My first handgun purchase- for home defense and plinking at the range for fun. No pressure at the range, however the SA/DA aspect of this firearm troubles me in the unlikely event i'll ever need it to defend my property and loved ones. When at the range i'll generally fire it in single action mode and it's not a problem. But- thinking about a really bad situation where you need to get the firearm out of the safe in a hurry, securing loved ones, and getting a round in the chamber- all while you're mind and heart is racing- seems like a disaster. The safety might be on, a round is chambered and you're now in double action mode with a long trigger pull and the first shot matters most. Or, do you take the extra step to **** the hammer with your thumb to manually go to SA mode and possibly wasting precious time? The SA/DA of this weapon seems like a disaster for someone that needs to get a accurate shot off in a hurry- law enforcement in particular. Again, i'm at the range and have all the time in the world under no pressure, but just thinking ahead in case i need it for the main reason i purchased it.
Beretta 92fs
- Thread starter Barbarian80
- Start date
Congrats on it. I really like the Beretta. It's a bit bulky but elegant looking. It's a little dated but still a good choice.It's manual of arms has proven simple and the gun is easily teachable. MecGar mags work flawlessly in it.
Yes, the locking block may need replacing if you shoot it a ton, but these days...
Now the DA/SA thing is a separate issue. Familiarization is the cure, IMO. Whichever mode you decide to use, practice handling it - a lot - if you're going to depend on it.AA
I have a CZ SP01 Shadow SA/DA. If I would be worried about the long trigger pull on the first shot I would keep it in Condition 1 cocked&locked. The DA would be only as a second strike capability in case of a hard primer as it is quicker than tap/rack/boom.
The other option would be to keep it in a locker without a chambered round and to train yourself to rack the slide once you get it out in a defensive situation.
The other option would be to keep it in a locker without a chambered round and to train yourself to rack the slide once you get it out in a defensive situation.
Congrats on the new firearm! I love mine, although I don’t carry it or use it for home defense purposes myself.
The 92FS (un)fortunately, depending how you view it, has a de-cocking safety/trigger disconnect so condition 1 of “cocked and locked” isn’t possible. The location of the safety/disconnect can also prove difficult till the proper training is done. When you cycle the slide on the Beretta you can engage the safety/disconnect during that process without proper form for that firearm. If done so, when you chambered a round and need to shoot, your pulling a disconnected trigger with the hammer in the down position.
I bring this up, not to scare or concern you, but to educate and highly encourage spending time training with your firearm. Both live and dry, practice practice practice!
+1000 to what @Ad Astra said.
Congrats again, and have fun learning and becoming proficient with your new firearm!
The 92FS (un)fortunately, depending how you view it, has a de-cocking safety/trigger disconnect so condition 1 of “cocked and locked” isn’t possible. The location of the safety/disconnect can also prove difficult till the proper training is done. When you cycle the slide on the Beretta you can engage the safety/disconnect during that process without proper form for that firearm. If done so, when you chambered a round and need to shoot, your pulling a disconnected trigger with the hammer in the down position.
I bring this up, not to scare or concern you, but to educate and highly encourage spending time training with your firearm. Both live and dry, practice practice practice!
+1000 to what @Ad Astra said.
Congrats again, and have fun learning and becoming proficient with your new firearm!
Obviously I wasn’t aware of this issue as I have never handled one so apologies. I just got the bit about the long DA pull on the first shot. As I shoot nowadays mostly wheelguns that aspect of my CZ is not a big issue for me.
No apologies necessary! I hope I didn’t offend, hoping to help educate the OP and anyone else interest in the 92FS. It does make it unique to train for the 92FS. Your revolvers are stunning!
I definitely need to acquire some revolvers!No worries, with that whole COVID stuff going on I’m still sitting on a S&W 19-4 that I have not shot once.
Dry fire practice is a key to running the Beretta well.
Every time you pick that pistol up you have to presume that somehow, someway, the safety was flipped down into the on/safe position. Therefore, you have to build in "flipping" the safety "up" as you acquire a master grip on the firearm. This is also true when you pull back the slide.
Conversely, Learning to decock the pistol when you re-holster/put down the firearm is critically important as well.
The more you dry fire and live fire the gun, the more the DA trigger stroke will smooth and lighten up.
You have acquired a highly reliable, light recoiling pistol with lots of quality magazine/holster/accessory availability.
I am uncomfortable recommending thumbing the the firearm into the single action mode in the vast majority of defensive use circumstances. Learning to manage the double action trigger at speed is not as easy as managing a single mode trigger but is absolutely doable.
