Beretta 92F/FS

The Beretta 92SB-F, Beretta 92FS, Beretta 92G, and Beretta 92FS Inox are semi-automatic, locked-breech delayed recoil operated, double/single action pistols, chambered for the 9 mm Parabellum cartridge, designed and manufactured by Beretta.

The Beretta 96 is a version that uses the .40 S&W cartridge. The slide, barrel and magazine of the Beretta 96 have been adapted to this calibre.

History

Following interest in the Beretta 92SB in law enforcement, sports shooting circles, and the US Armed Forces, Beretta refined the design of the Beretta 92SB into the Beretta 92SB-F and in slightly modified form the Beretta 92G. Beretta did this to participate in military pistol selections in the United States (Beretta 92F, U.S. Military designation of "M9") and in France (Beretta 92G, French military designation of "PAMAS"). The M9 was intended to replace the Colt M1911 and .38 caliber revolvers and pistols. Over 500,000 M9 pistols were made and adopted; the switch-over was largely achieved. However, some branches and groups continued to use the former pistols or adopted different designs. (See M11 pistol, Mk 23)

The USAF has scheduled switching over from the early model M9 (92F) to the 92FS standard according to planning documents. In May 2005, the USMC posted its intent to award a sole-source contract to Beretta for 3,480 "M9A1", a here-to-fore unknown variant. In the US Army, selected M9's were scheduled to be replaced by XM8 compact carbine variants. However, the sole-source XM8 procurement has been stopped in favor of an open competition, known as OICW Increment I. This will consist of a whole system of variants that will replace selected M9 pistols, the M4 Carbine, M16 Rifle, and the M249. The winner of this competition (which may still be the XM8) will not be announced until sometime after November 2005. In addition to this, the M9 remaining in service are scheduled for replacement under the 'Joint Combat Pistol' (JCP) program. The JCP winner is specified as having a number of new features; chambered for .45 ACP, an integrated rail, Day/Night sights, and capable of accepting a sound suppressor. Confusing matters, the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) purchased 5,000 Ruger P95 and 5,000 SIG SP2022 (SIGPro) pistols in December 2004. It is unclear to whom these pistols will be issued as TACOM handles Foreign Military Sales (FMS) in addition to its domestic military procurement duties.

Specifications

Beretta modified model 92SB slightly to create the 92F and 92G. First, it redesigned all the parts in such a way that they would be interchangeable between pistols, in order to simplify maintenance for large government organisations. Beretta modified the trigger guard at its front so that one could use finger support for easier aiming. Beretta changed the front angle of the grip to allow for better instinctive aiming. Beretta hard chromed the barrel bore to protect it from corrosion and to reduce wear. Last Beretta applied its new patented surface coating on the frame called Bruniton which provides better corrosion resistance than the blued finish the Beretta 92SB had. On request of the French, for the Beretta 92G it removed the manual safety and modified it into a decocking lever.

Intended Market & Military Adoption Competitions

The Beretta 92F was designed for use by major military and law enforcement agencies. During the 1984 M9 pistol trials organized by the US Army (after two earlier trials in which no trial passed), only the Beretta 92SB-F and the Sig P226 qualified. Based on its price the Beretta 92SB-F, now renamed Beretta 92F was selected, though another re-test would soon be orchestrated. Among the reasons, entries from Heckler & Koch and Smith & Wesson had been discounted from this test and they protested vigorously over the results. The new 1987 M10 trials would confirm the selection of the Beretta 92F, though not all the same pistols were trialed. During the pistol trials in France the Beretta 92G also turned out the winner, however the French wanted to manufacture the Beretta 92G under license in France where it would be called the PAMAS-G1. In both cases, initial units would be produced in Italy until US and French based manufacturing would get underway.

Design advantages

The Beretta 92F, with its slide mounted combined manual safety and decocking lever, is very easy to load and unload in a safe fashion. With the safety on, the slide can be manipulated without the risk that touching the trigger would fire the pistol, because the safety disconnects the trigger. The improved magazine release button makes the reloading of the pistol very swift. The safety levers are also placed on both sides of the slide, a feature that enables left handed users to easily use the Beretta 92F. The magazine release button is reversible, another feature that allows left handed users to make the most out of the Beretta 92F. The Beretta 92F retained the reliable function from the Beretta 92SB; properly oiled, cleaned and maintained it would hardly ever fail to function in a moderate climate. The hard-chromed barrel bore reduces wear and protects from corrosion. The Beretta 92G — which lacks a manual safety — is somewhat less safe to operate; however it is faster into action as no safety needs to be deactivated.

