Cons of the Beretta 92fs - Page 2

Leejack · July 9, 2012, 07:58 AM

Choosing a gun is all about what you like.

Having said that, I'll say it's a great gun. As far as cons go, the safety for me, but it's just preference, other than that, good to go.

Skans · July 9, 2012, 08:09 AM

The older 92's had a weak locking block, just like the Taurus. They use an upgraded locking block in the newer 92's - don't know when they started this, but something to be aware of. FYI, a shattered locking block can ruin your gun.

Gats Italian · July 9, 2012, 08:18 AM

There are no cons, only quirks of the standard design and things to pay attention to in training.

For all of the reviling that the locking block receives, it's been long since redesigned to have radiused corners that don't stress and crack nearly as frequently as the old design did, and the item is THE wear part of the lock up. On a standard lock up where the barrel hood engages the ejection port, the slide is the wear item rather than the Beretta's locking block.

As for its size, it is very comparable in size and weight to the SIG P226, which also only holds fifteen plus one rounds. If you don't like the size to capacity ratio, change it. Beretta makes 17 round flush fit mags. Mec-Gar makes eighteen rounders. Both the 92FS and the SIG P226 are only 15+1 because of the massive anti tipping followers that they used in their standard magazines to ensure feed reliability in XM9.

The Beretta's safety system is best used as an administrative one. Carrying a 92FS with the safety on is like wearing a belt and suspenders. No serious Beretta carrier uses it that way. If you ignore the Beretta's massive and easy to hit slide release and insist on using the overhand slingshot to return the pistol to battery, train yourself to also grip the safety levers and rip back with upwards pressure on them and you'll never be caught accidentally decocked.

Edward429451 · July 9, 2012, 08:23 AM

Early catastrophic slide failures and triggerbar engineering aside, I still think the 92 is a better gun than any Glock.

Striker1 · July 9, 2012, 08:37 AM

Quote:

FYI, a shattered locking block can ruin your gun.

Have you seen this happen?

I have seen a few locking blocks break on very high round count training guns but none of them ever ruined a gun.

amd6547 · July 9, 2012, 08:47 AM

I owned a Beretta 92FS for a couple years. I got it basically to see what all the complaining is about.
I found it to be accurate and reliable. It's size didn't bother me at all, and it fit my hand very well. It is a fine pistol.
Eventually, I traded it for a Glock 17. For my purposes, the G17 is a better combat 9mm in every way...again, for MY purposes.

themalicious0ne · July 9, 2012, 09:06 AM

I do not own one but I have shot one plenty, my brother says they have problems over seas with the sand and the slide and barrel fitting, them being external and all. He says they will encounter jams and breakage but other than my brother I have not heard this before but I could see it happening. Over here though not a problem. I would personally love to own one soon.

please lt me know if anyone else has heard of this before as far as sand, slide, and barrel problems.

chadio · July 9, 2012, 09:50 AM

Size - it is way too big for a pocket pistol

Grip - it is way too big for women and children

Reliability - it is too unreliable for someone who shoots 50,000 rounds per year

Don't put the 92FS into a category that it doesn't belong!!!!

Dr. Phil says "get real"

If the 92FS was THAT bad, they would be selling for $45 at the pawn shop.

Noreaster · July 9, 2012, 09:59 AM

I guess it depends what your purchasing it for. I like the M9 allot. I like the size and the way it points. I like the safety for home defense use. The slide failure someone mentioned is way over rated. At the time the Navy Spec war guys were shooting issued guns to failure and when the M9 failure occured (frame twisted and broke as do all pistols when shot to failure,) the slide came back and hit the shooter. Beretta corrected that with a new feature that prevents the slide from coming back. Fine pistol all around.

With all that said I'm currently a Glock man and prefer it to all others.

dgludwig · July 9, 2012, 10:12 AM

Quote:

If you ignore the Beretta's massive and easy to hit slide release and insist on using the overhand slingshot to return the pistol to battery, train yourself to also grip the safety levers and rip back with upwards pressure on them and you'll never be caught accidentally decocked.

