Thinking about a Beretta for SSP/Production

[Chills1994]

I think there is or was a model 92 G-SD ...the SD part stands for Special Duty I think, that was issued to US Border Patrol, I think.

It has the decocker only option. Basically the lever is spring loaded so it returns to the up/FIRE! position.

As far as looking for an Elite, try the Beretta forum:

http://berettaforum.net/vb/

there is a classifieds section at the bottom of the page. You might have to log in to see the special members only deals.

[CocoBolo]

Joe Ford wrote:

Look at major match results in production and IDPA ssp, look at the winners and top shooters, wont take long to notice a trend, Beretta wont be part of that trend.

dude, I don't even know where to begin.

My typical response to the marketing ploy known as the "bandwagon"...."hey, everybody is shooting a Glock or an M&P, so you should too!" is what your parents would say....

"If everyone jumped off a bridge....."

For me, telling someone which gun they should or should NOT shoot is akin to telling them which religion they should practice. I just wouldn't do it, unsolicited.

I think the next time someone tells me to ditch the Beretta, I am going to ask them for a $2,000 loan for an STI limited division racegun in .40 with 5 working mags.

Darn I didn't know there were 2 shooters in USPSA shooting Baretta's just you and Ben Stoeger.

Actually if you look at Ben Stoeger's record you would think that the Beretta 92 is an awesome beast, maybe it is, I never shot one so I can't say. I do have a Shadow Custom Shop as well as several of those $2000 STI Limited guns, and I can tell you that the Shadow is no joke, it is every bit as good as the STI as a shooter.

One point I think that GrumpyOne forgot to make is that the Shadow Custom Shop gun has a very light trigger and it would be easier to shoot than a stock out of the box 8# or higher trigger

But for our poster, it is important that a handgun fit you, and that you are comfortable shooting it. There are a lot of Glock 34 guns doing well in Production, I don't shoot tupperware but it might just fit you, I have shot the XD, hated it, sold it, the M&P Pro has a nice trigger and I've seen a lot of shooters do well with those. Try a few.

Chills there is an Edge on the USPSA forum for $1200 mags are $54 at Brazos Custom. Quit dreaming and get it.

[soaringf22]

I shoot berettas regularly for work, they are capable and accurate enough for anything. However I am not a fan of them mainly because of the skeletonized slide it’s a lot harder to manipulate in a pressure situation which then I rack from the rear with the possibility of hitting the safety. I have never shot the G or any others to comment on them. I have a Glock and I don’t shoot it in USPSA because I just don’t like the feel of them although they shoot great too, for me the plastic frame feels awkward. But I shot double stack 1911s so much that now even my single stack 1911 takes a little readjusting. This is why I stick to limited or open. Something I would like to try is Taurus made a gun that is basically the beretta 92 but a full slide instead of being skeletonized. Or even the Taurus 92 which has a thumb safety like 1911. find what you like and shoot it, you will probably shoot it better, than what someone else tells you to like/shoot.

[usmc1974]

I shoot all my pistola's about the same, I am a honest B class shooter trying to make A. Glock,smith,springfield but, I dought I would ever give up my Beretta 92fs stainless. it has never let me down, and is my prod/ssp go to gun.

[Chills1994]

They are a couple of other versions of the Beretta that have a frame mounted safety. there are the combat/stock models. I think the Steel versions, and even possibly the Billenium versions have, I think, frame mounted safeties. The downside, of course, they are a rare as hen's teeth and y ou will pay through the nose for one. If you wanted to shoot limited, for that kinda price, you could get an STI Edge, in .40 S and W, that actually holds 20+ rounds of forty at the start.

[19852]

I've had good results with my Beretta and my CZ. I like both. Try a CZ shadow if you can, the trigger is great.

[Joe4d]

Have you looked into the Taurus pistols,? The ones that look just like the M9's except they have the safety mounted on the frame, Up fro safe down for fire. Some of the other tauruses catch some flak but I have heard these run well, use alot of the same parts, same magazines, might find a deal out there.

[JonInWA]

I'm nowhere near to being the world's greatest shooter, but I've been using my Beretta 92D in most of my IDPA matches in SSP this year, ands will use it in our upcoming WA State match. The DAO D model is a bit of an acquired taste (think tuned S&W revolver with arond a 8.5 lb triggerpull), but the DAO provides the same triggerpull for each shot.

