How did you get interested in Berettas?

[Glock30fan]

About ten years ago I had an opportunity to shoot a Taurus 92 and was not really impressed. Last year a friend, who carries a Beretta 92FS on duty, and I went shooting. I tried shooting his 92 and was really impressed. I found an almost new one in the used case at the local gunshop and bought it. About a month later another, almost new, stainless 92 showed up and I had to get it, too. My wife has not shot either yet, but really likes the Berettas (as compared to Glocks, Sigs and H&Ks) because she can easily rack the slide. Talk about a smooth, sharp looking heater. I really look forward to Beretta day at the range. How did you get interested in Berettas?

[srfl]

I first got interested in them when I shot an M9 in the USAF.

My interest hightened when the team leader for the base pistol team I was a member of at my second duty location let me shoot his 92F. He did a trigger job on it making the trigger smooth but not too light. I shot my best 5 shot group with a semi-auto with that gun.

Then I read about the 92FC from Massad Ayoob. I swore that I would buy one of those guns....I've owned my Italian-made 92FC now for about 7 years now.

My collection has now grown to a 92D Centurion, a 92G Vertec and a 8045D Mini Cougar. I also have a Cougar L and 92FC Type M on the way.

[TLHelmer]

My dept. issued me the 92-G! They then issued me a 96-G to replace the 92-G.

I prefer the 92.

[grecco]

when it was time to purchase my first handgun,
i did some research, figured it was good enough for the u.s.military and my cousins in the italian forces loved them,so i gave it a shot,
picked up a italian made centurion.....very happy, except my dad "confiscated"for his house gun.

besides, how cool was the 92 in the lethal weapon movies...

[Tuan]

For me it wasn't Lethal Weapon, but John Woo movies with Chow Yun Fat. He just plain looked cool with a pair of Berettas blazing away. When I finally got old enough to get a gun and were handling the different ones in gun stores, the first time I picked up a Beretta it felt like home. I have never picked up another gun that felt so good and natural in the hand. That pretty much clinched it. A lot of Beretta bashers complain about how the platform is too big for 9mm, but I find the Sig 226 to be a much bulkier gun. As for trigger reach, I went shooting with a friend's mom once because we were underage at the time, and she was maybe 5'4" and she had no trouble outshooting us kids. It's too bad that people can't respect a solid performing gun simply because it's not their brand or preference.

[grecco]

thats what happens when the 9mm 92 replaces the 1911 45acp......
both are great guns

[cybersandman]

Beretta 92 was first recommended to me by a US Marine. He said he'd take one over any Sig, Glock, etc. I saw one at a gun store picked it up and really liked how it felt and how it handled. Put it down and told the dealer if it was still there in a month I'd be back for it. It was still there a month later and I now own it. It's a great shooter and looks -- dare I say -- better than my G23.

[Rob1035]

My grandfather recently gave me a brand new, unfired 92FS he bought in the early 90s, I haven't had a chance to shoot it yet though.

[EZFLY80]

Got my experience with the beretta in the Army. I like the beretta a lot but the M9 service pistol is definitly a poor example due to the abuse they have been through. I will probly buy a civilan model eventually, even though they are the same.

[KK20]

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/KK20/k6005.jpg

about thirty years ago my dad bought a beretta 71 (22LR). my brother and i shot thousands thro the gun. south africa then released for public sales the Z88, copy of the beretta 92.

[AggieAK]

i shot my friend's dad's G17, sig226 and 92f all in the same day and decided that when i turned 21 that a 92f was for me, i hated the light feel of the glock, but then when i got it i tried to conceal carry a 92 around my house. i quickly decided that a light weight .40 compact glock was right up my alley, so i got one of those too. the

***Post Edited for Rules Violations***

[F.Dillinger]

by the way, does BG stand for Band Guy, or Black Guy...? it's 6 in one hand, half a dozen in the other to me.

Everybody loves a racist.

Anyway...

My interest in Berettas started because of movies, most notably the Lethal Weapon. The 92F is one of the best looking handguns ever made, in my opinion.

