Working The Beretta 92

One of the most reliable and well distributed handguns of the century is the Beretta Model 92. Despite the introduction of the polymer frame 90two and the excellent A1 model, the original 92FS remains one of the most popular handguns in worldwide service. While the pistol has much to recommend there are also problems that can show up on high round count pistols. The Beretta is a reliable and reasonably rugged pistol but there are concerns. Among the common concerns is the loading block.

This design was first used with the Mauser 1896 pistol. Few pistols still use the oscillating wedge but it has worked well, provided the piece is inspected for wear on a regular basis. Wear isn’t always obvious and a close examination for hair line cracks is needed. For some reason best explained by an engineer, the left wing of the Beretta wedge usually breaks first.

The forces loaded onto this wedge with every firing are pretty heavy and it is important that the pistol be kept both clean and well lubricated in order to preserve the operating system. Keep a check for cracks near the indent in the L-shaped wedge and check the wedge every five hundred to one thousand rounds, replacing if there is any sign of cracks, damage or other wear. The wedge is pinned in and replacement simplicity itself.

A considerable argument may be made that the design was intended to allow replacement of the wedge often, although no set round count is generally recommended. Trouble seems to start at around 7,500 rounds. If the wedge does break while firing the slide may be difficult to remove. Never attempt to force the slide off of the frame when the wedge is broken. Some preliminary work must be accomplished first.

By slipping a dental pick or small object into the slide recess, shoring up and supporting the broken wedge, you will be able to run the slide forward and remove the slide. Sometimes it is necessary to use a brass hammer to budge the slide as the broken part may be wedged tighter than normal, as long as the broken piece is supported the slide may be removed from the frame. The broken wedge may impede movement. Usually it will be trapped in the slide rails and not completely stop the slide, only hinder movement.

It is interesting to note that a consensus among gunsmiths and police armorers is that pistols in police service fired with 115 and 124 grain +P and +P+ loads typically fare well in long term service while pistols fired to a high round count with 147 grain subsonic loads often show eccentric

wear on the oscillating wedge much sooner. Military armorers report Beretta pistols fitted with a silencer and using the 147 grain bullet load have the same situation. Best advice is pistols fired extensively with 147 grain loads should be trouble checked more often. A number of months ago we illustrated a broken Walther P 38 slide. The Walther was the primogenitor of the Beretta 92. In some ways, the Beretta 92 is simply a highly developed Walther P 38.

The slide is prone to crack in the same place on the Beretta as the Walther, but this is a rare occurrence. Just the same, when checking the wedge it would be good to also check the slide for incipient slide cracks. One trick passed on from an Army armorer involves using sound to check the slide, using a brass rod to tap the slide. If the slide has a sound similar to that heard with a tuning fork, the slide is fine. If the slide reverberates with a dull thud, the slide is cracked.

This technique requires a deft hand and ear, and in the end a visual inspection under magnification is most recommended. If the slide is cracked it cannot be welded and must be replaced. Cracked slides are not so rare they are never seen but they remain uncommon. There are few handguns with reciprocating slides that do not occasionally break a slide, including the Browning High Power and the Colt 1911. Barrel cracks are most often the result of a pistol fired with large amounts of heavy loads.

These loads may be NATO specification or police type +P loads. The problem isn’t the design of the pistol but the recoil spring becoming worn and tired. The recoil spring should be replaced There is no eccentric wear and the locking wedge remains in good condition. It is not battered or eccentric. every five thousand rounds. If this is done the eccentric wear generated by long firing sessions is mitigated to a great degree.

A warning sign that sometimes comes up is a bit of metal raised in the extractor relief cut of the barrel. This is a sure fire sign that the pistol is being battered and that the recoil spring needs to be replaced. If the barrel is cracked it must be replaced, however, if the routine inspection catches the first signs of wear there is a good chance that the barrel will be saved. Replacing the recoil spring often will eliminate many of the battering problems that occur with the Beretta pistol.

Replacing the recoil spring every 3,500 rounds or so is

The barrel, locking wedge and the slide are all areas of concern for the Beretta, but they are easily addressed during inspection. the cheapest single program to insure along service life. The extractor is pinned in and isn’t very difficult to replace if needed, however, the Beretta 92 extractor seems to never give trouble. Despite this reliability, in police armorer circles it has been recommended to tear this part out annually to remove loose grit, debris and brass shavings building up behind the extractor.

Removing the extractor and cleaning the extractor groove may help the extractor to last longer. This is apart of the Beretta maintenance cycle that will benefit the pistol in the log run. As long as the wedge is inspected regularly, the recoil spring is changed often and attention paid to the extractor once a year, chances are high the Beretta will prove reliable and long lived in service. Among the criticisms of the Beretta is the heavy double action first shot.

Considering the nature of the beast there is little that can be done, however, due to the stock spring rate a slightly lighter trigger can be obtained while maintaining complete reliability. Atrick often used by Beretta shooters is to remove the stock mainspring and replace it with a mainspring from the double action only Beretta 92D and DS models. A stock Beretta 92FS mainspring has a This is the Elite version. Below center: These recoil springs should be in stock.

Be ready to replace the current spring if you deal with the Beretta on a regular basis. This is an early Beretta with a frame mounted safety. preload spring rate of 9 pounds and compression to fire of 12 pounds. A Beretta 92D mainspring has a preload spring rate of 6 pounds and compression to fire of out the pin that holds the lanyard ring/ mainspring housing in place, allowing it to fall out. Assemble the mainspring cover in reverse, driving the pin back in. Another trick

is to replace the Beretta mainspring with one from a Colt 1911, but the Beretta D/DS mainspring seems to work better. The Wolff #16 spring (gunsprings.com) is similar but not quite as light as the Dspring and may require that two coils be cut off in order to achieve a similar let off. A logical concern may arise about ignition reliability being compromised by the lighter hammer spring.

There are different geometric designs at work between a double action only pistol and a double action first shot pistol, but the double action only pistol is designed for police duty so reliability is foremost. After fitting the Dspring to a personal Beretta 92 FS used extensively for training, ignition reliability seems unaffected. The spring was left in for several months and remains in place after firing hundreds of rounds of ammunition training many students.

The pistol has been tested with a variety of commercial Complete your American Gunsmith collection. Or read up on a special subject! A limited number of the following