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Old July 8, 2012, 10:59 PM   #20
JohnKSa
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Join Date: February 12, 2001
Location: DFW Area
Posts: 24,930
I don't care much for slide mounted safeties--I tend to look for decock-only models of guns with slide mounted safeties. The main problem I have with them is that I find I occasionally activate them when racking the slide.

The grip is pretty large for a 9mm. I've run into a few small-handed shooters who have trouble gripping it properly.

Some folks suggest preventively replacing the locking block every 20K-30K rounds. That sounds pretty reasonable to me. They're easy to install and a 3 piece replacement block kit including the newest generation locking block and a new recoil spring is available from Beretta USA for about $35. Although it's not a common requirement, as an interesting aside, if you plan to use a suppressor, the locking block design/non-tilting barrel means you don't need a suppressor with a "booster".
Quote:
I was able to drop the hammer by manipulation of the external trigger bar without touching the trigger.
Interesting; I can't recall ever hearing that complaint before. The trigger bar is external and does allow the hammer to be dropped via direct manipulation of the bar, but it takes a pretty concerted effort to do so given the difficulty in getting a purchase on the bar to push it forward and the lack of leverage--leverage that would normally be provided by the trigger. In addition, the only point that can be accessed that provides enough purchase to push the trigger bar in the direction required to fire the gun is somewhat shielded by the slide and grip and is completely shielded by the trigger finger when a proper grip (trigger-finger-alongside-the-frame) is taken on the gun by a right-handed shooter. The back edge of the forward part of the trigger bar where the pressure needs to be applied, is also rounded, which makes it, in my opinion, very unlikely that a snag could catch the back of the bar and accidentally manipulate the bar to fire the gun.

I was able to get the cocked hammer to drop by directly manipulating the trigger bar on the two 92 pistols I have, but not while holding the guns in my hand. I had to put them down, hold them in place with one hand and push the trigger bar forward with my thumb. It required considerable effort--to the point that it was painful to apply the pressure necessary to get the hammer to drop.

I'm not convinced that it's a practical issue given the considerations described above as well as the combination of the ubiquity of the pistol with the absence of any reports of related incidents. That said, there's still a theoretical possibility that it could get snagged and set off the gun accidentally. If a user/owner were concerned about that possibility it could be virtually eliminated by further bevelling the back of the forward portion of the bar to make it even more snag-proof than it already is. It also looks like it would be possible to create a right-side grip scale that projects forward over the back of the forward portion of the trigger-bar to shield it completely from already remote chance of being snagged.
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