I'll be in my bunk.Quote:
Originally Posted by TCinVA
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I'll be in my bunk.Quote:
Originally Posted by TCinVA
I came to the Beretta after growing up with the 1911, and it was primarily an economy thing. I got my first Beretta for a steal of a deal, and 9mm was a heck of a lot cheaper than .45 when I was a poor college student. Eventually, I found that the much maligned DA trigger wasn't all that bad with a proper tune-up, the gun ran more reliably than most of my 1911s, and the G-model controls made the safety a non-issue.
Over the years I've looked at other designs, but the Sig doesn't fit my hand well (and lately QC issues have me completely turned off from them), the HK, Walther and M&P lines are too expensive for a complete switchover compared to any theoretical performance gains I might or might not acquire, Glocks have that silly grip angle and XDs have a bad reputation for reliability/durability.
I wish I had another Elite I. They really are outstanding guns, though holster options are getting harder and harder to find. I was lucky enough to get an MTAC before they stopped offering them for the Brigadier-slide 92s, and I still have a late-90s-vintage Blade Tech belt holster for IDPA/IPSC.
To add my thoughts to TCinVA as always excellent post.
I first started shooting them when I joined the National Guard in college and shot on the marksmanship team there. I then became a tanker so it was my assigned personal weapon for the rest of my Army career. I liked it the first time I shot it, and I have continued to like it ever since. While I (against the advise of the learned members of this forum) tend to stray to other platforms year to year, and while my current issued gun is a LEM, the Beretta is to me, the "Alpha" of pistols. It is the one that I am most comfortable with, it is the one that I shoot best, and it is the one that makes me feel warm inside. The added bonus for me is that in the mid-90s, I was able to score quite a few standard capacity magazines and collect key replacement parts, so I have a large support system for the platform, which has been helpful in ban states. I have never had any problem with the slide mounted safety though I do prefer the G variant for its simplicity factor.
The Beretta 92 platform has done everything for me I could ask for. I have heard all the stories, lived through the check mate disaster, and having been responsible for a armor company's worth of M9s, have seen how they are cared for by US Army "armorers", and based on my experience which is limited compared to many, but a lot greater than most shooters, the M9 has proven to be a superbly reliable and dependable gun when properly cared for and supplied with quality magazines. To counter a previous post, while I am a fan of Sigs and have been "dating" a SP2022 for the last 2 years, there is nothing a Sig can do (or an HK for that matter) that a Beretta can't do just as well for me.
As for the resurgence in popularity, I think the fact that a lot of troops are coming back and looking wanting to buy the gun they carried is a big factor. While the "gun guy" vets will probably gravitate to glocks and HKs, most vets are not gun guys and will simply buy what they know. Also, there is probably a good sized portion of the civilian population that wants what the .mil has for no other reason than that. The gun is still widely seen in Hollywood productions and in a world of blocky guns, the Beretta is a sexy girl.
I have shot a lot of rounds out of a Beretta and it is a gun I wish I had never gotten rid of. It is like the M4, I have played with a SCAR, ACR, and other 5.56 rifles and I still grab the M4 over any other rifle. It is what I am comfortable with. The gun I lusted for was a 92FS Centurian for a long time and never could find one.
Just ordered a Beretta 92FS Police Special myself. NIB w/3 15rd mags.
I totally get the love, even though the trigger reach makes it a non gun for me. My friends all based their firearms purchases on The Killer* and Die Hard, and so I've put a lot of rounds through 92s. Bill Wilson *really* likes them, and so do a lot of very knowledgeable people. If I ever stumble across the single stack I may succumb.
*for me, it was 'Hardboiled,' but I fortunately have been able to resist the urge to buy a couple of Toks.
My first duty gun, and one I bought when we transitioned to H&Ks. Probably still tops of my all-time love list of personally-owned guns. It just works and fits my hand well. I remember reading Walt Rauch's book years ago and he said something like your best gun was the one you found yourself reaching for when you thought you might need a gun. For a long time, that was my trusty Beretta 92.Quote:
Originally Posted by WDW
I had a conversation with Bill Rogers a month or so ago, where he was telling me how the Sig 226 was his favorite pistol. And, he said the only pistol he shot better, was a Beretta!
Wow, I love that. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by GJM
Two simple solutions for that.Quote:
Originally Posted by JV
1. Josh's (AGW) low profile safety lever. This lever is really for just using to decock and that's it. It makes the slide almost totally smooth and you'll never accidentally engage the safety with it. The only advantage a G has over this is one less step on the range since it automatically goes back to the fire ready position. Actually, if it was a choice between this lever and a G model, I'd rather have this lever. Now the ideal would be a G model with this lever.
2. An extended (E2) mag catch. I've actually been using the extended oversized mag catch and I don't even have to break my grip at all to drop the mag.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...ps70d66cbe.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...ps90c068d4.jpg
I've owned a Sig 225, 220, and 226 (the 226 had 15k+ rounds through it before sold it, remember the crazy rattle it had?), and nothing feels as smooth and slick as a Beretta. Also, in my limited experience, nothing I've tried has ever been as reliable as a Beretta. Also, nothing looks as good as Beretta. :)
God Bless,
David