Back about a million years ago, after graduating college, I decided I needed a handgun. At the same time, I didn’t even know what I didn’t know about guns and shooting. However, I had seen Lethal Weapon and I liked the gun Riggs carried: the Beretta 92.
I especially liked the Christmas tree scene early in the Lethal Weapon movie. You know the one: “That’s a real badge, I’m a real cop and this is a real [effin’] gun.”
Yes, the good old Beretta 92. Fifteen-round magazines. Double-action trigger. Good enough for the military to adopt – they called in the M9, of course. Even a number of police agencies including LAPD adopted it as well.
Clearly, Martin Riggs used it without complaint. Not only that, but I especially liked how Riggs couldn’t miss, right? Even when the muzzle didn’t point at the targets he perforated. (And I kind of liked how it didn’t recoil too!) After all, the clowns on the A-Team couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn (from the inside) with their Mini-14s.
With all this stuff going for the Beretta 92, it seemed like the perfect choice for this 22-year-old just out of college.
Looking back, I wasted a lot of time, money and ammunition trying to self-learn how to shoot that gun well. A few years later, I enrolled in Mas Ayoob‘s then-Lethal Force Institute I class as my first formal training. (Today the same course is known as “MAG-40”.) I soaked up the attention of Ayoob, Robert Houzenga and Andy Kemp. Believe me, I needed plenty as I didn’t know jack.
In the end, I shot a 299 out of 300 on the final qualification. Good enough for third place out of probably 30 or 40 serious shooters and a few newbies like me. Frankly, I came out of that class shooting better support-handed than I went in shooting with my strong hand. And I also met some outstanding people including a few I call friends to this day.
As much as I like Beretta as a company, I don’t recommend the Beretta 92 to folks. Unless people want a big, bulky, relatively heavy gun with a double-action trigger that’s tough for beginners to shoot well.
The gun does have its utility, though. I learned that double-action trigger pull at LFI and that skill has served me well. If a person can master that long, double-action trigger in a Beretta 92, he or she can shoot about any handgun well.
In fact, Massad Ayoob “rode the trigger” with me to show me how to shoot that challenging first shot in a Beretta 92. Riding the trigger with new shooters has helped me watch countless kids and adults experience that “a-ha!” moment.
Seeing their faces light up makes my time teaching all worthwhile. Yes, folks, once you have the fundamentals of stance, grip and sight-picture out of the way, 90% of making good hits has to do with good trigger control.
In the end, I have lost more than a couple of Beretta 92s to tragic boating accidents. And if you sneak a peek into my nightstand, you’ll find a Beretta 92 all snuggled up next to a tactical flashlight, extra magazines (loaded with Winchester Ranger 124gr JHPs), extra M1 carbine magazines (loaded with Hornady Critical Defense), a few loose shotgun shells (mostly reduced recoil 00-buck) and some electronic ear muffs.
Yes, I have owned or shot a lot of different handgun brands and models over the years, yet my first handgun purchase still resides in the nightstand for the time being.
At least until the twins start crawling, then it’ll have to go elsewhere.
The big difference between pre-WWII guns that were qualified by the US military and post-1960 guns qualified by the US military goes like this:
In the Old Days, a gun designer would design a gun. The US Army would put out a call for an arm, with basic operational requirements and reliability parameters (“X” so many rounds fired without stoppages, etc). The gun makers would submit the designs they had, usually prior to the request for submissions, for qualification. Some made it, some didn’t.
Example: When the US Army wanted a semi-automatic pistol sidearm in the early 1900’s, they put out the call. Various gun makers responded, including Luger, Colt, Savage, etc. The 1911 was the result of that competition.
This is the way the Garand was chosen, too, I should add.
After 1960, and the demise of the US armory system, the military starting putting out RFP’s/RFQ’s for guns, and these would be filled with all manner of detailed operational specifications for the weapon – stuff that the people who were writing these specifications had no expertise to insert into the RFP/RFQ’s. At least when the US armory system was operating, we had people who had actually made/repaired/tested firearms involved in writing specs/test/acceptance protocols.
