Beretta 92fs I like it!!!!!!

The Beretta 92fs is a handgun that people seem to feel passionately about. Many love it, and many loath it. This model is a traditional double action pistol that is meant to be carried uncocked with the first shot being double action, and the remaining shots being single action. It is a rather large gun with a 4.9" barrel, steel slide, and large aluminum frame. If one does an online search (google, yahoo, etc.) on the Beretta 92fs, one will find many, many reviews, both positive and negative regarding this now classic platform. I have always been intrigued by this gun based on its gorgeous lines, but always found that my wants and/or needs took me in another direction. Well, I finally decided to purchase a used one a few months ago. I will share my thoughts about this popular handgun.

As I mentioned above, much info can be found online regarding Beretta's model 92fs. When one is reading reviews of this weapon, one will no doubt encounter horror stories regarding failing locking blocks in this particular model of pistol. Most of these reports seem to revolve around military use of this pistol (the 92fs replaced the model 1911 as the standard military sidearm around 1984 I think), and many are second hand stories about someone who knows someone who experienced a locking block failure. I'm not saying that these failures have not happened, but I'm almost certain that they do not happen nearly as often as some of the reviews would lead one to believe.

Another common complaint is that the 92fs (or M9 as it is called in the military) has reliability issues in the sandy desert environment of the Middle East. It seems that many of these issues are caused by poor quality after-market magazines that were purchased by the military (someone please correct me if I'm way off here). From what I have read, it seems that if one is using original Beretta magazines, or high quality magazines such as those made by Mec-gar, the problems tend to disappear (please realize that this info is based solely on info that I have read and not experienced for myself).

More often than not when researching this pistol, one will find that it is regarded as an extremely reliable and adequately accurate sidearm. It was these many reviews coupled with the elegant lines of the pistol that finally solidified my decision to purchase one after wanting to for years. After finding one that appeared in good condition for an excellent price on gunbroker.com, I submitted my bid and won the Beretta. After it arrived at my favorite FFL, I went to pick it up, and after BSing with my FFL holder for a bit, I took my new acquisition home.

The example that I bought is an older model that features a straight dustcover and all metal (steel I think) small parts. On most of the newer models the dust cover is now slightly angled, and many of the small parts such as the guide rod, trigger, hammer, etc. are now made of plastic (or at least coated in plastic). It seems from my internet research that most users/owners prefer the all steel small parts, and most people (myself included) prefer the look of the straight dust cover. My gun came with two 15 round magazines. It turned out that one was an original Beretta mag, and the other is a cheap after market unit.

The 92fs is a very large pistol for a somewhat small caliber such as 9mm. This is a common complaint about this model, and is a valid one as there really isn't any reason that a 9mm needs to be so bulky. At its widest point, this gun is over 1.5" wide. The frame is also very wide making the grip quite thick, which makes it somewhat difficult for those with small hands to get a good grip on it. I myself have pretty small hands, but I find the grip to be very comfortable indeed. The grip is big enough to make the trigger reach in double action a bit of a reach, but in single action it is very ergonomic for me. As such a large gun, there is considerable heft. The gun weighs in at 33.3oz. (specs can be found here: http://www.beretta.com/Pistols-Carbines/Defence/Full/92FS/index.aspx?m=82&f=2&id=795). For a gun this size, it is actually reasonably light weight considering how much more it would weigh if it had a steel frame instead of aluminum.

One of the things that enjoy most about the 92fs (besides the look of the gun) is the fit of the parts. For a gun in this price range, the parts seem to fit together and interface with each other very well. Racking the slide is joyous indeed. It is glass smooth and feels excellent. This gun points quite naturally for me, however, the sights could stand to be a bit bigger. My example came with the now almost standard 3 dot set up. The dots on mine are white, but on the stainless models I think they are usually red. I should mention that on the 92fs the front sight is integral with the slide, so it would definitely take some gunsmithing to change it. The rear sight is dovetailed in place. I have seen examples of these guns fitted with adjustable rear target sights. Another feature that I love about this gun is the ease of take down and the ease of cleaning.

