Beretta 92 LTT slide not locking back on empty mag consistently after changing sight

[Greg Bell]

I need some of you Beretta wizards to help me out...

I had the front fiber optic site changed out with a tritium front sight at a shop that has always done a pretty good job. when I got home inserted an empty magazine and I noticed that the slide did not lock back. I figured well this mag must be at the end of its days so I opened it up stretch the magazine spring out and sure enough it locked back. I assume that my problem is solved but then when I went home I tried several other empty magazines and none of them would lock it back unless i pulled the slide very firmly and fast to the back. I have two other Beretta 92s one with many thousands of rounds through it and neither of them exhibit this behavior. The gun only had 50 rounds through it before I dropped it off but I do not recall this before. Ideas?

[HCM]

I need some of you Beretta wizards to help me out...

I had the front fiber optic site changed out with a tritium front sight at a shop that has always done a pretty good job. when I got home inserted an empty magazine and I noticed that the slide did not lock back. I figured well this mag must be at the end of its days so I opened it up stretch the magazine spring out and sure enough it locked back. I assume that my problem is solved but then when I went home I tried several other empty magazines and none of them would lock it back unless i pulled the slide very firmly and fast to the back. I have two other Beretta 92s one with many thousands of rounds through it and neither of them exhibit this behavior. The gun only had 50 rounds through it before I dropped it off but I do not recall this before. Ideas?

If you manually lock the slide back there should be an internal lobe on the slide stop visible if viewed from the top - what does it look like compared to your other two berettas ? Is all or part of it broken off ? If no next thing I would check is the slide stop spring.

PS - stretching springs is ineffective and actually has the opposite effect. Springs don't work / wear that way.

[CraigS]

Did he squeeze the slide a little when he had it in a vise to do the sight? Maybe the slide is just a little draggy so it isn't traveling fully when hand operated? I have stretched the very top end loop of quite a few mag springs to fix that problem. It may not be the best way, but it has gotten me through several range sessions until i could order some new springs.

[snow white]

The same thing was happening to me with my full size ltt. I found that if I brought the slide back normally it would not lock open but if I did it with a bit of force than it would lock back reliably. The issue also went away over time for me. Also the older mags with older followers will not lock open. Funny enthis has not been anything ive noticed on my ltt compact 92.

[Sal Picante]

I need some of you Beretta wizards to help me out...

I had the front fiber optic site changed out with a tritium front sight at a shop that has always done a pretty good job. when I got home inserted an empty magazine and I noticed that the slide did not lock back. I figured well this mag must be at the end of its days so I opened it up stretch the magazine spring out and sure enough it locked back. I assume that my problem is solved but then when I went home I tried several other empty magazines and none of them would lock it back unless i pulled the slide very firmly and fast to the back. I have two other Beretta 92s one with many thousands of rounds through it and neither of them exhibit this behavior. The gun only had 50 rounds through it before I dropped it off but I do not recall this before. Ideas?

Cycle the gun like a man, you sissy!

All kidding aside, the Beretta-made magazines sometime have a bit of "play" in the follower - if you pull it slowly (lol - phrasing), the follower just wiggles the slide lock lever protrusion. The MegGar's seem to have a bit more, um, "robustezza"to 'em and engage a bit easier.

The trick is to just pull it with a bit more force (or use a MecGar mag)

[Greg Bell]

I think it is a bunch of nothing. I swapped out the slide lever from another Beretta I have and it worked consistently. Then when I put the original back on it worked better. But I took it out and shot 50 rounds with the weakest mags I have and there is no issue. I think it is just knit-pickery on my part but I will keep you posted.

[Greg Bell]

Y'all ignore my dumb ass. I took your advice and broke out some of my non beater Beretta mags and the thing sprung up and locked like it was on Viagra at the Dallas Cowboy's cheerleader camp. Basically, any new mag, sand resistant, 15/17 rounder, 20 round Mec-gars, etc all pushed it up super fast under any circumstances.

Thanks. I wish I could retitle this to "my old Beretta mags are old and still work despite my nit-picking"

[Suvorov]

Maybe time to re-spring all your beater mags?

[Greg Bell]

Anybody who knows me knows I have been shooting the living crap out of my Beretta 92G-SD for years and I basically use the same 3-5 mags until they fail. These have never failed but they clearly need new springs. Wow. That was a lot of over thinking there. Dudes, I was Venn diagraming lever swaps, slide stops, etc. Jesus I am getting dumb as hell in my old age. I blame my 11 year old for killing my mind.

[CraigS]

While this has nothing to do w/ the OP's already solved problem it's close enough to be worthwhile to some of you. You know the slide lock spring that is such a pain in the a$$ to reinstall? Wolff springs made the end that fits into the lever just a little bit longer. Now you can install the lever and spring just like you would expect to. Put the hook end in the frame. Hold the slide lock about vertical while inserting it into the frame. Slip the end of the spring into the notch in the lever. Rotate up to slide it the rest of the way into the frame. Guess what? The spring stayed in position in the notch.
https://www.gunsprings.com/BERETTA/9.../mID2/dID36#67