Model12Win
Moderator
Guys I finally got my Home Defense (HD) pistol set up just right! It's a Beretta 92A1, and boy is it nice!
I was looking for a metal-frame duty-sized gun, specifically a DA/SA one as my preferred method is to have the gun chambered and decocked on the nightstand ready to go. I prefer not to have to think about a safety in the heat of the moment, and do not feel comfortable leaving a striker fired pistol in the open. The long and heavy first trigger stroke gives me peace of mind, just like on a revolver, but of course with much more firepower available.
I was drawn to the Beretta platform due to being familiar with them through my employment, and always loving the classic design. I decided to choose the 92A1 model as it comes with an accessory rail and this particular SKU comes with Trijicon night sights, both added bonuses for low-light use. I picked this one up for a solid price as a blue label gun.
The 92A1 is set up nicely out of the box, but I wanted to make some changes to it to enhance and personalize it for the purpose of a dedicated home defense handgun. These changes are:
1. Replaced plastic parts with all-metal parts:
As some may or may or may not know, Beretta has been putting plastic and plastic-coated parts in 92 series guns for some time now. To be fair, these parts have been thoroughly tested and vetted by experts as being just as good and in some cases (such as in sandy environments) beneficial. Still, I wanted steel. It's a personal choice, call me old school.
I replaced the guide rod assembly, trigger, lanyard loop, and magazine release all with Beretta factory metal units. I will have to say that I feel like the parts just work "smoother" over the plastic parts. The slide seems to be a little easier to rack with the all metal recoil assembly, the magazine release feels smoother for sure, and the trigger feels far superior against my finger. Changing the lanyard loop was unnecessary, but I wanted to say I had an "all metal" pistol so it had to go!
2. Replaced factory grips with VZ G10 Grips:
The Beretta 92 series has for decades come with the same checkered black plastic grips we all know. These grips are fine, offering decent enough grip and they match the gun well. Simply standard. But I wanted a little more of an aggressive texture and more solid feel. I went with VZ Grips "Tactical Slants" G10 material ones in "Black/Gray" and they are just superb. I also replaced the factory slotted grip screws with hex head screws secured with o-rings included with the grips. They are much "grippier" than the factory grips and are a little slimmer as well, fitting my hand perfectly. These are a great product as they help you to maintain a firm grip on the gun, limiting its movement under recoil... and they look so cool!
3. Installed "G-Series" Decocker Kit:
One of the main problems some shooters find with the Beretta 92's slide-mounted safety-decocker is that it can inadvertently be placed on "safe" when racking the slide after a reload. It can also be left down accidentally after decocking. Both of these situations can lead to a dead trigger at the wrong moment. This is avoided with proper training and technique, but still, it is a possibility and can be thought of as a design flaw.
To remedy this, Beretta has developed a separate decocker only conversion kit that can be installed on a Beretta 92. A decocker-only version of the Beretta 92 has been available, designated the "G" model. This kit replicates the function of that pistol. When you press the decocker lever down, it pops right back up via a small spring located inside the safety mechanism, essentially making it impossible to put the gun on safe. This prevents the safety being left on and the dead trigger problem that results when the safety is applied with the slide locked open during reloading. I greatly appreciate this kit and found it a fun install that could make a big difference for sure.
4. Installed D-Hammer Spring:
There is a version of the Beretta 92 known as the "D" model. This is a DAO (Double-Action Only) pistol that has seen service with some police departments like the St. Louis PD. With this model, there is no way to fire the gun in single action. Needless to say this can be problematic for accuracy but was done to appease requirements by some departments. To help improve the DAO trigger, Beretta lightened their standard mainspring by a few pounds to provide a smoother pull, but still made sure that it would not result in light primer hits. This same spring is a very popular item to place in standard 92s, and it does improve the trigger notably yet is still very safe and secure for defensive purposes.
5. Attached a Streamlight TLR-1 HL Weapons Light:
I know this is a point of contention for some people, and heavily endorsed by others, but I personally choose to have a weapons-mounted light available on ALL of my personal defense firearms. As a dedicated HD pistol, I was sure I wanted one on my gun. Some searching led me to the Streamlight TLR-1 HL light, and I have been extremely satisfied with it. It is very bright and I like the controls and ability to be programmed to disable the strobe function, which I am not a fan of. It has been a great light so far and has held up very well. Many LEOs use this light with great success, it's a real winner to be sure.