The M9/Beretta 92 was one such response to these post-competent specifications, and what you see in the M9/92 is that it is over-engineered (especially in the trigger/safety issues) and overly complicated for the job. But the good people at Beretta met the specifications, they produced a gun that crossed all the T’s, dotted all the I’s, and there it is. Shootists have many criticisms of the pistol, but Beretta fulfilled the requirements, and they got the nod.
92fs was the 2nd handgun I ever bought, sold it about 20yrs ago. Still regret it sometimes, I didn’t have high hopes for beretta considering I bought the .25acp prior which was a jammomatic. 92 quickly changed my mind though, great gun.
My .25acp Beretta Jetfire *never* jammed, tho I’ll admit the ammo was so expensive I never fired a whole bunch at a time. OTOH, I never could hit a car-sized target, even if I was inside the car at the time, and if I accidentally did hit the car it wouldn’t leave a dent. But it never jammed, and after 25-odd years I sold it for nearly 4X what I paid for it, so could be worse!
It was my 1st handgun, bought it at 18 (pre interweb days) from an uncle for $50. It never made it though an entire mag without the barrel popping open, bad latch I’m guessing. I’m sure I could fix it today, but after getting the 92 I ended up just giving it to my brother in law. It was a cute tiny little thing though, could hide it anywhere.
I’m glad you’re enjoying your 92. I having had one while I was in the Army, in the 1990s, have no interest in owning that piece of crap gun.
Ironically, it was the only handgun I knew how to use after getting out 20 years ago (which is the reason why I bought one). In retrospect it was a sound decision at the time, buy knowing what I know now,…ya…. its crap.
It’s not crap, it’s old just like a 1911. Most of the M9s in the Army have been shot out (5000+ rounds over barrel/slide life). They are maintained by kids off the street who have never seen a gun let alone fired one. I am not a beretta fan boy buts it’s a good gun
The Taurus G2 is a good option. So is the Ruger All-American. Canik is a very good choice. If you prefer all metal gun, you can pick up a used Tanfoglio TA 90 really cheap off the Internet. I have one of these, and it is an excellent firearm.
Any relation to Dan?
For what it’s worth, I’ve been really happy with my Metro arms American classic. If you don’t mind made in the Philippines and of course .45, mine cost just shy of $500 new and runs like a clock.
Any gun that starts with the letters CZ.
Besides the Taurus G2, the Sccy guns are low cost and good quality.
In today’s world a new gun buyer can do what you couldn’t do 50 years ago. I would rent 5 or 6 guns first to see if any of them I liked. One 50 round box of 9mm ammo is a great test bed to begin with. Assuming all the guns you are testing are 9mm.
You should be able to get a Sig 2022 (Sig Pro) for just a little over $400
I too would like a CZ clone, with aluminum frame. Canik-Turkey made several, I like the shape of Canik Shark, either full size or compact. Thristar-USA is distributing them under their brand. Sarlimaz-Turkey is importing SAR K2, also available in 45. Classic Firearms had some, even in stainless.
I have owned several 92s and a compact 13 round version since 1986. Due to their alloy frames I never found them heavy.
Only the first shot is DA and the rest short SA with very short return. The open slide lowers the slide mass enough to take up recoil without lift.
I attended LFI and do not remember Ayoob ever advocating staging or “riding” the trigger as it puts the shooter into neither a ready to shoot or finger off the trigger state and that is asking for negligent discharge. A shooter must learn to control the trigger movement from touch to fire without stopping along the way. That is what Ayoob and the team taught.
And buying a gun because if a movie shows the immatand ignorance of the person buying it.
So basically I find this article mostly a useless pile of hogs” wallup.
It seems to me that we pro-2A folks have enough enemies without attacking each other.
Well said.
https://selfreliancecentral.com/2019/01/07/src-original-time-to-grow-up-and-stand-together-as-gun-owners/
“buying a gun because if a movie shows the immatand ignorance of the person buying it.”
So does making assumptions about someone else’s ignorance. If I see X gun in a movie, and wind up buying it, who are you to assume how much research I did in the interim?
And anyway, why should you care in the first place? It’s not your gun.
Does it really matter from whence the inspiration originated? More importantly is the fact that he bought a gun and became a responsible gun owner.
