Broke some M9's today...

[JonInWA]

I used to be religious about spring overhauls on my training gun every 5k rounds. A while back I decided to stop, except for the recoil spring and see how long it would go. So far, the current factory trigger spring has over 12k rounds fired on it, with an unknown and higher number of dry pulls and seems to be going strong. I now consider the Wilson spring to be an unnecessary expense. The extractor spring required replacement at 12k rounds, as I started getting an FTE about once every 100-150 rounds. Otherwise it's chugging right along towards the next locking block replacement. As for that, I don't consider that an operation that requires a gunsmith. When I lived with the 1911 I replaced things like extractors when needed and that was a much more complicated process than fitting a 92 locking block. In my opinion, if one is going to live with the 92 it's one of those simple tasks best learned for oneself.

I hear you; I have a Gen 2 locking block in my 92D, and with some 11K-12K rounds through the gun, it's perking merrily along; BUSA has recommended that I soldier on with it until some problems occur. However, they're recommending that the the revised, improved trigger return springs be replaced every 5K rounds (which I actually recommend be every 5K triggerpulls-the same wear is imparted on this spring whether it's live or dry fire). Arguably the best of the trigger return springs available is the Wilson Combat chrome silicon one https://shopwilsoncombat.com/Wilson-...oductinfo/750/ which at $4.95 for a lifetime spring isn't liable to break anyone's bank here, I suspect.

The triggerbar spring and slide lock/release springs are probably good to go for quite some time-I've literally (and surprisingly) never experienced, or heard of a triggerbar spring breaking. Ditto with the slide lock spring. I still tend to replace mine either annually or every other year, depending on how hard I'm using my 92D in a given period. Les Pepperoni's advice on the thread is probably the best, as he uses his 92s heavier than I do.

Best, Jon

[Jeep]

In the USAF we have to do two inspections per year of all our in-service guns. For the M9 what that means is a field strip and function check. As I said just above this, the book, which we share with the Army, states that the recoil spring should only be replaced when it’s shorter than 5 inches.

The stock recoil spring is 6 inches long. Do you know how many compression cycles it would take to shrink an RSA by an entire fuckin’ inch? It’s like eleventy billion or some imaginary number, and certainly more than 3,000-5,000 which is when those springs should be changed. So imagine my surprise last month when I had three fuckin’ cracked locking blocks on guns that are in regular use for training guns but hadn’t had a spring change since like 2015.

In the civilian world a Beretta 92 recoil spring costs about $8. My guess is that the USAF should be able to buy them for around $2. Unfortunately that $2 has to come out of someone's expense items budget, and the fact that the failure to install recoil springs might result in having to buy a locking block costing $10-15(?) a few years in the future isn't going to worry anyone, while the risk to a M9 user whose pistol breaks when he really needs it isn't going to be subject to much contemplation.

Three seems a lot, though. Is that 3 a significant percentage of your total M9 inventory?

[jetfire]

In the civilian world a Beretta 92 recoil spring costs about $8. My guess is that the USAF should be able to buy them for around $2. Unfortunately that $2 has to come out of someone's expense items budget, and the fact that the failure to install recoil springs might result in having to buy a locking block costing $10-15(?) a few years in the future isn't going to worry anyone, while the risk to a M9 user whose pistol breaks when he really needs it isn't going to be subject to much contemplation.

Three seems a lot, though. Is that 3 a significant percentage of your total M9 inventory?

Not really when compared to all the pistols we have in total, but the number that went down indicates to me that there are a bunch more that are going to drop soon.

[Mike C]

Not really when compared to all the pistols we have in total, but the number that went down indicates to me that there are a bunch more that are going to drop soon.

Definitely the trend. When ever I saw breakages I always waited for the other shoe to drop. Because once something went there was usually a landslide of issues just around the corner. Funny, different branch same shit.

Also, it is amazing how unit level command acted like a few springs or mags would break the bank because we couldn’t get shit from the supply chain. They didn’t want to spend their discretionary funds on anything weapon or equipment related. I saw more money spent on f’ing pens and tonner kind of sad really.

[Trooper224]

I hear you; I have a Gen 2 locking block in my 92D, and with some 11K-12K rounds through the gun, it's perking merrily along; BUSA has recommended that I soldier on with it until some problems occur. However, they're recommending that the the revised, improved trigger return springs be replaced every 5K rounds (which I actually recommend be every 5K triggerpulls-the same wear is imparted on this spring whether it's live or dry fire). Arguably the best of the trigger return springs available is the Wilson Combat chrome silicon one https://shopwilsoncombat.com/Wilson-...oductinfo/750/ which at $4.95 for a lifetime spring isn't liable to break anyone's bank here, I suspect.