But you can experience an "accidentally decocked" Model 92 if you are attempting to clear a malfunction, such as a stovepipe incident. Same thing applies to "Third Generation" Smith&Wessons and other pistols with similar slide-mounted safeties. As much as I like the Model 92 and Third Generation Smiths, this potential "quirk" is something to be mindful of when performing a malf clearing procedure. The safety/decocker can easily be inadvertently deployed when you are sweeping your hand over the top of the slides while you are dislodging the protruding spent brass.

Striker1 · July 9, 2012, 11:05 AM

I have never seen a M9 stove pipe on the M9 during 15 years of training troops to use the weapon. Still, as you said, the safety can be unintentionally engaged if you rack the slide incorrectly. Again, I have never had this problem either using the thumb and forefinger or reaching over the top.

blackamos · July 9, 2012, 11:20 AM

It's not a .40 or .45. I own the 96 and like it a lot. just wish they would make a man sized one in .45

Sulaco2 · July 9, 2012, 11:57 AM

Want .40? Get a replacement slide assembly and barrel in .40. Done.

Oh and .40 mags.

**Tom Servo** · July 9, 2012, 12:52 PM

Quote:

I have seen a few locking blocks break on very high round count training guns but none of them ever ruined a gun.

I have, but it's very rare. You'll see a frame crack on the right side, adjacent to the block. Both guns in question were poorly-maintained training guns, and both were over a decade old.

I've had one since 1989 that's needed one magazine replacement and two new recoil springs. That would make it more reliable than my P226, which required roughly the same stuff, plus a new trigger bar spring, in a similar period.

Striker1 · July 9, 2012, 01:01 PM

I have seen cracked frames on these same guns but they did not coincide with a broken locking block. Again, these were very high round count guns.

Probably saw more broken trigger springs than anything else. All in all, I would say they are good guns, but like any weapon, if you put thousands of rounds through them something will eventually need to be replaced.

eddyb74 · July 9, 2012, 01:13 PM

I have one and generally like it. It's faults keep it in the safe most of the time though.

I'm not a big fan of the DA pull. Not the guns fault, just something I should have thought about before buying.

The slide mounted safety/decocker is absolutely retarded. While doing an overhand rack you run the risk of decocking the gun and putting it on safe.

Not being able to change the front sight. Again something I should have thought about before buying.

UniversalFrost · July 9, 2012, 01:18 PM

love my 92's I have 2 92FS, a 92 Brigadier and a 96D ... all have upgraded springs and most are the wolff conversion for the trigger spring (you can also do a D spring upgrade for same price).

i shoot one of the 92FS in teh SSP class with no problems. i am usually the only one with a beretta and always get strange looks.. especially when I beat the plastic shooting guys...

my wife prefers one of my 92FS as her main range gun, she has no problems with teh grip and can easily "reach" the trigger..

one mod I do on these guns is the wolff or d spring as mentioned above and then the hogue grip panels (not the wrap around ones), same size as the facotry panels, but has better grip...

Dragline45 · July 9, 2012, 01:30 PM

Quote:

WHAT ISN'T TO LIKE?

Conceal good @ 12o clockw/cant away from package. Useing a black hawk nylon holster.

how do you sit down without the barrel sticking into your crotch or the grip digging into your stomach? I'm not fat by any means and even with a J frame I cant sit comfortably in that position.

ShipWreck · July 9, 2012, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Probably saw more broken trigger springs than anything else. All in all, I would say they are good guns, but like any weapon, if you put thousands of rounds through them something will eventually need to be replaced.

Trigger return spring should be replaced every 5k rounds. I just do it when I change the recoil spring, to make it easier to keep track of. Locking block should probably be changed every 15k, instead of the recommended 20k. Seen too many break right past the 20k mark.

Do that, and you will be fine.

labhound · July 9, 2012, 03:18 PM

I have no stinkin cons. Love my 92fs Inox!

