I no longer trust my Beretta 92FS

[mcbethr 42]

Most of you know that I basically worship at the alter of Pietro Beretta, but I had a range session last night that really bothered me.

 

I was shooting last night and practiced a reload.  When I slammed my hand down to rack the slide I flicked the safety back on.

 

Only here is the problem: I didn't notice.  The gun didn't go click or bang.  Malfunction, right? So I racked the slide again.  And then again.  And that's when I noticed that the safety was on.  

 

I would have been in a lot of trouble if this had happened to me in a fight.

 

I've been shooting for almost 25 years and I made this boneheaded mistake under the stress of a fast magazine reload.  I always thought that "rolling" my hand up the side of the gun would prevent this from happening.  It didn't.  I came down vertically like a bear paw under stress and the safety flicked on.

 

I'm still going to keep my Beretta around but this really scared me. I just can't trust the gun anymore.  My Kel Tec PF9 will be doing nightstand duty until I can get a new permit for something with no slide-mounted safety like a Sig, an XD or an M&P.

 

And yes, I would still rather go to the dentist than buy a Glock.

 

Food for thought for anybody with a 92FS/M9.

[ClangClang 14]

It's a 2-sided coin.  For every fear of what if the safety gets accidentally engaged and I don't notice? there is an equal point to if my gun gets taken from me, the safety may save my life if dealing with a non-trained thug.  There are definitely stories of police losing retention of their weapon and the thug's lack of knowledge regarding the safety probably saving their lives.

 

Personally, I don't like slide-mounted safeties.  I much prefer decocker models for carry/home defense.  I do have a "safe-action" pistol (Glock, M&P, etc) but it's not my preference.  I use decocker pistols in USPSA and IDPA as well  - I haven't won my division yet, but I'm in it more for the "practice" aspect than the competitive aspect anyway.  For me, it's decocker DA/SA all the way.

 

Disclaimer - I'm no expert and only been shooting for about 3 years.  However, I do spend a good majority of my time outside of NJ and carry, and have a decent bit of thought and practice behind my choices.

[Vicious 138]

This makes me happy I chose SIG. I'm not a fan boy or anything, but my Glock is my go to gun. Say what you may, but it works.

[RecessedFilter 222]

For anything defense-related, it's no safety and that's that.

[fmtek 4]

Have you through about switching the safety to a decocker...  is that possible with the right parts?  I believe that would be a 92G ... 

 

 

From the link below, it looks possible, but mixed results...  you can get a 92G slide and just use that... 

 

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=132980

[millsan1 3]

Blasphemy! Give her to me for safe keeping.

 

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

 

 

[Vlad G 345]

It is almost inconsequential if the problem can be fixed. Once you lose confidence in a gun, you never get it back, good reason or bad, it doesn't matter, it's time to move on.

[Mr.Stu 1,919]

Personally, I have never liked the Beretta slide mounted safety. It works backwards (down is safe, up is fire) and is really hard to reach with the firing hand.

 

Also, leaving it on safe is all but pointless as it decocks as it goes on safe. The *only* time that will help you is if a bad guy disarms you and doesn't have a clue what he's doing (maybe that's why it is built to operate backwards!)

 

It's time to move on and find your new best friend.

[diamondd817 826]

Get a 92 D or G. Or a Beretta PX4 Type C or D or G. No manual safety.

 

92FS are very hard to convert to G models, PX4 F models on the other hand are very easy to convert to G models. I have converted my PX4 F models to G models with the low profile/stealth decocker levers.

[GRIZ 3,369]

I dont see this as an inherent design problem.... Or failure of the firearm... No offense intended but it appears to be the user in this particular circumstance.

My thought is to train again in the same way and correct your mistake and awareness of what happened etc.

These are also my thoughts on this. You can encounter issues with any type of gun so why single out one. Adapt and overcome don't abandon.

[carl_g 568]

While looking at a new handgun, don't forget to check out the PPQ also.

[Old School 611]

Go to Austrian Perfection of Smyrna, GA

[Screwball 483]

http://alleghenygunworks.com/

 

You can have a FS slide converted to G. If you are a member on BerettaForum, he is a member there. Good guy, and I think BerettaUSA does recommend him for 92/96 work.

[jrfly3006 42]

Go to Austrian Perfection of Smyrna, GA

hell yeah

[siderman 1,137]

Look at the bright side, you still were able to get off 15 rds beforehand.

[bhunted 887]

Consider it a mistake well learned from. Keep your beloved 92 at your side and don't let her down from such a petty argument!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using TT 2 Pro

[mcbethr 42]

quote name="Nickjclittlecary"873653" timestamp="1399111927"]

 

I dont see this as an inherent design problem.... Or failure of the firearm... No offense intended but it appears to be the user in this particular circumstance.

