Thoughts on Beretta 92?

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It is, of course, the military's pistol (well, the M9 variant is anyway). And there are a million love/hate opinions on this pistol line from the military's perspective. But from a civilian perspective, as a range/home defense gun, it looks like a nice tool. I'm a fan of a firearm with "classic" lines. "Classic lines" is obviously a subjective term, but I enjoy my CZ 75 BD, and the Beretta 92 has a similar look to it. Nice beefy grip with a long and slightly tapered shape to the muzzle end. The open slide design and the external trigger bar intrigue me. It's said of the 92 that it's got match-grade accuracy from its 5" barrel and they're dang near indestructible.

I don't like the slide-mounted fire controls. That said, given that this would be a range piece and not a carry piece, and that I can still leave it in DA fire mode with the safety off, I'm comfortable enough with the manual of arms. I like the ones sans rail, and I like that you can get surplus magazines for it for cheap. Not true of the Taurus variant, unfortunately. If the Taurus used Beretta mags and came without a rail, I'd probably prefer it instead.

I have an itch to buy one...a Beretta. Thoughts on this classy Italian piece?
 
I've seen a few locking blocks break on the M9. It happens with no real rhyme or reason, and then you are holding a poor excuse for a club. Probably not a big deal for a range gun, but it is a known weakness.
 
It was very easy to qualify expert with the M9. (Armored crewman do not qualify with the M16/M4)
I can probably still field strip and reassemble an M9 blindfolded.
I only qualified sharpshooter with the M1911. (that had a lot more to do with being a Rock Island model that was made in the '40s and had been in service that long.)
I don't think I could disassemble the 1911 blindfolded. I know I cannot reassemble it blind.
They let me requalify on the subcaliber range with a Ruger target .22. That is a nice firing weapon. Give me one of those chambered for 9mm.

The M9 was a good weapon though. Ridiculously simple to field strip and shoots well.
 
I have an M9, marked as such. The real question is if you like the feel in hand. It is fairly big, if I was going for that much mass, I generally prefer revolvers, personally. For whatever reason I'm partial to the sig 229/glock 19 sort of size/feel/balance.

But it is a great range piece.
 
If a pistol fits you well, you're probably going to be ok with it.

For me the Beretta 92 feels like trying to hold a 2x4. I can do it but it's not comfortable. My main pistol is a Sig 226 with the thinnest Houge grips and the short trigger to reduce reach.

BSW
 
How much of the Beretta's grip is in the grip panels, and how much is in the frame itself? My CZ 75's grip panels have some thickness to them, and the owner can really customize the grip size with the thickness of the grip panels. Does the same hold true for the Beretta?
 
The 92 has nice balance compared to the 1911. I have a friend who owns at least 15 semi autos and the only one he can hit anythig with is the 92.
 
I LOVE the 92 model. It's one of the most reliable pistols on the market. Most complaints were when they were used with substandard contract magazines in the military. If the military had spent the money on better magazines and not "cheapest bidder" magazines, the gun would have a much better reputation.

As far as match grade accuracy, that is not true. The barrel doesn't lock up with the slide, so while they are pretty accurate, they are no Sig P210. Consider them combat accurate.

If you hate the safety (like I do), just buy a G model. They only have a decocker and don't have a safety. Or you can send a regular model with safety off to Wilson Combat and they will convert it to a G model for you.

My next gun if I can find one will be a Wilson Combat Beretta Brigadier G model.
 
I have one and like it. For what your use is I wouldn't be concerned about the issues people are speaking of. I do agree however with the size and weight of the pistol. Depending on your hand size you might want to consider a P226 or P229 (I also heard the S&W M&Ps are nice too) but if you want an accruate pistol with decent stopping power it is hard to go wrong.
 
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
If you hate the safety (like I do), just buy a G model. They only have a decocker and don't have a safety. Or you can send a regular model with safety off to Wilson Combat and they will convert it to a G model for you.


My ideal 92 would probably be a G model. They seem hard to find. It's good to know that WC can convert one to a G model.
 
I'm no handgun expert, but my brother has a 92 and I really like it.

I've shot both it and a Glock 17 back to back and for me at least I definitely prefer the Beretta. I'm more accurate with it and like how it feels in my hand better.
 
Originally Posted By: Bgallagher
Depending on your hand size you might want to consider a P226 or P229 (I also heard the S&W M&Ps are nice too) but if you want an accruate pistol with decent stopping power it is hard to go wrong.


The Beretta is really only interesting to me because of its Italian lineage and classic lines (combined with its overall reliability). I appreciate the material and build quality of the Sigs, but they're just not interesting to me. The M&Ps are nice, but I've found that I'm not really into plastic guns. (I do have an M&P Shield, but it's a tool for carry only; I'd consider a full size M&P if I were looking for a bigger gun to carry.)
 
There are a lot of handguns out there designed to do the same job. I think it comes down to which one works best once it's in your hands.

I have a 1911 like I carried in the military, a S&W 357 and I also now have a Walther PPQ.

I have no idea if the Walther is better than any other 9mm but it's easy for me to use and maintain and I'm very accurate with it. Before making my choice I fired every 9mm I could get my hands on at various ranges in the area including the Beretta 92 and talked to owners of the various guns including law enforcement officers.
 
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
How much of the Beretta's grip is in the grip panels, and how much is in the frame itself? ...


Very little of it is grip itself IME.

I've tried hard to like the 92, I've actually had a couple and gotten rid of them.

I freely admit I am a 1911 guy, but I like the way CZ's feel and shoot, not so much the 92.
 
I've owned one many years ago. Loved the way it felt in my hand. Reasonably accurate (far more than you're going to be ...) Never liked the DA/SA action. Actually, hated it. But that is not unique to this gun; my Sig226 was the same way. Ended up selling that one too.

I'm a Glock man through and through. Not everyone likes a Glock; I love them.

That's what great about our system; try and buy! If you're not happy, try and buy again.
 
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If the grip size fits you, you will love the gun as a range piece. I have a Taurus 99 and a buddy has a Beretta 92. I actually prefer my Taurus with the frame mounted safety/decocker and the ability to carry it cocked and locked. Functionally they have both been rock solid. The older Taurus 92 and 99's didn't have the rail. Of course nothing at all about Taurus says fine Italian heritage or long history of firearm manufacturing. For that you need the Beretta.
 
Originally Posted By: cb_13
The older Taurus 92 and 99's didn't have the rail.


Do you know how far back I'd have to go with a Taurus to find one without the rail? I'm not a rail guy, and think that squared-off piece detracts from what is otherwise a high-style gun. I prefer the Taurus's fire control system, but don't like how they use Taurus-specific magazines (which may not be very high quality, from what I've read). I also don't like the rail, but if the older ones didn't have it, that potentially opens those models up as an option. Thanks.
 
Not what you want to hear, but I prefer the frame mounted controls of the Tauri. They are not as nicely finished as the Beretta, but they are not bad in their own right.

Beretta is my favorite gun - have lots of 'em, but, still, I don't like the slide mounted controls. The smaller Beretta's keep them on the frame - where they belong.
 
Originally Posted By: Win
Not what you want to hear...


I want to hear all opinions! I share your dislike of the fire controls being on the slide. If this were a carry piece, that'd be a non-starter for me. But being a "fun gun", I try to look beyond that.
 
You might also like the Storms. They are really nice guns.

You can adjust the grip on those. A nice wood grip on the 92's just makes them .... even bigger in the grip.

But they have the darn slide mounted controls. They also have the rotating barrel on the full size models so that sort of makes up for it. Sort of.
 
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