Beretta 92FS
The Beretta 92FS is known to the U.S. Military as the M9. It has served the armed forces as a sidearm for many soldiers. The firearm has a rich history and an aftermarket that is booming. It is a piece of Italian engineering that is extremely popular with gunmen and women all over the country. The Beretta 92FS is a standard-issue for many law enforcement agencies and militaries. It is likely the most filmed handgun ever. The 92FS starred in American Assassin, The Expendables, Terminator, Lethal Weapon, and Die Hard to name some of its appearances.
The question arises, ‘If the Beretta 92FS is so good, why was it replaced by the SIG P320 by the Army in 2017?’ It remains the standard issue for the average jarhead, grunt, and squid, but few ‘operators’ opt to use it. The issue is not so much about something being wrong as the age factor. The Beretta 92FS has a reasonable price tag. The SIG P226 cost $1200 per gun. Not even the Pentagon can afford to arm soldiers at that price point.
After spending 30 years in the shadow of the Beretta, SIG Sauer came up with the P320 that costs just a little more than the 92FS. Age plays a factor. Over 600,000 M9s purchased by the Pentagon reached the end of the operational lifespan. If a service member complains about the M9, consider that it has been used continually for 25 years. It still shoots when the trigger is pulled. There are valid reasons for not buying a 92FS, but lack of operator prestige and affordability are not among them.
- Exceptional accuracy
- Great looking exterior
- Parts reliably priced and accessible
- Semi-automatic choice of the U.S. Military and countless law enforcement agencies
- Super safe
- Bulky grip
- Long trigger length
- This gun was made for my hands. It works so well, never jams. This isn't a gun to keep in the car though, it holds heat. Perfect for the house though.
- This is super easy to use and handle. The recoil is not too much. It hits on point most of the time. I am satisfied with it.
- This is a really great pistol and super reliable. The mags are easy to get a hole of and I highly recommend for home defense. It doesn't have so much recoil and grips nice.
- I have had this gun awhile and shoot it often. Pushed thousands of rounds through it and never had a jam. I highly recommend it. Beginner or expert.
- The packing oil is great and It made me feel secure in the gun from the first touch. I cleaned it and started firing, flawless. I would highly recommend cleaning it before use. The packing oils is very high viscosity. It shoots crisp and has a heavy trigger. I did some adjustments with original Beretta parts and it pulled in the trigger and made it softer and the recoil is so soft. Super accuracy.
- I got this a couple years ago and man is it great. I always wanted one and I am so happy I invested. It is a great gun to shoot and I can't really find a problem. It is a Beretta, best made.
- This is the most reliable gun I own. It works with virtually any ammunition flawlessly. It isn't for concealment, it has weight. It has a heavy pull for the first few hundred rounds. It is super accurate.
- Mine came with a laser rod install and man is it fire! It sounds like the real deal, movie style gun. I am over the moon with it. So slick and dependable.
- This is a fantastic pistol one of the best I own. It was accurate right away, no zeroing needed. It fits the hand great and ist super rough on the recoil. I love taking it to the range. Great for home protection.
- I was looking for a sport and carry pistol and this is above what I was expecting. Such a clean and dependable firing gun. The gun shoots dead accurate from the get go. I am super impressed. It is so fun to fire.
- Shot some rounds and not one malfunction. The best. Baretta is great already and this gun just adds to the name. It holds well, not extreme recoil and the dependability is on. It is super accurate and feels great in hand. I highly recommend it.
- This gun is flawless! I have shot thousands of round and never a glitch. I keep her clean and rady, always. It is fun to shoot and is a great option for home defence. I would rate this gun 10 if I could. Great gun Beretta.
- This is a high quality arm. It fires so clean and great recoil. The follow up shots are great because it is so smooth. I feel sexy using it.
- It is so easy to find mags for this and it shoots just about anything perfectly. This is made to last and work. Never have a jam or malfunction. The gun is rock solid and holds well. The recoil isn't insane. I am super happy with it. Beautiful piece.
