The Beretta 92 9mm

The Milt Sparks Summer Special

A well worn Beretta Brigadier

Beretta Getting a set of WC Wolff gunsprings

A Hard Look at the Beretta 92

Not long ago I decide that if I were not mesmerized by the 1911 I might find an interesting pistol or two among modern handguns. I still carry the 1911 on my own time but I have collected a representative sample of double action and double action only handguns to serve during training classes. After all if a student is using the Beretta 92 on duty then I should probably own one of my own. I have owned several Beretta pistols over the years, from the original Model 92 with slide lock safety to the Beretta Elite II. I have reached definite conclusions concerning the pistol. The Beretta has served but whether it has served well is a matter of opinion. The pistol has proven reliable enough. I have never experienced a malfunction with any of my personal Beretta pistols. I probably have less than ten thousand rounds in the Beretta personally but I have seen many thousands of rounds expended by agencies issuing the Beretta. After the US Military adoption of the pistol in the early 1980s the Beretta was quite popular as a police purchase. My main problem with the pistol is the caliber, but when agencies were purchasing the Glock SIG Smith and Wesson or Beretta, all in 9mm, the features of the

individual pistol would prove more important than the caliber as everyone was using the 9mm. The 9mm Beretta proved as reliable in service as any pistol and more so than most. The original double action configuration with hammer dropping safety is the pistol I have the most experience with. The pistol has a long trigger press that some shooters manage other than others. The thick butt is typical of the 9mm 'wondernine' pistols but a bit thicker than some. Managing the long trigger action in order to achieve an accurate first shot hit is something many officers have difficulty with. There are techniques that make using the Beretta well possible but they are time consuming to apply. Bean counters resent training time and usually approve a training budget grudgingly.

The master technique for handling double action pistols is to begin the trigger press as the pistol comes toward the target and then break the shot just as the front sight lands on the target. Considering that the felon may already be held at gunpoint when we fire the pull through technique is the most applicable to police action, with the Mater Technique actually better suited to military operations. After the first shot the Beretta reverts to single action fire. The single action press is often good. The single action press is controllable. There was some controversy as to how to carry the pistol, particularly after a number of officers fumbled the safety during critical incidents. I am not aware of any who were injured as a result but the events definitely occurred. Many of us believe that an automatic pistol without a safety abrogates the advantages of the type. The Beretta has several safety features, including a loaded chambered indicator offering both tactile and visual inspection and a firing pin block as well as the hammer dropping manual safety. The manual safety is small and difficult to manipulate quickly. If the pistol is carried on safe, the safety really needs to be taken off safe on the draw rather than after the pistol is drawn. A rapid upstroke with the thumb may work well but actuating the Beretta safety quickly is not something learned quickly and without effort. As a result many agencies specified the pistol be carried off safe. Interestingly the Beretta 92 is largely based upon the Walther P 38 but the Walther featured a longer safety that is quicker in operation. Agencies eventually ordered the pistol with a safety lever that served as a decocker only. Training was simplified. Another advantage of the Beretta is the pistol's safety record. True safety is between the ears but some handguns seem to be more prone to accidental discharge. In my experience the Beretta almost never is implicated in an accidental discharge.

Many agencies have now gone to double action only or safe action pistols. But they may have lost another advantage if they abandon the Beretta. The pistol is very accurate. It is among the most accurate of service handguns in my experience. While the SIG P 226 may shade the Beretta slightly the Beretta is a very accurate pistol. I have in my files an incident in which an Air Force military policeman fired at a gun wielding threat at a long eight yards and connected, neutralizing the threat. The pistol was a stock Beretta M 9 with ball ammunition. The Beretta exhibits low muzzle flip, an aid in long range fire. The pistols longer barrel also generates more velocity than the SIG P 226 or the Smith and Wesson 5906.

Reliability is one thing, longevity another. The pistol features practically in line feed that thrust any type of wide mouth hollow point into the chamber with equal disdain for geometry. Cycle reliability is quite good. The pistol will fire full power loads of 90 to 147 grains with equal reliability. At one time the locking wedges used to lock the Beretta were subject to early wear but these wedges were subtly changed to a more rounded profile and the problem was fixed. These locking wedges were first used in the Mauser 1896, our first successful semi automatic pistol, and have stood the test of time. So the Beretta is a pistol with advantages and disadvantages. If your hands are large enough to properly grasp the pistol and you have learned to use the action, it will served you well. The pistol is reliable. Many of us like steel and the pistol is well made of good materials. There is a sufficient reserve of ammunition, the pistol has light recoil and low muzzle flip and can be quite accurate. My main complaint is the caliber. The 9mm Luger caliber is inadequate for personal defense and military use in my opinion and no weapons system can change that. The Beretta has served for twenty years or more and certainly has a place in history but it is time to move on to a more effective caliber or rather back to a more effective caliber. Civilians have broader choices in ammunition and may find that the 9mm Luger +P loads with quality expanding ammunition is a good choice. If you cannot train often with the .45 ACP then the 9mm is a wiser choice. Not the ideal choice but few things in this world are ideal. The 9mm Luger just may get the job done if the man or woman behind the sights is skilled and determined. The pistol is of good quality and will not let you down if you do your part.

Postscript

When converting the pistol to use +P+ loads I often install WC Wolff premium springs, including both recoil springs and magazine springs. I install a heavy firing pin spring as well. This done the Beretta will stand the momentum of heavy loads. Standout loads include the Black Hills 115 grain +P which exits the Beretta at 1350 fps and the 124 grain JHP that breaks about 1200 fps. Another good load is the Speer Gold Dot 124 grain +P at about 1240 fps. These loads will do the business if the shooter puts the bullet in the right place. Another addition that I have found effective is the Sprinco full length steel recoil rod with heavy spring. This addition is often used with the Colt 1911 but the company also makes a unit for the Beretta 92. The Beretta already exhibits moderate recoil and muzzle flip but this unit really helps when using full power loads. That is the great advantage of the Beretta. It is easy on the hand with light recoil and the piece is accurate.

25 yard bench rest accuracy. Five shot groups with the Beretta 92 Centurion.

Load 25 yard group

Black Hills 115 grain FMJ 1145 fps 3.0 inches

Black Hills 115 grain +P 1340 fps 2.25 inches

Black Hills 124 grain JHP 1190 fps 2.0 inches

Federal 115 grain JHP 1156 fps 2.15 inches

Speer 124 grain Gold Dot 1119 fps 1.9 inches