It's been a pop culture icon and a trusted tool for millions from police officers to militaries and anyone else who needs a gun around the globe for several decades. It's superbly well-made and reliable, and even today, it easily holds its own against any other 9mm in existence.
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Introduction and history:
"Wonder nines"- generally meaning 9mm pistols that featured a double stack magazine- where a revolutionary breakthrough in firearms industry when they first entered the scene en masse in the second half of the 20th century (although some, like the famous Browning hi-power, had been around for decades prior).
Many of these pistols have been produced, used and seen service across the globe with all manner of users for several decades and continue to be every bit as competent and useful as they were when they were first introduced.
Undoubtably one of the greatest and possibly the most famous and recognizable of them all is the 92 series of pistols.
Made by the Italian firm Beretta- who is one of the oldest firearm manufacturers in the world (being 497 years old at the time of this writing in 2023), this legendary pistol has its origins in the nearly identical original Beretta 92 pistol, which was first produced in May,1976 with the input of several renowned firearm designers of the era (including Carlo Beretta) and incorporates elements of several other firearm designs (including other Beretta firearms) into it.
The end result of their work was unveiled in 1975 and went into production early the following year to become an enormous success, and, in response to the requests of various law enforcement and military agencies, Beretta continued to work on the model 92 and produced many new variants over the years for users all over the world- a practice that continues to this very day.
In the late 1970's, the United States military was looking for a sidearm to replace the beyond excellent and truly legendary (but somewhat outdated by this time for military work) Colt 1911 for all five branches of Armed Forces at the same time.
For numerous, largely irrelevant reasons (for the purpose of this article), this was somewhat controversial at the time, but the requirements- which we'll talk about more later- set forth by testing committees helped ensure the final selection was the right choice for the troops.
In 1985, after years of testing, evaluations, appeals and more testing and evaluations, the model 92- in the form of the 92FS (a redesign of the original) ultimately made the cut to become the standard sidearm of the most powerful Army, Navy, and Air Force on Earth (The Marine Corps and Coast Guard did not standardize the pistol, but it nonetheless saw widespread use in both branches)- beating out models submitted by several other quality firearm companies.
Furthermore, it hasn't just seen success with only our military- other militaries and police forces here and abroad have used this pistol for many years, now, and it's track record remains golden even to this day.
But what specifically makes this such a brilliant handgun? Why is it so renowned? Read on to find out!
First impressions and hands-on experience:
Let me begin with saying it would not be a stretch to say I grew up with this pistol- I'd seen it in movies (looking at you, Die Hard) and in tons of games, and it was the first handgun I'd ever shot. As an adult it continues to captivate me- just the other day (in early September 2023) I picked one up and went to the range with it, and it's exactly as I remember it- elegant and supremely reliable.
Feels classic, preforms like one, too:
Made largely of aluminum, the 92FS is a heavy gun at 33 ounces unloaded, but it's construction aides in its rigidity- among other features, it has a Bruniton finish that is corrosion-resistant, a chromed barrel that helps resist wear and, unique to the 92FS, an enlarged hammer pin that makes the gun easier to cock with your thumb (if decocked). Not vital to its function, but a cool thing to have, nonetheless.
It's durability thanks to said construction is legendary- with a very long service life aside (as evidenced by the number of pistols still serving in our armed forces today, many years after they were first introduced), the 92FS has seen testing to prove itself in this regard to some pretty extreme degrees.
In the 1980's, it was tested for its survivability in various conditions including exposure to temperature ranges between −40 and 140 °F (−40 and 60 °C); experiments with salt water corrosion; repeated drops onto concrete; and being buried in sand, mud, and snow.
In spite of all this abuse, the 92FS was still found to have had a MRBF (mean rounds before failure) of 35,000 rounds- meaning that, on average, there is less than a 0.003% chance of this pistol not going bang every time you pull the trigger. While this is vital for any firearm, this is a truly astounding feat nonetheless and establishes it as one of the hardiest and most reliable pistols ever. One big thing about its design that relates to the previous talking points and that's always stuck out to me (and that many people would immediately notice) is the open-slide design- this both greatly decreases felt recoil and aides in reliability- the 92 family practically cannot, under just about any circumstances, experience stovepipe malfunctions (of course it's not 100% impossible, just very, very, very unlikely and I've never once in the decade and a half I've been shooting this gun seen one happen).
I must have shot tens of thousands of rounds of God knows how many different kinds of ammo from God knows how many different manufacturers through this gun in the last few years alone, and the malfunctions I have experienced are too few to count or even remember.
It will shoot everything- it's so reliable it can even be fired limp-wristed and still cycle perfectly for as long as you care to shoot it like that (but honestly, why would you, except to prove its reliability?).