- I have had one for over 20 years and wanted a new one.I love this gun. It has weight and girth and feel like a killer. Keep it clean and it won't fail on you, ever. 20 years and not one fail. Guaranteed Beretta is king in pistols.
- Never had any issues with this beast. So clean and fires like a dream. I can't say anything negative about it. I am in love everywhere and love taking it to the range. Super accurate and dependable. You won't find a better gun.
- I own numerous Berettas and I love every single one. This one is right there. They fire perfect, never jam. The recoil isn't too bad and, well, you just cannot go wrong. I carry mine all over, even when I am running. Lots of great accessories out there for it. It is dead accurate every time I fire and it transitions smooth and accurate as well. IT is great although it is heavy.
- I purchased this pistol several years ago from Academy. Since then, I have fired roughly 1,500 rounds through it. Accuracy is excellent. Reliability is excellent. I have not had one problem with this pistol. I use both Beretta and Pro Mag magazines - with no issues with it either. This is my favorite pistol to shoot (I have four others).
- Ssing weight to the frame helps with the recoil. It has been great at rapid fire practice. It isn't as good as they P226 in my opinion and it needs to be drowning in oil to work flawlessly.
- I had it for three weeks and took it to the range. I couldn't get it to go into battery with every shot. Even the guy at the range shot it. It now sits on the shelf. Piece of crap.
- This is not made for smaller hands. Hard to control and hold. Wish I would have bought a Glock.
- The trigger was not working when I got it. I thought the safety was stuck but it as just a bad trigger. Back to the store with it.
- It jams every 100 rounds or so. It is hard to get apart and back together. Then after I took it apart the parts are super loose now. I don't lie the gun.
- The plastic in the recoil spring make this gun garbage. I wouldn't count on this for my life. Bad design and decision Beretta.
- I thought it would be great after all the reviews and the fact I had one in the military. Nope. I shot about 100 rounds and the thing is a chatterbox. It rattles all the time and feels loose. I sold it.
- This has no stopping power at all. Not a great defense gun at all. It is for shoe. Hits targets but a real life scenario it just isn't logical. I come from experience.
Primary Use
Lining the center dot above the two dots on the rear for a triangular sight picture may be needed to hit center. Not everyone agrees, but there are enough people who do to make it worth mentioning.
The trigger can take some getting used to. Double action occurs with the first loaded magazine shot when the slide is dropped. A trigger pull that seems endless causes the first shot being fired in double action and every subsequent shot available to the shooter is in single action.
Thanks to the slide recoil action, the external hammer is automatically cocked. In single action, the distance of the trigger pull is not even half the distance of the first pull. It has a bit more creep than some shooters like in a single action shot.
Once the shooter masters the odd sight picture and the trigger pull, the projectile launches like music from a violin. With 500 years under their belt, the company knows how to make bullets fly. A slightly higher muzzle jump is easily compensated with a forward support grip of the off-hand.
Barrel
Stock Options
It has a superior wear and corrosion resistant finish. Aircraft quality light aluminum is used in the frame. It is lightweight but sturdy. According to the U.S. Army testing, the average slide durability is more than 35,000 rounds. The frame durability exceeds 30,000 rounds.
Weight
The barrel of the Baretta is about a half inch longer. It is wider than the Glock also. The weight of the Beretta is a significant factor as a carry gun. It weighs 33.3 ounces. The G17 weighs 32.12 ounces loaded. The unloaded Beretta weighs more than the G17 which affects its carry and use.
Accessories
Replacement triggers, grips, rail systems, barrels, slides, grips, and replacement parts are plentiful and affordable. Aftermarket parts created by the military and law enforcement agencies make customizing the Beretta 92FS very cheap. Full ninja can be accomplished with a silencer, threaded barrel, laser sight or flashlight, and a rail.