Nowadays it is popular to reduce handgun weight using light alloys or polymer. While handgun owners are yet to accustom to an idea of polymer guns, aluminum seemed like a right choice at the design time. Recently, polymer started to enter Beretta 92/96 models. We are not counting the fact that the grips were always plastic except some models that have Hogue rubber grips. In 2004, first introduced internal polymer part was a recoil spring guide. Many Beretta owners were displeased with said polymer part just because it is "plastic." The polymer recoil spring guide does, in fact, work as well as its steel counterpart. However, it is possible that weight of a steel part helps with follow up shots by reducing muzzle recoil flip. Moreover, in the middle of 2005 new polymer parts started to appear in Beretta 92/96 guns. New polymer parts include safety levers, trigger, slide release, disassembly latch. They are black in color and appear graceless on silver Inox model handguns. Yet, such parts bring advantage to black M9, where even scratched polymer parts would preserve appearance of a well maintained handgun and, of course, reduce some weight. Click here to see Beretta 92FS being disassembled part by part.

Early problems

Beretta now had two major contracts, about 500,000 units for the US Armed forces and around 230,000 units for the French armed forces. This with both clients wanting to receive their pistols as specified in the contracts. In the case of the Beretta 92G, the French would supply the slide steel to Italy, until GIAT would start licensed production. Somehow, at some point in time, Beretta decided to use 5,000 semi finished slides intended for the French to build pistols for the their US customer, this in order to meet deadlines. Not much later after the US Armed forces had accepted these pistols, a few slides of Beretta 92Fs (less than 10 total) and some older Beretta 92SBs started to crack and fly off. An investigation would later identify the lot that had been made with metallurgically inferior French steel slides as well as US manufactured 9 mm Luger ammunition that was extremely overpressured and not within specifications. Both parties were placing blame on each other without fully admitting their oversight. It was also discovered that the locking block required a design change to increase its service life. Military then has decided to exchange locking blocks after 5000 rounds giving a bad reputation to Beretta on the civilian market as a gun with a short life span. When a new version of a locking block appeared, it was a success. The locking block now is rated for 25,000 rounds, minimum. Yet, something had to be done to reduce the risk for the user of being struck by the rear half of the slide. The solution was the addition of a slide retention device in form of an enlarged hammer axis pin, the result was the Beretta 92FS. Since then, near all modern Beretta pistols are fitted with such a simple means of user protection. During this time, there were some tests being done with a closed slide, this did however somewhat reduce the reliability of the pistol. Beretta eventually designed a new slide, one that contained more steel in the area prone to breakage, later this slide became known as the Brigadier type slide. And, although the causes of the initial slide breakages had already been remedied, the Brigadier is currently offered to consumers as a variant in addition to the original design. The Brigadier slide also offers an ability to adjust or replace front sights in the dove-tail groove. Previously, on non-Brigadier slide, it was impossible because the front sight was a part of the slide and prevented any manipulation. The Brigadier slide also makes a gun a few ounces heavier, some say it helps to reduce recoil for follow up shots.

Another weakness that was corrected has been a trigger spring. This spring is responsible for resetting a trigger to its original position after each trigger pull. Unfortunately, at times, the spring's leg would snap leaving a person with half functioning handgun; especially frightening if it would occur during a firefight or where no replacement spring is available. One would need use another hand to depress a trigger, losing accuracy and fire rate dramatically. To help the situation, Beretta since then uses a bit different spring where each leg is similar and, thus, allows to invert the spring till a new replacement can be obtained. Yet, such a solution is not 100% proof. Best practice still is to regularly change the trigger spring.

Limitations

Some amateur shooters believe the Beretta 92/96 series pistols have limitations, including not being well suited for use in deserts, jungles and arctic areas; the need for greater spring maintenance and cleaning over other designs; and the belief that the Bruniton® finish wears down quickly which leads to corrosion and more slide to frame play.

