To G or not to G...help me build a Pizza gun

[KevH]

We all go through phases in our life and I have to say right now I'm completely sick of plastic striker fired guns and and (gasp!) pistol mounted optics. I spent the last four years or so shooting almost nothing but those guns (which as I've stated elsewhere they're all kind of the same to me right now) and I just can't get really exciting about going to the range with them, which sort of makes me not too excited about going to the range at all.

I dealt with some really crappy tendonitis in my shooting arm back in 2019 that took nearly a year to recover from and I'll add that I'm really tired of recoil as well.

I've had an off-and-on love affair with the Beretta 92 series for last 25 years, but the only one I currently own is my 2000ish production Beretta 92FS with slanted dust cover that I've owned since new. It's been a test bed for various things over the years, but it basically just sits in my safe right now. It currently has a LTT TJIB, M9A3 G Conversion (big ole thing), thin LOK grips, and a Novak rear (thanks @Sal Picante). Unfortunately, it just doesn't spark joy the way it once did.

So...



I acquired this Beretta 92 Brigadier Inox 9mm complete upper for free a little while back and it's been sitting around doing absolutely nothing waiting for me to do something with it. Up until last night, it hasn't cost me a dime. Last night, I happened upon a complete Beretta 92 Brigadier Inox 9mm complete lower with a straight dust cover for sale for $300, so now that's on its way to my FFL. So at the present moment I'm only $300 into this thing and will have basically a box stock Berretta 92 Brigadier Inox 9mm.

So here are some initial questions for my Pizza-gun aficionado homies @Sal Picante @LangdonTactical @SoCalDep and any one else that feels like answering.

Do I convert it to "G" or not?

I don't really care for the giant levers of the G conversion kit and its my understanding that it may not fit the Brigadier slide anyway. I've been eye balling the Wilson single side safety lever and I know they can convert the slide to make it G only for $150 or so. Is it worth it?

Which sights?

It's a Brigadier slide so my options are a little more limited than the Vertec slide. I think I'd like to do a Wilson plain serrated rear with their orange ring tritium front. Which heights would be the correct ones to use for the Brigadier slide?

Which TJIB?

Which hammer should I run? What spring? She needs to pop WWB, Federal HST and everything else.

What trigger?

Should I play with a new flat trigger? There is the factory Beretta one for around $40 and the Volker trigger for $100. Any preferences?

Grips?

I'm leaning towards the VZ Palmswell Tactical Slants Gen2 in black (currently out of stock of course). Any thoughts on these?


Am I missing anything else? What say the P-F hive mind?

[Screwball]

Do I convert it to "G" or not?

I don't really care for the giant levers of the G conversion kit and its my understanding that it may not fit the Brigadier slide anyway. I've been eye balling the Wilson single side safety lever and I know they can convert the slide to make it G only for $150 or so. Is it worth it?

The conversion works fine. Once I installed, I did have to “work” the control a little bit so it would go back to fire.

https://youtu.be/b-O96OOrZiI?si=2fxZkplnruq3niNl

[Noah]

The conversion works fine. Once I installed, I did have to “work” the control a little bit so it would go back to fire.

https://youtu.be/b-O96OOrZiI?si=2fxZkplnruq3niNl

Older 92s and Brigadiers may or may not be compatible with the conversion kit anyway.

@KevH using an F style 92 as a decock only gun (IE you always flip down then up to decock then off safe as one motion) is perfectly fine. I did it the first 6 months I had a 92. However, with a carry gun, there was at least one occasion when I took off my gun for the day or glanced at it when I went to the bathroom and it was on safe when it shouldn't have been.

I get a little printing with the big barreled conversion lever, so, if budget wasn't a huge object, paying Wilson $150 to convert it to a single side lever, decock only would be really attractive.

I never went below a 13lb hammer spring but plenty of people have used 12lb springs with US ammo.

Does a Brig have the exact same dovetails as a Vertec/A3/A4 slide? I've seen them noted separately before.

I really like Lok Veloce grips perosnally. I'd check them out. I like thin side to side but with the full back hump on a 92, personally. I have no experience with other hammers, always just used a standard one.

[Bucky]

Let me say, I wish they had the G conversion when I eventually sold my 92 Compact many years back.

Here's my take, unless you train to swipe the safety off if need be AND have a long enough thumb to reach it without changing your grip, then a G conversion is a must. This is even if you don't plan to carry safety on.

When I carried my Compact, I was very careful to ensure the hammer was down and safety was off. Yet, on rare occasions, I would find the safety was on. Fortunately I never needed to use it, and even more fortunately didn't need it when the safety was unexpectedly on.

Years later, I did get to replace it with a Wilson 92G compact. Years after that, the factory G conversions became available. I did add the Wilson single sided G lever on my compact and it really is nice, and the right side not only doesn't have a lever, but it is beveled to the profile of the slide.

