On the Gun Forums, a lot of guys have talked about how good looking a Gun is. When it comes to Sexy Handguns, this one right here really is it. Let’s compare it to what others have already compared it to… Monica Bellaluci.
Beretta’s have been passe and over played for a long time now… Since the first Mel Gibson Lethal Weapon movie. Robocop packed a Beretta. The Grammaton Clerics of “Equilibrium” packed them. The Matrix was probably the last of the big Beretta Block Busters.
And people kinda got tired of seeing them. So they pretty much disappeared from the Big Screen. Replaced by Stainless finished Glocks quite often.
Well, Beretta came back big time in TAKEN 2. A long extended Chase Scene featuring Beretta 92FS‘s, 90-Two, and Storm Pistols. And they looked awesome on the Silver Screen.
But is this a good thing? I mean, isn’t the Beretta old school 80’s?
We all know the US Army just purchased a freaking ton of them, making it the handgun for the US Military for at least another 5 years. Probably longer. Why? Because the 92FS is a very high quality pistol with reliability like the Sun Rise. They are super smooth, consistent, accurate, soft shooting, and extremely safe handguns. I will argue they have the safest of actions of any semi-auto handguns. Yet, when they are run properly, they are just as fast as anything else.
The other handgun that US Military uses is the SIG P226 and the 228… Which are very good indeed, but during the Handgun Trials, the Beretta did indeed outperform the SIG’s. You can argue that all you want, but the Beretta won it. And if you were on the selection board, you would have given the Beretta the nod too. I think what makes the 92 so good is what makes it so distinctive… That open slide. A common upgrade to many handguns is to open up the ejection port. I’ve never heard of anyone wanting to open up the 92 anymore. Clear ejection. Any gunk getting in there gets blown back out too. The feed geometry is ideal. It’s almost a straight shot in from the magazine into the chamber. Unlike a 1911 or other guns which makes the cartridge have to do some gymnastics to get loaded. And then there is the locking block. Under the barrel there is a winged wedge-like block. This is what locks and unlocks the action, allowing the 92 to be naturally and inherently smooth… Probably the smoothest action of any locked breach handgun.
The classic 92FS is also a very good looking handgun. It looks cool. There is something wrong with you if you can’t appreciate the lines and curves of the 92… It just looks like what a handheld weapon should look like. And I think the newest version of the 92 looks awesome.
If there is any downside to the 92, it’s the size. The 92 is indeed a large handgun. But then again, it’s supposed to be. It was designed to be a Full Sized, Duty Sidearm. For the guys out there packing only a handgun in their Fight against Evil, the Beretta was comforting, it had some heft, sure, but it also had something few other handguns had… a huge capacity. 15 Rounds! Back then, that was amazing. Now, 15 isn’t a huge capacity… but then again, I’ve not seen a guy that can shrug off 15 rounds of well placed 9mm hits. A big gun is a comfortable gun for shooting… felt recoil… accuracy… They are just easier to go the distance with than a small gun.
Beretta is the oldest company on the planet. They know how to make a good product. Sure, they have had a few flops… Such as the 9000 model. But overall, you can’t beat Beretta’s track record.
We’ve seen a marked upswing in Beretta sales locally. They are coming back in popularity, so expect to see more of them in the Media and Cinema.
Last weekend I ended up with my friend Mike Kupari’s old Beretta 92FS. This is the same gun that the US Army just bought another 100,000 of. I’ve been packing it since I got it, which is about the same time Beretta made the announcement.
The Beretta is a huge pistol for 9mm. The grip frame is massive and the magazine capacity is less than it should be for a gun of this size. Only 15 rounds when other guns with smaller grips are able to pack in 18 or so. But this isn’t a big deal to me. The gun has a lot of character. It’s easy to shoot well with. And it’s not too heavy. It carries well enough in the good Pancake style holster I have for it. But it can print thanks to the Beretta’s slide mounted safety.
Overall, I really like it. I do prefer packing a full sized handgun, or a Mid Size, compared to the popular Sub-Compact options.
Beretta has announced that the US Army is set for the M9 for another 5 years and has ordered another hundred thousand M9 handguns.
So there you go… No new Army handgun for some time to come. Sorry guys.
Of course, the M9 isn’t all that bad, when running off of good Beretta made magazines. It’s full sized frame makes it controllable, confidence inspiring, and it’s both accurate and reliable… again, when running off factory mags and not after market. Of course, my problem isn’t the gun, but the chosen caliber. Maybe we can get an upgrade kit and make them all .40’s at least? No? Oh well. The 9mm has done a good job with what it’s had to deal with. The problem though is that the US Military has to use FMJ ammunition, where as we can run good JHP’s if we like. If the Military could use some good old Hollow Points, then I think the complaints about stopping power would diminish greatly.
If not HP’s, then how about EFMJ’s? Expanding Full Metal Jackets. They look like regular Ball ammo but expand on impact.
Last week I did something I probably shouldn’t have… Okay, I know that’s a list that goes all the way to the floor, but I’m talking about one particular thing.
I pulled a Beretta M9 out of the case and really looked at it again. I felt it. Cycled it. Stripped it down and examined it closely. Now, the Big Beretta is nothing new to me… I’ve owned two of them but they never really inspired me or made me feel all that interested in them. I got them just because.