However, none of these claims have actually been proven conclusively, and the 92/96 series remains one of the most strenuously tested handgun designs ever created.

As mentioned above, the non-Brigadier slides lack ability of adjusting or replacing front sights; changing to night-sights or adjusting aim point is limited to rear sights only.

While the 11 round (.40) or 15 round (9mm) double stack magazines are most common, higher capacities are available.

Only magazines from Beretta are considered reliable.

Special forces and civilians love to add to their guns different attachments like small LED flashlights and aim lasers. Only "Vertec" and "SD" versions have the standard attachment rail. Regular versions can't accept any attachments. Some companies have created special products that affix on the forward trigger guard or lasers that are built into the grips.

Combat use

During the Gulf war, the quite new M9s performed very well. However, years later, due to poor maintenance and being used with sub-standard U.S. issued magazines (magazines produced by an after-market manufacturer, rather than by Beretta), reliability started to decline. Factory magazines, purchased by U.S. Soldiers at their own expense while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (The "War on Terror"), seemed to fix this problem. Also, a laser aiming device located in the hand grip became a popular unit level purchase item on the civilian market. Many soldiers serving in military today, though never having used a military M1911A1 .45 cal, still feel it to be the rightful pistol of the U.S. Military and show animosity towards the M9. It is being argued that while 9mm holds more ammo, the .45 ACP would stop an opponent much more quickly- however, this belief is based more on historical affinity to the M1911A1 pistol/.45 ACP combination, rather than objective analysis of performance. Others argue that shot placement is most important. However, 9mm NATO ammunition distinctly outperforms comparable .45 ACP ammunition- it penetrates more deeply, travels more accurately, and has less recoil.

In Iraq, many soldiers and Marines felt that the M9 was more effective at halting cars than their rifle, not due to its stopping power, but because the sight of a pistol being drawn still reminds Iraqis of the days when the Saddam Hussein era government would execute people with a pistol, not a rifle. Hence, he who has the pistol is in charge.

Since the U.S. military is constrained to utilize ball ammunition during international warfare, the stopping potential of the M9 has been called into question by many service personnel in the field. However, domestic law enforcement and civilians interested in personal protection have no such limitations on ammunition type, and many have found that when coupled with the proper cartridge (i.e. +P hollowpoint), the M9/92FS is a highly capable manstopper. In fact, the ballistic performance in some factory loadings (ex. Cor-Bon 115 grain @1350 fps) approaches that of certain .357 magnum rounds.

Sport use

Because of the acceptance of the Beretta 92FS by the US Armed Forces, even more civilians have purchased Beretta pistols. As this market turned out to be more demanding concerning durability and corrosion resistance, Beretta made the Beretta 92FS Inox (discontinued as of 2006), which has its slide and barrel made out of stainless steel and has far less corrosion problems. The Beretta 92 has evolved into high volume shooting sports pistols such as the Beretta 92G Elite II, Beretta 92 Combat, Beretta 92 Stock, Beretta 92FS Brigadier and many other types. The 92 and its many variants are used quite frequently in practical shooting competitions worldwide.

Modifications for sport use

Beretta 92FS was a military gun from the beginning. However, it has recommended itself well with civilians and many use Beretta for competitive shooting. The Beretta 92FS comes from the factory in the same configuration as for the Army. Many feel that the gun needs to be modified to suite their accuracy needs. Such modifications allow Beretta 92FS to shoot more accurate; however, it does lower the reliability of the gun. The modifications are mostly done to the guns that are not considered for service or home defense. Also, almost all modifications are not endorsed by Beretta corporation.

The most basic modification is exchanging of the grips. There are many grips available for Beretta FS, however, not as many as for, say, Colt 1911 gun. There are Hogue wrap-around rubber grips, attractive wooden grips and other plastic grips.

Another simple modification is changing a factory hammer for an elite version skeletonized hammer. While it offers pretty much no performance differences, it does add to the look of the gun. This hammer by default is offered for Elite models and needs no modification to be installed in F or FS models.

