Your thoughts on the Beretta Model 96

[sigp220.45]

I just added this to my growing little family of Berettas. Made in Italy in 1992 - I don't know what its been up to since then. Its in nice shape. It came with three 13 round Mec Gar mags, and two 10 round Beretta mags, which I think are also Mec Gar.





I had a chance to shoot it first, and it functioned fine with all the mags with both FMJ and hollowpoints.

I may be the last person around who still likes the .40 caliber. I worked many police shootings where it was used, and I was always impressed with how it performed on bad guys.

I was issued a brand new M9 in 1986 or so when I was in the Air Force. We had been carrying Smith Model 15s, and that flat black Beretta seemed like a ray gun to me. I've had one ever since.

Shooting the 96 was an interesting experience. I'm used to the almost non-existent recoil of the 9mm - not quite the same when sending .40 caliber rounds downrange. Still, in such a big gun the recoil was very manageable, but noticeable.



Folks seem to either love these or hate them. I used to work with some Border Patrol guys who had no love for their DAO 96s, but I've found cops love to complain about whatever they are issued.

At any rate, I didn't have one before and now I do. It has a place in my collection, and since I have a pretty good supply of .40 ammo I'm sure it will be a welcome range (and maybe carrying) companion.

I'd love to hear from others as to their experiences with this gun.

 

[BAM-BAM]

When the .40 S&W was introduced in the early 90s I already had 9mms and .45........ so I never got on that train ( that said : I do have a Sig 229 with both .40 and .357 sig barrels/ and a half dozen mags...... my only gun in either caliber).

But IMHO it's hard to beat a Beretta.........my preference is the Centurion, Compact,M or Elite II..............................

 

[GeoJelly]

Great photos sir - I sold my one and only Beretta .40 Centurion a couple of years ago. I didn't fire it that much but had zero problems with it. I found it to be too big and bulky given the 11-round mag. I still have a Glock 22 and I would shoot it time permitting if I wanted to fire some .40. I think - strictly un-scientific - that the Glock would hold up better for a person who wanted to put a lot of rounds through it. I still very much like Beretta's - just not 40's! I picked up a PX4 Compact in 9mm last year and it's great. One of the biggest downsides of my (pre-rail) M96 was the fact that it couldn't easily have night sights installed; the lack of a rail did not bother me. One more small thing bothers me about the blued Beretta's - the Bruniton finish is so soft that you can almost scratch it with a fingernail ...

 

[Jessie]

I've got a 96D. It took a while to get used to that looong trigger pull.
It sure is smooth, though.
The price was right and I already had a bunch of .40 for my G22 so I bought it.
I wish it was a standard 96, but it's not.
It does have usable night sights left.
It's not bad if I treat it as a high cap revolver, which it is as far as getting it into action.

 

[BUFF]

The DAO Model 96 was my department's issue pistol for a while. We had adopted the S&W 4006 in 1992 and then, when we decided to buy more the next year, Beretta offered us the 96 direct, bypassing all of their own dealers and distributors (which ticked them off but that's another story). It didn't meet our original bid specs written for the 4006, but Beretta was sitting on a huge pile of them and made us such a ridiculous offer that we rewrote our bid specs to buy them.

They were not popular with the troops. They were okay for uniform use but really kinda too big for plain clothes. The heavy double action trigger wore out some folks' hands during a practice/training and qualification shoot.

Very reliable, the large grip made recoil a non-issue. Even so, those deputies that were issued one usually traded it back into the armory when something else became available. A couple of non-gun female deputies I worked around actually spent their own money and bought Glocks rather than keep the department's Beretta.

 

[YogiBear]

Aloha,

The Wife and I have a bunch of Berettas,

84, 85, 86, 87, 92 and 96s.

The DA is a non problem if you Practice a LOT with it.

I particularly like my 96 Compact/Centurion.

Yes, the 40 does recoil a bit more than the 9.

Again, a LOT of Practice and it's not a problem.

 

[pawncop]

I carried a 96D as a duty sidearm several years ago. I found I did not shoot as well with it so I went back to my 4506. I may not have practiced as much as I should have.

I believed it would be more like a revolver trigger pull but there was a major difference I did not overcome.

It is a solid handgun, I still have it and shoot it on occasion.

There was nothing wrong with it, I was just more used to my 4506.

 

[murphydog]

I have a 92FS with a .40 barrel/slide assembly, bought at a close out price several years back (about $120 with two magazines?) and a .22 LR conversion unit. Works fine with any ammo I've tried in all three chamberings but I don't use the DA trigger very much.

 

[gdogs]

I frankengunned together a 96D Centurion, it lives next to the bed with a small bag full of loaded mags and an extra box of ammo. I like DAO guns, they aren't for everyone but they work for me quite well. That Beretta has been completely reliable and accurate, not sure what else one could ask for in a bedside/bugout gun. I did add a light rail to it (and a light of course) and some Uncle Mike's grips (about a slim as you can get).

 

[dmar]

I bought one new years ago, back in the 90s. Mine was the Inox, or stainless steel model. Beautiful gun, well made, nice DA/SA trigger. Shot pretty accurately, too.

