FWIW, simply painting the red dot black tends to make it much less noticeable to those who don't have much of a clue anyway. At least in my experience.
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David, I'm honestly not sure. Previously, especially for the commercial guns, Beretta has prided itself (as well as pretty much singularly setting themselves alone in the field of contemporary firearms manufacturers) on in-house manufacturing virtually every component in their pistols. Obviously there have been visible exceptions regarding grips from time to time (with Hogue as an OEM vendor, and Farrar as a previously approved one), but such exceptions have been few.
I'll admit that the glossy/shiny finish described makes me also think MecGar (at least as a possibility), but I believe that Beretta has also had a similar finish on one of their proprietary sand-resistant magazine variants, which I assume that they (or MDS) manufactured. In these days of magazine shortfalls throughout the US, it would not particularly surprise me if Beretta has, or is engaging in some magazine outsourcing. At any rate, if they are in fact MecGars, MecGar has an excellent reputation in the magazine field, and they have been the OEM vendor of choice of SIG-Sauer (for their Sigpro 2340/SP2202 series, and probably others), and for FN's Hi Power.
Best, Jon
You all are costing me money. Between GJM singing praises to DA/SA guns and everybody feeling warm and fuzzy about Sigs and Berettas, I rented a couple of them recently. As a result, I have just mailed out a payment for an unfired 92G Elite II. Provided I can get a good appendix setup for it, it might become my next learning tool.
What are good sight options for an Elite II? I was surprised to find out that Heinie doesn't support Beretta.
What are the factory sights on the Elite II? If they are tritium, I assume they will be dim given when the pistols were made.
The elite II comes with black on black novaks. The standard Trijicons for the brigadier slide provide a good sight picture and are worth a look,
Beretta fan boy here. Carried a 92 SBc for awhile in the early eighties and loved it. The agency I work for had the 92D Centurion as standard issue and I carried one ten years until the office I am assigned to switched to the SIG 229R DAK. Some offices still have the 92D and the transition will not be complete for several more years.
I often carried a personal 92D off duty. I am a big GLOCK fan boy as well. When my wife was learning to shoot she liked the Beretta better and adopted mine as hers. This of course required me to get another one. I have lost count of how many I have had over the years.
Plan to keep one in the house always for the better half and as a walk down memory lane for me.
A side note... My magazines were almost always Beretta factory but I too had some GI surplus Checkmate magazines and loved them. Flat baseplate was a bonus. Since no sand box in my current assignment I have no fears my older CMI magazines will be a problem. Another point is this...I often carried a MecGar 17 round magazine with flat baseplate off duty. Work required the issued Beretta 15 rounders but I preferred the extra two rounds in the MecGar on my time. I have not seen any of the older 17 round MecGars lately.
Several of the Beretta reference works I have, as well as a blurb on the MecGar website mentioned they had made magazines for Beretta in the past. During my time in the military, pistol magazines and holsters were often issued as individual kit and the weapons and ammo drawn from the arms room. This to better account for the rounds issued and returned. As explained to me the initial adoption of the M9(92 SBf/92F) required a LARGE supply of magazines to be in the supply line. Beretta made most but contracted with MecGar to manufacture the balance under the Beretta Name. It is quite possible that an older GI magazine with ASSY number and Beretta branding is a contract produced MecGar. I trust the MecGar brand as if factory OEM. :)
Ditto. I was exposed to the 92 "system" when we were evaluating the then-current crop of wundernines for agency use. My main reaction was a yawn; although I sorta liked the Centurion.
Fast-forward 25 years, and #1 grandson is planning to join the Marine Corps. Knowing that the training he will get on the service pistol will be slim to none, I bought him a 92F (he has been a Grock shooter since age 7) so he would at least be familiar with the "platform" should he find himself in harm's way with nothing but an M9 to hand. We have been shooting it for a year now, and I'm getting to where I actually like the thing. I have scrounged numerous magazines, several of which are the GI Checkmate example. They work just fine.
#2 grandson has recently graduated to a centerfire handgun, and wants a Beretta like his older cousin. Of course, he told me "It has to be an M9, Granddad."
So I'm now on the look-out for one of those M9 clones, in the brown cardboard box, that Beretta sold for a year or so. Is there a special designation for that one that will ease my search?
I know, a garden-variety 92F is pretty much the same gun sans markings. But the kid has been knocking his grades out of the park, so I want to reward him.
.
Or get him one of the new M9A1 Compacts...
Best, Jon