Surprisingly when I first started getting into guns, I bought several before I really even considered the Beretta. (Okay, I admit it was a 9mm prejudice, I'm typically a .45 guy)

I purchased a Springfield GI model 1911 which I was fairly unhappy with, although there wasn't anything wrong with it mechanically. The sights were awful and I got the parkerized rather than the stainless which really didn't appeal to me too much. I just bought the wrong gun for me. On a whim I went back to the store a month or so later and saw an absolutely gorgeous 92FS Stainless and pretty much decided instantly to buy it. I traded in the 1911 and took home my new Beretta.

[cactusman]

I liked the way Berettas looked in Die Hard and Lethal Weapon, and in 1990 I bought a satin nickel Taurus PT-92 as I couldn't afford a Beretta. It was 100% reliable and shot like a dream. Well I needed money a couple of years later and sold it.

Fast forward several years and I found myself in a gunshop and saw an OD 92FS that looked way cool! And I had been meaning to buy a Beretta ever since selling my Taurus years ago. The slide felt like it was on ball bearings, just glass smooth, and it felt great in my hands... I had the money on me, and that was that -- one OD 92FS out the door! Needless to say it too has been 100% reliable and shoots every bit as well (if not better) than I remember. On par with my Glock G34 actually...

Then I was in the gunshop again, saw a Beretta Storm carbine in person (I had been drooling over the magazine ads for a few months), and after messing with it for a bit I decided to buy it. The magazine interchangeability really sold me too. Plus there was the whole "buy now, get two free mags after the AWB sunsets!" Needless to say I couldn't pass that up.

Then in a twist of irony I decided to replace my long-time hiking gun, a Colt 1991A1 with the Beretta -- one problem; I didn't want to scratch the OD finish up. So that led to yet another 92FS, this time in black, as I wanted a "traditional" one this time, one that looked basically like an M9.

So now I have three Berettas, (and counting) -- they sure can be addictive! :)

[SchlaffTablett]

I can't remember when I saw one for the first time, but I remember when I decided that I was going to buy one was. I got an issue of (I think) Handguns magazine back in '97 or '98 that had an article by Mossad Ayoob with pics by Ichiro Nagata. Those were some of the most beautiful pics I've ever seen and I fell in love. 10 Berettas later, I'm still their biggest fan. Hell, I'm going on a factory tour in Gardone for my vacation in 2 weeks.

[p01ic3m4n]

Kuffs. when he walks into the gun shop and says, "i need a really big gun that holds a lot of bullets." the dealer handed him a beretta 92FS.

[axel]

Saw the 84 is some gun magazines and happened to come across a used 84FS where I shoot. I like having different calibers: .45ACP, 9mm Luger, 9x18MAK, and .380 AUTO.

[splashdown]

I found USPSA shooting when all I had was a Glock 19. I shot that for a while but I wanted a better trigger. (I didn't know at the time Glock triggers could improve so much.) I discovered the Beretta Elite II in a magazine that had beautiful photos of the gun and listed the gun's many "factory custom" features that would benefit the Production shooter. I've had trigger work done by Tom Novak and I'm also a member of his shooting team. I've been shooting the gun for 3 years now and still love how well it fits my hand and how "flat shooting" it is. I've recently acquired a Glock 35 that I'm playing with that may replace my Beretta in competition. It's got a Novak trigger as well as a CGR fitted Bar-Sto.

That's my story.
splashdown

[ILikeFtLbs]

I shot in some matches against a few army bullseye shooters. They were not shooting for the army at the match, but one of them had a Beretta M9 that he had customized by an army gunsmith. I forgot to ask if he owned the gun or the army did, but it was nice! Target trigger with stop, some type of pin to act as a barrel bushing at the front, adjustable sights, steal inserts on the slide and slide rails, and other stuff I didn't notice. Very accurate. I believe the loads he used were 124 Hornady FMJ over 6 grn. of Power Pistol and a CCI primer.

[khan]

First of all, i need to tell you that where i came from, the semi-auto handgun are very expensive comparing to united states.
I first had a crushed on it after I saw a movie called "Broken Arrow".
I love the way it looked, and about 1 month later i got the permit and went searhing for the best 9mm semi-auto gun. This was about 10-11 years ago. My tention was to buy the Beretta 92FS 9mm.