I base my comments on teaching Officers at the Command and General Staff College pistolcraft focusing on the 92 over several sessions. I have only have a few thousand rounds thru a 92 relative to a Glock or 1911.
Every time you pick that pistol up you have to presume that somehow, someway, the safety was flipped down into the on/safe position. Therefore, you have to build in "flipping" the safety "up" as you acquire a master grip on the firearm. This is also true when you pull back the slide.
Conversely, Learning to decock the pistol when you re-holster/put down the firearm is critically important as well.
The more you dry fire and live fire the gun, the more the DA trigger stroke will smooth and lighten up.
You have acquired a highly reliable, light recoiling pistol with lots of quality magazine/holster/accessory availability.
I am uncomfortable recommending thumbing the the firearm into the single action mode in the vast majority of defensive use circumstances. Learning to manage the double action trigger at speed is not as easy as managing a single mode trigger but is absolutely doable.
I base my comments on teaching Officers at the Command and General Staff College pistolcraft focusing on the 92 over several sessions. I have only have a few thousand rounds thru a 92 relative to a Glock or 1911.
My very first pistol was also the Beretta 92FS back in the day when movies like Die Hard and Lethal Weapon had their lead actors kicking butt and taking names with it.
Beautiful pistol, smooth, slick action, what’s not to love? Well, that first pistol of mine, was the beginning of my handgun education in learning the lesson that it’s important to find one that fits your hand.
I have smaller hands with short, fat stubby fingers. The reach of pull on that Beretta 92FS, was a really far reach for me, which put the pad of my trigger finger, just barely on the trigger. My finger was extended all the way out to reach that trigger.
Since the double action first pull was already an 15 pound pull, the far reach for my short, stubby finger, made the leverage and pull dynamics of getting that heavy long trigger and hammer travel twice the weight for me. So for my trigger pull mechanics, it was or at least felt, like a 30 pound trigger pull for me.
My first shot was always all over the place, but never where I expected it to be. After that first pull, the single shot pulls following were heaven.
But I quickly realized, what you have mentioned today. That first shot is the most important. I wasn’t law enforcement when I owned that pistol, but I was in school learning to be law enforcement at that time.
Contemplating this problem back then, is when I learned many law enforcement at that time, was switching to this ugly new space age gun called a Glock. I heard the Glock’s trigger pull was a 5 pound pull from first shot to last shot.
I heard it was extremely accurate, extremely reliable and virtually indestructible. Sounded too good to be true so I had to find out for myself.
I sold that beautiful Beretta 92FS and bought a Glock 19. Now I own 6 Glocks.
There is nothing wrong with the Beretta 92FS. If my hands would have been bigger, if my fingers would have been longer, if the reach and pull would have been shorter and lighter,
I would still have and love that beautiful wonderful double action pistol. But it did not fit me. So I don’t.
My very first pistol was also the Beretta 92FS back in the day when movies like Die Hard and Lethal Weapon had their lead actors kicking butt and taking names with it.
Beautiful pistol, smooth, slick action, what’s not to love? Well, that first pistol of mine, was the beginning of my handgun education in learning the lesson that it’s important to find one that fits your hand.
I have smaller hands with short, fat stubby fingers. The reach of pull on that Beretta 92FS, was a really far reach for me, which put the pad of my trigger finger, just barely on the trigger. My finger was extended all the way out to reach that trigger.
Since the double action first pull was already an 15 pound pull, the far reach for my short, stubby finger, made the leverage and pull dynamics of getting that heavy long trigger and hammer travel twice the weight for me. So for my trigger pull mechanics, it was or at least felt, like a 30 pound trigger pull for me.
My first shot was always all over the place, but never where I expected it to be. After that first pull, the single shot pulls following were heaven.
But I quickly realized, what you have mentioned today. That first shot is the most important. I wasn’t law enforcement when I owned that pistol, but I was in school learning to be law enforcement at that time.
Contemplating this problem back then, is when I learned many law enforcement at that time, was switching to this ugly new space age gun called a Glock. I heard the Glock’s trigger pull was a 5 pound pull from first shot to last shot.
I heard it was extremely accurate, extremely reliable and virtually indestructible. Sounded too good to be true so I had to find out for myself.
I sold that beautiful Beretta 92FS and bought a Glock 19. Now I own 6 Glocks.
There is nothing wrong with the Beretta 92FS. If my hands would have been bigger, if my fingers would have been longer, if the reach and pull would have been shorter and lighter,
I would still have and love that beautiful wonderful double action pistol. But it did not fit me. So I don’t.