How it functions and feels:
At its core, the Beretta 92FS- like the 92 series as a whole, is like many other wonder nines of the late 20th century- the base model is a double action/single action, hammer-striker fired pistol, with a fairly typical 15 round magazine.
This gives it an exceptionally classy feel and, combined with its very visually pleasing looks, it's basically a film star of the gun world. It uses an open-slide, short-recoil delayed locking-block system, which, without getting too deeply into the subject, results in a faster cycle time and delivers the fantastic reliability we've been raving about.
The placement of some of the controls is a bit odd, however- the ambidextrous slide mounted safety/decocker lever requires the shooter to break his or her grip on the gun, and when racking the slide, catching your fingers on this thing HURTS. Fortunately, there are aftermarket parts available that make using this level less... dangerous.
The magazine release is also ambidextrous. The sights are standard but adequate and can be replaced by any of a great number of aftermarket sights (we keep mentioning aftermarket parts because of the sheer variety of them available- and that makes for a very customizable pistol indeed, especially considering that hammer-striker fired pistols have largely been replaced by the more modern- but admittedly less classy- striker-fired pistols such as the Glock series.
Shooting it:
As we've already mentioned multiple times (but simply cannot overstate), the Beretta 92FS beyond excels not only in reliability, as it is also supremely shootable. for example, in my last trip to the range with this weapon, I shot it for a few hours with Federal Champion 115 grain ball as well as Winchester ammo of the same weight (this was all the range was offering, and I forgot to bring more unique loads to test) and shot off about 150 rounds of each.
Even though the specific gun I fired had not been cleaned in probably at least a few thousand rounds (it works so well sometimes you don't even think it's worth it- and using the takedown levers and field stripping the gun is stupid easy), it functioned 100% perfectly.
One thing we should have mentioned earlier is that it has excellent feed ramps- which undeniably further increase reliability.
And this is just one range trip- as I've mentioned before, I've been shooting this pistol for about 15 years now and the malfunctions I've had are too few and minor to remember.
Some other notes:
Although the pistol's size and weight discourage users from everyday carry (at least for concealed carry), this has its own distinct perk- it makes the recoil of the 92FS extremely gentle (as if 9mm recoil was otherwise unbearable), and the muzzle flip, too, is minimal- the gun just gently recoils and tilts up only for a fraction of a second before more or less instantaneously settling back on target- ready to put another round in the exact same spot.
Oh, and did we mention how accurate it is? While probably not a big deal for most shooters, the 92FS can put 10 shots in a 3-inch circle at 50 meters (as is required by the U.S military) consistently- this really is extra, but Beretta actually went the extra mile for their customers, and we aren't complaining at all.
Also like we previously have mentioned, there are a great many aftermarket parts available for this gun across the industry that one can readily find on the internet- in addition to the usual lasers, lights, extended magazines etc. custom grip panels, trigger upgrades, safety/deckocer upgrades and replacements are more are all readily available for you to add on or replace in the gun in order to make it just right for you.
I could go on, but since this is not a love letter to Beretta, thanking them for this masterpiece of a pistol, I have to keep it as simple as I can. So, what are the pros and cons of this pistol? What does the average man need to consider when buying this fine weapon?
Pros and cons:
Pros:
Reliability
Heavy weight and open slide design greatly reduces the already tame 9mm recoil and reduces muzzle flip
Reliability
Huge variety of aftermarket parts (including customized grips, slides etc.) to further personalize your gun, if you're into it
Reliability
The pistol's construction offers it a very long lifespan and has been materially proven to be an exceptionally tough pistol by multiple metrics
Did we mention reliability?
Cons:
It's heavy- it's not a workout to carry, but you definitely won't be carrying one in your pocket without a good belt to keep your pants up
The ambidextrous safety/decocker is a bit of a hazard
Final thoughts, best deals and gun stats:
So, after a decade and a half of being around and shooting this gun, what can I say? Well, it will work, to say the very barebones least, and this classic pistol- in light of its reliably, toughness and overall function- manages to continue to be relevant today, almost 50 years after its invention.
It's also beautiful- it's hip, it's a pop culture icon, and its reputation is very well deserved. While it might not be the absolute best choice for a beginner, it'll sway many a gun buyer with its looks and reputation, and I can't say I blame them. Truly, one of the greatest guns ever made.
With such an imprint on the firearms industry comes widespread availability, and two of our favorite sellers, as always, include Palmetto State Armory and Brownells.
If you're so inclined, feel free check their prices here down below!
Gun stats:
Caliber | 9x19mm parabellum |
Action | Semi-automatic, DA/SA short-recoil delayed locking-block |
Height | 5.4 inches |
Barrel length | 4.9 inches |
Overall length | 8.5 inches |
Width | 1.5 inches |
Weight | 33.3 ounces |
Magazine capacity | 15+1 rounds |
Safety | Ambidextrous safety/decker lever |
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