When I reached the place where the gun shops were all around, I got confussed that I might changed my mind, after looking at all these great guns, the 1911, SIG, HK, Walther, CZ, etc..
One shop after another pulled out their guns to show, I got very excited, confussed.

So I decided that I had to stick to my first plan which I was there to purchase the Beretta 92FS (made in Italy), my first own gun.

I bought it and still own it and loving every time I picked it up. Have shot around 5000-7000 rounds, never mulfunctioned, never jamed.

OH..Yes, my Beretta 92FS cost about USD$1,250. That's also one of the reason I don't own too many guns after that.

Now I own Beretta 92FS, Browning Hi-Power (Practical), HK P2000, Smith&Wesson M10, M60 (both 38 special), and M686 (357 magnum).

But still love my 92FS, even though I have a small hand but shoot well with it.:)

[FotoTomas]

My initial introduction to Beretta came from Ian Flemings series of James Bond books. Bond originally carried the Beretta .25 "with the sawn barrel and tape around the grip to make it thinner".

Mack Bolan in the "Executioner" book series was my next stop into things Beretta. I read a lot in my youth. The Mid 70's saw me in the army and a love affair started with the M1911A1. When the Army and Air Force started flirting with the Beretta in the early 80's I purchased a 92SBC to carry as a small town cop. Later when the M9 was adopted I decided I needed one to go with my military pistol collection.

Today I carry a issued Beretta 92D Centurion on duty working as a cop. I am a firearms instructor and armorer as well for the pistol. I have a duplicate pistol for off duty carry as well. I have become a big fan of the Beretta Brand but if limited to one or the other I would go with the simpler GLOCK.

[srfl]

Originally posted by FotoTomas
(SNIP)Mack Bolan in the "Executioner" book series was my next stop into things Beretta. I read a lot in my youth. (SNIP)

My goodness....I thought I was the only person that read about Mack Bolan with his Beretta 93R firing 9mm "tumblers" as Don Pendleton would put it.

[FotoTomas]

Let's not forget the Beretta 951 "Brigadier" with silencer and his 44 Auto Mag! :)

[ffcracker]

My first Beretta was the 950BS.
I have wanted a 92 ever since I was a kid and played with realistic toy Beretta's.
To this day I have still not purchased one but I feel myself getting very close to this. I saw a decent used one at my local gun shop just the other day...

[VinVega]

What got me into Beretta's was GI Joe. Really. When I was young I had all kinds of them, and they all had Beretta 92's that came with them. I figured if GI Joe had them, they must be good. Then, one day when I was about 15, got a gun mag that had the Beretta 92 featured, and how well built it was, and how well it fit the hand, basically that it was a flawless gun. I liked that. Went to a couple of gun shows, handled a few, and FINALLY bought me one this year. I couldn't be any more pleased with a gun. So, GI Joe got me started.

[Beerslayer]

My story is a bit embarassing in hindsight. I wasn't interested in Berettas when I first started out.

Early on in my attempts to learn handguns, I was at the range trying feverish to overcome my wonky inconsistencies of hitting anything with my G22. One of the shooters on the next alley, just being sociable, offered to switch weapons with me just to try it out. Just so happens he had a 92FS (with 10-round mags, as this was during the Ban.) I X-ringed all ten shots with it, including the first shot being less than a half-inch off perfect center. He looked at my hits on his target, and said "That's your gun" -- meaning, that's a model of weapon that works for me.

So, I bought me a 92FS. It's too big for carry but it gets a lot of my range work. Since then a lot of training and a lot of range time have wisened me up.

If someone had said 3 years ago that I'd have a Beretta 9mm, I would have laughed. Now I'm glad I do.

[Generalcarry]

Love at first sight. I bought this in 92FS in 1980. Ended up buying other guns so I wouldn't mess up the looks on this one. Dumb ehhh...........LOL

[Justin1584]

Had to choose a first pistol with my dad at around the age of 17 once I had saved up the money. It was a no-brainer, I wanted something I could blow thousands of rounds through, keep by my side, and pass down.