The double action trigger pull on my example is very smooth. I don't own a trigger pull guage, but I would guess it to be right around 10lbs, but it is smoother than any other DA/SA pistol that I have owned. The single action pull is acceptable, but not as light as I would prefer. I would guess it to be around 6lbs. I am currently entertaining the idea of switching out my mainspring with what is commonly referred to as the Beretta "D" spring. This is the mainspring that is used in the double action only version of the Beretta 92. I have ready many accounts that switching this spring greatly reduces and smooths both the double action, and single action pulls when installed in the DA/SA version of the 92fs.

For being such a large gun, the 15+1 round capacity is not very impressive considering that many smaller, lighter guns hold more rounds. However, Mec-gar makes 18 round mags that fit flush like the original mags, and 20 rounders that have a slightly extended base pad. Mec-gar makes excellent mags, and supplies many manufacturers with OEM magazines. I will be purchasing at least one 18 rounder in the near future. Regarding the magazines; the original one that came with my gun works flawlessly, but the after market one often will not lock the slide to the rear after the last round has been fired. It does however seem to feed fine.

I have only put around 500 rounds through my 92fs thus far, but they have been very enjoyable rounds. This gun is really a pleasure to shoot. The small 9mm caliber, along with the guns heft and wide back strap really negates recoil. The gun returns to be on-target almost instantaneously. It is certainly not my most accurate handgun, but it is plenty accurate and has been 100% reliable so far (besides the crappy after market mag not locking the slide to the rear). I trust the reliability of this gun enough to use it at times as a concealed carry piece. It is a bit big for being ideal for concealed carry, but I pull it off pretty well in an IWB holster.

I am thinking about getting the gun refinished in the future. There are some wear marks since I purchased used, but it is in good condition especially for the $399 that I paid for it. If or when I do decide to get it refinished, I'm not sure if I will send it to Beretta for a factory finish or go a different route. I have always loved the look of the Inox models (Inox is Beretta speak for stainless steel), and therefore have thought about getting mine hard chromed. Hard chrome is an excellent and very attractive finish. It is one of the most wear-resistant finishes available. However, I'm not sure if the aluminum frame cam be hard chromed. Does anyone out there know if it can be done?

In conclusion, I HIGHLY recommend the Beretta 92fs to anyone looking for an excellent defensive/duty style 9mm. There are certainly other options out their that are better suited to concealed carry, but in a duty/range/home protection role the Beretta really shines. It would make an excellent addition to anyone's collection. It is up amongst my favorite handguns that I have owned. I often find myself admiring its classic, gorgeous lines every time I pull it out of the safe.

Fun neck wear for gun lovers!

Hello all. I attended a wedding this weekend and as I was getting dressed up in my finest duds (something that I rarely do), I decided to wear a tie that my lovely wife got for me for our last anniversary. The black silk tie features an almost life-sized, silver image of a Colt 1873 SAA also known as the "Peacemaker." It occurred to me as I received the many "cool tie" comments, that some of you may be interested in something similar. I was just browsing the website, and saw that they now offer an AK47 tie as well. Here are some links to the two that I have mentioned:

http://cyberoptix.com/shoot.php

http://cyberoptix.com/ak47.php

Now I doubt that these ties were actually meant for gun enthusiasts such as ourselves, but hey, they sure do tickle my fancy. Just to be clear, I have no idea about this company's views on second amendment politics (or even if they have any), but I thought some of you may be interested in these ties for fun. They do seem to be very well made. I hope you all wear your firearms and fashion accessories in good health!

P.S. I also have a pair of "Pistol Pete" Adidas shoes that feature crossed Peacemakers on them.

GOC Chair Greeting

My name is Chuck Butcher and I am the new DPO/Gun Owners Caucus Chair. Zak Johnson had been the GOC Chair from the formation of our organization which was an outgrowth of the DPO Resolution 2005-008 which I authored. I was a DPO sponsor and charter member of GOC though I have tried to stay in the background of the Caucus. I already have quite a few Party functions, I am a PCP, Baker County Chair, and Baker County SCC Delegate so I preferred to be helpful from a low profile. That's not how this went so I now will share my ideas regarding GOC.

