• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The K-Var ArmoryThe K-Var Armory

The Largest Supplier of Firearms, Gun Parts, & Accessories Online

  • Shop K-Var
  • News
    • Industry
    • Politics
    • Second Amendment
    • Self Defense
    • Comics
  • Reviews
    • Anything AK
    • Anything AR
    • Gear
    • Pistols
    • Rifles
    • Shotguns
  • Newsletter

Surplus Beretta 92S: A Retired 9mm With a Lot of Fight

January 7, 2020 by Robert Sadowski 5 Comments

Surplus has different meanings depending where you are in the world. Surplus firearms in the U.S. means extra, on hand, or dated equipment. In other countries, it could mean scrap metal. I try to avoid the latter, but I am always on the lookout for a diamond in the rough and thought I’d look at the Beretta 92S. I have seen these advertised by a variety of online gun sellers. This 9mm is an early generation of 92FS, so it is more of a European gun than the 92FS that definitely has U.S. influence. This is what I found with this old pistol.

Beretta 92S pistol right profile black
This 9mm is an early generation of 92FS, so it is more of a European gun than the 92FS that definitely has U.S. influence.

The Beretta 92S is basically a Model 92FS with slight differences. The original Model 92 was introduced in 1976 and had a frame-mounted safety similar to the current Taurus 92 pistol or a 1911-style pistol. Police and military in Italy wanted a slide mounted safety, so in 1977, Beretta introduced the 92S. The 92S was second generation 92. Beretta quickly started selling these pistols to police and LE agencies around the world.

Where the 92S differs from the 92FS is in the grip, hammer pin, receiver shape and magazine release. The 92FS has an enlarged hammer pin to stop the slide from flying off the receiver if it cracks. This was done at request of the U.S. military after testing with high pressure loads. The 92S has the safety lever mounted in the slide. Rotated up, it exposes a red dot and the pistol is ready to fire. Rotate it down, and the trigger is disengaged but the slide can still be manipulated. The hammer cannot be cocked. With the pistol cocked, rotate the lever to allow the hammer to move forward. The safety is not ambidextrous.

Magazine release button on the Beretta 92S
That button is the magazine release which took some getting used to.

The receiver has a rounded trigger guard and the magazine release is located in the butt. Press the button and the magazine falls free. If you have ever fired a pistol in snow or tall grass, you will understand why the magazine release was located here. Using the support hand to manipulate the magazine drops the empty magazine into the palm of the support hand. Here in the U.S. we are used to dumping the empty magazine, and while it is falling, insert a full magazine. This is a European trait of the 92S. It’s really all in the training. Most magazines made for the 92FS are compatible with the 92S, so finding extra magazines—both factory and aftermarket—is simple.

The front and rear grip straps are smooth and there is a lanyard loop attached at the butt. The 92S feels rounded in hand, different than the 92FS. The plastic grips were checkered on the bottom portion, but not the top, which seems odd. I would have liked fully checkered grips to better grip the pistol.

Field stripped Beretta 92S pistol left profile
If you’ve spent time under Uncle Sam’s tutelage, you know a 92 field strips quickly.

My example showed signs of holster wear but little from actual firing. The bluing was worn, and I would rate this pistol 80-75 percent by NRA standards. The slide had no wiggle. It was tight. The trigger measured 11 pounds in DA mode—and felt like it. In SA mode there was a lot of take up and it was a bit mushy. No showstoppers by any means, just a typical used service pistol. The sights were small, fixed, and without contrasting dots or lines. On a dark background, the sights could get lost.

Since this is an older pistol, I did not test it with proofing loads or +P+ loads. This pistol was not designed for that type of high-pressure ammunition, and I had no desire to taste Italian steel. Not that I am implying this is a sub-standard pistol. The 92S is safe when used with ammunition originally intended.

hand holding the Beretta 92S pistol
The 92S has similar girth as a 92FS, but the grips are bit thinner.

What I did want to find out was whether performance would be affected if I fired different bullets types—meaning FMJs and hollow points. I used off-the-shelf 9mm ammo consisting of Hornady American Gunner with 115-grain XTP jacketed hollow points, Aguila 124-grain FMJ, and SIG Sauer 115-grain FMJ. All three ammo types cycled flawlessly through the 92S with no issues.

For accuracy testing I used a bench rest at targets set at 25 yards. In speed firing exercise I fired at targets 7 yards, performing both Bill Drills and Mozambique Drills. The object with the Bill Drill is to fire as fast and as accurately as possible to hit an 8-inch zone. The Mozambique, or for those of you who are politically correct, the Failure Drill, requires two fast shots to center of mass and a one to the head. All must be within their zones to be successful.

All ammunition cycled flawlessly through the 92S. Magazines seated easily. I would have liked more slide serrations to make the slide easier to rack.

100-Yard Accuracy, Five-Shot Groups

Load

Group

Muzzle Velocity

Muzzle Energy

Hornady American Gunner 9mm 115-grain XTP 1.56 in. 1,110 fps 309 ft-lbs.
SIG Sauer 9mm 115-grain FMJ 2.86 in. 1,130 fps 316 ft-lbs.
Aguila 9mm 124-grain FMJ 1.22 in. 1,055 fps 307 ft-lbs.

Bench rest accuracy was good, averaging about two inches for five rounds at 25 yards. I could consistently group five shots at about 1.22 inches with the 124-grain FMJ Aguila ammunition. The Hornady American Gunner ammo with a 115-grain JHP was no slouch either with average groups measuring 1.8 inches. The 92S had a pleasant recoil. The pistol magazine release took some getting used to and slowed me down when it came to rapid reloads.

