they would have before my ownership. That sense of "story' sort of draws me to surplus like a moth to a flame. There is a video of a guy on youtube shooting a Star 9mm and that thing groups like a champ. I'm anxious to see what both of these will do.

 

[canoeguy]

Do the Italian surplus Berretta 92's have the magazine release on the butt of the pistol like a lot of European guns?

 

[Arik]

Some I like some not so much. Beretta I have no interest in and the stars were always hit or miss in quality. To have it sit around and be used once in a great while is a waste of money to me

 

[Arik]

Do the Italian surplus Berretta 92's have the magazine release on the butt of the pistol like a lot of European guns?

No. But they are on the bottom of the left side grip. Look at the above pic.

 

[69camfrk]

Do the Italian surplus Berretta 92's have the magazine release on the butt of the pistol like a lot of European guns?

Yes, look at the pic on the left side of the gun and you can see the mag release at the bottom aft corner. Definitely not what I'm used to, but for a plinker, it's of no issue to me.

 

[69camfrk]

Some I like some not so much. Beretta I have no interest in and the stars were always hit or miss in quality. To have it sit around and be used once in a great while is a waste of money to me

The Star I just want to tinker with and see what I can get it to do, plus I like the 1911 style looks of it, even though that's where all similarities end. Plus it is a little bit of an oddity, so that kind of draws me in.

 

[Arik]

I always look at the money part of it cause in the end it's my money that I may never recoup if I don't like it

 

[epj]

Aside from the mag release, are there other differences between the 92S and 92FS?

 

[mstem]

I saw those Italian surplus guns on line this week. If I didn't already have Taurus PT92 I'd get one.

 

[BigBill]

Just the smell of cosomoline turns me on. We once had a surplus military arms gun shop. It was wall to wall with every military rifle you could think of. The owner was awesome too he would let me fondle every gun for hours. On my 1 1/2 hour lunches I forgot about time. I was on the outer limits in a black hole with cosmoline. He had handguns but the 20' racks filled with '03's, garands, carbine, to every mauser and Mosins plus every country was represented in military guns. Then the awb was passed and he shut the doors.

My point is grab what you can now and don't forget the rifles.

I don't think of it as an investment I look at it as owning, touching a piece of battle field history that I can shoot as the last owner did. Plus it's a whole lot of fun.

The Swedish husqvarna lathi M40 in 9mm luger is a nice one. The stars BM, B, In 9mm luger, in 9mm largo, the astra 1921/400, the 600/43 are nice too. Don't forget the Russian nagant revolver. German p38, walthers.

 

[italiansport]

Ceiner and others made 22 conversion units for 92s back when 22 cal ammo was dirt cheap. If we should ever return to those day a conversion unit might make sense for you. I fired thousands of 22s thru my Ceiner unit which I had on a Beretta 96 and it worked great.
Jim

 

[gwpercle]

I had a Star model PS, 45 acp, 7 shot. Looked a lot like a 1911 without a grip safety. It was stolen and I would buy another in a New York second . Nice fit , nice finish, fed, fired and ejected everything i put in the magazine . It would group better than a friend's Colt Gold Cup.....he didn't like that one bit because he paid a lot of money for it and my Star shot better!
Like Star's....Gary

 

[Autococker07]

Aside from the mag release, are there other differences between the 92S and 92FS?

about 3-400 bucks...

These guns are a huge bargain for those who want a Beretta, but not enough to shell out the big bucks. Standard mags can be cut for the heel release also, so you are not stuck with a completely different system. If I didn't have little girl hands, I would be a big fan of the Beretta.

 

[69camfrk]

Aside from the mag release, are there other differences between the 92S and 92FS?

As mentioned below...the price of course, but really aside frome the mag release, as far as I can tell, function wise it is the same. Breaks down the same etc. It is the only Beretta I own though. I know the trigger guard is different between the two, so mostly just small cosmetic stuff. This gun was built in 2004 and our military was already using the M9's (92 FS).

 

[Fishinfool]

I have a Super B in 9mm Largo, purchased back in the 1980's when they were coming in dirt cheap. I think you will like it. Very well made and fitted all steel handgun. Looks like a 1911, but its not. Takedown is actually easier. Very solid gun, and mine is quite accurate, even though the sights are small and narrow.

Larry

 

[BigBill]

Don't forget the CZ82 in 9mm makarov.

 

[WVSig]

I love me some surplus guns. Military and LEO guns from around the world are great bargains.

Beretta 92s



Austrian Alloy Hi Power post Don Williams



Sistema Colt



Israeli Hi Power



Zurich Police P228

\

HK P7 German LEO



I have a CZ82 around here somewhere....

 

[jmace57]

I bought one of the Star Super B's. Mechanically excellent...finish fair to good. Enjoyed shooting it, although after shooting revolvers for years...and little .32 automatics, I got some pretty good slide bite.

Easiest field strip I've ever seen. I have never had a Star (Star Super 9mm Largo, and 30MI) that have not been excellent.

 

[Frank46]

I bought one of the sig P6's when they were on the market some years back. Single stack 9mm. $330 out the door. Absolutely love it. Shows some wear on the slide but that was due to the type of holster that the West German police used at the time. Also surplussed at the time with the pistols were various holsters and mag pouches mostly made by AKAH and another German maker. Was like eating peanuts as you cannot eat just one. Haven't seen them for sale at the local show in a few years. Shoots great with just about any 9mm except I don't like using steel cased ammo in my guns except for the sks. Also the CZ82 in 9mm makarov another nice shooting pistol 12 round mags. Frank

 

[Redcoat3340]

This is great thread, says the guy with Sig P6, Walther P1, Beretta 1951, Star Super B, Beretta 1935, FN Browning 1922, FN Browning Hi Power (by was of Israel), 2 FEG Hi Powers, and an FEG PP clone....and a bunch of S&W 39's 59's and revolvers. Come to think of it, the only new gun I ever bough was a Ruger MK II and that was in the 90's

 

[Arik]

I bought one of the sig P6's when they were on the market some years back. Single stack 9mm. $330 out the door. Absolutely love it. Shows some wear on the slide but that was due to the type of holster that the West German police used at the time. Also surplussed at the time with the pistols were various holsters and mag pouches mostly made by AKAH and another German maker. Was like eating peanuts as you cannot eat just one. Haven't seen them for sale at the local show in a few years. Shoots great with just about any 9mm except I don't like using steel cased ammo in my guns except for the sks. Also the CZ82 in 9mm makarov another nice shooting pistol 12 round mags. Frank

There was recently a small amount imported. My one lgs had a dozen of them back in the fall. I have a 220 and a 228. Would love a P6 but they don't reliably feed HP ammo

 

[WVSig]

There was recently a small amount imported. My one lgs had a dozen of them back in the fall. I have a 220 and a 228. Would love a P6 but they don't reliably feed HP ammo

Some of them do some of them don't.

IIRC All P6s prior to 14th of June 1989 had a feed ramp angle of 52 degrees. After 14th of June 1989 they changed it to 54 degrees to better feed JHPs. This does not mean pistols prior to 1989 will not feed JHP it simply means they were not designed with JHP in mind. In the picture above you can see the change in the feeding ramp.