92fs

[Guest Nikator]

I have been looking for one for a while and came across what I think is a decent deal from a dealer.

Anything to avoid with these guns that you guys know of? I'm going back for a closer inspection / purchase tomorrow. I'm not sure how old this one is, but I'm guessing the serial number can be used to ID it.

[runco]

I have read many many forums, but I have not came across the "what to look for " for Berettas. Funny that you posted this, I shot my 92FS today, first time in probably 10+ years. Ran a box of 50 through it, still pretty sweet, and actually pretty darn accuate. I have been shooting Sigs and Glocks for quite a spell. Recoil to recoil, my 92FS and my Sig P226 are identicle, but my P226. vs. Glock 17, measurable difference. My 92FS was my first ever handgun purchase when I turned 21 back in 1989. Still my safe queen though. Always will be.

[Jonnin]

Newer ones seem to have a thinner grip. Mine is old and has 2 dot sights which are awful IMHO. They run great and are accurate, rugged, heavy guns. All steel is hard to beat. Only things to look at are the usual on any gun... no rifleing/ultra worn out or shot to death, no finish, rust, neglect or wear. Know the price for what you are getting.

[Oh Shoot]

... All steel is hard to beat....

92FS has aluminum frame.

- OS

[quietguy]

92FS has aluminum frame.

- OS

Technically an alloy, but close enough.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Some have said the locking block is the most likely thing to break or wear out over time. If you take it apart, that is the funky little swiveling piece of metal hanging off the bottom of the barrel, with "ears" on both sides. I never had any locking block trouble knock on wood. On well worn guns they can be loose and accidentally drop off the barrel if you don't want them to (when disassembled), and new they are so tight it can take some work removing the locking block from the barrel.

Well also some have said the recoil spring can get old over a long enough time too. I bought a new recoil spring for one of my 92FS out of superstition because it had some thousands of rounds thru it, but the old spring was working fine as far as I could tell.

Bought a worn-out crummy-looking 92, police trade-in with hardly any blue left, about Y2K and it worked great. Then bought a new one about the same year and it worked great. And bought another new one last year and it works great. Am beginning to notice a pattern.

The one in the middle, new about Y2K, needed a few hundred rounds break-in before it got accurate or maybe it was imagination. The old used worn-out 92FS shot plenty accurate and the latest one didn't seem to need any break-in. Either that or the new one is gonna be fabulously accurate after about 1000 rounds.

Edited April 24, 2012 by Lester Weevils

[McAllyn]

The locking block is historically the weak link in the chain. Haven't actually seen one go bad, or even know of anyone who's first hand had one go bad, but I used to spend quite a bit of time on the Beretta forums and found that it was indeed possible to crack one or wear one out. Other than that, get some Wolff springs and go all Riggs-and-McClaine! Fantastic weapons.

Mac

[Will H]

The locking block is supposed to be replaced after 20,000 rounds as a matter of routine maintenance.

Being a Beretta fan for many years here are The biggest things I would look for in no particular order:

Three dots sites (a two dot site is a military M9). Most seem to find the two dot site quicker, but the three easier for accuracy.

Mechanical function is ok.

Extractor damage

I have seen some develop a "cut" on the bottom side of the left front rail of the frame. Left front defined as holding the frame with the hammer toward you. The guns I have seen with the cut did not fail, and never seemed to get worse, it's just something I have noticed on a few of them.

Indications of "Bubba" gunsmithing, ie. stripped screw heads, etc.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Haven't deeply studied 92FS lore, so a dumb question. Long ago read somebody saying that a 92FS barrel is good for about 20,000 rounds. Not that it would get unsafe, but just inaccurate or whatever. If that is the case, would the barrel be replaced along with the locking block? Or can one expect a 92FS barrel to go a lot longer than 20,000 rounds?

Edited April 26, 2012 by Lester Weevils

[Will H]

The locking block is 20,000 and the barrel is 30,000 according to their website.

[quietguy]

Haven't deeply studied 92FS lore, so a dumb question. Long ago read somebody saying that a 92FS barrel is good for about 20,000 rounds. Not that it would get unsafe, but just inaccurate or whatever. If that is the case, would the barrel be replaced along with the locking block? Or can one expect a 92FS barrel to go a lot longer than 20,000 rounds?

Seems like I have heard that before, but I have one that is probably nearing a 35k round count that is still going strong and accurate. I have changed the locking block twice, and I think the recoil springs have been replaced three times.

If you were using NATO spec ammo, it might accelerate the wear. This is just a guess, but only about 5k of the rounds through mine were NATO spec or +P.

