Beretta 92FS First Shots — Did It Stand the Test of Time?

We were driving up to the ranch from Miami over Memorial weekend, and with a bunch of gun shows going on we stopped at a couple along the way. At the Florida Gun & Knife Show at the Miramar Broward County National Guard Armory, I found this little booger: a Beretta 92FS Police Edition. The second I laid eyes on it I knew I had to snag it — an almost-mint-condition, probably 25-year-old gun for $525 out the door.

For those not familiar, the 92 series is the basis of the M9 format I carried in the military. This Police Edition is a cool variant: it comes with two sets of grips — the rosewood/cherrywood-colored set I'm running plus a black set — it has a manual safety, and three-dot sights. When I say near mint: I pulled it down and the feed ramp had exactly one little scuff dead center. That tells me this thing was test-fired only, or maybe taken out once, then sat in a safe for who knows how long.

One warning from my bandaged hand: when you're doing the takedown, respect that slide. It had been a long time since I broke down a 92, I let go of the slide at the wrong moment, and it snapped forward and caught my finger. That slide is heavy and will pull forward — be careful. Beyond that, takedown is fairly simple; these were made to be field-stripped by soldiers and cops, and in some respects it's an easier strip-down than a Glock. I also gave it its first oil in probably 25 years — okay, I over-oiled it, and she was leaking everywhere on the range. That one's on me.

Shooting it was the fun part, because I hadn't fired one of these since my last military qualification — something like 18 years ago. It all came right back. The smoothness this thing cycles with, the recoil mitigation, the crisp clean operation every single time — there is a noticeable difference between this and other guns in its class. Great trigger, too. We ran it across all the steel and it nailed it every single time. My first thought walking back to the truck: man, I think I love this thing.

So instead of a review, call this a does-it-stand-the-test-of-time — and it definitely does. If you can find one, even if it's not this specific Police Edition (though I recommend this model), go get it. Used ones online are mostly going mid-to-high fives, but you can sometimes find them high fours to low fives — and you never know what a gun show will turn up. That's really the bigger lesson here: go to your local gun shows, pawn shops, regular shops. Talk to people. I was actually negotiating on a steel-frame Rival S when the seller walked me over to a different Beretta, and I spotted this one out of the corner of my eye. Funny enough, my stepdad bought a 92 three weeks ago for about the same price — he inspired me, so I went and got one too.