Kevin is correct when he replied: “It seems to me that we pro-2A folks have enough enemies without attacking each other.”
Do YouTube reviews count as movies? Cause Hickok45 sold me a few guns.
Me too brother, me too. The thing is I have never been disappointed either. He does a wonderful review of a firearm.
I saw the movie, “Dirty Harry”, and fell head over heels in love with his S & W Model 29, .44 Magnum, and had to own one. I searched high and low for one but there just weren’t any to be found. One day my wife dragged me out shopping to F.W. Woolworth’s, in West Warwick, R.I., and I wandered back to their Sporting Goods Department. Lo and behold, right there in the display case was a brand new S&W Model 29-2 .44 Magnum (6 1/2″ barrel just like Dirty Harry’s) with presentation case for the exorbitant price of $199.95. That was a lot of money in 1971 but the time to buy is when you see it. That baby went home with me and she’s still with me as a “safe queen” today. I ran a few rounds thru her and that is one sweet shooting weapon and it’s like it was custom made for my hand. I loved it so much that I bought an 8 3/8″ 29-2 (for ($372.00) to go with it that I ran into a few years later. From an investment standpoint I’m glad that movie motivated me to buy that first Model 29 as both are worth a total of $4,000 today. As for the Beretta 92 FS I own one of those, too, but not because of Mel Gibson. I wanted a semi auto that fired NATO ammo, was easily and quickly disassembled/assembled to switch barrels as in the Colt 1911, could accept a threaded barrel, and didn’t require cocking for that first round, just draw, aim, and fire. An added bonus I found is the 92 didn’t have the recoil of my Combat Commander, .45 ACP. Depending on how I’m dressed this 92 FS, or my little Colt .380 Auto “Government Model”, is my choice for concealed carry. Why? Because both work FIRST time EVERY time with no failure feed, fire, or eject. Say what you want about the Beretta 92 but just like millions of US troops did I’m betting my life on that weapon.
I for one am glad people buy guns because they’ve seen them in movies. Lever actions and SAAs are great guns, and if it takes a few movies to make people realize that, so be it.
I hear ya! I haven’t seen them in movies *recently*, but I now own a SAA in .45 which I haven’t fired yet, and have a Winchester ’92 carbine in .357 on order at my LGS. Can’t recall just why I’ve waited so long. It’s not because they are expensive, because they’re not!
I was 17 and was a Dirty Harry fan. I bought my first pistol, a Model 29 S&W with the 6 inch barrel. I won’t point any fingers at another fan boy.
Immatand? Is that more or less than supercalifragilisticexpialidocious?
Yeah. I was going to google the word before I commented, then said “come On! You’ve read well over 5,000 books in your life. Including technical and medical books”
It’s the first time I have ever seen that word. I can’t even guess where it falls in context.
It’s not your gun. Don’t worry about what the other guy is doing, unless he’s being unsafe at the range or something.
It’s entirely possible to want a gun “because it’s cool” for whatever reason. Doesn’t mean it’s your primary carry gun. It’s ok to like guns for a wide range of uses.
I’ve actually been thinking of collecting handguns that appear in cool video games.
Because I like video games.
And I like guns.
My sons were trying to get me to buy some pistol, I think it was a FiveseveN or something, I thought it was horrid and wouldn’t budge, later discovered that was exactly the case, it was their favorite gun in some video game. Good grief. I have very large hands and could just barely reach the trigger, dunno who designed the thing, Paul Bunyan?
I freely admit I didn’t even know what I didn’t know when I pulled out the Benjamins to buy my first Beretta 92.
No need to get wrapped around the axle around it.
He was 22. Were you ever 22?
When I was 22 I bought a Colt Python 4″, NIB, was handloading for it within a year.
WOW! Somebody needs to get laid, lighten up Francis.
I didn’t buy my first pistol. I made it. It was a single shot and wasn’t very accurate, but what do you want from a ten year old.
That was the day that feinstein dried up.