Beentown71 · July 9, 2012, 03:44 PM

95% of the guys on this forum won't run 5k rounds in any pistol let alone 15k. Keep it maintained, clean and the 92 will do everything asked of it.

15k rounds in 9mm = $3,750 for non-reloaders

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using Tapatalk 2

Skans · July 9, 2012, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Have you seen this happen?

I have seen a few locking blocks break on very high round count training guns but none of them ever ruined a gun.

It happened in my Taurus PT-99, I have not personally experienced this with a Beretta. However, I've been following this for years, and Beretta apparently felt it necessary to re-engineer the locking block to make it stronger. The "fix" for a broken locking block is to cut the barrel in order to get the gun apart. If you try to force or manipulate the slide when the locking block is broken the steel shards will mar the aluminum frame.

Striker1 · July 9, 2012, 04:14 PM

Quote:

It happened in my Taurus PT-99, I have not personally experienced this with a Beretta. However, I've been following this for years, and Beretta apparently felt it necessary to re-engineer the locking block to make it stronger. The "fix" for a broken locking block is to cut the barrel in order to get the gun apart. If you try to force or manipulate the slide when the locking block is broken the steel shards will mar the aluminum frame.

I have to disagree. All we did was use a flat tip screw driver inserted down beside the barrel and slide to move the broken lug then disassemble the pistol.
Of course I haven't seen every incident, just sharing my limited experience.

Yung.gunr · July 9, 2012, 04:44 PM

When I first got my 92fs I didn't like the safety, now after finding the right way to use it it comes pretty naturally. My hands are pretty small so it definitely fills my hand, but it feels good.

I guess my only gripe is that the safety can not be on with the hammer cocked. I would have liked it the way it was on another Beretta I had. The first click was to put it on safe and when you pushed it down after it was on safe that is when it decocked. Nothing really big at all. Definitely would not keep me from buying it again if the chance presented itself.

Daytona TTA · July 9, 2012, 05:46 PM

Newbie here and just my 2 cents, I heard complaints about trigger reach, weight, grip size and in some cases just overall appeal for something else. I may have a solution that not many think about.

I was a cop for six years and my main duty weapon was a Beretta 96 Vertec in Inox finish and I carried several weapons before falling in love with this one.
1) Shortened trigger reach and very comfortable
2) Weight was great because it didn't feel like a boat anchor
3) Grip was totally changed with a slimmer feel and flat backstrap like a 1911
4) Tatical light rail on all them,9 or .40, some people like rails some dont but this
was a specific weapon for duty and the light rail was extremely helpful
5) Overall it was a little shorter due to the fact that the barrel did not stick out the
muzzle like all the rest in this family

The only problem is that Beretta does not make this gun anymore. What a shame because this is a great weapon. I have seen them at gun shows recently but not very much over the years. It wasn't that popular on it's looks but once you have it in your hands, you won't look at another Beretta. Like I said Just My 2 Cents

July 9, 2012, 08:18 AM	#28
Gats Italian Senior Member Join Date: November 12, 2008 Posts: 451	There are no cons, only quirks of the standard design and things to pay attention to in training. For all of the reviling that the locking block receives, it's been long since redesigned to have radiused corners that don't stress and crack nearly as frequently as the old design did, and the item is THE wear part of the lock up. On a standard lock up where the barrel hood engages the ejection port, the slide is the wear item rather than the Beretta's locking block. As for its size, it is very comparable in size and weight to the SIG P226, which also only holds fifteen plus one rounds. If you don't like the size to capacity ratio, change it. Beretta makes 17 round flush fit mags. Mec-Gar makes eighteen rounders. Both the 92FS and the SIG P226 are only 15+1 because of the massive anti tipping followers that they used in their standard magazines to ensure feed reliability in XM9. The Beretta's safety system is best used as an administrative one. Carrying a 92FS with the safety on is like wearing a belt and suspenders. No serious Beretta carrier uses it that way. If you ignore the Beretta's massive and easy to hit slide release and insist on using the overhand slingshot to return the pistol to battery, train yourself to also grip the safety levers and rip back with upwards pressure on them and you'll never be caught accidentally decocked. __________________ Leave the gun, take the cannoli.