I forgot it was the glamorous movie gun, too. Italian engineering! Unnecessarily beautiful! vice that Austrian Block, er, Glock. "A bettah pistol, ja." The Wilson Combat DA spring kit is a good idea, IMHO. It drops the DA pull down to a very easy, light trigger pull.
I know it's passe in terms of combat pistols, but I still really like M9. Get the MecGar 20-rounders and light it up!
AA
I carried a Beretta 92FS (aka M9) for over a decade. Here are my opinions:
1. Totally reliable.
2. Very easy to grow accustomed to
3. Accurate
4. Designed from the ground up as a defensive weapon.
Things to consider.…
I know of NO domestic training discipline that involves carrying the 92 FS with an empty chamber or with the “safety” engaged. FYI the primary function of that lever on the slide is to dekoch the pistol. Similar to
how the Sig Sauer pistols (P220, P226, P227, P228, P229) are designed. In fact, the 92G has a dekoch lever which automatically
resets after engaging (spring loaded).
Yes…it blocks the firing pin and disconnects the trigger, but the primary function is to safely return things to DA mode.
The initial trigger pull is almost idendical to that of a S&W Model 19. Can’t see a problem there. If you don’t want a SA/DA action, the Beretta 92D is a DA only
option. A phone call to Beretta in TN can perhaps advise if a DA/SA to DA only conversion is possible.
Command staff went to the Beretta 8000
after a while (more compact was a primary rationale). I still have mine today but have to say I wish I had my 92F.
1. Totally reliable.
2. Very easy to grow accustomed to
3. Accurate
4. Designed from the ground up as a defensive weapon.
Things to consider.…
I know of NO domestic training discipline that involves carrying the 92 FS with an empty chamber or with the “safety” engaged. FYI the primary function of that lever on the slide is to dekoch the pistol. Similar to
how the Sig Sauer pistols (P220, P226, P227, P228, P229) are designed. In fact, the 92G has a dekoch lever which automatically
resets after engaging (spring loaded).
Yes…it blocks the firing pin and disconnects the trigger, but the primary function is to safely return things to DA mode.
The initial trigger pull is almost idendical to that of a S&W Model 19. Can’t see a problem there. If you don’t want a SA/DA action, the Beretta 92D is a DA only
option. A phone call to Beretta in TN can perhaps advise if a DA/SA to DA only conversion is possible.
Command staff went to the Beretta 8000
after a while (more compact was a primary rationale). I still have mine today but have to say I wish I had my 92F.
I'm from Slowbrainia, which is why I sleep with a Ruger (or two) revolver under my pillow.
LOL! My big fat head is my early warning sign if someone tries to reach under pillow.
I don't believe that, Dave, but.
It must not be far away, because 4/5 of the TV news shows seem to come from there...AA
I'm thinking about doing a remote broadcast from my native country! BUT.... I forgot to drop bread crumbs so I haven't been able to find my way home. Life is hard I tell ya!
AA
simon1
Self Ignored by Vista
That's why a lot of the cops I worked with went from the Wonder Nines to the Glock...same trigger pull every time like a revolver. I carried a revolver or 1911 until the firearms instructor started designing the qualification courses where you just about HAD to have a 15 round magazine to qualify.
All of my steel semis are single action or DAO. Except for the Walther TPH I used some times as back-up. Never did like the DA/SA feature and I've shot some S&W model 59s plus the Beretta 92.
Then there's my one Block.
I learned on 1911's so I went with the Taurus version. Two buddies went with the Berettas. I like them both even if they are large.
I carried this weapon for over two decades while in the military including multiple combat tours. I have long hands/fingers so, this gun was always comfortable for me. You will be fine, as others have pointed out, as long as you train with it. There should be no problem making a first round double action shot. All you need is some practice and familiarity.
My weapon was always loaded.
My weapon was always loaded.
I have a DA pistol that is accurate and reliable. Before I retired from the military I used a DA/SA pistol. I prefer the DA/SA. However, with familiarity, as previously mentioned, I became just as proficient with either firearm. In my opinion, you should just take your time and regularly fire your new pistol, both with snap caps and at the range. You will find both your proficiency and speed will improve.
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- Thread starter
- #19
That's s great point. I can definitely see a ham handed rack of the slide toggling the wings downward and then it's game over.
Yep
it is definitely something that can be trained around though. As everyone else here, with way more experience with the Beretta than me, has stated, train train train! It’s a fantastic firearm, and can serve you well for years to come!
