What's going on with my 92FS?

[ZeroTX]

Hi guys,

I'm new here and have a question that I suspect some of you can weigh in on. First, I have a Beretta 92FS that I bought brand new (at Academy) as my first gun around 1998, I think. I've since bought a couple of others and shot a few rounds through the Beretta, including qualifying for my CHL. It really doesn't have too many rounds through it, maybe 2000-3000 at most. After each trip to the range I clean it, oil it, and put it away in a climate controlled area.

Anyway, my last couple of times out with the gun I've found that it has had a few occasions of not locking back after the last round and even a few occasions of stove-pipes.

The ammo I've been using is some kind of cheap South African stuff I bought on a website several years ago, but I was really under the impression that you could run just about anything through this model gun. These aren't reloads or anything. I usually practice with a little but of +P defensive ammo, and I can't recall at this moment if I ever had a failure-to-lock or a stove pipe with that ammo.

Anyway, I just was wondering if I need to do something different maintenance-wise on this gun and if there are any other suggestions regarding these failures. These were enough to make me start considering a .357 Magnum as my home protection gun, because what a horror it would be to need it and have it fail to feed.

Thanks for any input.

[pete2]

Try some Remington or Winchester or Federal ammo. I have a 92FS and it's functioned with everything I've fired in it, Win, Rem, Blazer and hand loads.
Never shot the off brand stuff, don't believe in it.

[lamarw]

Agree with pete2. Mine gets a steady diet of reloads and is flawless. I don't believe in buying new ammo with the exception of rim-fire.

[TunnelRat]

This seems pretty simple to troubleshoot. Try some American made ammo, Federal, Winchester, Remington, and see what happens. If you still have issues, it could be magazines as Chris suggested.

[chris in va]

Probably ammo, but also magazines or recoil spring.

[LockedBreech]

Yep, probably ammo. Even guns that cycle nearly anything can only cycle properly loaded ammo, and it's a safe bet that South African ammo might have some quality assurance issues.

[BigJimP]

With no more than 3,000 rds thru a new gun.....its probably ammo related..

However, I'd also suggest you take the mags apart...and clean them ...

[ZeroTX]

I just bought some Winchester white box FMJ that I'm going to run through it and see how it does. If I get anything less than 100% success through it, then I want to look further into this.

Now that I think about it, I think we ran some of this South African stuff through my dad's Glock 26 and it had some issues, too.

[Dragline45]

New mag springs might solve the failure to lock back issue, I use and would recommend the wolf +10% powered springs. As far as the stovepiping a new recoil spring might help, Beretta recommends changing the recoil spring every 2000-3000 rounds I believe anyway. Both are cheap enough where it is worth a try.

[papershotshells]

I'll echo the sentiment that it's PROBABLY ammo related, but new magazine and recoil springs are not a bad idea. I consider them to be wear and tear parts, like brake pads. Just part of routine maintenance.

Papershotshells

[ZeroTX]

Thanks for the feedback guys!! I may just invest in a new 17rd Beretta mag since they make those now. Where is a good supplier for mag springs? I have a couple of military surplus 15rd mags that I frequently use. Perhaps they need new springs.

[ZeroTX]

I also have a couple of cheap aftermarket mags that I don't like using because they rattle. My original mags with this gun are 10s because 1998........

[Bart Noir]

Fer Pete's sake, buy real magazines!

They are quite available and not that expensive by today's standards. Be sure to get Beretta or MecGar ones and you will have no more magazine problems.

Bart Noir

[Guv]

South Africa seems a long way to go for ammunition:confused:

[ZeroTX]

South Africa is a long way, but isn't one of the major advantages of 9mm the fact that it's used world-wide? In the event of a full-on ammo ban, 9mm will be available (legally or not) from elsewhere.... good luck with that .40S&W.

[ZeroTX]

As for the cheap magazines, remember, when I bought this gun, high-caps were not available anymore, so all you could buy were leftover stock unless you were an LEO, so the cheap aftermarket magazines were very popular and only about $15.

[TunnelRat]

As for the cheap magazines, remember, when I bought this gun, high-caps were not available anymore, so all you could buy were leftover stock unless you were an LEO, so the cheap aftermarket magazines were very popular and only about $15.

This is true, but my calendar says it is the year 2013. Not 1998 anymore.

[Theohazard]

My guess is this South African ammo is loaded to a low enough pressure that the slide isn't reliably going back fast enough or far enough; that would explain both the failures to eject properly (the stovepipes) and the slide not locking back after the last shot. If this is the problem, new mags or stiffer mag springs won't help this specific situation, but they sure won't hurt either (especially considering you have those awful 10-rounders; besides being an abomination ;), they don't tend to work as well as standard-capacity mags).

Next time you go to the range, try a few different kinds of ammo - including your South African stuff - and compare the ejection pattern. Self-defense loads should throw the brass a healthy distance, hot range loads like Sellier & Bellot will throw it decently far, lower-pressure range loads like Winchester White Box will throw it far enough, and (if I'm right) your South African loads will barely get the brass clear of the gun.

[Guv]

ZeroTx,
Midway and even Beretta have some good to better prices on mags. I just bought 2 40S&W Beretta mags for my Px4 storm Subcompact for less than $25 a piece from Midway on Black Friday.