Now, looking at this Beretta… Feels good in the hand. Big and Curvy and Sexy… It’s been growing on me.
Here’s the odd thing. I’d want it in 9mm. I’d pretty much just keep it stock save for Slipstreaming. Because really they are fine just like that. Huh. I don’t know why I’d even want the thing. I prefer SIG and Glock… Single Actions over Doubles. But I am digging the M9 right now. I just don’t know why.
We finally got in a couple of the little Beretta Nano’s. A very slim single stack 9mm. It’s a striker fired gun, much like the S&W Shield. For the same price, between the two, the Shield is easily the better gun.
The Nano looks nifty at first. Cool looking lines. Unfortunately it feels kind of awkward in the hand. The trigger pull isn’t bad… it’s no Sigma, but it’s not good. I’ll call it average. But the way the gun points and feels… it’s just… not there. It’s like the Italians designed it for looks to fit within a very small box, not to be an actual firearm for a human to use. Italians are great at designing for looks first and foremost. The only Italians that design for actual performance is Ducati… unfortunately they don’t make guns.
So the gun closest to the Nano, the Shield… Shield wins. Another Striker Fired single stack is the Walther PPS. Unfortunately Walther continues to struggle for relevance in the market, and I am no fan of the PPS. Like the Nano, just because you can make it that small – doesn’t mean you should. Yet it can be done right. SIG is very close to the same size as the Nano. And for the love of all that is good and holy in the world… I think the Germans made a better looking machine than the Italians. Cleaner lines, and it looks like there are no forgotten parts on the gun.
This SIG P290 as pictured does have a higher price tag, but it is coming with Tritium Night Sights and a Laser Module…. two features I rather like on a defensive pistol. I firmly believe that night sights are not optional on a defensive handguns – they are mandatory. SIG has great night sights. The Nano… not so much. The Laser is a bonus. The actions of the two guns show a greater disparity of quality. The SIG is much smoother than the Beretta, it’s like the difference between a night with a Hot Octoberfest Beer Maiden… and the Nano’s Prison Rape by your Cell Mate at San Quentin. Which one would you want to spend quality time with?
The SIG is much better feeling in the hand, and it has a slide release that is not in the way, obrusive, or awkward in anyway. It is there, and it works. Like it should. You don’t have to think about it. The Nano’s complete lack of it… What is this? A Magnum Research Micro Eagle? Come on. Kahr hangs a squared off mailbox off the side of their guns – but at least they have them. The Nano is trying to be slick by leaving the lever off. I’d rather have the mailbox, thank you. Beretta needs to look at the SIG to see how it’s done. Also, the SIG’s texture is superior. You can grip it and it’s not abrasive… it’s just… grippier. And it doesn’t snag clothes. Just like it should. The Nano… not so much. Oh, it’s snag free. But it’s also gripless. Gripless, Pointless… The SIG P290 just makes the Nano seem a cheaper, sadder thing. It’s a good thing it’s cheaper. It will appeal to those without the means to appreciate better. Like a Hi-Point. In fact, the Nano looks like shrunken an flattened Hi-Point. The SIG, looks like freaking SIG. A weapon you can trust. It feels like a weapon you can trust. And they actually shoot very well on top of it all! I’m sure the Nano shoots just fine… but do you really want to?
Take a quick look at these. A pair of SAA Clones.
At first glance, they look identical save for the Beretta’s little medallion in the grips. There is a good reason for that. Both are made by Uberti in Italy… Both are Spaghetti Westerns here. However, the Beretta is imported by Beretta and the Uberti is imported by Stoeger for some reason. What’s interesting is that the Beretta marked gun is less money. What makes that so interesting? The Beretta is the better gun by far. Let me show you why.
What you can’t see in the photos is the FEEL. The Beretta feels like it’s a much nicer gun. It feels that way, because it really is. I’d buy a Beretta easily over the Uberti, every day, every time. The Uberti’s… not so much. I like the clicks in the action as you pull the hammer back.
And here’s the kicker…
On WeTheArmed, I posted a picture and asked a simple question. “Which one?”
In the thread, several guys liked the one on top, but overwhelmingly, people were digging the one on the bottom better. I like them both… At first I liked the top one as it has that classic “Custom” look that I dig… dark on top. But the bottom one… it grew on me and I see why everyone liked it. The lighter weight alloy frame, practical long wearing stainless… It’s certainly the smartest configuration. It would be awesome… but I still like the top one… just for the looks of it. See, growing up, all the custom guns (1911’s) were two tones, blued slides on stainless frames. That’s just the look that’s stuck with me.
The question is, how to I get one like that? Beretta doesn’t offer it and I don’t want to buy two. I don’t know why I am jonesing for a 92… but I am. Really, it’s the only 9mm, other than a Browning High Power that I want. Er… those and a SIG P210… and a Colt Pocket Nine… and… and… and… I’m kind of an addict, aint I?
Beretta has a new tactical shotgun called the Tx4 Storm. The Storm series is a line of Defense/Tactical oriented guns that take a different road than most such guns. Unique features and good styling… and they are good shooters. Accurate, reliable, and rather soft shooting. I like them.
The Storm Shotgun seems to fit all same qualities of the rest of the line. Good looking, good feeling and handling. The Storm Shotgun is a bit unique from other tactical shotguns… it’s very light weight and balances perfectly, loaded and unloaded.
