Finally ordered a Beretta 92FS

[LockedBreech]

The Beretta 92FS is undoubtedly my favorite auto pistol design, and has been since I learned to shoot on the platform. It felt flat-out wrong not to own one, so I finally dug up the scratch and ordered one from Bud's Guns tonight. It temporarily warred with a CZ P01 and Glock G19 for the price point, but the Beretta was the one with a hold on me. I also considered ponying up an extra $100 for the stainless model, but I wanted the classic blue more.

I hate to post before having pics of the new guy, but I'm just too darn excited not to tell someone.

It's an Italian make like my PX4 .40 (not that that generally makes any difference in quality, but I like the little flair of authenticity it lends). It took me a long time to decide between it and the M9 and the M9A1 based on the cosmetic difference and the rail, but I ended up going with the 92FS simply for its quintessential place in the firearms pantheon. Everyone wants to be John McClane a little bit.

Plus, now I finally own a 9mm, so I can shoot cheaper once the ammo crunch passes!

Price at Bud's was:
$532 + $15.96 for using a credit card (which is fine, I'll almost get that back in points) + $6 for shipping insurance + $26.60 for a lifetime warranty from Bud's. Total out the gate was $580.56. Added to the $25 FFL fee and it'll end up being $605.56, which is a bit above market, but I've never much cared about saving 20-40 bucks when I'm buying a 500-600 dollar gun. And I like Bud's.

Pics will be added soon. Excited to break her in and add the 92 to the nightstand/range/car/winter carry rotation. Debating between the 124 +p Speer Gold Dot and the 147 standard pressure Federal HST to stock it.

 

[lamarw]

Congrats on your new pistol. I think you did OK on the price. It might be a thousand dollar pistol if Beretta didn't have such a huge market for it.

Mine is not my favorite pistol, but it is my favorite 9mm. You will also find magazines inexpensive and brass is normally available if you reload.

Now you can start shopping for a holster. I found a used Kramer IWB at a good price for mine. This is some of the very nice things about having a popular pistol.

 

[Dragline45]

Cant go wrong with the Beretta 92/M9 pistols. I went with the M9A1 myself since I wanted a full size pistol with the rail option, but quickly found out it limit's your choices in holsters dramatically. Love the gun so much I plan to get a regular old 92fs as a companion piece to it sometime down the road. I think you did right not going with the stainless model, I heard the finish on the frames of those models don't hold up nearly as well ass the blue/black finish. Also I wouldn't sweat the price, the 92 sells in most shops for around $550 on average and even more in some cases. Slap on sales tax and you are right around the ballpark of what you payed.

I would recommend swapping out hammer spring with the lighter Beretta D spring, it's what they use on their DAO models. Personally I feel this is a must for all 92/M9 pistols, really does wonders for the trigger. I also swapped out the factory plastic grips for the Hogue panel grips. The Hogue panel grips don't add any thickness over the stock grips, although the Hogue finger groove grips increase the grip size dramatically.

 

[George Hill]

Classic pistol. It took me a long time to develop a solid Love-Hate relationship with mine.
I love it, but hate that it's a 9mm. (I know there is the 96, but that's not the one I have)
I just changed the D-Spring in mine and it made a huge difference in the trigger pull. Recommend swapping that spring ASAP.

 

[LockedBreech]

Thanks guys. I've begun looking into all the accessories and other fun stuff that goes along with getting a new gun. I'll be buying a stainless steel guide rod, either from Beretta USA or Steve Bedair. There are also a massive variety of holsters and grips, more than I'm used to. I really like the black aluminum Beretta grips with the white/silver trident ($80 at Beretta USA). I'll also try out the D spring for sure, though I never had problems with the stock DA trigger.

Holster wise, I'm looking at Kramer or Milt Sparks as the long-term solution. For short-term range use I grabbed a Serpa CQC for $30. The push-button release may be an area of concern for Glocks or 1911s but not the 92's long DA first pull.

 

[Dragline45]

I'll be buying a stainless steel guide rod, either from Beretta USA or Steve Bedair.

Not that there's anything wrong with the steel guide rods, but I chose to keep the plastic for a few reasons. The plastic has self lubricating properties, the plastic has relief cuts to prevent sand or debris from causing malfunctions, and the plastic has more flex to it and will not bend or change shape. The last one isn't really a huge issue, because I can't see anyone bending a steel guide rod unless you drop the pistol with the slide back, which could just as easily snap the plastic rod. Although I will admit that when reassembling the Beretta if I have launched the guide rod across the room a couple times. If your not careful it can happen pretty easily.

 

[LockedBreech]

Yeah, I might just be itching to buy gadgets for my new toy. After all, my PX4 is on 5 years and 6-7k rounds with a plastic rod and it has never bobbled.

 

[Fishbed77]

The only reason to replace a polymer guide rod with a steel one is if you just like to spend money.

I recall a thread over at the waltherforums.com site where someone replaced the polymer guide rod of his P99 with an aftermarket steel one that subsequently broke. My guess is that major firearms manufacturers know enough about polymer at this point to know where it can and can not be used.

That same logic doesn't go for polymer receivers on ARs as far as I'm concerned, though!

 

[TailGator]

Congrats. The 92FS is a beauty, both aesthetically and functionally. Mine is an inox with the oval-checkered walnut grips. The D spring is the only other change I made; it makes a good pistol even better. Overall, a pistol that is a real pleasure to own and shoot. My bet is that you are going to feel the same way.

 

[Wallyl]

I have the Taurus version w/Adj sights. I shoot only cast in it, primarily plinking cans. Very enjoyable and the cost per round is now less than a .22 RF.

