This weapon is not a conceal carry firearm. It is heavy, big, and obvious under clothing. It adds two inches to the waistline with an IWB holster. The pistol requires a stiff belt. The 92FS is not meant for shooters with short fingers and small hands. Reaching the trigger is a stretch in double-action mode. Practice is required to draw or shoot accurately and quickly. If the three dots are aligned, consistent low hits result.

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.

The 4.9-inch chrome barrel is easy to clean, protects the rifling with a combat muzzle crown that is recessed, and provides corrosion resistance. A disassembly latch has simplified field stripping. Maintenance is quick. Reassembly is simple with a fixed front sight and two rear sight white dots.

The military has put the Beretta 92FS through a lot. It is the most tested pistol in U.S. history and stands the test of time. Beretta has an exclusive non-reflective black coating that permits survival of extreme element exposure.

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.

The Beretta 92FS is a full-sized pistol. It is large compared to concealed carry options. The distance between the farthest points is 8.5 inches. It is about a half inch longer than the G17. The Glock and Beretta are a fraction of an inch different in height.

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.

Opening the Beretta 92FS box presents the new owner with a standard array of appurtenances for the handgun. The plastic box it comes in should be tossed in the recycling bin. No one uses the cable lock or reads the guides and instructions. Only the Beretta factory knows why an emblazoned logo plastic cup is included. The only items worth anything are the two magazines that are included.

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.

Tongue-in-cheek, the 92FS pulls double-duty for pistol-whipping enemies into submission if the shooter runs out of ammo, which is entirely possible. The standard mag holds only 15 rounds. Most ammo runs well in the Beretta 92FS.

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.

The standard magazine for a Beretta 92FS holds 15 9mm rounds. There are larger aftermarket and factory magazines available that hold up to 30 rounds. In 1987, three M9 slides broke and injured the shooters. The injuries were minor. Beretta immediately fixed the problem. No confirmed cases of it reoccurring have have been reported.

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.

The Beretta 92FS is made in the U.S. The gun has a Bruniton finish that is unique in many aspects and provides superior corrosion resistance. It is as classy as can be. Beauty is a matter of taste. Italian designs are considered sexy, and some firearm enthusiasts think it is an appropriate description of the 92FS. As a testament to the Italian ingenuity, many people choose the Beretta 92FS as their weapon of choice.

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.

The biggest flaw of the firearm is the side-mounted safety and the most intelligent reason for not buying one. The safety functions as a de-cocker. It makes switching from single- to double-action mode easy.

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.

The Beretta sells for $600. It is a price many are willing to pay for a gun in this class. The Beretta 92FS earned its stripes in militaries around the world. It is a beast. Those looking for an excellent home defense weapon, an inexpensive workhorse, or a practical carry gun could do worse. It would be difficul to find the same quality for the same price without getting a polymer, striker-fired pistol.

* 1.5-inch width
* 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

Based on a five-point scale, one evaluator assigned the following ratings: Ergonomics (3½), Accuracy (5), Reliability (4), Customization (5), Looks (5), Price (5). The thumb rest and grips are well-designed for shooters with hands that are average to large. The 92FS fits well in hand. Those with paws on the small side find the pistol a bit hard to hold.

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.