My wife and I each have a Beretta 92 in our stable. For me it’s a great gun that I enjoy shooting but don’t usually carry, for her it’s her EDC in a shoulder bag. She’s very good with it and it is accurate and reliable. They’re great guns and I have no concerns whatsoever about using it to save my or her life. Having said that, for me it’s too heavy and big for the same amount of firepower and close to the same ammo capacity you can get from some easier to carry guns, but I carry on-body and not in a shoulder bag. Still, it’s an excellent gun that works and shoots well.
The 92 is one of the rare examples of guns I want that doesn’t make rational sense. I have “better” pistols like my Glock 17.
It’s just iconic enough and good enough a gun to have my interest.
I feel exactly the same way. I own a Sig P226 and like it very much but i’m still trying to think of a reason to buy the Beretta.
92 series may be the finest handgun made.
Another reason I like this site. I appreciate the opinions of everyone, on anything. I never considered a Beretta 92. Is it bigger than the px4 Storm? I liked the grip on that one.
Wish I could help but I never shot the storm, handled it at the LGS and grips on a 92 are bigger. I’m sure someone who knows will chime in, I say go with what’s comfortable. If your into all steel, a cz75 is worth a look also.
My BBQ gun is the CZ75B polished stainless. It’s also the best shooter for me. It and the Beretta 92 can share holsters.
I have both a Px4 Compact and a 96A-1, essentially the same as the 92 except for the caliber (.40). Both guns more or less weigh the same when fully loaded. I do like the grip and how the Px4 feels in hand though I don’t think I’d want to go the full size route on the Px4. My compact is my primary conceal carry gun. As someone mentioned below I’d also look into CZ and some of the off shoots. Every CZ I have handled fits like a glove. I feel I lucked out when I got my 96A-1 that it handles well too but there is something special about CZ. I wouldn’t trade my 96 for anything and as a full size side arm it does its job and does it well. Never had any failure to feed and fully reliable. The only issue I have with the 96 is the recoil rod/spring set up has a tendency to sometimes push out of place while reassembling after a field strip. Not sure if this is unique to the 96 or if it happens to the 92 series as well. I have a new guide rod to install and hope that will help, just haven’t done it yet.
My 96 was bought used and someone had already installed WC thin G10 grips on it. Compared to new/factory grips they do make a difference in handling, though I would’ve liked the Beretta logo and black grips. In firing the Px4 over the 96 I find the Px4 mitigates recoil better, likely due to the rotating barrel, the full size would probably be similar.
For a carry gun the only thing I am not liking on the Px4 are the decocker tabs/wings. You can get a set of slimmer ones but the factory ones can dig in a bit if you carry IWB. I personally don’t mind too much on the size as they give extra purchase to rack with if you use your index finger and thumb.
Go to a local gun store and handle some of the Berettas as well as a CZ and see what seems to fit you the best. Based on the chunkiness of my compact I’d assume the full size is at least as large as the 92. My compact seems to be thicker than my 96 and both bold 12+1 of .40 S&W. My Px4 was the first gun I ever bought new, everything else was inherited or bought used. I am not disappointed with it and love Beretta as a whole, but I still have my eyes on a couple of CZ models.
The 92 is also my first gun and bought it based on reviews and friends recommendations. Yes it is heavy but solid and feels great in the hand. A solid and well made gun that I keep going back to after a day of shooting Glocks, S&W’s
I’m going to resist the impulse of telling all you strangers what gun I bought first and elaborate on my other guns. But the author picked well choosing an M-9 as his first pistol. He could have chosen some pos striker fired polymer gun. Lmfao.
I had one for a few years and generally really like it, but… The grip is big (and awkward) even to my XXL glove sized hands. But then I’m a revolver guy, so maybe it’s not as bad vs. the competition as I’m thinking. And like most semi-auto pistols the grip is too vertical and this makes you tend to point low on presentation and lose the front sight. The DA/SA trigger on it is nowhere near as smooth and light as just about any revolver. Even the PX4 Storms are significantly better.
On the other hand, they look really cool (and don’t forget John McClane used one too), it’s bulletproof and it fires anything and everything without failures. Definitely might buy another someday, but if I do it will probably be the INOX because they’re even prettier and the Bruniton finish won’t wear off the sharp edges on the front of the slide.
I went with the Ruger P89DC & also have a P95DC also (plus enough other Rugers to sink a small boat). Like the Beretta, will run any type of ammo. Arnold used a P89 in the movie ‘True Lies’ & is the gun featured on the movie’s poster. Like the old guns and new ones both, does not hurt to have a variety.
Like you My first semi auto was a P89DC. Best hand gun I own and I own several. It may be a tank but it will run anything you throw at it and goes bang every time.
I’ve owned one P89 and two P95s. Great guns. It’s been a while on the P89, but the P95s are more recent. The grip is definitely slimmer on the P95 than the Beretta 92s, but I once put the 92 and 95 slides on my kitchen scale and even though the P95s barrels are a full inch shorter than the Beretta 92s, the slides weigh about an ounce and a half more. The result is that 92s point better, because all the weight is back in your palm. Not sure that amounts to much in the real world though. The biggest argument for the Beretta is that it’s prettier.
I never owned a Beretta, and have no real desire to own one in the future. I have no problems with folks that like them and own them, just not my cup of tea. You might understand better if I tell you my first handgun was a Ruger Single Six my mom bought for me as I wasn’t 21 yet. My second handgun was a Ruger Super Blackhawk. I wasn’t thinking anything about self defense. At the time, my little corner of the world was about as safe as anyone could imagine. I wanted handguns to hunt with and plink targets with. My third handgun was a Dan Wesson .357 magnum pistol pac. I was past 30 years of age before I got my first semi-auto centerfire handgun, a 1st generation Glock model 17 back when “17” was as high as model numbers went.
Beretta shotguns are lovely – very high quality, especially their O/U and SxS shotguns.
Some of their high end guns are very, very nice.
I believe that judging Beretta by the M8/92 isn’t fair. The M9 is… well, it is what it is. It’s a gun design by a committee to win a contract from the US government.
‘Some of their high end guns are very, very nice.’
Some of their high end guns will set you back 6 figures.
DG, I should have been clearer in that I never had a Beretta handgun. I inherited my dad’s 12 gauge Beretta over and under trap gun and it is indeed a fine firearm and beautifully made. I’ll never be worthy enough to shoot it well, but it sits in a place of pride in the gun room.
I’m not a big shotgun guy, but got a chance to run a few rounds threw a silver pigeon awhile back. Oh man! that thing was beautiful. Would need to refinance my house for one though, or sell a kidney.
Great pistol. Getting mine turned into a G and removing the right side safety lever.
It will then be mostly perfect for my home defense piece.
The story I was told was the US wanted Italy to buy f16’s and to show a little good faith they agreed to buy Berettas for our military. Don’t know if it’s true or not but it could be.
Makes a good story, I still don’t want the Beretta but would love to pick me up a little F-16!
My first handgun was a berreta m9 I was 19 at time and begged my granddad to get it for me. Spent my time off that summer cutting hay for it. I got it because if it was good enough for military I thought it must be the tits. 6 years later it’s my dads gun now and his favorite. I now have a large and still growing collection mostly kicked off by the m9 and a 10/22. Before those I just had shot single shot .22s. Deer rifles and shot skeet competitions. But they where so cheap to shoot. Got me more and more into it.
I have a surplus Italian police Beretta 92S. It’s a bit bulky, but it’s been reliable, fits my hand, and I have no complaints. It existed years before the army got the M9 version. How did the ‘committee’ make it worse?
Hatred aimed at the 92 is as ill-placed as hatred at any other well established pistol of history.