The DPO/Gun Owners Caucus is one of the larger Party Caucuses but it is not nearly large enough. This is not about a competition with any other Party Caucus, it is about the process of convincing people that the Democratic Party is not a party of gun grabbers, it is in fact a Party which respects the 2nd Amendment. There are some politicians who wear "D" after their name and there are those who claim to be linked to the Party who are not. The GOC is an official part of the Democratic Party of Oregon which is an official part of DNC and Resolution 2005-008 is the official stance of the DPO. Number are politically impressive, and they are impressive to the media. I believe our first mission is to increase our numbers while making it clear that we are not the NRA or any other professional fundraising scare machine arm of the Republican Party.

It is extraordinarily easy to become a member of the GOC,the link is right here. While the GOC might occasionally do some fundraising or help with events, the most likely thing to be asked of a member is to recruit more members. In fact I am asking that now.

The rules around political fundraising within an organization like DPO are somewhat arcane and create difficulties in compliance. It is seldom in the interest of something like the GOC to try to raise funds for itself. While it is quite easy to comply while asking for contributions to DPO it also is not in our interest to pester our members. Many of us have at one time or the other been members of organizations like NRA and been endlessly pestered for money, we shouldn't go there.

Events like shoots whether for competition or fun are useful for our own bonding and as earned media tools. This is particularly true when politically visible people are involved in the activity. Visibility is a real goal and best achieved with a large number of members, that makes us interesting to media and to politicians. We have tools to reach voters and that is valuable to any politician.

I now have a pretty steep learning curve to utilize the tools and maintain communication with our membership. I'll do that and I'll ask you to reach out to your friends and acquaintances to join. You can reach me at cbutcherATbakervalleyDOTnet.

Thanks,
Chuck

News From the SCC Meeting

Hello all. There is big news from Sunday's SCC meeting that was held in Salem on 9/2o/09. As you all know, Zak Johnson (our former Chair) moved to the East Coast recently. In Zak's absence, Chuck Butcher (our former Vice Chair) was acting as our Chair. Well, after an election held at the SCC meeting, I am pleased to announce that Chuck is now officially the Chair of the Gun Owners' Caucus of the DPO. This created one problem (perhaps more if you are Chuck :)). With our former Vice Chair moving in to the Chair position, we needed to elect a new Vice Chair.

After Chuck announced the fact that we indeed needed to elect a Vice Chair he graciously asked for nominations. After an uncomfortable silence, I slowly spoke up an asked a few questions about the responsibilities of the Vice Chair position. A few seconds later, I found myself being nominated. I am somewhat pleased, though terrified to announce that I, Brian Reichhoff (former Treasurer) am the new Vice Chair (and still Treasurer......I think). I hope that I am able to perform my duties, whatever they may be, and help keep the GOC going strong.

Another Awesome member of the GOC, Jodi Russell, has been acting as the caucus Secretary for the last couple of months. Even though there was not an official election held at the SCC meeting for this position, Jodi will continue to perform these duties. I am very thankful, and excited for this as Jodi has some great ideas and is willing to take on the big responsibility of this position.

After talking with Chuck and Jodi, we decided that organization should be a top priority of the caucus at this time. We are looking at creating some small focus groups, and/or committees to focus on certain aspects of gun ownership and responsibilities such as fund raising, making connections for events, recruiting new members and such. We have no idea what this will look like as of yet, and I am probably prematurely mentioning it as we have not discussed it in much length or detail, but if any of you are intersted in helping, please let us (Chuck, Jodi, or I) know.

In closing, I would like to thank Chuck Butcher for agreeing to be our fearless leader, and Jodi Russell for continuing at the Secretary position. I believe that with strong people like them, we will continue to grow and thrive as a caucus.

Hiking with a Concealed Firearm in Oregon: Legal or Not?

Many Oregonians mistakenly believe that there is an exception for hiking on public lands with a concealed weapon. If you are hiking with a concealed firearm without a concealed handgun license, you'd better have current hunting tags, a shooting club card, or a fishing pole and be prepared to prove such at a jury trial.

The safer bet is to get a CHL, even if you never plan to carry on a day-to-day basis. Many Oregonians get a CHL just for transporting firearms or to be safe on a hiking trail.