With proper lubrication and spring replacement in accordance with recommended preventive maintenance intervals, the Beretta 92 is an exceptionally reliable (and shootable) platform. Recoil is negligable, and accuracy is quite good as a rule, and the falling locking block system minimizes barrel movement during slide reciprocation, so fast/smooth shot-to-shot times can be achieved with practice.

While my favorite platform is Glock, the big Beretta 92 is very much a viable platform. The D version has been officially dropped from the catalog since 1998, but runs were made for LEOs, and used/trade-in examples are fairly easily found.

Best, Jon

[splashdown]

I would definitely recommend the G model. As stated above, there is no safety to accidentally flick on. The lever is a decocker only. That's rule #1 in my book.

Of the G models out there, there's the Elite Series, GSD, and Vertecs in G configuration. Figure out which grip style you like best. Traditional curved backstrap, or the straight backstrap of the Vertec.

I don't know if any of these are current production models any more, and I suspect most of those I named are not. It's been more than 5 years since I've shot the Beretta in competition. Mine was the 92G Elite II. These days I would love to have a G Vertec because I like the straight backstrap better.

Look around. You'll find them at gun shows or on gunbroker. and...FEAR NOT THE DOUBLE ACTION FIRST SHOT!

Go for it man. No reason not to.

[Jeff O]

Matt Mink (2012 IDPA ESP National Champ) at www.automaticaccuracy.com can build you an SP-01 that is legal for SSP.

[Jediwarrior]

Hello, just wanted to give my 2 cents.

I agree with suggestions of going with the 92G. No way to accidentally flick the safety during immediate action drills.

Just make sure to try one out first. One possible issue is the trigger reach on double action. If you have small hands, shooting accurately from DA could be a problem.

Also, have spare locking blocks on hand. The average life is 22,000 rounds, according to their website.

[ericjhuber]

I went out with my HK today and we are not getting along all that well.

If I wanted to try a Beretta which of current production choices are the way to go?

I have tried to like Glock and can not do it.

I'm using a Glock 34 Gen 4 for USPSA Production, but I'd have no problems at all bringing my trusty Beretta 92 FS into action if the Glock wasn't available. If I do any IPSC events, I'll happily use the Beretta for IPSC Production since the Glock 34 isn't allowed.

Get your hands on a Beretta and see if you get on with it, but I can tell you from an accuracy and reliability standpoint, I put countless thousands of rounds through my Beretta during the police academy (a lifetime ago) and beyond without ever having to worry about it. It just runs, runs, and runs and I was one of the better shots in my academy class and my department with it (now? Not so much...I took fifteen years off until recently. Turns out it was a perishable skill.).

[flack jacket]

I say go for it and try a 92.... or a CZ or a G34. It doesn't matter.

As for the ,"illprobabblyactivatethesafetywhenidpowerstroketheslide" issue? That can be resolved with ideal technique and practice.

I'm a Production A, knocking on M using my 92FS and never inadvertently activated the safety in a hot and fast match/stage.

I'ts only a pistol and it operates just like 99.95% of all semi-auto pistols on the market.

Why I use one? My dad gave one to me and it was the only full size 9mm I have. Hmmm sounds like the exact same reason why USPSA started Production division "Use what is likely already in your safe".

[Sherwood]

I have went back to my sig 226 and its not on the

top when it comes to USPSA but I love shooting it

and I do shoot high B class with it.

they are basically the same gun.

my .02

[Forrest Halley]

I have went back to my sig 226 and its not on the

top when it comes to USPSA but I love shooting it

and I do shoot high B class with it.

they are basically the same gun.

my .02

I respectfully beg to differ. The two guns are very different in feel, recoil impulse and user friendliness. There is also no way to accidentally actuate the decocker into a safety mode. The decocking lever on a Sig has positive return to its ready position. Something I came to appreciate during remedial action drills.

It's really not that big of a deal if you train with the gun(M9/92FS) religiously and learn to clear the lever before attempting to fire it. It's similar to taking the safety off on a 1911 if you have long enough thumbs, but for small handed shooters it appeared problematic and they were doing this with the off thumb.

[ericjhuber]

I say go for it and try a 92.... or a CZ or a G34. It doesn't matter.

As for the ,"illprobabblyactivatethesafetywhenidpowerstroketheslide" issue? That can be resolved with ideal technique and practice.

