![]() These early 92s had heel of the butt magazine release catches, and a frame mounted safety, similar to that of the 1911 Government model pistol. Indeed, many people consider their version to be better (usually because of the frame-mounted safety), although I’m not one of them. After the military contracts were finished, Beretta sold the plant to Forjas Taurus, who continue to make their own version of the 92 to this day. ![]() Initially it was sold to the Brazilians, who later built their own factory to manufacture it. Beretta carried this feature over to the model 92.īeretta launched the model 92 in 1975, amid the introduction of a number of other designs, notably the SIG-Sauer P220 and the Brno CZ-75, both classic designs themselves. This provides the delayed blowback mechanism necessary for the 9mm cartridge. The Brigadier was also a popular pistol, and to retain the distinctive open-top slide, Beretta copied the locking mechanism off the Walther P38 in order to accommodate the more powerful 9mm pistol cartridge:Įssentially, as the barrel recoils after firing, it moves backward in a slot in the frame, until reaching a cutout into which the ears at the back of the lug drop down into the cutout, arresting the movement of the barrel. This was a feature Beretta had used on almost all previous designs, including most prominently the Beretta 1934, a 9mm Short calibre blowback pistol widely used during World War Two, which later evolved into the 9mm Beretta 951 “Brigadier”. One of the interesting features of most Beretta pistols is the open top slide, that you can see in the following picture: I will attempt however to give you the short version: The reason for the extended history is largely because of the controversy caused by the US adoption of the pistol. There are however several books on the subject, and if you’re really interested I suggest you track them down. In addition, Beretta themselves make the pistol both in Italy and in Accokeek, Maryland, for supply to the US Armed Forces and also for civilian and police sales.ĭespite its relatively short life, the history of the Beretta 92 series is too long to completely recount here. FAMAE of Chile makes (or made) a version similar to the Taurus for the Chilean military. Taurus make a copy in Brazil called the Taurus PT-92 (or PT-99 with adjustable sights). The Spanish company Llama makes an unlicensed copy called the Llama M82, and the South African company Vektor makes a licensed copy called the Z88. France has so far manufactured 103,000 of these guns for the Gendarmarie, French Air Force and some elite units. ![]() Indeed, my local police here in the UK use it.įrance makes a licensed copy of the 92, called the PA MAS G1 (Pistolet Automatique d’ MAS), that is manufactured by MAS in St. (popularised by the film “Lethal Weapon”) and the Immigration and Naturalization Service. It is also extremely common among police, being used by the French Gendarmerie, Italian police, and a huge number of US police agencies, including the Los Angeles Police Dept. Today it is a leading maker of small arms, and highly respected as such for the simple reason that everything it makes goes “bang” when it’s supposed to! The Beretta 92FS is one of the company’s leading products.Ĭurrently, the 92FS or slightly different versions or copies of it are in service with the armed forces of Brazil, Chile, Egypt, France, Italy, Mexico, South Africa, Spain and the United States. The Beretta 92FS, its predecessors and its copies are quite possibly the most common pistols in the world today, only the Browning Hi-Power can claim anywhere near the acceptance.Īs it is one of the world’s most common pistols, it has obvious interest to collectors due to the wide variety of manufacturers and variants of the basic model that have been made over the years.īeretta is the oldest gun company in the world, with a history that can be traced back to 1526.
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