6. Obtained Mec-Gar 20 Round Extended Magazines:
I wanted a large amount of firepower as this will be my primary home defense weapon as I believe a handgun is the most handy and most likely available weapon in most realistic home defense scenarios. After much reading, it appears several industry experts such as Bill Wilson (of Wilson Combat) and Ernest Langdon use Mec-Gar magazines in their Beretta 92s. Mec-Gar is an Italian manufacturer of very high-quality magazines and something like half of all pistol makers contract Mec-Gar to make their magazines. With a smooth black "friction reducing" coating and 20 round capacity via a +2 extension, these magazines are just awesome. Many in the Beretta 92 community considers these the best magazines (along with the 18 round version) ever made for the Beretta 92, even being as good if not superior to factory units. I am normally not for "aftermarket" magazines, preferring factory ones only, but this is a rare exception to the rule. These mags have been flawless over several hundred rounds and I trust them, and you can't deny the firepower they provide.
So that's "it" as far as upgrades!
I have fired a few boxes of 115 Federal ball and Winchester 9mm NATO 124 grain ball through the gun, as well as 150 rounds of Speer Gold Dot 124 grain standard pressure ammo, my preferred load for home defense. The gun has been 100% flawless and its ejection pattern is so consistent I could probably set up a cup and catch all the brass. The gun operate so smoothly. I should mention the 92A1s are produced in Italy. I also have an M9 made in the US at Beretta USA. I will have to say the Italian made one does exhibit slightly better fit and finish and seems to operate a bit nicer, but the US made M9 is still of excellent quality and the difference is very minor.
Accuracy is just excellent with this gun, too. It is a weighty rig which helps reduce recoil, especially with the flashlight attached reducing muzzle flip. Overall I could not be happier with this gun and it reeks of fine European quality and style. It is an amazing shooter than fits my hand like a dream, and looks fantastic if I do say so myself. Just one of the nicest pistols I have ever owned, I've been looking for this type of gun for a long time, and am glad to finally say my search is over for my "perfect" home defense handgun.
Thanks for reading and take care!!
-M12
I was looking for a metal-frame duty-sized gun, specifically a DA/SA one as my preferred method is to have the gun chambered and decocked on the nightstand ready to go. I prefer not to have to think about a safety in the heat of the moment, and do not feel comfortable leaving a striker fired pistol in the open. The long and heavy first trigger stroke gives me peace of mind, just like on a revolver, but of course with much more firepower available.
I was drawn to the Beretta platform due to being familiar with them through my employment, and always loving the classic design. I decided to choose the 92A1 model as it comes with an accessory rail and this particular SKU comes with Trijicon night sights, both added bonuses for low-light use. I picked this one up for a solid price as a blue label gun.
The 92A1 is set up nicely out of the box, but I wanted to make some changes to it to enhance and personalize it for the purpose of a dedicated home defense handgun. These changes are:
1. Replaced plastic parts with all-metal parts:
As some may or may or may not know, Beretta has been putting plastic and plastic-coated parts in 92 series guns for some time now. To be fair, these parts have been thoroughly tested and vetted by experts as being just as good and in some cases (such as in sandy environments) beneficial. Still, I wanted steel. It's a personal choice, call me old school.
I replaced the guide rod assembly, trigger, lanyard loop, and magazine release all with Beretta factory metal units. I will have to say that I feel like the parts just work "smoother" over the plastic parts. The slide seems to be a little easier to rack with the all metal recoil assembly, the magazine release feels smoother for sure, and the trigger feels far superior against my finger. Changing the lanyard loop was unnecessary, but I wanted to say I had an "all metal" pistol so it had to go!
2. Replaced factory grips with VZ G10 Grips:
The Beretta 92 series has for decades come with the same checkered black plastic grips we all know. These grips are fine, offering decent enough grip and they match the gun well. Simply standard. But I wanted a little more of an aggressive texture and more solid feel. I went with VZ Grips "Tactical Slants" G10 material ones in "Black/Gray" and they are just superb. I also replaced the factory slotted grip screws with hex head screws secured with o-rings included with the grips. They are much "grippier" than the factory grips and are a little slimmer as well, fitting my hand perfectly. These are a great product as they help you to maintain a firm grip on the gun, limiting its movement under recoil... and they look so cool!
