92FS Baretta disappointment
 

I have a SS Baretta 92FS that I have had a while, but haven't had a chance to take to the range yet. I've shot it at my FIL's house, in the country....but now at the range.
I took it out Sunday and was not impressed with the grouping. Also, it was shooting about 2in left and 6 in low at 15 yards. I was also shooting a couple of my other handguns, that were doing fine....it wasn't necessarily the operator. ;) Even with that, the grouping wasn't what I was expecting. I was getting better grouping with my snub nosed .38.
Does anyone else have this gun and how do you like it? I bought this from a friend of mine that had only put a couple hundred rounds through it.

Thanks and look foward to hearing responses....

Not a stainless one, but do have a blued 92FS. smoothest gun I got. I bet I have over 10,000 rounds or more thru it. Never miss a beat. A gun is an individual. I can't take a reload that shoots well in one and even expect it to shoot as well in another.

I love my 92, but respect it for what it is...a battle field handgun, not a target gun. I have found it is very particular to proper hand hold and trigger squeeze. My revolvers also are much easier to shoot well.

Yep, basically the M9 service pistol and I find it VERY particular to propper hand hold and trigger squeeze! It does make you become a better marksman though and you're right, it's rugged enough for combat.

Here are some possible causes for hitting low and to the left IF you are shooting right handed.

1. If you are anticipating the shot (you may not know that you are), this quite often will have a POI that is low and to the left. Buy some snap caps and have someone load a mag with a mixture of live ammo and the snap caps. Focus on the front sight. When you hit the snap cap, your sights should not move from the point you were aiming.

2. If you have too much trigger finger, this will push the POI left for a right handed shooter.

3. If you grip tighter with you right finger tips (if shooting right handed) as you fire, this will push the POI left.

4. If you are lobstering with your right hand as you fire, this will move the POI low.

You may have adjusted the sights on the other handguns to help compensate for improper form. If you do not do the proper Follow Through, this will affect a longer barrel firearm more than a snubby. Go to a gun range and have a Certified Range Officer or Instructor try it out. More often than not, it is the shooter's form. Check out the following link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysa50-plo48

Country,
What you are saying makes sense and I am a Right handed shooter. The other two handguns I was shooting Sunday were a snub nosed .38 with fixed sights and a .357 revolver but the sights have not been adjusted. I had no issues shooting these guns. But maybe because they are revolvers, I created a different shooting form with the Baretta.....I don't think I did as I was making valid efforts to follow proper shooting form to find some consistency with the gun.....but I'm certainly not above error. :throw:
I need to make another trip this weekend and try again with focus and see what the results are.
I was curious to see what experience others have had with this gun. If I can't find better results, I'm not so sure I want to keep it around with a lack of confidence. But, I will go through plenty more rounds before that decision's made.
Thanks for the comments.

Some guns require a little different skill when shooting. My XDM was hitting low and left, and from what I read, is very common. Practicing with snap caps, I found the gun pulling low and left as I pulled that trigger back with my long fingers. With some practice at home I was able to train myself to shoot it straight. Next time to the range, I saw a remarkable difference. This coming from a seasoned and respectable 1911 shooter. Follow what Country1 said, and I think you will have better luck.

BT,

I just picked up a 92FS yesterday; haven't had a chance to shoot it yet.

Have you tried a Shooting Analysis Target? I'm bringing one with me this weekend just in case; like the others mentioned, I've heard the 92FS is finicky about grip, stance, and trigger squeeze.

sir,i dont mean to disrespect your choice but the 92 has always been and will be a piece of crap.the army bought it because it was cheap.we found cases of them in iraq that were much better than what we had.the 92 will always be junk and is forever.i used it in iraq and ended up using my sig,didnt trust it in combat.others might like it but just ask the majority of the troops that used it,i would rather have a cheap star pistol than the 92.its amazing how good a weapon is until your life depends on it,and mine has and the 92 didnt cut the mustard.so i hope to hear from you experts:happy0001:please reply cause i gotta hear the BS

Ok, so what happened in Iraq? How many firefights was you in with it? Did it jam. I have owned one for over 20 years, and can't say I have had an issue. I would bet I have put more rounds down a beretta than you have.

Maybe it won't come as a surprise, but the Army buys EVERYTHING because it's cheap (the low bid), or because some Congressman interferes with the acquisition process. Further, most troops don't have a choice of what they carry in the realm of sidearms - unless they're "surfer-dudes" or CID. Be careful, now...

I'd be interested in your objective basis for "didn't cut the mustard"? Did it fail? And how or why? My own contention is that its best use is as an EOF weapon. If you find yourself relying on a sidearm, something has not gone very well. The 9mm sort of works on the feral dogs, but I don't think I'd want to rely on ANY 9mm in a pinch. Fortunately, I also had access to rifles, and it was a rare occasion when I wasn't carrying one. Pistols are wonderful on the FOB, but otherwise....

My issue M9 wasn't what I considered "junk" though. And I don't consider my personal M92FS "junk", either. I don't care as much for 9mm x 19 as I used to, but that has nothing to do with Beretta. Like any weapon with fixed sights, it's important that you know where your particular weapon prints, but there's little adjustment possible. The first round from DA causes everyone problems, the pointers above are a good summary. Reset isn't perfect, but it's not as bad as - oh, a cheap Star.

Practice is the key. It's hard to really assess what a firearm's capable of - and particularly handguns - until you've had some range time with them.

Gophernator,
I've not used that before, but it appears to make sense with what others have said as well. I'm going to get in some more range time before I conclude my feelings on this one.

I, too, am interested to hear what failures occurred in Iraq.
Thanks for the responses!!!

I have a sig 226 also. When I got it many years ago, I went around very happy with my purchase. Told everyone how its so much better than my 92FS. I got my 92 in late 80's. Finally somone asked me what it does (226) over my 92fs. I said, they are better made. They asked how. I said look at all the reports. Finally it occured to me, just because it cost more doesn't actually make it better. I have probably 5000 or more rounds thru the sig. It hasn't failed either. I would recommend both to anyone.

I own a 92FS in blue. Mine is the police model with the 13 round mags. I pretty much have treated that pistol like piss. Pretty much beat on it, carry it everytime I go hunting, everytime I walk in the woods, it never gets oil, never gets cleaned. It's never once not fired, and I've shot several thousand rounds through it. On top of that it's extremely accurate. More accurate than most. Also very smooth with a very nice trigger once the hammer is back.

Just about everyone that has shot it loves it. Not to say that it isn't possible that you got a dud but my experience has been quite good.

Tom