The most popular modification is the mainspring. The mainspring affects weight (or pull strength) of the trigger. With competitive shooting a lighter trigger is always preferred. First, it helps accuracy by applying less strength on the trigger and giving less chance to sway a gun during a shot. Second, it helps training; with heavier pull it would be difficult to shoot 400-600 rounds as a daily exercise. Owners that want this modification can go about it in two ways. One, they would need to buy a new mainspring from the 92"D" model of the Beretta. This model from the factory comes with lighter trigger pull. Such, this mainspring is known as the "D" spring among non-technical Beretta owners. This spring is shorter than the stock spring exactly by three rings. Some, who do not want to buy one, they can cut three rings from the original mainspring and orient the cut part into the mainspring housing. While it is not advised practice, yet it is another way of reducing a trigger pull. One must understand that reducing a trigger weight can make a gun less reliable. Accidental weapon discharge due to the lighter trigger pull and a weak firing pin strike can be a cause of this modification. Note, there is a big choice of springs made by Wolff.

Another easy modification is changing the sights. On non-Brigadier frame only rear sights can be changed. Options include night-sights (ones that can be seen in the dark or poor light conditions) or special oversized match sights that can be easily adjusted for windage. Beretta 92FS is almost never used with optics.

The next modification is called a trigger job. Basically, it consists of smoothing factory rough surfaces to obtain a smoother trigger pull. The only side effect of this modification can be if user by polishing removes more metal than necessary. Such a job is best to be done by a professional gunsmith. A smoother trigger pull adds to the accuracy by creating a more uniform parts movement and cleaner sear snap. Generally, a basic trigger job includes polishing a trigger bar, sear and a hammer.

Probably, the most expensive modification is the exchange of the barrel. Some after-market barrels offer more accuracy. Two most known brands are Bar-Sto and Jarvis. It is expansive and also requires a tedious fitting, which is better be done by a gunsmith. If a barrel is not fitted correctly, a gun will constantly malfunction with failure to feed or extract a round.

Another barrel like modification includes buying a kit from Beretta that would convert FS version to shoot .22 long caliber. This caliber is very cheap to buy, easy to install, and produces little recoil. The kit includes a new slide, a barrel and a magazine, all for a new caliber. However, the kit itself is not cheap. This modification is endorsed by Beretta and there are no known problems with such a kit. Of course, one would not want to have .22 long for home defense, this kit is strictly for sports use.

To help to propel a bullet with an equal pressure from the barrel, the barrel can be crowned. The truth is, the factory barrel is already crowned, one can only intensify the cut. Crowning is cutting a convex shaped crown on the bore’s edge. It helps the gas to exit more evenly after the bullet leaves the barrel. The gas then applies equal pressure on the base of the bullet without tilting it or affecting its balance. One needs a special equipment and experience to perform this modification.

There is another modification for a barrel. It is a barrel shroud. It is a block of metal that adds more weight on the end of the barrel for less muzzle flip. Some might like it because it looks somewhat similar to a mini suppressor. However, it doesn’t do anything but helps to acquire a target faster on the follow up shot.

To help with recoil itself, there are several products. They are modified recoil spring guides. There are some that are made from a heavier alloy, others contain an intricate assembly of springs, another has a liquid that flows against recoil force. Also, there are available rubber inserts to the recoil spring guide for cushioning slide from hitting the frame. These are easy to install and remove, but may affect reliability of the gun due to extra parts present.

Overall, the Beretta 92FS is a very accurate gun, which can easily be improved through modification, which should only be performed by a competant gunsmith. For help with installing or removing parts, please see the Beretta disassembly & assembly videos.

Technical data

Type: Beretta 92SB-F/F

Trigger system: Single-action or double-action
Calibre: 9 mm Luger
Capacity: 10-15-17-20-30 rounds depending on magazine
Frame material: High strength aircraft grade aluminum alloy, type 7075 treated to a T6 condition
Slide and barrel material: Carbon steel
Grip material: Plastic
Barrel length: 125 mm
Length: 217 mm
Height: 137 mm
Width: 39 mm
Mass: 955 g
Safeties: Slide mounted combined safety and decocking levers. Loaded chamber indicator. Firing-pin safety.
Magazine release: Lower trigger guard, reversible.
Production years: 1983 - 1987.
Production location: Beretta Italy