3. Installed "G-Series" Decocker Kit:
One of the main problems some shooters find with the Beretta 92's slide-mounted safety-decocker is that it can inadvertently be placed on "safe" when racking the slide after a reload. It can also be left down accidentally after decocking. Both of these situations can lead to a dead trigger at the wrong moment. This is avoided with proper training and technique, but still, it is a possibility and can be thought of as a design flaw.
To remedy this, Beretta has developed a separate decocker only conversion kit that can be installed on a Beretta 92. A decocker-only version of the Beretta 92 has been available, designated the "G" model. This kit replicates the function of that pistol. When you press the decocker lever down, it pops right back up via a small spring located inside the safety mechanism, essentially making it impossible to put the gun on safe. This prevents the safety being left on and the dead trigger problem that results when the safety is applied with the slide locked open during reloading. I greatly appreciate this kit and found it a fun install that could make a big difference for sure.
4. Installed D-Hammer Spring:
There is a version of the Beretta 92 known as the "D" model. This is a DAO (Double-Action Only) pistol that has seen service with some police departments like the St. Louis PD. With this model, there is no way to fire the gun in single action. Needless to say this can be problematic for accuracy but was done to appease requirements by some departments. To help improve the DAO trigger, Beretta lightened their standard mainspring by a few pounds to provide a smoother pull, but still made sure that it would not result in light primer hits. This same spring is a very popular item to place in standard 92s, and it does improve the trigger notably yet is still very safe and secure for defensive purposes.
5. Attached a Streamlight TLR-1 HL Weapons Light:
I know this is a point of contention for some people, and heavily endorsed by others, but I personally choose to have a weapons-mounted light available on ALL of my personal defense firearms. As a dedicated HD pistol, I was sure I wanted one on my gun. Some searching led me to the Streamlight TLR-1 HL light, and I have been extremely satisfied with it. It is very bright and I like the controls and ability to be programmed to disable the strobe function, which I am not a fan of. It has been a great light so far and has held up very well. Many LEOs use this light with great success, it's a real winner to be sure.
6. Obtained Mec-Gar 20 Round Extended Magazines:
I wanted a large amount of firepower as this will be my primary home defense weapon as I believe a handgun is the most handy and most likely available weapon in most realistic home defense scenarios. After much reading, it appears several industry experts such as Bill Wilson (of Wilson Combat) and Ernest Langdon use Mec-Gar magazines in their Beretta 92s. Mec-Gar is an Italian manufacturer of very high-quality magazines and something like half of all pistol makers contract Mec-Gar to make their magazines. With a smooth black "friction reducing" coating and 20 round capacity via a +2 extension, these magazines are just awesome. Many in the Beretta 92 community considers these the best magazines (along with the 18 round version) ever made for the Beretta 92, even being as good if not superior to factory units. I am normally not for "aftermarket" magazines, preferring factory ones only, but this is a rare exception to the rule. These mags have been flawless over several hundred rounds and I trust them, and you can't deny the firepower they provide.
So that's "it" as far as upgrades!
I have fired a few boxes of 115 Federal ball and Winchester 9mm NATO 124 grain ball through the gun, as well as 150 rounds of Speer Gold Dot 124 grain standard pressure ammo, my preferred load for home defense. The gun has been 100% flawless and its ejection pattern is so consistent I could probably set up a cup and catch all the brass. The gun operate so smoothly. I should mention the 92A1s are produced in Italy. I also have an M9 made in the US at Beretta USA. I will have to say the Italian made one does exhibit slightly better fit and finish and seems to operate a bit nicer, but the US made M9 is still of excellent quality and the difference is very minor.
Accuracy is just excellent with this gun, too. It is a weighty rig which helps reduce recoil, especially with the flashlight attached reducing muzzle flip. Overall I could not be happier with this gun and it reeks of fine European quality and style. It is an amazing shooter than fits my hand like a dream, and looks fantastic if I do say so myself. Just one of the nicest pistols I have ever owned, I've been looking for this type of gun for a long time, and am glad to finally say my search is over for my "perfect" home defense handgun.
Thanks for reading and take care!!
-M12
) but not too hard.
Though mine is completely stock except for the VZ grips of course. Yours VZ grips look great on your 92A1. I have been thinking of installing the G decocker kit and the D spring on mine as well. Here's are a few pics of mine:
