Surplus Beretta 92S’s

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Anyone have any experience with surplus Beretta 92S’s coming from Italy? I’m seeing some fair prices on them and just want to make sure I’m not getting into a clunker. The lower prices seems to come from visible wear on the guns, resurfacing the slides a few decades ago, and an odd mag release button location (located at the bottom of the grip).

Is there anything I should be aware of?

I’m seeing the following slide resurfacing types, none of which I know anything about:
Burlington Oxide
Blue/Oxide

I can see the visible difference between blue and burnitron (blue is shiny, burnitron is matte). Any appreciable difference between the two?

Any advice is helpful. This will just be a fun gun for the range.
 
They are good shooters, not really much different than a 92f/fs. I’d Swap out the hammer spring if it were mine, but not much else. Just make sure any additional mags you get have the lower cutout for the heel mag release. Classic Firearms always have them at around $299.
 
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Mine looks new and with a new fitted pipe, shoots like the dickins.
 
The condition will vary. Some are unissued guns some have been rode hard and put away wet. They have been coming in for a few years now. I picked one up a few years back. The only wear on the gun was on the slide lock which must have been resting on something because it shows some finish wear. They are great shooters. I agree with @chris69 you should swap the mainspring to a D spring. They shoot great but the sights are by modern day standards subpar.

There is some question to the manufacture date of the pristine guns. The assumed date code is too late to match the time of manufacture. My gun has a BU date code which would be 2004 but the gun was made well before that. It is believed that they were kept in storage per a contact requirement and were only date coded once they were to be sold to the general public as surplus so the date code is later than the manufacture date. Many of them have the upgraded locking block. Mine does.

Not all 92 mags will work in the gun. Only mags with the cutout at the bottom will work. I have several current production mags that work in the 92S. They are beautiful old school Berettas made in a way they don't make them now. The blue is pristine and for me they are a perfect example of a 92. I don't shoot it often but when I do it brings a smile to my face.

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I haven't handled any 92S since I was in Italy in 90' working with the Italian SF. Guns were super smooth in the cycling and handling. I would love to have another.

CD
 
The condition will vary. Some are unissued guns some have been rode hard and put away wet. They have been coming in for a few years now. I picked one up a few years back. The only wear on the gun was on the slide lock which must have been resting on something because it shows some finish wear. They are great shooters. I agree with @chris69 you should swap the mainspring to a D spring. They shoot great but the sights are by modern day standards subpar.

There is some question to the manufacture date of the pristine guns. The assumed date code is too late to match the time of manufacture. My gun has a BU date code which would be 2004 but the gun was made well before that. It is believed that they were kept in storage per a contact requirement and were only date coded once they were to be sold to the general public as surplus so the date code is later than the manufacture date. Many of them have the upgraded locking block. Mine does.

Not all 92 mags will work in the gun. Only mags with the cutout at the bottom will work. I have several current production mags that work in the 92S. They are beautiful old school Berettas made in a way they don't make them now. The blue is pristine and for me they are a perfect example of a 92. I don't shoot it often but when I do it brings a smile to my face.

Aqmk2K2.gif


wrbPqKW.gif
Thanks for the info!

The ones I’m looking at say they’re from 1977-79, and most of them look like it! Many have a lot of grip wear, like whomever used them had one or two rings on their shooting hand. I think the wear adds character, especially when they come with the backstory of being used by some Italian police department or military.

What’s up with the main spring? Do they get weak or something? Cause of a misfire or jam?
 
I haven't handled any 92S since I was in Italy in 90' working with the Italian SF. Guns were super smooth in the cycling and handling. I would love to have another.

CD
There’s a dealer out of TN with many of them on GunBroker. $270-$320 depending on condition.
 