July 9, 2012, 08:47 AM	#31
amd6547 Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2006 Posts: 2,313	I owned a Beretta 92FS for a couple years. I got it basically to see what all the complaining is about. I found it to be accurate and reliable. It's size didn't bother me at all, and it fit my hand very well. It is a fine pistol. Eventually, I traded it for a Glock 17. For my purposes, the G17 is a better combat 9mm in every way...again, for MY purposes. __________________ The past is gone...the future may never happen. Be Here Now.

July 9, 2012, 09:50 AM	#33
chadio Senior Member Join Date: June 29, 2011 Posts: 931	Size - it is way too big for a pocket pistol Grip - it is way too big for women and children Reliability - it is too unreliable for someone who shoots 50,000 rounds per year Don't put the 92FS into a category that it doesn't belong!!!! Dr. Phil says "get real" If the 92FS was THAT bad, they would be selling for $45 at the pawn shop. __________________ Ex - Navy, Persian Gulf Veteran. Loved shooting the M14, 1911, M60, M2

July 9, 2012, 11:20 AM	#37
blackamos Senior Member Join Date: August 19, 2000 Location: Michigan Posts: 580	It's not a .40 or .45. I own the 96 and like it a lot. just wish they would make a man sized one in .45 __________________ Know of that you speak, Amos

July 9, 2012, 01:18 PM	#42
UniversalFrost Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 2,300	love my 92's I have 2 92FS, a 92 Brigadier and a 96D ... all have upgraded springs and most are the wolff conversion for the trigger spring (you can also do a D spring upgrade for same price). i shoot one of the 92FS in teh SSP class with no problems. i am usually the only one with a beretta and always get strange looks.. especially when I beat the plastic shooting guys... my wife prefers one of my 92FS as her main range gun, she has no problems with teh grip and can easily "reach" the trigger.. one mod I do on these guns is the wolff or d spring as mentioned above and then the hogue grip panels (not the wrap around ones), same size as the facotry panels, but has better grip... __________________ Lifetime member VFW and NRA "Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati" (when all else fails play dead) -Red Green

July 9, 2012, 07:58 AM	#26
Leejack Senior Member Join Date: November 15, 2007 Location: The Alamo! Posts: 2,056	Choosing a gun is all about what you like. Having said that, I'll say it's a great gun. As far as cons go, the safety for me, but it's just preference, other than that, good to go.

July 9, 2012, 08:09 AM	#27
Skans Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2008 Posts: 11,132	The older 92's had a weak locking block, just like the Taurus. They use an upgraded locking block in the newer 92's - don't know when they started this, but something to be aware of. FYI, a shattered locking block can ruin your gun.

July 9, 2012, 08:23 AM	#29
Edward429451 Junior member Join Date: November 12, 2000 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Posts: 9,494	Early catastrophic slide failures and triggerbar engineering aside, I still think the 92 is a better gun than any Glock.

July 9, 2012, 09:06 AM	#32
themalicious0ne Senior Member Join Date: March 13, 2012 Location: Oconomowoc, WI Posts: 345	I do not own one but I have shot one plenty, my brother says they have problems over seas with the sand and the slide and barrel fitting, them being external and all. He says they will encounter jams and breakage but other than my brother I have not heard this before but I could see it happening. Over here though not a problem. I would personally love to own one soon. please lt me know if anyone else has heard of this before as far as sand, slide, and barrel problems.