Type: Beretta 92FS/FS Inox

Trigger system: Single-action or double-action
Calibre: 9 mm Luger
Capacity: 10-15-17-20-30 rounds depending on magazine
Frame material: High strength aircraft grade aluminum alloy, type 7075 treated to a T6 condition
Slide and barrel material: Carbon steel or stainless steel
Grip material: Plastic
Barrel length: 125 mm
Length: 217 mm
Height: 137 mm
Width: 39 mm
Mass: 945 g
Safeties: Slide mounted combined safety and decocking levers. Loaded chamber indicator. Firing-pin safety. Slide retention device.
Magazine release: Lower trigger guard, reversible.
Production years: 1987 - present day.
Production locations: Beretta Italy, Beretta USA, Others under license.

Type: Beretta 92G

Trigger system: Single-action or double-action
Calibre: 9 mm Luger
Capacity: 10-15-17-20-30 rounds depending on magazine
Frame material: High strength aircraft grade aluminum alloy, type 7075 treated to a T6 condition
Slide and barrel material: Carbon steel
Grip material: Plastic
Barrel length: 125 mm
Length: 217 mm
Height: 137 mm
Width: 39 mm
Mass: 945 g
Safeties: Slide mounted decocking levers. Loaded chamber indicator. Firing-pin safety. Slide retention device.
Magazine release: Lower trigger guard, reversible.
Production years: 1987 - present day.
Production location: Beretta Italy, Beretta USA

Type: Beretta 96/Inox

Trigger system: Single-action or double-action
Calibre: .40 S&W
Capacity: 10-11 rounds depending on magazine
Frame material: High strength aircraft grade aluminum alloy, type 7075 treated to a T6 condition
Slide and barrel material: Carbon steel or stainless steel
Grip material: Plastic
Barrel length: 125 mm
Length: 217 mm
Height: 137 mm
Width: 39 mm
Mass: 940 g
Safeties: Slide mounted combined safety and decocking levers. Loaded chamber indicator. Firing-pin safety. *Slide retention device.
Magazine release: Lower trigger guard, reversible.
Production years: 1992 - present day.
Production location: Beretta USA

Production

Most models are manufactured by Beretta in Italy or in the USA by Beretta USA. However, the Beretta 92G/96G Elite II and Beretta 92FS/96 Brigadier Inox are only manufactured by Beretta USA, as are the Vertec series. The Beretta 92/96 Combat and 92/96 Stock are only manufactured by Beretta in Italy. Italian made 92s have a nicer surface finish, while US made ones have tighter tolerances. In all other aspects they are equivalent.

In Popular Culture

One can attribute much of the Beretta 92's fame to the Lethal Weapon movie series from 1987 - 1998, where Mel Gibson played a disturbed policeman with a Beretta. The movie contains many close-up images of the gun and could be considered something of a marketing campaign. Other movies where Beretta 92s figure prominently include Die Hard, The Matrix, Training Day, Léon and Resident Evil. The director John Woo is very fond of the pistol, and features it in many of his films. The video game Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty also features a fictional (non-existent) tranquilizer version of the 92F. In the Resident Evil series of video games, the S.T.A.R.S. standard issue handgun is a Beretta M92FS. An enhanced version of the M92FS is included in the 2002 remake of the first Resident Evil known as the Samurai Edge.

Filmography

Games

File:Maxpayne.PNG

Max Payne holding Beretta 92s akimbo

The Beretta 92 is a very popular 9 mm pistol in video games, along with the GLOCK 17. Games featuring the Beretta 92 include:

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon series
Battlefield 2
Resident Evil, Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Max Payne and Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
True Combat:Elite, a Wolfenstien: Enemy Territory modification uses it as a sidearm for the counter-terrorists.
Americas Army (made by the U.S. government) has the most realistic looking M9 that functions in the game similarly to a real thing.
Doom, where the images for the player's second weapon, the pistol, is created from the Beretta 92FS pistol.
Operation Flashpoint

Similar Guns

Note

A popular belief, now proven to be apocryphal (like many other pieces of popular "gun lore"), maintains that the SIG P226 performed best in the XM9 trials, but that because both the 92 and the SIG passed the performance test, the Beretta model was purchased because of its lower price tag.

External links