[Noah]

Let me say, I wish they had the G conversion when I eventually sold my 92 Compact many years back.

Here's my take, unless you train to swipe the safety off if need be AND have a long enough thumb to reach it without changing your grip, then a G conversion is a must. This is even if you don't plan to carry safety on.

When I carried my Compact, I was very careful to ensure the hammer was down and safety was off. Yet, on rare occasions, I would find the safety was on. Fortunately I never needed to use it, and even more fortunately didn't need it when the safety was unexpectedly on.

Years later, I did get to replace it with a Wilson 92G compact. Years after that, the factory G conversions became available. I did add the Wilson single sided G lever on my compact and it really is nice, and the right side not only doesn't have a lever, but it is beveled to the profile of the slide.

I had the same experience where once or twice, despite a religious swipe down, swipe up procedure with my long thumbs, the safety was found to be on when it shouldn't have been.

[vcdgrips]

Outside my lane

I recognize the B92 to be a quality weapon

Having had a hand in training folks at CGCS on the platform for an off base class and given how the slide mounted safety works backwards, I would NEVER have a safety on a B92 that was not frame mounted unless I was issued that gun.

I cannot count the number of times I saw that safety be an issue re getting off a shot under pressure i.e. when holstered in the safety on position or when the slide was run vigorously.

[Ben_G]

With the wider slide of the Brig profile, I don't think the G conversion will work. Similarly, the old school G setup that the WC levers are for require additional machining in the slide. I don't know who is still doing the FS to G conversion, but if you got the slide for free, I'd say the old school G conversion and the Wilson single side levers are the pro move.

For the sights, there should be a table or description from WC on what matches up to which POA/POI you want. Brig is it's own dovetail though.

TJIB: it depends on your priorities. Personally, I run the Elite hammer and a #14 in mine and it shoots just fine. The Wilson hammer might actually add additional reliability on top of that with the increased weight. The match hammer changes where some engagement points are and works great, but I'm used to the old setup which is why I'm on the Elite II. NP3 is awesome. It alone should account for about 1lb off your trigger pull.

The Beretta flat trigger is optimized for single action only, and is not configured for DA/SA shooting. The Volker one technically has that little hook at the bottom, but I'm happy running the standard factory steel trigger. I'd just ensure its steel; those old straight dustcover frames are a mix of either the steel over molded trigger and the full steel ones. If you need to make the swap, LTT has an NP3 one that'll match the inox look.

VZs rock.

Addl things to consider: the enlarged M9A3 style mag release, one of those old school M9 Surefire MR11 mounts to put an X300 on there, and the Wilson Combat Mag Guide. A 92 brig G with good sights, a TJIB, the mag guide, VZ grips, and an X300 mounted will be one awesome setup.

[e_stern]

Older 92s and Brigadiers may or may not be compatible with the conversion kit anyway.

@KevH using an F style 92 as a decock only gun (IE you always flip down then up to decock then off safe as one motion) is perfectly fine. I did it the first 6 months I had a 92. However, with a carry gun, there was at least one occasion when I took off my gun for the day or glanced at it when I went to the bathroom and it was on safe when it shouldn't have been.

I get a little printing with the big barreled conversion lever, so, if budget wasn't a huge object, paying Wilson $150 to convert it to a single side lever, decock only would be really attractive.

I never went below a 13lb hammer spring but plenty of people have used 12lb springs with US ammo.

Does a Brig have the exact same dovetails as a Vertec/A3/A4 slide? I've seen them noted separately before.

I really like Lok Veloce grips perosnally. I'd check them out. I like thin side to side but with the full back hump on a 92, personally. I have no experience with other hammers, always just used a standard one.

All 92s from 92SB onwards are compatible with the G kit. All Brigadier slides with FS safeties are compatible. I did development of this when I was at Beretta and worked with the team for validating compatibility. If it is hanging, you may need to work it in due to tolerance stacking, but they are compatible.

[Noah]

All 92s from 92SB onwards are compatible with the G kit. All Brigadier slides with FS safeties are compatible. I did development of this when I was at Beretta and worked with the team for validating compatibility. If it is hanging, you may need to work it in due to tolerance stacking, but they are compatible.

In that case, well done. Thanks for clearing it up. For some reason I was remembering a small hole in newer slides for the leg of a spring. Not sure why I thought that

[KevH]

All 92s from 92SB onwards are compatible with the G kit. All Brigadier slides with FS safeties are compatible. I did development of this when I was at Beretta and worked with the team for validating compatibility. If it is hanging, you may need to work it in due to tolerance stacking, but they are compatible.

@e_stern

With money being no object, would you rather have a slide milled for the G lever or the conversion kit? Besides a cheaper retrofit, any advantage to the conversion kit over the original format?

I ask since I have a G conversion on my 92FS and it works like it is supposed to, but the right side is quite large.

I'm interested in the Wilson since I can get it setup left side only.