The .40 S&W was the new wonder round back then, so I figured I'd try one. Never cared for that round from day one, so I guess I was early in the movement away from the .40 S&W caliber... lol. Even in a big gun like that, I just didn't care for the snappy recoil. I'd much rather shoot my 10mm, or 44 mag than that .40.

Anyway, it quickly got resigned to the back of the safe and stayed there until last year when I sold it for a pretty good price to someone who wanted more than me. It was like NIB condition...

So, very nice gun, but just not for me. I like that Beretta platform, and have thought about getting a 92 some day, especially if I could find one in Inox.

 

[BE Mike]

My agency's first entry into the semi-auto pistol game was the 96D. We had carried revolvers before that. I was skeptical about the gun. I asked to shoot our old qualification course (out to 50 yards) with my revolver, followed by the Beretta 96D. I shot nearly identical scores. I was sold! I did take the time, many years ago to learn how to fire a revolver double action, even out to 50 yards. I'm long retired, but I did add the Beretta 96D to my personal collection. In these days of exciting developments in pistol ammo, I think the 9mm is fully capable, although there is nothing wrong with the 96D in 40 S&W caliber. We used to carry 155 grain jacketed hollow points IIRC. I never found the 40 S&W to be hard to control in a full size handgun like the 96D, but no doubt that the 92FS in 9mm is much easier to control.

 

[Old cop]

I can only speak to the .40 over the 9mm. My agency transitioned to the Glock 19 in the '80s but found the 9mm was not getting the job done on the street. Glock offered us an even swap for the G23 and the .40 proved superior when needed. The only cost to the city was ammo & training time, and the G23 is the issued weapon to this day (I retired in '97). The young guys in my former department want the 9mm now due to the improved ammo but senior management is resistent to the change and I stay out of that. LEOSA certification is coming in July and I'll use my Gen III G17 b/c it holds more rounds and is easier to get follow up shots on target.

 

[W.E.G.]

I've always wondered whether persons shot by the .40 describe the experience as "snappy?"

 

[ldausmc1369]

Love my 96D! It is an authoritative piece of hardware and engineering.

 

[sigp220.45]

I've always wondered whether persons shot by the .40 describe the experience as "snappy?"

Hahaha! The ones I dealt with weren't saying anything!

The only non-fatal .40 shooting I worked was when a tough old bird tribal cop shot a guy after she responded to a domestic call. The dude threw a kitchen knife at her - it stuck in the toe of her shoe. He immediately realized the error of his ways, and turned to depart. She launched a 180 grain HST at him, which entered his left manboob, exited, drew a red line across his chest, entered his right manboob, exited, and stuck in a wall. If he had leaned back a couple inches she would have missed him clean. He dropped like a sack of spuds and didn't move. She thought she killed him and called it in.

When the ambo arrived he was handuffed on the front step, crying. He got four sets of two stitches each, some bandages, and was released into our waiting arms.

 

[Jessie]

That there Sig 220 is a classic. No one died, the good guy(girl) lived with a new pair of boots and the BG went to jail a-hurtin.
It don't get no better.

 

[clang444]

There's recently been some good deals on police turn in .40s. I picked up a really nice Sig P229 with faded night sightd and 3 mags in the original case for $425. Could have gotten a P226LEM or Glock for $50-100 less. If you ever wanted a .40, now is a good time to buy one.

 

[bananaman]

I had a 96 that I picked up used. It was a LEO turn in. Had lots of carry wear. Rear night sights were worn out. I put LPA adjustable rear sights on it. Did not keep it real long. I myself like .40's. Some people think they are poison. My latest .40 puts the Beretta I had to shame. IWI Jericho 941FS. It is 1 awesome gun. It was un-issued military / police. Great deal in my book. $420. My son has 1 in 45ACP. It is his favorite handgun. Bob

 

[sigp220.45]

I was going to start another thread, but I'll just add to this one....

I've been carrying this gun for the last couple of weeks. I'm a minimalist when it comes to gun toting - in the waistband holster, no spare mag, no belt, appendix carry for short guns and strong side carry for longer ones that would poke me otherwise. When I would have to wear a suit (and therefore a belt) for work I'd use a regular holster and mag pouch, but most of the time my uniform was jeans, t-shirt, unbuttoned shirt, and jacket or coat if it was cold. Creds in my pocket, badge in the desk drawer, gun in the waistband.

(This was in what I called "the lower case fbi", in Indian Country where the rules were relaxed to the point of being non-existant.)



Now that I am a gentleman of leisure I see no reason to change. I've always heard the mantra "the 92 is too big for a 9mm, and too big to carry concealed". Well, this 96 is also pretty big for a .40, but I like it.



This Barsony holster has a clip that holds like grim death, and it is made right here in the USA. Its also pretty cheap (as in inexpensive), but well made.



I honestly don't think this setup is any harder to carry than my Hi-Power or LW Commander. I shove it in and pretty much forget about it, unless of course I have to take down an Al Shaboob hit team in the Castle Rock Wal Mart. Then I have a big ol' gun, 14 rounds of Gold Dot, and a shopping cart full of toilet paper and mayonnaise for cover.

 

[Glashaus]

The 96 is a great pistol and .40 S&W is a great round. I like it very much, I just use a different flavor to shoot it out of , either a G22 or a G23.