Ammunition
The Hornady Critical Defense rounds average approximately one jam per ten-round magazine and are not recommended. Nickel-plated casings are meant to feed smoothly. One tester says they eject poorly from the stock.
Loading
The rumor persists that the slide will eventually break and injure the shooter. The number two complaint is the double-action pull in single-action mode is crisp and breaks nicely.
There are aftermarket 92FS trigger kits available.
When the safety is engaged, the hammer won’t cock back automatically when the slide is racked, and a round is in the chamber. The first shot requires a long, hard, double-action trigger pull that will likely be inaccurate.
The stock trigger pull varies from about ten to 15 pounds in double-action and approximately five to eight pounds in single-action mode. Because the range is so broad, Baretta doesn’t publish exact 92FS trigger pull data. Fortunately, the trigger pull can be adjusted if it is too light or hard. The polymer trigger can also be replaced.
In addition to the exceptional accuracy, enhanced reliability and faster cycle times are provided by the operation on a delayed blowback, recoil system. The jamming and stove piping concerns have been eliminated with the open slide design.
It is easier to load a single cartridge at a time if the magazine is damaged. The reversible magazine release accommodates right and left-handed users which makes for quick loading. Typically, a low-profile, 3-dot sight setting is a boon to handguns.
Unfortunately, the fixed sights over the Beretta 92FS is one of its few flaws. The reason behind the placement is the tendency of soldiers to get banged and bumped around a bit. Adjustable sights would make the Beretta a better hitter, particularly beyond the usual 14-foot encounter distance.
Finish
The open slide is a perspective that many like. There are some finely crafted and well-thought-out breakdown and operational controls on the surface of the gun. They include a side-mounted, ambidextrous thumb safety, the slide release, and the magazine release. All of them are well-machined and superbly placed for both aesthetics and functionality.
The design of the gun is tightly contrived. The thumb safety acts as a mechanism to decock the gun. It drops the hammer without firing a round in the chamber and disconnects the trigger mechanism when the safety is engaged. There is an indicator when the chamber is loaded on the pistol. The 92FS is so thick small-handed shooters have trouble formulating a permanent grip around the Beretta.
The wide grip caused expressed discomfort and general dislike by others when shooting the pistol. Those with large mitts have no problem with the gun. Pressing a button and flipping a lever releases access to the interior for cleaning.
Safety
The little feature probably doesn’t deserve the disdain it receives. When the user becomes accustomed to the safety, it becomes less of a problem. A sweaty palms, life-or-death situation can make it very easy to engage the safety accidentally with fatal results.
To use the Beretta 92FS for defense a round must be kept in the chamber, the hammer down, and the safety off. The user has to rely on a heavy double-action trigger pull and quick thinking as the safety. That process is taught to military personnel that carries it.
Due to the double/single action where the initial shot fires from the double action and the rest firing from single action mode, the weapon is quite safe. The design of the external hammer is another traditional Beretta handgun feature. It provides an immediate tactile and visual status indicator - cocked or uncocked. The feature significantly reduces the chance of misfire and provides firing pin energy.
The Beretta 92FS has proven itself over and over in law enforcement agencies and military situations. It is a consistent player when it comes to keeping our heroes safe. The weapon surpasses the requirement of a ten-shot group of no more than three inches at 50 yards. The safety is designed to allow for multiple accident prevention levels.
Price
Key Features
* 3-Dot sight
* 4.9-inch barrel length
* 5.4-inch overall height
* 8.5-inch overall length
* 9mm caliber
* 15 + 1 capacity
* Double action/single action
* Weighs 33.30 ounces
Bottom Line
Accuracy depends a lot on the shooter. A firearm can’t make up for a person who is a lousy shot, but it is intrinsically accurate. The failure with nickel-plated casings caused the tester to knock off a point for reliability.
The legendary Beretta 92FS stands tall among handguns. It is the most tested and trusted defense weapon in history. It is a superb piece of craftsmanship.The super clean lines on the all-steel frame and open-slide design make it beautiful and sturdy at the same time.