I'm using G34 Gen 4 for Production and I just got my 92FS back from Midwest Gun Works (one of Beretta's authorized service centers here in the United States) where I had them knock off some of the DA trigger pull and make sure everything else was in working order. This particular 92FS is a early 90s era Italian made one and it's very well put together. I decided to give it a spin for USPSA Production here in a couple weeks at a local USPSA match and see how it goes. My plan is to use it as my backup gun to the Glock 34.

This 92FS went through the police academy with me and onto patrol afterwards and I've shoot countless thousands of rounds with it. It's been through all sorts of whacky patrol adventures with me. It's very accurate and so reliable that it never occurred to me that pistols would ever even have reliability problems until I started shooting USPSA and saw so many other types of pistols throw up on their shoes.

I don't ever remember having any sort of issue with the safety/decocker deployed when I didn't want it do happen. I've completed countless training drills of various complexity with it and never had a singular issue with it.

My only issue with this gun was the DA trigger pull being pretty heavy and the nice folks at MGW just fixed that for me. Aside from the trigger pull, the actual trigger performance is much better than my Glock 34 stock trigger. I'm very curious how I'll do with this pistol at an actual USPSA match.

[yellowfin]

Perhaps this is a silly question but does anyone ever run the 92S, particularly as a lefty? I haven't tried it yet but am seeing some attractive prices on the S and the heel type release looks like it could be fast if I practiced with it. Any reason not to?

[NuJudge]

The 92S has tiny sights, and while you can replace the rear, you can do nothing with the front sight.

My early pistol shooting was with a pistol that had the European-type mag release. Very slow.

I shoot pistol classes, and the safety is a problem only in jam clearance drills, but it is a huge pain there. For this reason, I would suggest a Beretta with the decock only feature. Beretta made a batch of the 92G recently, so they are much cheaper.

If you are worried about slide cracking, there is a version of the 92/96 that has a beefier slide near the locking recesses, generally referred to as the Brigadier slide. Various models have this slide, including the Elites, the G-SD, and of course the Brigadiers. The 92/96 is mechanically a dual column magazined Walther P38, and it had the same problem with cracking slides, and they beefed up the slide to try and prevent it. I have not cracked a Beretta slide, but I have cracked a P38 slide after perhaps 10,000 rounds. It probably contributed to the P38 slide that I had not ever changed the recoil springs.

[elguapo]

If I was going to shoot a Beretta in SSP and Production, it would be a Px4 9 mm. It is superior to the 92 series in every way. You can turn the Px4FS into a D by simply removing the decocker, removing the detent that holds the lever down, and reassembling it.

Plenty of videos on youtube on how to do it.

[Linkscoach]

I would think the way to would be the 92A1 mainly because of the ability to easily replace the front and rear sight. I like Berettas but I don't care for their stock sights.

[JimmyE]

I'm going to try a Billretta this year for production. What would it take to get Dawson to make some fixed comp. rear sights? They already make front FOs. The Wilson sights are nice but a tighter square rear notch with .100" front would be better.

[Less]

I'm going to try a Billretta this year for production. What would it take to get Dawson to make some fixed comp. rear sights? They already make front FOs. The Wilson sights are nice but a tighter square rear notch with .100" front would be better.

Why not try a Novak sight? The different models require different heights, but they have a square notch and a pleasing sight picture?

[Less]

I'm going to try a Billretta this year for production. What would it take to get Dawson to make some fixed comp. rear sights? They already make front FOs. The Wilson sights are nice but a tighter square rear notch with .100" front would be better.

Why not try a Novak sight? The different models require different heights, but they have a square notch and a pleasing sight picture?

BTW - if you look at Novak sights, it is best just to call 'em up. Their website is still being upgraded I guess...

http://www.novaksights.com

[Deadcoyote]

Before you go buy a brand new beretta, just know they're out there used in some quantity. I had always liked the beretta just from being a 70's kid and their being featured in 80's action movies. Just picked up a 92 fs with 6 beretta mags for $300. I had another one offered to me for $350 a week later with 2 mags and one for $250 with no mag and a spare barrel(?).

I'm a glock shooter but it was too good to pass up. I'm gonna try it out in April match and see how it goes.

[Magsz]

The .150 sized rear notch on the novak rear sight is/was a little wide for my tastes.

I asked Novak if they could cut me one with a smaller aperature and they said...no, absolutely not.