New Beretta 92 Compact

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Foxy

New member
I made up my mind about the P11 vs the Beretta 92 Compact. I'm the proud new owner of a 92 Compact :) It came with one 13rd mag, and the plastic Beretta box, which was nice since the pistol was used. I was intending to shoot it right after my purchase, but the clouds opened up and started raining hard. I already have a cold; why make it worse?

The gun seems to be in good condition. The grip on the right side of the pistol is badly scuffed, as if the previous owner had dragged it against something. Field-stripping it revealed a good looking barrel, and no noticable cracks in the slide or the locking lugs.

It is fairly hefty for a so called 'compact,' but it is small enough to disappear under a t-shirt! My hand also comfortably fits on it. The DA trigger pull is a bit harder than I expected (the last Beretta I shot was an Elite with a Langdon trigger job on it), but the SA pull is fine.

I am signing up tomorrow for the October Gunsite CCW class, planning on using the Beretta Compact.... then I'll be able to see how it shoots and carries!

Does anyone have any advice on what I should inspect for in a used Beretta 92? What's the maintenance schedule like for the recoil spring, etc? I've already written to Beretta USA asking for a manual.. and the gunstore has given me 30 days to inspect and test it.
 
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BigMike

New member
Sounds like you did a pretty good job looking it over. The trigger pull can be lightened with the "D" model main spring, which is what you probably experienced shooting the LTT pistol. Grips can be had at Hogue or Beretta.

The manual to the compact would be the same for the full size 92, and can be downloaded at Beretta's website, it is a PDF so you will need Adobe to read it:

http://www.beretta.com/from_usa_Com.asp?section=m

Enjoy and let us know how it shoots. The compact DAO may be my next purchase to compliment my 92 Brig.

Mike
 
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Foxy

New member
I just got back from the range with it, and am quite happy with it.

I put 9 of the 13 round magazines through it with nary a hiccup. My 7 yard aimed fire started out pretty ragged - everything was very low and to the left. However, my friend gave me some pointers and my groups started tightening up. I tried at 7, 10, and 15 yards. At 15, they are quite open, but all on the 8.5x11 inch paper I was shooting (though mostly on the left side again).

I'm not the world's greatest marksman, and it's been ages since I've shot at paper rather than at bottles or cans or other targets of opportunity, but I am pleased with my performance.

Unfortunately for my ego, though, I did put a mag or two through a CZ75B (and I don't like CZ triggers!) at the same distances, and my groups were much tighter with the CZ than the Beretta :(

Overall, I am quite happy with the Compact. I managed to snag another 13 round mag for it for $55, which seems to be a good deal, considering the one place I can find online is selling them for $140.
 
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defox

New member
Foxy,

Check to see your finger placement on the trigger. It appears as if you are pressing from the side of the trigger rather than straight back. To correct this use the ball of the first digit of your trigger finger. Did your hands encircle the grip or are you barely hanging on to the gun?

Next, is it an Italian or American made gun?

Look below the trigger bar for 3 markings. Say what the one in the rectangle is saying (it is usually 2 letters)?
 
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Foxy

New member
If I am reading the markings correctly (on the front of the trigger guard?) there is a BC inside of a rectangle. There's four markings next to it, closer to the dustcover than the BC. There's a star inside of a circle, a shield with a smaller marking inside and a X through it, another circled star, and then PSF.

I started out using the pad of my finger, but that was when it was pulling to the left. I then moved my finger so I was pulling with the first joint rather than the pad, and it moved my groups back over to the right a bit.

However, the group with the CZ was just about perfectly centered, if a bit high. I was having a hard time with the CZ's sights.

My hands wrap around the grip very well, with plenty of room. I wear something like a size 9 glove.
 
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weldonjr2001

New member
Foxy, trust me on this. Replace the existing mainspring with a 1911 mainspring, and you'll see a major reduction in double-action trigger pull. It'll improve the single-action also. A gunwriter some years back stated that the SEALS had shown him this trick. I tried it on my 92FS compact and it really works. Of course, fire it extensivly after you put it the new spring to check for proper performance.
 
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