Picked Up a Classic

[mrcabinet]

I have a weakness for Italians, so I just couldn't pass up this one. Beretta 92s, born in 1982. I bought it from the original owner, so I know it isn't one of the worn out police trade-ins. It has a couple of handling marks but otherwise is in excellent condition. I know I was in much worse shape at 41 than this. I have some factory FS mags with the lower notch, so I'm all set there.

[jwc007]

Very very nice!    Congratulations! 

[david s]

My first or possibly second centerfire pistol was an early Beretta 92S. It also wore Pachmayer grips, but the grips were for the earlier model 92 with the frame mounted safety and the grips safety cut out would let the hammer pin walk out to the left.  Had to remember to push it back in after a bit of firing. The pistol was early enough that the only holster that I could find was a generic Bianchi clamshell cross draw. I have always liked how the 92 series pistols looked to me there just cool looking. Beretta moved to the magazine release being behind the trigger guard pretty quick.

[mrcabinet]

I'm not in love with the Pachmayr wrap arounds, but they are period correct. I've been on the lookout for an SB, with the "normal" mag release, for a long time. They are very, very hard to come by.

[david s]

I have never had one but the 92SB was one I looked at way back then. It had the more USA friendly magazine release and also had an ambidextrous safety. The safety appealed to me more than the mag release being a lefty. At one point I actually bought the right-side safety lever and after about a six month wait Beretta finally shipped me one. Then tried to have a Florida gunsmith install the lever after about a nine month wait, he ended up cutting the safety lever so he could remove the safety from my 92S after installation. He didn't drill the slide so the right-side safety lever retaining roll pins could be driven out. I had asked him to use set screw there for that very reason. Being that I was moving right about then the gun store he worked for had to pull the safety from one of their model 92's and install it in mine. He had been waiting on Beretta to forward replacements for the ruined parts. My 92S never did get an ambidextrous safety. The rounded trigger guards are also nicer, in the mid 1980's all of a sudden, all semi autos began sporting squared off trigger guards, a trend that sadly mostly continues today.                                                       
         There used to be factory wooden grips available for the 92S pistols and the heel-based magazine release. E-Bay maybe?
       During another move the Beretta was stolen after 40 plus years one wonders if the Broward Sheriff's Office still is looking for a Beretta 92S serial number B55748Z. Probably not.

[Bob Wilkins]

You sure know how to make a guy feel old, I was in mourning the day the 92 replaced a classic that had not been replaced even by new ones.since.WWII. Those worn out old guns had been due a replacement for a very long time, and the military had been looking at 9mm since WWII, but it still was a day the music died when it happened.

Very nice gun, and glad you have the paws to use it...I never did. I'd mention the Italian who made my heart beat faster, but would not want to embarrass her, so will leave it at "Angela". Congratulations on getting a "classic" made when I was rowing strongly into adulthood, at least as far as the government is concerned, those old favorites need to be got while still findable.

[Griz375]

I have a weakness for Italians, so I just couldn't pass up this one.

I'm of an age that, as soon as I saw the opening text, defaulted to images of Gina L & S. Loren. Sorry but brunettes are my thing.

On the topic of your primo pistol acquisition, congratulations are in order. That looks to be pristine so, given your stated age, it's now an heirloom piece.

Enjoy it often.

[WW Martin]

At the time I bought mine when billy was pres. I was a Hypower snob and yup its too fat . It's still buried in the safe unfired. Some day I'll dig it out to compare with the Taurus 99. My opinion of too fat seems to have changed over the years.
Nice looking pistol looks new.

Bill

[Slotback]

OP: Italian manufactured one? If so, really nice!!  I'm not a Beretta guy but a friend has an Italian made one, and it's very nice. His US manufactured one, not as nice.

[mrcabinet]

Yes, Italian made. All my Berettas are. The US made ones just don't have the same fit and finish.
I no longer have it though. You can see why in my thread in the Clone club,  https://czfirearms.us/index.php?topic=123493.0

[Dobegrant]

Very nice, have had several nice guns but for some reason I can’t hold onto them.