I picked one of these up a couple of months ago and I absolutely love it! It is a fun range gun. Pleasant to shoot and capable or really good accuracy. Mine will hold a one and a half inch group at 7 yds. Plenty good for what I use it for. And that is with a bore that has clearly been neglected. Light pitting on the grooves but crisp and clean lands. One thing though, the sights are very low profile and not easy to pick up quickly. This is something you have to live with in this gun as the front sight is part of the frame and there is not enough metal to cut a dovetail. I suppose there are fixes for this like building it up and swapping out the rear or even replacing the whole slide with a modified fs but IMO it is not worth the effort or expense on an older inexpensive firearm like this. This one will just be enjoyed as it is.
 
There’s a dealer out of TN with many of them on GunBroker. $270-$320 depending on condition.

Robertson’s Trading post in TN is that dealer. The guns were all imported by PW Arms. IIRC they gave crates and crates of them. It seems like every year another reseller gets a shipment from PW and there is renewed interest. The first ones showed up around 2014.

Thanks for the info!

The ones I’m looking at say they’re from 1977-79, and most of them look like it! Many have a lot of grip wear, like whomever used them had one or two rings on their shooting hand. I think the wear adds character, especially when they come with the backstory of being used by some Italian police department or military.

What’s up with the main spring? Do they get weak or something? Cause of a misfire or jam?

The surplus 92s run from the late 1976 to until the 92F was introduced. These guns were sold to the Swiss in 2014 IIRC who then sold them to PW Arms. The rumor was there were used by the Italian Interior Ministry but I am not sure that has ever been verified.

You replace the mainspring with a “D” because it will lighten the DA/SA pull and still give you reliable ignition. They are pretty universally considered an essential upgrade to any 92 series pistol by seasoned Beretta shooters. It is a very simple process and costs about $5.
 
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Help me out on this spring replacement. I'm searching MidWay and there are quite a few springs that come up. I'm a rookie at replacing springs and I know nothing about the guts of a 92.
 
Also, any tan leather holster recommendations? I'm zeroing in on a Galco. I like the retention model ("Fletch" model). Any others I should consider? Not sure if @gunbelt makes leather formed holsters or not...
 
Help me out on this spring replacement. I'm searching MidWay and there are quite a few springs that come up. I'm a rookie at replacing springs and I know nothing about the guts of a 92.
I have only ever bought D springs directly from Beretta. The D spring should be advertised as such and easily found. It makes a noticeable difference in the DA trigger pull. You might shoot it decide that the trigger pull is fine for you without the spring upgrade.
 
I thought he makes kydex stuff only. I really want a good tan leather holster.
He made this to measure for me, my choice of color, contrasting thread and even considering the height of my front sight.

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I thought he makes kydex stuff only. I really want a good tan leather holster.
Actually, unless he’s make a big change, what he doesn’t make is kydex only. His specialty is all leather and leather/kydex hybrids. I wish you’d asked during the show ‘cause I carry a VP9SK in one of his hybrids.
 
Help me out on this spring replacement. I'm searching MidWay and there are quite a few springs that come up. I'm a rookie at replacing springs and I know nothing about the guts of a 92.
Be careful replacing the hammer spring on the 92s. The placement of the mag release makes this more complicated than on the other 92's. There is a tiny roll pin that has to be removed so you can can take out the mag release. This has to be done before you can replace the hammer spring. Therr are videos you can find that will show you how to do this. Search beretta 93s complete disassembly and you will find them.
 
Be careful replacing the hammer spring on the 92s. The placement of the mag release makes this more complicated than on the other 92's. There is a tiny roll pin that has to be removed so you can can take out the mag release. This has to be done before you can replace the hammer spring. Therr are videos you can find that will show you how to do this. Search beretta 93s complete disassembly and you will find them.

Yes it is more complicate on a 92s then a 92FS but it is still not a hard process. If this guy can do it anyone can. LMAO
 
Yes it is more complicate on a 92s then a 92FS but it is still not a hard process. If this guy can do it anyone can. LMAO
LOL. Definitely not a cakewalk, but not super hard. It falls somewhere between replacing the hammer strut and mainspring on a Sig and reassembly of a Ruger MKii. Like the dude on The Water-boy says, “you can do it !”.
 
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