July 9, 2012, 09:59 AM	#34
Noreaster Senior Member Join Date: January 30, 2011 Location: New England Posts: 1,449	I guess it depends what your purchasing it for. I like the M9 allot. I like the size and the way it points. I like the safety for home defense use. The slide failure someone mentioned is way over rated. At the time the Navy Spec war guys were shooting issued guns to failure and when the M9 failure occured (frame twisted and broke as do all pistols when shot to failure,) the slide came back and hit the shooter. Beretta corrected that with a new feature that prevents the slide from coming back. Fine pistol all around. With all that said I'm currently a Glock man and prefer it to all others.

July 9, 2012, 11:05 AM	#36
Striker1 Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2004 Location: TX Posts: 710	I have never seen a M9 stove pipe on the M9 during 15 years of training troops to use the weapon. Still, as you said, the safety can be unintentionally engaged if you rack the slide incorrectly. Again, I have never had this problem either using the thumb and forefinger or reaching over the top.

July 9, 2012, 11:57 AM	#38
Sulaco2 Senior Member Join Date: June 5, 2005 Location: Seattle Posts: 1,247	Want .40? Get a replacement slide assembly and barrel in .40. Done. Oh and .40 mags.

July 9, 2012, 01:01 PM	#40
Striker1 Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2004 Location: TX Posts: 710	I have seen cracked frames on these same guns but they did not coincide with a broken locking block. Again, these were very high round count guns. Probably saw more broken trigger springs than anything else. All in all, I would say they are good guns, but like any weapon, if you put thousands of rounds through them something will eventually need to be replaced.

July 9, 2012, 01:13 PM	#41
eddyb74 Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2008 Location: Pittsburgh Posts: 222	I have one and generally like it. It's faults keep it in the safe most of the time though. I'm not a big fan of the DA pull. Not the guns fault, just something I should have thought about before buying. The slide mounted safety/decocker is absolutely retarded. While doing an overhand rack you run the risk of decocking the gun and putting it on safe. Not being able to change the front sight. Again something I should have thought about before buying.

July 9, 2012, 03:18 PM	#45
labhound Senior Member Join Date: August 24, 2010 Posts: 363	I have no stinkin cons. Love my 92fs Inox!

July 9, 2012, 03:44 PM	#46
Beentown71 Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2009 Location: Midwest Posts: 1,560	95% of the guys on this forum won't run 5k rounds in any pistol let alone 15k. Keep it maintained, clean and the 92 will do everything asked of it. 15k rounds in 9mm = $3,750 for non-reloaders Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using Tapatalk 2

July 9, 2012, 04:44 PM	#49
Yung.gunr Senior Member Join Date: November 11, 2010 Location: Phoenix area Posts: 1,442	When I first got my 92fs I didn't like the safety, now after finding the right way to use it it comes pretty naturally. My hands are pretty small so it definitely fills my hand, but it feels good. I guess my only gripe is that the safety can not be on with the hammer cocked. I would have liked it the way it was on another Beretta I had. The first click was to put it on safe and when you pushed it down after it was on safe that is when it decocked. Nothing really big at all. Definitely would not keep me from buying it again if the chance presented itself.

July 9, 2012, 05:46 PM	#50
Daytona TTA Junior Member Join Date: November 12, 2011 Location: New Orleans Posts: 12	Newbie here and just my 2 cents, I heard complaints about trigger reach, weight, grip size and in some cases just overall appeal for something else. I may have a solution that not many think about. I was a cop for six years and my main duty weapon was a Beretta 96 Vertec in Inox finish and I carried several weapons before falling in love with this one. 1) Shortened trigger reach and very comfortable 2) Weight was great because it didn't feel like a boat anchor 3) Grip was totally changed with a slimmer feel and flat backstrap like a 1911 4) Tatical light rail on all them,9 or .40, some people like rails some dont but this was a specific weapon for duty and the light rail was extremely helpful 5) Overall it was a little shorter due to the fact that the barrel did not stick out the muzzle like all the rest in this family The only problem is that Beretta does not make this gun anymore. What a shame because this is a great weapon. I have seen them at gun shows recently but not very much over the years. It wasn't that popular on it's looks but once you have it in your hands, you won't look at another Beretta. Like I said Just My 2 Cents