So many talk about this or that, but it’s all hyperbole. Bob Munden would wipe us all out with an “obsolete gun” firing “Obsolete Ammo”. If the gun is reasonably reliable (the 92 IS), reasonably accurate( the 92 IS), fires a reasonably powerful cartridge( the 92 DOES), has decent ergonomics ( the 92 DOES) then it is a reasonable choice for anyone to purchase, shoot and carry. Otherwise, all your opinions are only that; opinion. I own a Glock 19X. Shoots fine, in spite of its short but squishy trigger. I also own a PT111G2; shoots fine, in spite of its long, slightly less squishy than Glock trigger. I own a S&W model 10-6 which has the finest trigger I’ve ever had the pleasure of pressing; shoots great and it’s nickel plated! I also own a PT92FS; not even a real Beretta, but still a fine gun. Some minor differences (frame mounted safety/decocker vs slide mounted), but essentially the same pistol. Yes, it’s big; it’s a combat pistol (I have big hands, so it fits me fine). The trigger on my PT92 is long, but breaks very crisply and resets quite quickly. In spite of all the opinions to the contrary, I can dump a 21 round mag into a 6″ plate inside of 10 yards in just a few seconds, every time, all the time, standing, squatting, moving, strong hand, support hand, both hands, whatever, with my PT92. I’ve run all types of ammo, with all types of bullets with pricesely ZERO failures, and well over 2000 rounds. Apparently, I’m violating some sort of physical law by accomplishing this impossible feat. The internet has told me in no uncertain terms that this MUST be my imagination, because; 1. Taurus only makes junk, and 2. The 92 is also junk. All of the pistols I’ve listed have met all the parameters I’ve listed. In spite of the fact that Glock is apparently Perfection, I still prefer my 92 and shoot it much better. The ONLY reason I don’t carry it daily is the size. Stop the hatred. Stop the insults. IF a person says they carry a .22 pistol because it’s what they have, don’t rip them up, encourage them. Shot placement is ALL that matters, everything else is just so much noise.
Good on ya! I also have a PT92AFS. Shoots great but as noted very bulky for EDC. I have several other pistols from .22 to .45 and they are all solid and functional, each in their own way are excellent for a given purpose. Try concealing a 92 on a hot summer day?? Good luck! feel naked in shorts and a tee? Add a TINY .22 8 rnd hold-out. There are plenty of folks who can tell you exactly how hard a .22 can hit. What ever works best for YOU is what you should use, and there may be several good answers to the one basic question. What works?
While the 92 was not my first pistol, it was an early one. That 92 has had many, many, many rounds through it (and been serviced a few times to keep things trim). It is scuffed, dinged, weathered, and I still shoot it better than any of my other pistols (due to most time on the trigger). I’m training and trying to get better with a modern striker-fired gun, but still not close to my splits and accuracy with the old 92 (or 226, which is close behind the 92 in trigger time).
You might want to ask the FBI agents who survived that debacle down in Miami a few decades ago their opinion about the accurracy of the Ruger Mini-14. It is no tack driver but if you unfold the stock and use the front sight it can shoot more accurately than most shooters. Install an Ultimax optics rail and a decent reflex sight and the Ruger Mini-14 becomes quite accurrate. If you aren’t fortunate enough to own the A-Team special in stainless steel with factory folding stock, a Butler Creek stock works just fine.
Beretta to day is only making pure junk in every handgun they vomit out. Lets take a look at how Beretta JUNKIFIED the later model 92 pistols.
1ST JUNKIFIED MODIFICATION. They changed the locking block from a forging to a junk casting that went snap, crackle and pop. In other words the junk cast locking block had a high failure rate.
2nd JUNKIFIED MODIFICATION. The changed the safety to a junk piece of plastic
3rd JUNKIFIED MODIFICATION. They changed the trigger to a junk piece of plastic
4th JUNKIFIED MODIFICATION They changed the op-rod to a junk piece of plastic.
Beretta also had slide failures (the same as the Walther P38 had) as its slide and locking block are pure P38 desgined. Both guns crack the slides with high round counts or a steady diet of hot loads, Nato or hot Hand Loads or commercial plus “P” loads. Later in time after the U.S. pistol blow ups that exploded like grenades, Beretta made two half assed modifications. They put a bump in the slide area that would crack which was like putting a band aide on a wound received in a gladiatorial contest. They also put in a bigger diameter hammer pin to deflect the flying shrapnel when the slide explodes in your face. Neat-o-keen, I can hardly wait for mine to blow up. Seriously though in all honesty if you only shoot low power hand loads and standard velocity ammo due to today’s high cost of ammo your Beretta will probably never blow up but its worth watching the slide for cracks just to be on the safe side.