[JKGlock17]

Good guns do what ya need em too IMO

[Will H]

If you were using NATO spec ammo, it might accelerate the wear. This is just a guess, but only about 5k of the rounds through mine were NATO spec or +P.

Agreed. Most of their long term usage data seems to cite military reports, and there is a good difference between mil spec ammo and regular 115 grain target stuff. Personally I would change the locking block at 20,000 and only change the barrel when and if accuracy becomes diminished.

[gjohnsoniv]

The only problem I have ever heard from a 92 is from a police friend of mine who was shooting with a friend. For some reason the slide flew off and "filleted" the shooter's hand. If I remember correctly though, that was due to some damage on the slide that had been improperly fixed, I'll have to ask him.

[Oh Shoot]

The only problem I have ever heard from a 92 is from a police friend of mine who was shooting with a friend. For some reason the slide flew off and "filleted" the shooter's hand. If I remember correctly though, that was due to some damage on the slide that had been improperly fixed, I'll have to ask him.

3 or so slides total came off guns during extensive testing by the US military. There was a modification made when 92FS came out to prevent this, so if that's an accurate story, it was almost certainly a pre 92FS model, like the F, SB, or S.

- OS

[gjohnsoniv]

I'll ask him and see what he says about the model. This was a couple years ago so I don't see that as being any stretch to have been dealing with an early model.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I was a sysop on a compuserve forum in the previous century, before the internet, when compuserve was a force to be reckoned with and AOL was the new kid on the block. Anyway, they had an excellent firearms forum for many years but I think CIS eventually got so politically correct they couldn't tolerate it any more.

Anyway, there was a regular on the CIS firearms forum who posted one day that he had a bad weekend because he had taken his boss out shooting and the slide came off his beretta 92 and plonked his boss in the middle of the forehead. Same deal as with the few military testing reports.

Maybe the guy was lying, but if not am gonna assume it was a "pre-FS" model. I've looked at the little gizmo they added to the FS to keep a cracked slide from banging you in the forehead but don't quite understand how it would operate. Ain't real worried about that, but I don't think I would buy an old 92F (no FS) just out of raw superstition.

[Ratfink]

when i was enlisted i dont think we ever replased the locking block or the barrels but they always worked

[luvmyberetta]

I'm a huge Beretta fan and with ten's of thousands of rounds through mine without a single failure, I have 100% confidence in them.

To find a date of manufacture look and see if it was made in the US or Italy. If it was made in Italy it will have a two letter date code stamped on the right side of the trigger guard. The US models don't have this. If it was made in the US, you can contact Beretta to find the date. If the serial starts with "BER", Beretta's site has a link to give the actual manufacture date.

The stories of the failed 92's happened in the early 80's & occurred during military testing. Beretta had started a contract with another company to make the steel for the slides and the first batch were not hardened properly and they did have a few failures during military testing. I think Beretta reported the first batch was only around 10 slides. That problem (which really wasn't a problem) was fixed in 1987 when Beretta added an extra safety feature to the bottom of the slide to prevent the slide from flying off the frame if the slide were to ever crack.

The locking blocks of the standard 92 FS are rated at around 25,000-30,000 rounds. The newer 92A1/96A1/90-Two generation locking blocks are rated at 50,000 rounds & are interchangable with all models. I've heard of the chrome lined barrels lasting well over 150,000 rounds without losing accuracy. The older barrels & stainless barrels wear faster because they don't have the chromed lining on the inside of the barrel.

Basically, Beretta has proven to be one of the most reliable pistols in the world & IMO, you can't go wrong with them. Parts are interchangable, they're one of the easiest pistols to work on, there are tons of accessories, & they hold their value. Good luck.

[Guest Nikator]

That s some good info. Now I just need to find a good deal on one.

[luvmyberetta]

That s some good info. Now I just need to find a good deal on one.

+1 on that...I'm trying to locate an Inox (stainless) model, but they're a getting hard to find.

[Oh Shoot]

That s some good info. Now I just need to find a good deal on one.

If you have FFL that will do $20 transfer + $10 TICS like here, you can get one in hand from CDNN for $570 through Monday.

Extra factory mags for $20, too.

edit: actually, Bud's looks even better:

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/25121

- OS

Edited May 13, 2012 by OhShoot

[tnhawk]

I have been looking for one for a while and came across what I think is a decent deal from a dealer.

Anything to avoid with these guns that you guys know of? I'm going back for a closer inspection / purchase tomorrow. I'm not sure how old this one is, but I'm guessing the serial number can be used to ID it.

The Beretta customer service site and serial number will allow you you to find when the gun was built.