[Lior]

The first handgun I fired was a Beretta 71, at the age of 28. It's a very easy gun for teaching a novice - with a nice soft SA trigger. I then had the "privilege" of carrying one for a year as a reserve LEO. It's a ridiculously poor choice for a police service gun, on the account of its .22LR caliber and eight round capacity, but the police doesn't have the budget to train reservists any better. Also a lot of girls on the force carry them if they have trouble gripping BHPs (a vastly superior combat pistol). I still like to shoot 71s at the range for the fun value.

1951s, Hilwans and 84s used to be relatively common occurrences here. 92s are rarer. But my God - the 92FS looks so good that it's difficult to take your eyes off one. An excellent fusing of form and function. Perhaps in 450 years Glocks will look as pretty as Berettas do today.

[armybass]

I first fired the 92FS in the Army when I had to qualify on the M9 and I dug it but was not really into non-revolvers at the time. I now carry one on duty and it is my main weapon. I went to buy one for myself and actually wound up getting a G17 instead and that is what got me into Glocks. I am still wanting a 92FS of my own and have found a few used ones in local shops and think one will be in my future.


I also read lots of Mac Bolan books when I was a kid.

[kmrcstintn]

I like the reliablilty, ease of operation, ease of maintenance, accuracy, acquired taste of the ergonomics, and quality of workmanship that it contains. I especially like the fact that is has been severely torture tested by our military during 2 major trials (the original xm9 and the subsequent xm10) and that it has been and continues to serve several military and many law enforcement agencies in the US and internationally.

The M-9 Beretta
Story by SFC Larry Lane
The Beretta M-9 pistol has been the United States' standard military sidearm since 1985, and some 400,000 are now in service.
Photo by SFC Douglas Ide

TEN years after becoming the Army's sidearm of choice, the M-9 Beretta pistol has found a home in the arms room. About 400,000 M-9s are in the inventory throughout the branches, pushing out the older M-1911A1 .45-caliber pistol, a weapon with an 80-year military history, and 4-inch-barrel, .38-caliber revolvers.
The Colt-designed M-1911A1 served soldiers well in many wars; some older soldiers argued, why replace it? As with other Army weapons, competition proved the M-9 to be the best sidearm.
To get the nod, the M-9 had to meet strict requirements for functional reliability, speed of first shot, rapidity of fire, speed of reloading, range, penetration and accuracy to 50 yards. Also, the pistol's components had to be interchangeable, so a working weapon could be pieced together from the parts of others.

Richard Ford tests an M-9's trigger pull during its final assembly checks at the Beretta USA factory in Accokeek, Md.
Photo by SFC Larry Lane

The M-9 went through a series of rugged tests to evaluate its functionality. An extreme climatic test checked its ability to withstand temperatures between minus 40 and 140 degrees. A 10-day salt water immersion and humidity trial tested its resistance to corrosion. It tackled mud, sand, dirt and water to test its operation under adverse field conditions. A fully loaded weapon was dropped four feet onto a hard surface to test for accidental discharge.
The M-9 was the first Army pistol Spec. Shelly Cave fired. She had fired her father's rifles, but it just wasn't the same. Now assigned to the 437th Military Police Company at Fort Belvoir, Va., Cave depends on her ability to use the weapon. It didn't take long for her to become an expert shot.
"It's not that hard a weapon to qualify with the first time," Cave said. "It's like a point-and-shoot kind of thing. It doesn't have as much of a kick as your M-16 rifle does. It will throw your hand up, but not very much. You have to be steady, but it's real easy to fire."
With 14 years in the Army, SFC Tony Cotton, a platoon sergeant with the 437th MP Co., has made his own comparison between weapons. He likes the design and accuracy of the M-9.
"The 'nine' is a steadier weapon and a lot easier to fire," he said. "The .45s were kind of tricky. Sometimes you had to fire at the lower right hand of the target to hit the center. The 'nine' shoots straight where you aim."
The .45 had more stopping power, he said, meaning the round stopped a target from moving forward once hit. "But you have more rounds with the 'nine.' Instead of seven rounds, you have 15. That's a plus."

