Shooters with smaller hands may find the slide mounted safety hard to reach while maintaining their shooting grip and other controls may require shifting to reach. The slide release lever is easily accessed with my strong hand thumb without changing my grip, as can the slide mounted safety lever. The new pistol, designated 92FS, became the standard configuration for this firearm, and the civilian variant of the modern M9. I know that is how I feel, but I didnt kid myself in my review and rated it average (3 stars) as I think it was the most accurate. Now, two of our closest friends in the action pistol competition world are Master-class 92 shooters but theyre almost freaks. But this gun isnt just a personal favorite its one of the most ubiquitous full-size self-defense handguns in the country. Designated M9 by the U.S. Armed Forces, known simply as the 92 around the globe, the NATO certified Beretta 92FS is one of the most iconic battle pistols in the world. Required fields are marked *. With a full-size Beretta 92 frame and a compact slide and barrel, the Centurion has often been considered analogous to the Colt Commander 1911. Customization: * * * Excellent review: very thorough and well written. I would go with what ever size and capacity magazine I could buy..especially in California. I taught for seven years with many hundreds of M9s. Well, of the Compact-sized handguns I own and have used, I feel it is one of the better ones. I own several pistols including a Glock 17 and Kimber 1911, and the Beretta is most accurate of all. When the lever was moved into the safe position, the hammer failed to drop. text-decoration: none; 1 is the FC-M. 8 +1. The safety may be quickly manipulated to the OFF position with a strong forward thumb action. First, the barrel is 4.25 inches long, or about .75 inch shorter than the one on the full-size 92. LRN over Bullseye reloads. A popular modification made by 92 series owners (and also found in some factory models) is to replace the standard hammer spring used in F and G models with the lighter D spring in order to slightly reduce the weight of the double action trigger pull. Here in the States Beretta is probably best known for their handguns. I would consider that rather reliable. This allows for extreme reliability with regard to feeding various ammunition types. 13 years ago. http://www.beretta.com/en-us/92-g/. The L version has the same shortened slide & barrel as the M but has a 13 round capacity. Fit and finish on the external and internal surfaces of the pistol are excellent. It is definitely on par with these top-shelf 9mm handguns and we would go on to recommend it as your home defense gun, as well. Your email address will not be published. I would give my compact Beretta TWO stars out of five. Taurus (!) Is there a laser made for the compact L w/o a rail? Once the double-action trigger is pressed, the pistol fires and the slide cocks the hammer for single-action fire. Beretta 92FS vs Glock G19 size comparison | Handgun Hero Beretta 92FS vs Glock G19 Beretta 92FS DA/SA Full-Sized Pistol Chambered in 9mm Luger Check Price vs Glock G19 Striker-Fired Compact Pistol Chambered in 9mm Luger Check Price Dimensions Details Capacity Dimensions Customary Metric Want to sell a firearm? It never did shoot extremely accurate, maybe accurate enough for a body shot at 25 yards and this was when my eyesight was perfect and my physique was in top condition. Good review but all your star ratings are too generous. For the first half of this year, Wilson Combat offered the Beretta 92G Compact Carry with a target crown barrel and Wilson Combat grips and rear sight. The 4.25-inch barrel of the 92 Compacts is closer to the length of most full-size pistols than it is to other popular mid-size compacts like the Glock 19 and Sig P229. I could not justify 5 stars for reliability based on the experience the author had. Im curious as to where we are in the reader review contest. Beretta 92Fs 9Mm 4.9 Barrel 15-Rounds 3-Dot Sights grabagun.com 684.99 View Deal Beretta 92X Compact For Sale Beretta 92X Gr Compact 9Mm Luger 4.25In Bruniton. At $650 new from Buds Gun Shop, I have a hard time coming up with a reason to spend an extra $100-150 versus the CZ P01, GLOCK 19, or other similarly sized handguns available on the market. In our see you in court society the quick proverbial double tap has caused more police shooting problems than anything previous. But I concur. My only beef is that it is a little pudgy for an IWB carry gun. The butt of the 92 Compacts is roughly the same length as other compact models, but the ammo capacity is only 13 rounds of 9mm, compared to the 15 rounds youll usually get from other guns. That said, the accessory rail, replaceable front sight, and flared magazinewere welcome