Italian Made Pre-Ban Beretta 92

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bad_dad_brad

New member
My dealer has recently aquired a pre-ban hicap 9mm 15 round un-used Beretta 92, made in Italy (not one of the 92FS USA made models). He wants 580 dollars for it. It is so big and blued very nicely, a very nice piece. I asked with skepticism where he got it and all he could say is that sometimes they turn up.

The trigger on this art work is very very smooth in both DA and SA mode. I have always wanted a 92 but the grip has always been a bit large for my small hands, but this grip seems okay. It has an ambidextrious safety but no decocker. It is a beautiful gun and like a beautiful woman, I am so very tempted.

What is the story on this pistol and is it worth the premium price? Regardless, I may snatch it up anyway, just for fun on the range. Opinions?
 
It has a decocker. When you pull back the hammer and then flip on the safety, it decocks the gun. You can't carry cocked and locked.

Anyway, I have a stainless Italian Beretta, and it is flawless. What a great gun. It'll eat anything. Hi-caps are readily available, and cheap. It is big, though.

Not sure about the price. Check out www.gunbroker.com and www.auctionarms.com. Also, try www.gunsamerica.com. They may give you an idea. I bought my Beretta years ago, and haven't priced them recently.
 
Interesting branrot, but I could not get the gun to go in to safety after cocking it. Maybe I just need to inspect it some more. Thanks for the tip.
 
I have 2. One is a 92 Centurion I bought in 1992 and the other is a recent acquisition...a 92fs inox also made in 1992. I stocked up on 15 round mags way back when, so that's not a problem.
As for the big grip. I've gotten use to it over the years. I just dig those Italian 92's ;)
 
In my opinion the Italian-made Beretta 92's are MUCH better made than the US-made ones. I have an Italian 92fs that I bought new around 1991 or so, and it has never malfunctioned in several thousand rounds of use. I once bought a US-made one as a spare, but eventually sold it as I much prefered the Italy gun. The US-made gun had a sloppier slide/frame fit, visible tooling marks, and a rougher trigger. I also didn't care for the long product warning stamp on the right side or the lack of sexy Italian proof marks like on the Italian gun. $580 is a little bit high, but you may never see another one so if you have the money I say grab it.
 
Yes, they did. The original 92 had a frame mounted safety just like a Taurus PT92/940/945. No decocking ability though.
 
Beretta offers their 92 series with either a slide- or frame-mounted safety in Europe. German shooters, for example, can buy the 92FS with the frame-mounted safety if that's what they prefer..there's a stock pistol class in Germany which apparently makes a cocked & locked 92FS feasible.
 
BlueDuck makes a good point. If it's a frame mounted safety, I'm not sure if it has a decocker. Mine is a slide mounted safety. To test it, unload it, put the safety into the fire position, and cock the hammer back. Then flip the safety to safe. It should decock the hammer.
 
The old Italian ones not only had the frame-mounted safety (which does not de-cock) they had the mag eject release lever down near the bottom of the grip. I am not sure if the magazines for those type are the same as the new ones?

Personally, I like the FS safety/decocker better than the old "sear-block" safety mounted on the frame. You can carry the old ones cocked-and-locked because of the older safety. I've never understood why when it's a DA pistol anyway. Just carry it chambered with the safety off and you've got a point-and-pull weapon like a wheelgun.
 
Beretta still makes a 92 that has a frame mounted safety, called the "Stock". You can get them in America, but they're pricey. :(
 
Well, I went back to my dealer on Friday with every intention of buying the Beretta. Then I learn a bit more about this piece. Seems it belonged to a gun salesman as demonstrater. I looked it over closer and it looks like the slide had been racked about a million times and the magazine had lost a lot of blueing from being extracted frequently. The frame rail had exposed metal as did parts of the barrel. And it had the faint hint of gunpowder in the chamber. This is clearly a "used" gun and not worth the premium price even with hi-cap magazines. Regardless I am sure it will sell quickly, but if someone is going to put scratches on my gun, I want it to be me.

It did have a decocker by the way, it was just a booger to operate with my small hands. I like the 92, but I would have to go with the Vertec model to fit my grip.
 
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