Pistol frames are heat treated to increase the aluminum alloy's hardness and fatigue resistance.
Photo by Beretta USA

Other M-9 design features Cotton appreciates are the grip, which is curved toward a shooter's hand, the easier trigger pull and the white-dot enhanced sight for night firing.
Randy Stach, manager of industrial engineering for the Beretta USA Corporation in Accokeek, Md., oversees the daily machining of M-9 parts and final pistol assembly. He wants soldiers to know they can count on the weapon.
"It's a self-defense weapon, and a targeting weapon. It does what it's supposed to do," Stach said.
To test the ability to swap pistol components, testers fired and then disassembled 10 weapons. The parts were randomly put back together, then the weapons were fired again with no problems. If needed, the parts of weapons can be cannibalized to create a working pistol from broken ones.

A robotic laser checks every dimension of the pistol's frame.
Photo by Beretta USA

Stach has heard the arguments on the stopping-power difference between the M-1911A1 and the M-9, but said the newer pistol's accuracy and ease of firing make it a more dependable weapon.
"You don't need to knock someone down if you hit him right between the eyes," he said. "You hit what you intend to hit."
Lack of stopping power is SSgt. John Sproch's primary complaint about the M-9. A platoon sergeant with the 10th Mountain Division's 25th Aviation Regiment, Sproch has been issued the M-9, the .45 and even the .38 caliber pistol.
"The main drawback with the M-9 Beretta is the stopping power," Sproch said. "To me, the 9 mm is a 'fast' round and punches through the targets. It doesn't have the full stopping power that a slower caliber and bigger round does."

"I think if you learn to shoot the M-9 pistol and take care of it, it will support you when you need it."

In his 11 years of service, Sproch has deployed to Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and Haiti; those deployments offered insights on how well each weapon worked under field conditions.
"I was crewing Hueys in Saudi Arabia and we didn't carry M-16s. We only carried M-60 machine guns and the .45s. When the '60s jam, you go to the .45s," he said.
He said he had no problems engaging targets with the .45; however, he found it harder to hit targets with the 9 mm. The lightness of the weapon, he said, made it a little more difficult to qualify with.
Maj. Martin Culp, a pilot with the 25th Avn. Regt., also has some personal experience with all of the Army's issued sidearms. He thinks the M-9 is the better pistol.
"I shot the M-1911A1 when I first came in the Army, both in ROTC and my first couple of assignments. As an aviation officer, I had .38s and .45s. I thought both shot well," Culp said.
"I've shot the 9 mm for the past five years and I think it shoots fine."
In harsh and sandy environments such as Saudi Arabia or Somalia, weapons need to be cleaned often. And the Beretta is easy to take apart and clean, he said.

Every pistol is test-fired, disassembled and checked for stress, then reassembled and tested again at a range of 50 meters.
Photo by Beretta USA

"Somalia was very dusty, with a lot of sand," he said. "I have several personal weapons, so I'm pretty familiar with pistols in general. The M-9 wasn't difficult to take apart and keep clean."
Culp said he has confidence in the Beretta's performance, and that even if the 9 mm round sacrifices some stopping power, the weapon would serve him well if needed.
"I think if I had to use the 9 mm Beretta, I would hit what I was aiming at, and the effect would be there," Culp said. "I think if you learn to shoot the M-9 pistol and take proper care of it, then it will support you when you need it."

Know Your Weapon
Size: 960 grams unloaded. It is 217 mm long, 38 mm wide and has a barrel length of 125 mm.
Operation: Semi-automatic.
Ammunition: 9 mm ball.
Trigger: Double-action/single action. The first round is fired double-action, requiring more pressure on the trigger than the following shots. Each subsequent round is fired single-action, requiring less trigger pressure and allowing more-rapid firing.
Safety: Triple safety. When the ambidextrous safety lever is moved to the safe position, the striker is rotated out of alignment, the hammer is decocked, and the trigger bar is disconnected from the hammer/sear mechanism.
Slide: Opens for nearly the entire length of the barrel, facilitating shell ejection and allowing easier access to the chamber to clear a jam or for directly feeding a round into the chamber.
Finish: Exterior surfaces have a non-glare, corrosion-resistant, black-matte finish.
Grips: Black plastic checkered grip grooved front and back for better control.
Frame/slide: Light aluminum-alloy frame, sand-blasted and anodized black; steel slide.
Magazine: 15-round capacity. The magazine-release button can be reversed for left-handed shooters.
Number fielded: Approximately 400,000.