 

[Beretta686]

I love mine. I've had it for about 10 years and have shot over 10K rounds through it with few stoppages.

To amuse myself I didn't clean it for 3 years, while putting over 200 rounds a month of cheapo Wolf and other steel cased rounds through it without any change in reliability.

People (often ex-military) will knock them and talk about how horrible they are, but as long as you're running them with good mags, they're great guns.

 

[Dragline45]

To amuse myself I didn't clean it for 3 years, while putting over 200 rounds a month of cheapo Wolf and other steel cased rounds through it without any change in reliability.

Probably not the best idea to do with the Beretta, especially the locking block area, or any aluminum framed pistol for that matter. One of the reasons to keep your guns clean and well lubricated isn't just for reliability but it also decreases the amount of wear you put on the gun. The steel slide is harder than the softer aluminum frame, running the gun extremely dirty or with insufficient lubrication will increase the amount of wear you put on the pistol. Would you hold off on getting an oil change on your car or truck just to see how long or well it will run? Also for any of my steel on aluminum or even steel on steel guns I use grease on the rails. Grease is a whole lot better than oil for resisting wear, and unlike oil grease stays put and does not run.

People (often ex-military) will knock them and talk about how horrible they are, but as long as you're running them with good mags, they're great guns.

I came to the conclusion that no matter what guns they use in the military or even law enforcement they are always going to find something to complain about. Some people in the military hate the M9, but I can guarantee you if they switched to 1911's, Glock's or Sig's just as many people would find something to complain about them. Many in military hate the .223 round and want a bigger caliber, but if they switched back to say the M14 just as many people would complain about how heavy it was or that they cant carry as much ammo as the .223. And surprisingly a good amount of active and retired military aren't really gun guys and don't know nearly as much as they think they do.

 

[Nathan]

The Beretta 92FS is undoubtedly my favorite auto pistol design, and has been since I learned to shoot on the platform. ...I also considered ponying up an extra $100 for the stainless model, but I wanted the classic blue more.

May I ask why the 92FS is your favorite design?

 

[rickyrick]

Hey.... if a 92fs fits your hand, then there's nothing better...reliable, accurate enough and just doggone pretty. Safe to carry. Buttery smooth racking and great trigger.

some don't like the direction the safety flicks, but I'm fine with it. I'm not keen on the plastic guide rod, but that's easily remedied.

 

[Wallyl]

Dragline45

I agree with you...I used grease on my Taurus 99AF for the reasons you've mentioned. Mine has fired many thousands of rounds with no noticeable wear. I shoot in a sandy area..there is always ultra fine sand particles in the air. Shooting it dry or lubed with oil and I cannot help but to believe it would wear on the frame quite quickly... The grease acts as a barrier, as long as you clean it off and replace it after so many rounds--it takes but a few minutes.

 

[ShipWreck]

Very cool. Congrats. The 92FS platform is also my favorite as well.

 

[Bart Noir]

I modified my 92F Compact with this trigger return unit from Wolff:

Wolff trigger return spring unit

It seems much more sturdy than the thin factory spring. I bought the standard strength one and cannot say that I notice any real difference in the trigger pulls or the reset. I plan to put one in my 92F full size gun, sometime soon.

Keep in mind these will not work for all guns. Mine are older, obviously, since they are not the FS models. From the Wolff site: "Will not function in Beretta 92A1 or any model 92/96 pistols with polymer triggers." - Polymer triggers! What is the old-school world coming to?

Now, about that hammer spring..... The above Wolff site has 5 different levels of reduced power hammer springs. Which matches the power of the Beretta D spring? I don't want to go too low in power since I dearly want the primers to go "pop" each and every time.

Bart Noir

 

[Bart Noir]

Since locking blocks were mentioned above...

When I bought two used 92F Berettas, I replaced the locking blocks and the recoil springs on both. I'll not be able to afford the ammo to wear those out and expect no problems from them. Just call me Preventative Maintenance Bart.

Bart Noir

 

[LockedBreech]

Thanks for the kind words and suggestions y'all!

May I ask why the 92FS is your favorite design?

Certainly! Your mileage may vary, but from my experiences with the platform, both the 92 and 96:

1.) It's extremely reliable. The open slide helps ensure feeding a wide variety of ammo and Beretta factory magazines are excellent.

2.) It fits my hand very comfortably. I have medium to large hands and since I've never owned a sweep-down safety, the sweep-up is what feels natural to me. With my big thumbs the slide safety is no big deal.

3.) It oozes quality. Finishing is excellent, with minimal tool marks and obvious attention to detail. It is not uncommon for a $600 Beretta to best an $800 Cohen-era Sig Sauer for fit and finish.

4.) It's durable in the long run. I know a guy with a 92 so old and well-used the finish is essentially gone, and it still runs like a champ.

5.) The light caliber combined with the metal-gun weight makes the gun recoil like a .22LR.

6.) The straight-line recoil impulse makes staying on target extremely easy.

7.) The feed straight into the barrel rather than up a ramp makes bullet shape less of a concern.

8.) It's cool-looking!

9.) The single-action trigger is feather-light and the double-action trigger is heavy and long enough to make using the safety while carrying unnecessary.

10.) A wide variety of aftermarket accessories.

 

[Dragline45]

Polymer triggers! What is the old-school world coming to?

The triggers are steel coated with polymer. Put a magnet up to them and you will see what I am talking about.

I'll not be able to afford the ammo to wear those out and expect no problems from them.

I agree. With the number of rounds you would have to put through a Beretta to crack the locking block and the price you payed for all that ammo, even if you reload, you could buy several Beretta's. Of course there are always exceptions, but major or minor part breakages can happen in any gun prematurely.