The triggerbar spring and slide lock/release springs are probably good to go for quite some time-I've literally (and surprisingly) never experienced, or heard of a triggerbar spring breaking. Ditto with the slide lock spring. I still tend to replace mine either annually or every other year, depending on how hard I'm using my 92D in a given period. Les Pepperoni's advice on the thread is probably the best, as he uses his 92s heavier than I do.

Best, Jon

Beretta currently recommends locking block replacement at 25k rounds. I usually do it at 18k-20k since it isn't an expensive part or a complicated replacement process. I used to replace every spring at 5k rounds, pretty much following company recommendations. I decided to forgo that on my training gun as an experiment. Since I don't use it for carry or as a spare, but only for training, if it goes down no big whup. Given the pull count on the current factory trigger return spring is WAY beyond the recommended 5k replacement interval, I'd say the factory part is good to go. In a carry gun I'd still replace it regularly if that was my only one, but it's no longer something I worry about. As for the Wilson chrome silicon spring: I have to call bullshit on that. Every other spring I've tried from Wilson that has been advertised as the last one you'll ever need has turned out to be anything but. I doubt the TR spring is any different. Overall, provided one follows a few simple instructions from the manufacturer, I've found the 92 to be one of the most bullet proof guns around.

[Trooper224]

I've read 2 different approaches to the replacement of the locking block. One says to simply drop it in since the latest version does not require fitting and the other is fitting the locking block to the slide. How do you fit it to the slide?

Sounds like these parts held up quite well on the older guns.

Fitting may or may not be required. On an older gun with a higher round count, the block and slide may wear in unevenly and mate together. This may cause uneven contact on the lugs of the new block, thereby inducing stress and premature failure. When a new block is installed, one should monitor the wear on the forward engagement surface on the lugs and make sure they're getting even contact. If one lug is showing wear and the other isn't, a little stoning of the front surface of the lug being contacted is required to even things out. Hardly a complicated process.

[0Nightrain4]

Honestly dont know how much they care about our M9s at this point. I'm positive they'll continue to fix the ones we break, but nothing extra beyond what is normally done. We get our big batch of M17s and M18s in a few months and will have to start teaching that PMI and using those as more units start to field them. Right now we just let them fondle the XM17s and XM18s we currently have. The M9 issues will be less frequent as that happens. So they will sit clean and pretty in the arms room without much use and even less maintenance.

[EVP]

Beretta currently recommends locking block replacement at 25k rounds. I usually do it at 18k-20k since it isn't an expensive part or a complicated replacement process. I used to replace every spring at 5k rounds, pretty much following company recommendations. I decided to forgo that on my training gun as an experiment. Since I don't use it for carry or as a spare, but only for training, if it goes down no big whup. Given the pull count on the current factory trigger return spring is WAY beyond the recommended 5k replacement interval, I'd say the factory part is good to go. In a carry gun I'd still replace it regularly if that was my only one, but it's no longer something I worry about. As for the Wilson chrome silicon spring: I have to call bullshit on that. Every other spring I've tried from Wilson that has been advertised as the last one you'll ever need has turned out to be anything but. I doubt the TR spring is any different. Overall, provided one follows a few simple instructions from the manufacturer, I've found the 92 to be one of the most bullet proof guns around.

Good info!

I have heard this expressed a few times before, that the 92 series pistols are some of the most robust and reliable service weapons when taken care of. Just change springs when they are due and run it wet is the jist of what has been told to me by people who know the 92 pistols.

[Jeep]

Honestly dont know how much they care about our M9s at this point. I'm positive they'll continue to fix the ones we break, but nothing extra beyond what is normally done. We get our big batch of M17s and M18s in a few months and will have to start teaching that PMI and using those as more units start to field them. Right now we just let them fondle the XM17s and XM18s we currently have. The M9 issues will be less frequent as that happens. So they will sit clean and pretty in the arms room without much use and even less maintenance.

Let's hope that all those M9's that are no longer in use are shipped to the CMP before some idiot President can decide they should all be crushed. I'd be ok with the DOD keeping them in good storage as well, except for the fact that we've seen what can happen then.

[GardoneVT]

Let's hope that all those M9's that are no longer in use are shipped to the CMP before some idiot President can decide they should all be crushed. I'd be ok with the DOD keeping them in good storage as well, except for the fact that we've seen what can happen then.

Beware what you wish for. If I ran a pawnshop and someone gave me a DoD M9 to trade,I’d laugh them out of the store. Maybe there are some examples in decent shape worth selling via the CMP but I’ve never seen them. Scrapping the abused and neglected M9s I handled in the USAF would be a civic benefit, IMO.