The 92S is no 92FS, but it still provides an excellent example of Beretta’s 92 series performance. The 92S was about half the cost of a new 92FS, and it had some bluing worn off, but I wouldn’t hesitate to use this as a defense weapon. Load it up with 124-grain rounds.

Specifications

Beretta 92S

Caliber: 9mm
Action Type: Short recoil, falling locking block
Barrel Length: 4.9”
Rifling: 1:9.8”
Magazine: 15 rounds, detachable box, steel
Sights: fixed front post, dovetail rear notch
Trigger Pull DA: 11 lbs.
Trigger Pull SA: 4.6 lbs.
Overall Length: 8.5”
Weight: 36.3 oz.
Suggested Retail Price: $280 – $310

Do you own or have you fired the Beretta 92S or 92SF? What about a European gun with the mag release at the base of the grip? Share your tips and reviews in the comment section.

hand holding the Beretta 92S pistol
The 92S has similar girth as a 92FS, but the grips are bit thinner.
Beretta 92S pistol right profile black
This 9mm is an early generation of 92FS, so it is more of a European gun than the 92FS that definitely has U.S. influence.
close up of the slide barrel and the main spring of the Beretta 92S pistol showing little wear
For a pistol manufactured in the early 1980s, it surprisingly has little wear.
D-Shaped cutout in the magaine for the mag release on the Beretta 92S pistol
That D-shaped hole in the magazine allows the magazine to be used in 92s with a magazine butt release. Many currently-manufactured 92 magazines have this cut out.
rear sight on a pistol
Sights were small and glared when used in noon time sunlight.
Slide mounted safety lever on the Beretta 92S pistol
The 92S was the first of the 92 series to have a slide mounted safety lever.
Beretta 92S pistol left profile black
The original Model 92 was introduced in 1976 and had a frame-mounted safety similar to the current Taurus 92 pistol or a 1911-style pistol. Police and military in Italy wanted a slide mounted safety, so in 1977, Beretta introduced the 92S.
Field stripped Beretta 92S pistol left profile
If you’ve spent time under Uncle Sam’s tutelage, you know a 92 field strips quickly.
quartering images showing the absence of front and rear grip serrations on a Beretta 92S pistol
The 92S did not have any front or rear grip strap serrations. They were missed.
Magazine release button on the Beretta 92S
That button is the magazine release which took some getting used to.

Sign up for K-Var’s weekly newsletter and discounts here.

Filed Under: Pistols, Reviews Tagged With: Aguila, Beretta, Hornady, SIG Sauer Ammunition

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Billb says

    January 9, 2020 at 2:46 pm

    Picked one of these up in 2018. Very good quality surplus pistol at a low cost.

    Reply
  2. KLM says

    January 10, 2020 at 5:38 pm

    Love my Beretta 92FS. It’s my go to pistol. Accurate, 100% reliable, good capacity. It pretty much goes with me wherever I go.

    Reply
  3. Christopher Bishop says

    January 11, 2020 at 7:18 pm

    I do have a 92s and she’s a beauty! Italian Police trade in Surplus most certainly not scrap. Low serial number. Easily 95% condition, but I paid a little more because of that($300, in 2018) Absolutely love it, nightstand dweller with a flashlight alongside. Beretta’s bluing, meticulous workmanship, reliability and accuracy are World renown.

    Reply
  4. Danny says

    January 16, 2020 at 1:00 pm

    I have had one since I bought in the 70’s. Cannot find magazines for it and have looked
    at several gun shows. Good and reliable performance

    Reply
  5. Travis Jones says

    April 12, 2020 at 12:21 pm

    What an amazing deal! Get a piece of firearm history as well as a great shooter or defense gun. Nothing like italian made Beretta’s. Actions like butter!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to the Muzzle Flash – The K-Var Armory Official Newsletter!

* Required field
Marketing permission: I give my consent to to be in touch with me via email using the information I have provided in this form for the purpose of news, updates and marketing.

Recent Posts

  • Trump’s 50% Tariff Threat: Impact on Imported Firearm Prices
  • Circle 10 “Waffle Pattern” 30-round Magazine: As Good As it Gets
  • The LF308 Battle Rifle AR-10
  • Long Range Shooting 3
  • K-Var’s 180-Day Layaway Program: Own Your Dream Firearm, Interest-Free!
Gun Broker Auctions

Archives

  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017

Categories

  • 1911
  • Accessories
  • Ammunition
  • Anything AK
  • Anything AR
  • Arex
  • Arsenal
  • Blades
  • Browning
  • Cartridges
  • Charter Arms
  • Colt
  • Comics
  • Conservation
  • Dan Wesson
  • Deer
  • Derringer
  • Gear
  • Glock
  • Hearing Protection
  • Holsters
  • How To
  • How-To
  • Hunting
  • Industry
  • Kahr
  • Kel-Tec
  • Lasers
  • News
  • NFA
  • Night Vision
  • North American Arms
  • Op-ed
  • Optics
  • Optics
  • Pistols
  • Politics
  • Predator
  • Product Recall Notice
  • Red Dot
  • Reloading
  • Reviews
  • Revolvers
  • Rifles
  • Rimfire
  • Rock Island Armory
  • Rossi
  • Ruger
  • Ruger
  • Savage
  • Second Amendment
  • Self Defense
  • Shotguns
  • SIG Sauer
  • Small Game
  • Smith and Wesson
  • Springfield
  • Tactics
  • Taurus
  • Thermal
  • Turkey
  • Uncategorized
  • Video
  • Walther
  • Waterfowling
  • Comics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • About
  • Newsletter

Copyright © 2025 · K-Var Corp · Log in