Beretta 96D "Slickslide", yes or no?

Robb,

Thank you for that!

I am not a gunsmith, nor do I play one on TV. I have a decent grasp of lockwork on the 1911 and Glock, and am fairly cognoscent of what goes on inside a wheelgun, but will be the first to admit cluelessness as to the workings of a lot of the more popular DA/SA autos out there. I appreciate the info. (Almost enough to want to tear into the gun to examine the details... ;) )
 
I'm still groovin on the Chow Yun Fat stylin M9 matrix dance thing :eek:

Tamara I just got to know, Do you practice in order to be that cool? ;)
 
Tamara,
I can concur on your Beretta experiences. The range that I worked in for a few years had the same problems with the USA ones and less issues with the Italian made.
We did the taurus pt92 trick also. Taurus was real good about stocking us on parts for free ;) lifetime warranty an all. (I think they would get some perverse pleasure out of it anyway)
 
>1. Seems to happen far more often and far more rapidly to U.S.->manufactured 92-series guns than to Italian-made ones.

The larger amount of US made Berettas in the US market is probably why you don't see as many problems with the Italian made ones.
Beretta USA redesigned the 92-series locking block in the mid 1990's, increasing its lifespan by changing both the material used for the part and the basic structural design. The newer style locking block has an expected service life of 17,000 to 22,000 rounds of NATO-spec (+p+) 9mm ammunition. Many shooters have seen these new blocks last well over 50,000 rounds of standard-pressure ammunition. With a Beretta, the removable locking block performs the locking function. So while the part may wear more quickly than a "barrel block" design, the only thing you need to replace is a $50 locking block rather than a $150 barrel and $200 slide.
However, if the locking block does break and the gun continues to be used, it can potentially lead to a broken slide. If the locking block or slide is going to break, it will happen on the right side first, so you should inspect this area whenever there is a possibility of trouble. A broken locking block will still be "safe" to use for approximately 700 rounds, giving the user plenty of time to replace the part.

>2. Doesn't happen anywhere near as often on the >newer "Brigadier" type guns. (We've got a serious IPSC->shooting customer who's got 12-ish thousand and counting >through an Elite with no hiccups other than an original recoil >spring that seemed to get soft awul fast)

I hear this to be true also, I believe its from the slides added weight taking away some the the force applied to the locking block.

>3. Dirty little secret: cracked locking blocks on Maryland-made >Berettas that come in our shop got replaced with Taurus locking >blocks. Much better steel in the opinion of many gunsmiths.(Don't hear about Tauri cracking locking blocks much, do you?)

I haven't heard many people with more than a few thousand rounds through a Taurus. Most of the people I know who own Taurus' bought them because the were cheaper than Berettas and these few people I know shoot them on an average of twice a year shooting maybe 2-300 rounds a year. Also I believe that Taurus doesn't have the slide stop feature to catch the slide if the slide were to fracture.

Robb
 
Have a 96D Brigidier and a 92F and carry them everywhere. Love my Berettas. :D

IMO the 96D Brigidier is the way to go in .40. A Border Patrol friend stated they have over 7,000 in the field and for the most part they hold up just fine. Their duty load is the hot 155 grain Remingtons. If you havent shot this load, its HOT! Because of their hot issue ammo the USBP has modified their 96s with a heavier #15 pound recoil spring made by Wolff Gunsprings. My buddy also stated that they have broken a number of trigger return springs and have since gone to the Wolff INS trigger return spring for the 96D (as per INS contract). The Wolff design is robust and is NP3 coated for smooth operation. I have upgraded with both the recoil springs and the new trigger return spring. Nice!

gunsprings.com

Like most DAOs the more you shoot them, the smoother they become. :cool:

I have about 7,000 rounds through each Beretta. No problems.

IMO the 96D is an asset to your already impressive collection. ;) Enjoy T.!
 
I have experience with a 92D Centurion and find it very easy to shoot. The trigger on this gun is wonderful for a DAO. If I could find one, I'd have it in the blink of an eye. Get yours before someone else does!
 
A dealer here in OKC has new 96D Centurions for $389.00. Is that a good price? Also are high cap magazines available for these guns and if not does anybody know if a model 92 high cap mag will fit in this gun and feed 40 SW ammo?
 
bubbaturbo,

Very good price, especially if those are really NIB guns.

I wouldn't get too worked up over finding non-gelded mags for a .40 cal Beretta; they only hold 11 rounds. 9mm magazines may work, I haven't tried it. The reverse is true, however; I had to confiscate my .40 cal 11-rounder back from my roommate, who's been using it as the spare mag for his 92FS.
 
Go for it, definitely. I bought a 92D more or less as an experiment, then shot it a little before taking it to a SD training course. I usually would have taken something with a lot more hours of familiarization, but I figured this would be a test. Well, I was flat-out amazed. If you are familiar with DA revolver shooting (as I bet you are), you may find that this 96D really sings for you.
 
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