changes that have been utilized in many other models. The Elite IA was similarbut utilized the Vertecsstraight backstrap grip design and railed frame. The magazine release is large and easy to activate, but not so large as to have the shooter accidently press it under recoil. Few things are more classy than a fine Italian handgun (even if they made this son in the US). display: none !important; Its my old eyes not the gun.you see. The only problem is finding magazines is virtually impossible through Beretta or aftermarket; fortunately, I bought extra magazines when they were still available. I recommend on-safe carry as long as the user practices manipulation of the safety extensively. The open-top slide is a distinctive Beretta trademark. As an example, the Beretta may be maintained in the same condition of readiness both on the belt and beside the bed: safety on or safety off, your choice. When it comes to our more-advanced holster class, we have big trouble getting people to render the gun in safe carry condition prior to holstering. We do holster-oriented action shooting class and get to see a lot of stuff. Keep in mind that unlike larger calibers, there is a significant deviation between the wound potential of 9mm loadings. Flipping a poorly-located lever with the pivot point in the wrong place, upwards against the natural operation of the hand during a draw and gripping, is just ergonomically wrong. So.I bought it and was considering selling or giving my trusty Smith snub nose to my son. I trained to carry the m9 with the safety off and to use it as a decocker, and in that context, keeping the safety out of the way makes perfect sense. Sold it last year (and still maybe, kinda sorta regret it). Overall: * * * * It is long thanks to that extra 0.3 of barrel, but has a rather short grip which I have found to be a more important factor when trying to conceal a handgun. The competition-oriented 92G Elite combined the Brigadier slide with replaceable front sights, 4.7-inch barrel, and beveled magazine well. An important advantage of the safety, is that if someone manages to gain control of your pistol, they may not realize how the safety functions and may not be able to quickly manipulate the safety. In the meantime, some Beretta owners may be tempted to create their own Centurion by mating their 92 Compact slide to a full size 92 frame, but Beretta does not recommend it. I was able to have one made through Armiger Solutions that was compatible with the Bladetech hardware I already used. It also channels material flow for positive expansion. Ive shot two different iterations of them and hate they way they handle and shoot. The frame is shortened, resulting in cutting magazine capacity from 15 to 13 rounds. One of the benefits of the 92s design is the direct feed arrangement between the barrel and the magazine. Eventually, the 92SB Compact L was replaced by a compact version of the 92F and then the 92FS in 1990. This handgun did so without issue for over 1000 rounds with various ammunition. We decline to call that lever on the slide a safety and maybe its just us, but its a decocker with a very poor safety setting that we dont have anyone use. So now I have to buy the Landon Trigger In a Bag, which is $265. Ergonomics: * * * * Worst design ever. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. The 92A1 has a replaceable front sight along with some internal slide design changes that were originally used on the 90Two, an odd 92 variant with a drastically restyled external appearance. } Long live the wheel guns..they are still the most dependable of all hand weapons. It is a personal choice whether you wish to carry the pistol on safe. During one of my few first range sessions with the Compact L, I discovered that the safety/decocker ceased to function. ._ta-formTitle{ Why? Never had any jams or misfires. Action: DA/SA, falling lock, short recoil Follow Lucky Gunner Lounge from your Inbox! Broken parts after a few hundred rounds disqualifies a 5 star reliability rating. I installed a 17# mainspring on mine, I think most people drop to 16#. The Compact L will accept any 92FS magazine, so increased capacity is available if so desired. It's not a cheap gun. As a broke graduate school student, I needed the funds to buy a gun I could actually carry, and the 92 compact was not it. In 2011, Beretta introduced the latest compact model based on the M9A1, featuring an accessory rail and aggressive grip texture. Please be respectful of others. Find out what makes it ideal for law-enforcement, concealed carry and home defense here! In the early 2000s, as Beretta struggled to compete with other manufacturers in the crowded law enforcement market, one of their major efforts was the 92 Vertec. My inspection of the part leads