The Beretta is reliable and a very safe gun to handle for several reasons:
1. It has a pop up on top of the slide loaded cartridge indicator.
2. It can be loaded or unloaded or taken apart with the safety in the “ON” position
3. It can be taken apart without touching the trigger and the slide must be locked back. Compare this to the totally unsafe Glock and copy cat variations where you must pull the trigger with the slide forward (an accident just waiting to happen) and happen they do with regularity.
4. The Beretta is reasonable accurate considering the fact that the barrel is loose as a goose on the muzzle end. It amazes me how well the Beretta 92’s shoot even with this mechanical design which is generally not conductive to good accuracy. The P38 from which the Beretta was designed also had accuracy problems although they were usually worse.
4. The long sighting radius helps many people shoot the gun far more accurately than shorter barreled pistols but this does make for a huge pistol that is not the best for concealed carry although Beretta did make a shortened version for concealed carry which is now no longer made.
In conclusion I neither love nor hate the ORIGINAL Beretta 92. I have one of the older Italian made guns and one of the early, early U.S. Made guns. I would not buy a current model 92 if you paid me to take it as they are pure junk. Today’s made junkified model 92 Beretta pistols are good only for door stops, boat anchors or tomato stakes. I might add the rest of their currently made pistols are also pure junk and there are plenty of complaints against them by people who have bought and used them.
I call BS, my PX4 has been nothing but pure awesome.
M9 was my most recent handgun purchase, $510 brand new with three mags and a t-shirt, which I thought was a good deal for a classic design. Very accurate and 100% reliable with the 300 reloads I’ve put through it. Paul Harrell has an excellent video on youtube on how to master the funky double-action first shot.
My buddy’s first handgun bought 25+ years ago was the Taurus knockoff of the Beretta 92. He bought it new, and the hammer cracked before he got to 150 rounds. That was my first impression of Taurus.
My first handgun was/is a Taurus 99. Got it in ’87 when I moved to Fla. from New(can’t own a gun here) York. As far as I can tell, it’s a copy of the Beretta 92. Affordable and reliable.
Just got to stick my nose in about Taurus vs Beretta. The Taurus is more correctly thought of a s a “cousin” to the current Beretta, not a copy. Taurus bought a Beretta factory in Brazil and started producing their PT92 on the same machines with the same employees as Beretta had been. Then the designs diverged a little bit. Taurus had the “finger hook” trigger guard before Beretta. I think many people (who will give it a try) prefer the frame-mounted safety of the Taurus to the Beretta’s. I own an early PT92AF, a PT92 AFS, and a PT92 Compact. My guns have proven to be very reliable and accurate.
The Baretta 92FS was my first hand gun purchase and I still have it and still love shooting it. I love the slide mounted safety/decocker! I love that it is hammer fired! I love that the it is double action/single action! And I love shooting it.
Is it my concealed carry EDC? No. But, if the chips are down in WORL or SHTF scenario, who needs a small single stack concealed carry pistol? I want a solid, reliable, tactical side arm. The Baretta 92FS is that.
I’ve owned 2 Beretta 92FS pistols and a number of other 9mm handguns. I had to learn all about the different sidearms because my agency decided I needed to know how to work them all as a firearms instructor teaching for a local state university’s corrections officer course. A good, tuned up Beretta is a thing of beauty and ever so accurate.
When you go into a tactical situation you want to be ready anything. A good Beretta sidearm lets you have the confidence you need to feel as safe as possible if things go bad. I have never regretted owning or using either of my Beretta pistols. That extra wide ejection area means that if you shoot you’re less likely to have a stovepipe hang up in your chamber/slide area. I noticed that I had a lot less malfunctions with a properly stoned or polished Beretta than with any other pistol I have ever owned anywhere at all.
Every pistol has its pluses and minuses. While I have a number of other pistols I like for different purposes, a good Beretta is still at the top of being one of my all time favorite pistols.
Dunno makes me wonder like height & build of people. Because firearms are quite dependant being right size for the shooter. Beretta c92 was first handgun I ever shot.
I’m quite tall and have large hands find it perfect fit for me. Some guns are too small for my preferences.
Think Universal point is, there reliable and low recoil.
It it’s a good fit for your body it’s a great gun.
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