ORS 166.250 is the statute that prohibits carrying a concealed firearm on your person or readily accessible within a vehicle. ORS 166.260 sets forth the exceptions:

(1) ORS 166.250 does not apply to or affect:
* * *
(h) A person who is licensed under ORS 166.291 and 166.292 to carry a concealed handgun.
* * *
(2) [Except for convicted felons], ORS 166.250 does not apply to or affect:
(a) Members of any club or organization, for the purpose of practicing shooting at targets upon the established target ranges, whether public or private, while such members are using any of the firearms referred to in ORS 166.250 upon such target ranges, or while going to and from such ranges.
(b) Licensed hunters or fishermen while engaged in hunting or fishing, or while going to or returning from a hunting or fishing expedition.

Mike Arnold,
Attorney at Law
Arnold Law Office, LLC
Eugene, Oregon

Portland Gun Club - New Shooter Day Photos

The Portland Gun Club played host today to a joint "New Shooter Day" put on by the Gun Owners Caucus of the Democratic Party of Oregon and the African American Hunting Association (AAHA). Portland Gun Club board member Rick Policar led a new shooter safety orientation and helped seven brand new shooters fire off their first shots:

Here Sunshine Dixon gets ready to fire her first round.


Beth Reichhoff gets a feel for steel.



Dreyvon Stevens shows he knows how to hold a long gun, though this was his first time with a shotgun--which he noted kicks a bit more. But he fired a good 20 to 25 rounds with the youth model 20 gauge and hit more than one.


Adults from left to right: Gun Owners Caucus treasurer, Brian Reichhoff, State House Representative Jules Bailey (D - Portland), and Sonia Doolittle on the line. Sonia proved to be the surprise of the day--nailing about 25% of her shots even though it was her first time ever firing a gun:

Sonia celebrating after turning another clay into dust. (Seriously, Sonia, keep with this--you're a natural!)


Stuart Johnson gets ready to fire his first round. The .410, even with the youth stock, was still a little long but he kept with it, too, showing off his bruised arm later. ; )

Amy Bailey firing at skeet for the first time: nailed it! (Naturally! Never bet against a beginner at the range!)


Donny Adair (picture, above), founder of the African American Hunting Association, brought along his "little brother" in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program to give him some fun and instruction. Donny and I are both strongly of the opinion that shielding youth from firearms is the absolute worst thing you can do to their education into adulthood.

Face it, guns are fun, attractive (especially to young men) and are part of American life. Our children need to know how to handle a gun safely, how to recognize safe (and unsafe) handling when others are holding the gun, and that we need to treat guns with respect. Days like today are perfect opportunities for shooters young and old to learn gun handling, safety and "gun culture," which is more than just competent usage. Gun culture includes many levels of respect, an asset in life best learned from adults but which can also be found in youngsters such as were with us today.

If you're concerned about the future of gun rights and gun culture in America, it's good to be involved politically. But politics follows culture, not the other way around. Vote, lobby, agitate, but most of all: take someone shooting!

Left to Right...
Front Row: Brian Reichhoff, Sonia "Dead Eye" Doolittle
Back Row: Sunshine Dixon, Stuart Johnson (held), Jodi Russell, Donny Adair, Rick Policar, Amy Bailey, Jules Bailey.

Donny Adair nails a few clays with the youth model 20 gauge.

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PERSONAL NOTE:
Though the blog of course continues, this will be my last post to Blue Steel Democrats. I am moving within the week to New Hampshire and will no longer be an Oregonian. I will of course still be a gun owner - "Live Free or Die," as they say in NH. It's bitter sweet to go, but today I saw that the caucus we founded three years ago is in good and capable hands and continues to grow. Protecting the Second Amendment by expanding the pool of hunters, shooters and gun owners is the best investment in democracy you can make.
"Yep..........."
"..........Yep."

Oregon man gets 19 months for killing intruder

This outrages me. A man is sent to prison for 19 years for killing a man who broke into his house in the middle of the night. In Oregon, if someone breaks into your house, they must DO YOU HARM before you may defend yourself. Otherwise, you'll be on the wrong side of the law.

This strikes me as something in need of fixing next session if not before. Maybe the initiative system - this is the stuff of plain ole common sense. The legislature thinks we should have a violent felony perpetrated on us before we can defend ourselves? I think they need to hear from us on this one.

I'm going to attend Rep. Wu's town hall for health care next week and will bring this issue up at that time.

Anyone have a different perspective on this subject? I'd be interested to hear it.


Hallie

PS: Here's the link, in case it didn't come through: http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_080909_news_intruder_prison.c2ede6b4.html?npc