me to believe it was not properly heat treated, which would indicate that this is simply a bad part that slipped through their production line. While I am a huge fan of the Beretta 92 and 96 series pistols, once one moves into the compact serits of handguns, I would prefer my 225 over almost every pistol on the market I have held. Of all of the Beretta handguns that have crossed my path, from the Beretta 1934 to the latest Inox, this particular pistol impresses the most and is well worth its price. Bottom line: If I had to keep one and lose the other, I'm keeping the 92FS full size hands down. 4 out of 5 people found the following review helpful, Beretta USA | Site designed and developed by Americaneagle.com Entire books have been written about the 92, and its been the topic of much debate in the shooting world. As stated by the author the build quality is excellent. Consistency is a good thing when shooting, so different triggers pull for first and second shots is not helpful. The catastrophic failures relate to constant use by different Troops as they are relocated from base to base and the firearm remains in the armory to be assigned to another Troop. Also one of the benefits mentioned in the article is the double action first shot, which most of us found terrible. But if this new compact can ameliorate that issue we will definitely be looking into it. If I was buying a new Beretta, the 92X or Elite LTT would be the only options I would consider. I have carried and used both the Taurus PT-92 and the Beretta 92FS and I actually prefer the Taurus, as it has the option to be carried Cocked & Locked ala the M1911 no DA/SA if you dont want to. I still own it, for the money I paid and it wasnt spare change I thought maybe Ill have the trigger worked on; and it was made in Italy and represents a shining light in my collection. Looking forward to shooting this new Beretta. Without exception. Sorry but I feel for you folks out thereI just bought a full size FS magazine for my compact and it locks in and feeds fine, sticks out at the bottom but who cares. The French national police, orGendarmerie, requested a version of the 92FS with no manual safety. I also bought a couple more 13s and a ten. Speed will come with practice and smoothness. Fabbrica dArmi Pietro Beretta, founded in 1526, is the oldest firearms manufacturer still producing today. Alternatively, if you have large enough hands, you can disable the safety whenever you like after you draw the pistol. Not a single successful cycle of operations in 100 rounds. Your discussions, feedback and comments are welcome here as long as they are relevant and insightful. Next, was drawing and firing the first-shot double-action and continuing to address targets with the single-action trigger press. The Beretta going against convention is like the old Buick automatic transmission quadrant going PNDLR or whatever it was: confusion could get you killed. You have entered an incorrect email address! Home Firearms Handguns Review: Beretta 92 Compact Pistol. The reset is short, audible, and tactile, allowing for a quick follow up SA shot. If anyone who might have a solution to my issues, your advice would be greatly appreciated and i thank you in advance. Quick Cash Offer Get Offer We make you an quick cash offer online We find the dealer that offers you the most money Get cash for your gun or do a trade in Side-by-Side Comparison Charts I am going to change the red sight markings to white though. Recoil control in a 9mm caliber handgun this size presents little difficulty and while rapidly addressing multiple targets, the pistol and the shooter produced good results. I shot a compact and for me the double action trigger just isnt as good [to me] as my single action Browning, and the Beretta is thicker too, which is also a negative for me. We have a fair amount of experience with the 92 platform in the course of our instruction business and Im going to have to go against the flow on at least a few things based on our experience on the range. Have you checked with Budsgunshop.com or greg cote? As well as the Vertec model with straight dustcovers and rails. Using an overhand grip with my thumb under the safety and pointing rearward, I am able to ensure that the safety remains in the fire position. When examining this Italian-made pistol, the fit, finish and smoothness of operation seemed above average, but that isnt the only noticeable mark of superior manufacture. You cant easily see it, and you have to memorize which way is safe vs fire. . I have always loved the iconic body the Beretta has and I love the way this gun fires, i just want it to cycle reliably. Compact!? I carried several firearms and ended up settling on the GP100. Ive since stopped buying guns based on their