 

I think you are absolutely correct. I attribute this to lack of training. I bought a revolver a few months ago and I've been playing with that primarily.

 

So basically under stress I didn't roll mt hand up and grasp, I clamped down and racked.

 

It's a perishable skill, but it still surprised me and it struck me that under stress I could do it again.

 

Now granted if I'm doing a magazine change in my home after 15 rounds I've got bigger problems, But it's still a little scary.

[lunker 274]

Check out the Taurus clone. It has a frame mounted safety. If you are hung up on Beretta, look for the Steel I or Billenium. They both have frame mounted safeties. Both are 1k guns though since they aren't produced any more.

[Duppie 73]

...and that Friend is why a revolver is my primary bedside firearm...

[mcbethr 42]

...and that Friend is why a revolver is my primary bedside firearm...

I thought about that, but my Kel Tec has a rail. After Hurricane Sandy I realized how useful a rail was for a light.

 

I'm seriously considering a 4" XDS which I've heard is a soft shooter that you can also carry. I'll give up 5 rounds for something I know will work.

 

I had a PX4 Compact for a while and I never had a problem with it, but needed to sell it to fund other projects.

[Sota 1,191]

My 2 cents...

 

Integrate into your training every time the pistol comes down off target you flick the safety on and as you bring it back up you flick it off; that would include when doing a reload.

 

You have however discovered why none of my go-to defensive pistols have manual safeties on them.

[Barms 98]

I never thought I would see the name "mcbeth" and "need more training" in the same sentence. But a thread like this reinforces the value of this forum where I can see a veteran go "wuh-oh, that was not good"

[seabasstard 1]

Now, I have small hands, so take this for what it's worth. I have had my 92FS for about 25 years and put many rounds through it, practicing a variety of scenarios. I actually like the slide safety because for me, if it's engaged, it's a quick thumb lift to disengage. I can disengage the 92 safety quicker than my 1911s. As far as accidentally dropping the safety lever when racking the slide, I always focused on how I grip the slide instead of how my hand approaches it. Because my fingers are small, depending on which method I use, a finger or thumb always is under the safety when I grip which prevents the safety lever from dropping. I've been doing it for so long, it's a muscle memory thing where my fingers are always immediately in a position to prevent the lever from going into safe.

 

That said, I keep a sig 938 by my bedside. But that's just because I like it's compact size.

[illy 1]

I thought about that, but my Kel Tec has a rail. After Hurricane Sandy I realized how useful a rail was for a light.

 

I'm seriously considering a 4" XDS which I've heard is a soft shooter that you can also carry. I'll give up 5 rounds for something I know will work.

 

I had a PX4 Compact for a while and I never had a problem with it, but needed to sell it to fund other projects.

 

I'll just leave this here:

 

http://www.tactical-life.com/exclusives/smith-wessons-m327-trr8-357mag/

[NJSigfan 218]

Once you Sig, you never got back!

 

I love my P226

[JackDaWack 2,895]

Adapt! First things first... a reload shouldn't require you to rack the slide. You can circumvent the entire problem simply by never running the gun dry. If your practice tactical reloads you don't ever have to go near the safety.. opposed to something like a 1911 or sig which has the safety above the grip.. where you can always run into issues accidentally pushing the safety up and on... IMO this is nothing really new.. understanding the controls of the firearm means adapting to the manipulations of the firearm. There are many different ways to rack a slide.. find the best one that works for you.

 

I am a bit surprised though, a dead trigger on a 92fs should be an immediate recognition of the safety being on.. along with the hammer being deckocked...fool me once shame on you fool me 2wice....

 

But you and others bring up a very valid point.. a defensive weapon should have the least amount of Murphy factor available.

 

Your 92 revealed a weakness to you, build in some memory to check the safety when racking the slide. I've seen plenty of people engage frame mounted safeties and the slide catch by accident from recoil.. i like the 92fs primarily because while shooting the safety can't be turned on accidentally.

[Sota 1,191]

Once you Sig, you never got back!

 

I love my P226

Let's not get into platform wars, ok?

 

(besides, HK beats them all. )

[carl_g 568]

Let's not get into platform wars, ok?

 

(besides, HK beats them all. )

LOL!

[diamondd817 826]

Let's not get into platform wars, ok?

 

(besides, HK beats them all. )

Yeah, let's not get into who paid 2-3 times the price of a Glock for almost Glock like reliability and function.

[bhunted 887]

Let's not get into platform wars, ok?

 

(besides, HK beats them all. )

Lol.... Still haven't shot my 226 but getting to it soon I hope.

 

 

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