Posted: 7/13/2005 1:59:39 AM EDT
| I have read several posts indicating that the Beretta 92FS/M9 still has durability problems. I thought this had been corrected. I know that early on there was a problem about cracking frames, and blocks, but I thought this had been corrected long ago and since has been known to be very durable. Please enlighten me on this. I do own a 92FS, but I don't have an axe to grind on this subject. I'm an 1911 man , but I think every man should have at least one 9mm. because of ammo availability. |
|
A soldier or Marine posted here recently about his issued 92. He said he didn't have any problems with it in Iraq. Although he said, like others have, that the checkmate magazines the military purchased are unreliable. I never carry ming, but I have many thousands of rounds through my 92 with no problems. |
I use mine in IDPA/IPSC w/o a single hiccup. I also use Checkmate mags w/o any problems but TN ain't throbbing with sand, either.  A $10 replacement Wolf recoil spring will go a long ways in keeping a gun from killing itself. Might even bump up a pound or two over stock? |
| I can show you three dozen or so that have had well over 50,000rd. each of factory ammo thru them with very few, if any problems. No cracked locking blocks, no cracked slides. Never saw or even heard of a cracked frame, although I realize it is possible. Shoot Hell out of your pistol. So long as you use factory ammo...it'll be fine. (My understanding is that Beretta USA has several that have gone over the 300,000rd. mark, but I have not laid eyes on them personally.) |
|
There was a cracking SLIDE issue years ago--had to do with a special ops group (Seals?) that was running high quantities of ammo thru them that was specified for there MP-5's--higher pressure loads This is what kicked in the development of the Brigadier model with reinforced, beefier slide (where the locking block cuts are) Read about this years ago in Small Arms Review I believe, will look for the article ETA:couldn't find the article, but would like to add that I don't believe an average shooter could WEAR out a 92, would sure like to here about it if it has happened. My house gun is a 92D Centurion with N/S, and it is an excellent performer |
Pure Internet Hysteria, perpetrated by chairborne rangers and keyboard commandos. |
|
There are a bunch of guys on berettaforum(s?) that have guns in the 70,000 + range. Locking blocks apparently do sometimes failbut the recent reports i have read about it were older guns with older style blocks. I just aquired a 92fs inox, and am impressed with it. I do not see it failing shooting puny these 9mm's any time soon. |
|
The "new" Beretta 92 is probably the most durable "wonder nine" out there. There were teething problems early on, all of which have beel eliminated through the testing and development process. Early slides were breaking because weak steel was being used in thier manufacture and some have reported locking blocks breaking, however this too is mostly a thing of the past. There is an aftermarket company that makes a supposidly more durable locking block, however I feel this is completely unecessary. The "Beretta" problems are mostly internet lore based on isolated incidents in the early eighties which have long been sorted out. These rumours are perpetuated by Glock owners and 1911 elitists who belive the gun they have is the best, just because its the gun they have. The Beretta is an excellent choice for a 9mm. It is extremely durable and reliable and it has been battle tested time and time again. Its everything a Sig 226 is, big, heavy, not perfect rigger and extremely capable. The Beretta gets the nod because its current GI issue making components availible for a minimal cost, not to mention the weapon itself costs less and is equal in performance....the Sig has better OEM grips, IMO though. In summation, dont believe the hype. The M9 is the way to go in the 9mm arena and you will never regret buying one. |
|
+1 to the above. I don't get how people somehow gain confidence in their guns by bashing every other gun out there. All of it sounds like what some "gun store expert" would say. IF there were a bunch of GI's coming back with half a slide stuck in their foreheads, I might worry. |
It has. It was the 92F that had problems with slides failing under heavy use of +P+ ammunition. The "S" in 92FS is the fix for this problem, which included a modified (beefier) locking block and a slide retenion feature built into the hammer pin. ~Dan |
| My 92FS has been nothing but reliable and accurate. I only have about 3K rds through mine, but it never jams. It eats cheap ammo accurately and it doesn't need any smithing to be reliable. The thing I find most impressive with the Beretta is that it will function %100 with cheap mags like the USA brand, or at least this has been my experience. I love my 92FS and it would be the last pistol I'd part with. |
|
<----- Former USMC armorer. The M9 is a fine weapon, but.... The placement of the trigger bar return srping is unfortunate in that vigorous cleaning with an AP brush can dislodge it. I've had this happen a couple times in my compound. It always did my heart good to see the butter bars on their hands and knees looking for it. I had a grand total of 1 cracked slide, and 3 cracked locking blocks. The trigger spring is more likely to break than anything else. The "old" checkmate magazines were crap. Sand was an issue as was metal fatigue in the mag spring. The problem has since been corrected. I qualified Expert 8 times with the M9, and I never had any failures with any of the pistols issued to me. The M9 was the least of my troubles as an armorer. Most of my time was spent fixing the M249 or the Mk19....now there is an over-engineered weapon. I got my first "personal" M9 for my birthday last October...since then I have pumped more than 5000 rounds through it. The only problems I've had were with feeding, and that only happened when the feed ramp got dirty. Wipe it off with your pinky, and you're back in bidness. |
| Only problem I have had, was when I was breaking in a new stainless steel 92FS. I put 490rds.through the pistol in 25 min. The gun was so hot to the touch that I burnt my finger on the trigger guard. Half hour later the trigger return spring broke. I called Beretta,they told me to quit dry firing it. They sent two springs, because i told them I had another one too. I put the spring in and its worked just fine since. No ftfor fte either. |
|
I have seen broken locking blocks. My LEO armorer advised me to check it after each firing. The old syle was a sharp v. The new one is beefier and the angle had been smoothed out. The agency that checks my weapon recenlty switched to Glock .45 after at least 15 years of service on the 92FS DAO. The armorers quote "If they made a .45 in the style of the 92, we would have gone to it." To me that says a lot. I did a lot of research on the slide problems- read the govt. reports. Their were some injuries initially. It was related to terrilium in the slide. The problems have been solved. I love my 92 and wouldn't trade it as a duty weapon. |