top-billing in movies. The pistol is a double-action first-shot type. The rest of the mortals simply go badly with that unreasonably long trigger. I dinged it on durability for the broken part. For a very brief period in the early 2000s, Beretta produced limited-run special edition compact models called the Custom Carry (a 92 FS Compact L with a single-sided safety lever) and the Custom Carry II (a 92FS Type M Inox with asingle-sided safety lever and Novak rear sight). The geometry of the grip angle results in an S-curve that seems to give better purchase than the full-size service pistol grip. While there is nothing wrong with the earlier Winchester products, the new loads offer excellent potential. Were proud to say we got one medical person needing to qualify before being sent to the active zone during the early years of the second Iraq war- she couldnt hit the paper with the thing before my partner had her cutting center hits. This slide is reinforced at the locking lugs for greater durability, creating a trademark hump in the slides contour when viewed from the side. Research indicates that there are fewer accidental discharges with the Beretta 92 than practically any other service pistol. Theyre pretty worn out. Excellent write up, but Ill stick to the p6 and p01. The Beretta uses the oscillating-wedge lockup pioneered by the Mauser C96 pistol. if you look at the shape of the safety, it actually takes real effort to accidentally disengage it by accident. I have the elite, centurion, and fs. I would consider the failures to be anecdotal, not the expectation. During the course of our series on double action semi-autos, I mentioned a couple of times that Im a fan of the Beretta 92 pistols, and its one of the guns Ive been spending a lot of time with at the range this year. The 92FS is a proven design that has been in service for decades in the U.S. Armed Forces as well as countless other military and police forces worldwide. Ive been carrying a Browning Hi Power MK-III as my CCW IWB, but I looked at this Beretta Compact to see if I might like it. At 6am, if you leave your hotel by a pre-booked cab, you should get to the airport before 6:30am and should be good, as Erik said earlier, 2-hours before the flight, having online checked-in and to do baggage drop plus little formalities. I would say that since the pistol served its primary function without failure, it can be relied on to do so in the future. Well..I took it out and ran 300, not 400 as planned, rounds through it. text-align: center; I did put a lighter spring in to make the trigger pull like a hot knife through butter, but so far, thats the only thing I changed. The Beretta 92 FS Inox is the stainless version of the 92FS (or M9) military/tactical pistol. border: none; In fact, since the turn of the century, most new editions of the 92 series have essentially mixed and matched various features originally found on the Vertec and Brigadier. The Commander size .45, GLOCK 19 9mm and SIG P229 are examples. Chris: the Beretta contract was awarded in the mid 80s. It includes a railed frame but, unlike the M9A1, uses the standard grip serrations of the original 92FS. Even Sig 226s (we see a lot of those, too) are markedly better. However, in recent years, Beretta has made a return to serving some of the more niche interests among 92 fans, and I wouldnt be surprised to see a Centurion variant offered again at some point in the near future. Lets Try This Again Its so light. I dont think you could come up with a more reliable semi-auto when it comes to feeding and extracting. Its kind of funny actually. Now I am thinking that I may just keep my revolver and enjoy this fine looking Baretta on the range and in the back property. text-transform: uppercase; I purchased my Beretta 92FC in the early 80s. I did a quick clean on it went to the range and broke it in with 300 rounds of Blazer Brass FMJ and finshed up with 50 rounds of Federal Premium Tactical HST hollow points. Ive never had a single reliability issue with any of them. There are pluses: the feeding is indeed reliable. I have searched over 60 websites looking for additional Magazines. Still, the problem I had must be reflected, and I docked the pistol one and a half stars. so get this amazing Feel The Beat Hoodie Moreover, it has a hoodie-style collar with a pullover front closure and rib knitted cuffs to hold your wrist. As against, Beretta M9 has a single dot front sight and the rear has a half-circle in the center. There are special models, including stainless-steel versions and the Inox line. Gee if my lowly Taurus broke that quickly I would catch all kinds of hell for giving it 5 starsother than that it was a very good review. If a piece on a gun breaks, particularly part of the safety mechanism, from nothing more than everyday use and shooting it needs to have a one star rating IMO, regardless of if the gun technically could have fired. Its perfect, for me, size and shape fits me like no other. Around the same period, the US military requested some changes to the original M9 design. It really is just very easy to shoot well. The Beretta 92 series has been in continuous production in one form or another since 1976, but its popularity in the US really began in 1985 when the 92F was officially adopted by our armed forces as the M9. One of the big drawbacks is the price. DA isnt as smooth as my GP100 but itll get the job done at short range and my philosophy is that DA is for cant miss territory (<10 yards) and if you need an accurate shot at longer ranges you should take the 1/4 second and cock the hammer manually. Beretta has been making firearms for about 500 years, with a founding date of 1526. The direct feed alignment of the magazine and bore, open top slide, and well designed extractor ensure reliable function with a wide variety of ammunition types. 1. Both have canals and are beautiful, so if you like to stop over for a night and see Bruges I'd say do it, you wont regret it if you have never been before; it is beautiful and very romantic. There is a short take up on the single action, due to the need to lift the firing pin block out of the way, followed by a hard stop and a light crisp break. A friend had his Beretta so I borrowed his. Just picked up my 92fs compact L stainless. Beretta 92FS DA/SA Full-Sized Pistol Chambered in 9mm Luger Check Price vs Beretta 92X Centurion DA/SA Full-Sized Pistol Chambered in 9mm Luger Check Price Dimensions Details Capacity Dimensions Customary Metric Want to sell a firearm? I felt, after ample research, this gun was the one I should have. Despite this, however, Ive found that there are a lot of misconceptions about the Beretta 92 that seem to pop up again and again. At 13 rounds it holds the fewest of the pistols above, save the single column P225, despite its large grip diameter. Choose a carry load that exhibits a good balance of expansion and penetration. vs Beretta 92 FS Compact DA/SA Compact Pistol Chambered in 9mm Luger Check Price Dimensions Details Capacity Dimensions Customary Metric Want to sell a firearm? With outstanding accuracy and unparalleled reliability, the time tested and battle proven 92FS is THE World Defender. Low-profile decockers only (like Wilsons) and no safety DAO (slick slide). There is a lot of internet griping about the slide mounted safety/decocker, especially with respect to inadvertently activating it while manipulating the pistol to clear a malfunction or something similar, but I will address that in the shooting section later in the review. We reserve the right to edit as appropriate, delete profane, harassing, abusive and spam comments or posts, and block repeat offenders. The giant grip softens the felt recoil such that recoil-sensitive women often like the actual shooting of this large-for-caliber gun. There are a few quirks and things to consider though. I would like somebody to explain to me how a slide mounted control can ever be better than frame mounted. I havent concealed carry with it yet, but I am experiencing trouble with the feed and ejection, a couple things I am keeping in mind are 1) the gun was never fired prior to my ownership. hhhmmmm, a full-sized compact ? Napoleon went to war with Beretta muskets among others, and the Beretta-made Garands are of excellent quality. The ergos are just wrong for smaller and medium people as long as you include the DA trigger pull. These are the ones that came with my 92 when I lived in Seattle. The finish has proven to be at least as durable as those on other pistols. No idea when, or if itll be production or short run, though. One final size variant of the 92 thats often overlooked is the now-discontinued Centurion. I have to second the comments about feed reliability. The barrel crown was particularly well done with a true 45-degree cut in the crown. The slide recoils and cocks the hammer for subsequent single-action shots. height: 53px; Sold it and bought 92fs. I upgraded my Browning with a 18.5# recoil spring, added a shock buffer, and it fires 147 gr +P Federal HST tactical rounds [1100/380] like butter, so Im staying with my Browning Hi Power; its great. padding-left: 20px; Revolver .357 Magnum With Optic, Maverick 88 Home Defense Shotgun Cheap but Reliable, Throwback Thursday: The Rise and Fall of the .25 ACP, Henry Homesteader 9mm Carbine Classic Look, Modern Performance, Throwback Thursday: All About Bullet Grain, 10 Best AR-15 Alternatives (5.56 NATO Semi-Auto Rifles). This is because the safety, when in the safe position, disconnects the DA mechanism. But yes, the $10 part can be easily replaced at home. I tried a couple of smaller pistols as well, but once I figured out I could carry a full sized firearm concealed with little consternation they seemed a little silly. I liked the Beretta okay, but it was just too big and heavy for what it was. Despite the hammer release hiccup, this 92FS Compact L is quickly becoming one of my favorite handguns. Drawing from a holster, it is easy to have your thumb disable the safety while you obtain your grip, from which point you rely on keeping your finger off the trigger and the long DA pull to prevent discharge of the pistol until your sights are aligned and you are ready to shoot. Shooting The Thing This is more than accurate enough for any foreseeable chore. I have, for years, carried a small revolver. I also fired a few of Winchesters newest personal-defense loading. There were a few available for the pistol without the light, so if that is not a concern then you have some options. It does not, however, disable the sear so the SA pull still works. In 1993, Beretta introduced the Brigadier style slide for the 92 series. Fortunately after some crawling around I was able to find the missing portion of the hammer release on the floor. Introducing a new member of the 92 family, Taking some of the best features of the 92/M9 family. During the 1990s and early 2000s, Berettarolled out dozens of limited-production variants of the 92FS with interesting features that would eventually find their way into major updates of the design. It has been unfailingly reliable. The pistol exhibited excellent reliability for 300-400 rounds. Ended up trading it for a NIB Shield + 2 extra mags at a local gun shop. Overview of Beretta 92FS. This disparity in size and ammo capacity has prevented the 92 Compact from being a popular option among todays concealed carry pistols, but fans of the full size 92 often find that the Compact L offers just enough reduction in size to make the 92 manageable for concealed carry while still retaining most of the larger guns shootability. Disassembly is achieved by locking the slide to the rear with the magazine removed and the safety disabled, then rotating the disassembly lever down. Over the years, the only malfunction I can think of was a one stove pipe of a case when using my Beretta Compact Type M; I have never had any other malfunction. Fortunately the sights are rather usable; the large dots make them easy to locate and the sharp flat top allows for good alignment. Tab will move on to the next part of the site rather than go through menu items. The safety is positive, as with any Beretta combination decocker/safety. I loved the comparison photos to other pistols: they really tell the story. Style: * * * * * I love my 92FS, and a Compact L might just be compact enough for me. A guy at work had the same failure with his. While the Vertec grip design has some fans, its never been the most popular modification to the 92 series. That changed my opinion. The complaints from those who felt they had reliability issues back in the day in the military are largely because of poor magazine selection by the DoD. max-width: 225px; The original Model 92 was a single action pistol with a manual safety and the magazine release button located toward the heel of the grip. 92FS was one of the best designed and functional weapons chosen for us to carry. ._ta-basicForm .submitted-message{ But either way I wouldnt waste too much time with malfunction drills. Discover now the best deals and amazing prices. Would you recommend this product to a friend? The pistol in military parlance the M9 has proven reliable, accurate and easy to use well. Even after 40 years of evolution and innovation, its clear that we havent seen the last changes to the 92 series, and we probably wont formany years to come. Which is not something easily fixed without time and tools. As stated in the review, what if that had gone somewhere where it had impeded the function of the firearm? And thats about where it ends for me. Since the hammer release broke, one could reasonably argue that the pistol is not durable. First unveiled at SHOT Show in 2015, the M9A3 has a replaceable front sight, railed frame, and a Vertec style backstrap combined with aggressive grip texture. Additionally, since we are not idiots, we also know that this is not a terribly common problem with these pistols and the Beretta is a well respected manufacturer of quality arms. Beretta had posted on their Facebook page a couple days ago that they are indeed bringing back the Vertec (The pic was of a/the railed version). Just my humble opinion though. I have the full-sized 92FS and love it. One of the very first variants of the 92 series ever offered was the 92SB Compact L, which came along in the very early 1980s.