[ZeroTX]

My gunsmith replaced all of my magazine springs and the recoil spring, cleaned it and oiled it up. I shot 60rds of 9mm FMJ through it (various brands) and even let a first time shooter use it and zero malfunctions... dunno if it was the lubrication, the recoil spring or the magazine springs, but either way it seems to be fixed.

[James K]

Glad to hear the problem is solved, even if it did take two years and two weeks!

Jim

[TunnelRat]

Lol, man that was a long process! :cool:

[ZeroTX]

Yeah, haha, I finally got around to it :-)

[pafc]

I have a brand new M9 that I just took to the range yesterday. Put my first 200 rounds through it. I had one misfire and on 3 occasions the slide did not lock back after the last round. I used a combination of Remington green box and PMC bronze ammo. As I said, the gun is brand new out of the box, and I didn't clean or oil it before shooting it. Is this something I should be concerned about?

[tsillik]

I would say any new to me, pistol new or used should be disassembled and lubed. terry

[LockedBreech]

I have a brand new M9 that I just took to the range yesterday. Put my first 200 rounds through it. I had one misfire and on 3 occasions the slide did not lock back after the last round. I used a combination of Remington green box and PMC bronze ammo. As I said, the gun is brand new out of the box, and I didn't clean or oil it before shooting it. Is this something I should be concerned about?

Berettas like to be run lubricated. Not a great 'dry out of the box' pistol. But keep it lubed (I use TW-25 grease) and I think you'll never have a problem again.

[745SW]

Magazines have a finite life. They crack at/near the lips. I've cracked many. :o The springs I have no issues probably because the entire mag is discarded and when loaded for a extended time not loaded to max capacity.

[pafc]

Berettas like to be run lubricated. Not a great 'dry out of the box' pistol. But keep it lubed (I use TW-25 grease) and I think you'll never have a problem again.

Good tip. I used Hoppe's #9 cleaner and lubricating oil after coming home from the range. If I don't use it for a while (say, a few weeks), is it a good idea to just take it down and lube it once/week or so?

[gbclarkson]

This happened with my 92, once, also: stove pipes and the slide not locking. It was caused by a thin shaving off the shell becoming lodged underneath magazine catch (or whatever it is called) inside the frame. After the LGS owner removed it with tweezers, it ran perfectly again.

Hope your solution is just as simple.

[roman3]

Denel in South Africa used to make quality 9mm ball ammo. It was top notch and a good price.

http://www.pmp.co.za/

During the issues with Apartheid SA had to basically supply itself, and like
Israel developed a pretty solid arms manufacturing, including ammo.

That said I have no idea if the current offerings are as good.

[Targa]

I am a proponent of cleaning a new in box firearm before shooting it, to the extent that I detail strip and clean the gun before its first range outing, is that necessary over a field strip and cleaning? Probably not but it is what I do. This serves a couple of purposes. I get to thouroughly inspect the firearm for burrs, rough edges, broken parts etc...and I get to clean out the packing preservatives and put real lube where it needs to be. Now when I go to the range for its first outing and it has a problem, I have at least taken one of the questions as to the malfunction out of the equation.

[pafc]

Can someone explain what a "stove pipe" failure is?

[LockedBreech]

Can someone explain what a "stove pipe" failure is?


http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/30/f8e2c2f1623008d33281b076cbab7258.jpg

[pafc]

Got it. I didn't have any issues like that, fortunately.

[pgdion]

Not sure where you're at with this, but 2 things come to mind. First is ammo. I've run all kinds through mine including reloads. Never any off brand though. I don't believe in it either. The second thing is new magazines. I had a slide not locking back issue with my 22A. Tried everything and cleaned multiple times .... It was worn out magazines, both of them.

[pafc]

Well, mine is a brand new gun, with brand new magazines, so that can't be it.

[745SW]

Use warmer ammo like Win. NATO, dirty, low lube it should run. Especially in a full size pistol.

[357 Python]

While I agree with others in trying different ammo there are some things you should keep an eye on. First when you dis-assemble the pistol for cleaning check the recoil spring length. You take the barrel and set it upright with the chamber down flush with the surface and the muzzle pointed up. Then take the spring and place it alongside the barrel. If the spring is longer than the barrel you are fine. If the spring is the same length or shorter than the barrel, you will need to replace the spring. The second is the locking block. You need to check the wings to see if they develop a crack. If it is cracked take it to a gunsmith and have it replaced. You may need a magnifying glass to see a crack before it gets too big.

[TailGator]

If I don't use it for a while (say, a few weeks), is it a good idea to just take it down and lube it once/week or so?

Once a week is not ordinarily necessary, unless it gets a lot of sweat, humidity, or dirt, in which case daily might be advisable. If it is in a drawer or somewhere similarly sheltered once every month or two isn't excessive.

It is often said that Berettas like to run wet. This doesn't mean that they need to be dripping in oil, but they do like to have a light coat of oil almost everywhere, on every moving part. The Beretta manual says something to that effect. When I read your description of your problem, the first two things that popped into my head were ammo and lubrication.