[SSean]

I would have to say it was love at first site with the 92fs for me as well. I always thought it was a good looking gun from the moment I saw it. The more I started looking into guns, this one was recomeded to me by multiple people. I shot one for the first time a few days ago....let me just say that I wasn't planning on buying another 9mm for a while (not that I dont like them, just wanted to mix things up a bit in adding to my collection) but I'm DEFINATLEY going to have to make an exception. I was at the range with a friend of mine who rented the 92fs. I was shooting below par that day, but was nearly dead on with the few rounds I put through the 92fs. Slide felt like it was on ball bearings, the gun was easy to control, and my shots went exactly where I wanted. You can bet you'll be seeing one in my sig within the next month :cool:

[Spotlight]

Well, being me italian it was an obliged choice.

Notwithstanding, I own Walther, H&K and Mauser too, but I prefere my 98FS for its reliability, aestethics, materials and all-round features.

If a non US weapon has been adopted by US forces there would have been a good reason.

[Gustavo]

I've always liked them, I've heard about Berettas since a while ago, I think it wasn't even the U.S army gun when I already liked them. I have a Taurus and a Stainless 96 Vertec. Love both.

[DAVE RICHARDS]

Like many when it became our Armed Forces sidearm. Bought a 92 and got ribbed by my friends for not carrying a "mans gun" (read 1911 .45). Sold the Beretta because of all the horror stories of 9mm failures (we are talking 20 years ago).
At the time I believed all the one shot stop b.s.. Now we have better rounds and know any of the better jhp's 9mm or up will work if you do your part. The Beretta's big. But also very accurate, reliable, and damn sexy!

[thurn55]

I have always been interested in law enforcement, the military, and cars. Before the internet, I would constantly read books on the subjects. I always heard good things about the Beretta M9 via the United States Armed Forces, etc. When I decided I wanted a pistol, I went straight for a Beretta 92FS. I fell in love with it, and in 2000 I had to buy a 9000S. I got it in 9x19mm so I could use the same mags from the 92-Series. Though I love Beretta, I opted for a Glock 37 in .45GAP when I wanted a .45 (had always heard good things about Glock). Also picked up a Glock 26 for concealed-carry. I still want more Beretta's, not to mention other brands, to continue my growing collection. I plan to get a Cx4 Storm in 9x19mm, 92FS Vertec (to use my M3 TI from my G37), and a Px4 Storm (probably 9x19mm, but I would like something in .40S&W) when it arrives in stores. I do have a long dream-gun list, however (M4 Carbine .223Rem, H&K MP5 9mm (only if...), H&K USP Tactical .45ACP, Kimber Custom TLE II .45ACP, H&K MSG90 .308Win, Stoner SR-25 .308Win, Springfield XD, something in .357 SIG, a Beretta over-under 12 gauge shotgun, a Benelli semi-auto 12 gauge, Sako TRG 22-42 in .308Win, Liberator single-shot .45ACP (if I can find one), original Luger in 9mm, G19, G18 (only if...), G39, etc.

[ShipWreck]

Originally posted by p01ic3m4n
Kuffs. when he walks into the gun shop and says, "i need a really big gun that holds a lot of bullets." the dealer handed him a beretta 92FS.

I love that movie...

I think Lethal Weapon and Die Hard did it for me. I fell for the Glock 17 first, though, because of the 2 extra rounds. But, my first G17 was a jam a matic. EVentually traded it for a G19, and then got a Beretta 92 in 1998. Still have it.

[9mmhp]

Originally posted by ShipWreck
I love that movie...

I think Lethal Weapon and Die Hard did it for me.

Same here.

[isuzu]

I couldn't afford to buy a Beretta 92F in 1996 (it was P15,000 more expensive than a Taurus PT 92), so I settled for the latter. I later bought a Glock 17. Comparing the two, honestly, I was comfortable with the PT92 more than the Glock 17. My friend's dad wanted to trade his stainless PT92 to my Glock, but for some reason, it never materialized. I ended up selling my Glock 17 and retaining the PT 92.

I'm happy with my decision.