Lebben-B
Member
Let me preface this post by saying I'm still a .45 kinda grunt.
Earlier in the month I had purchased a used FN Forty-Nine hand gun (I got a great deal on it.) Fit and function on it were very good, though the DAO trigger was heavy. During the weekly trip to the range, the wife and son positively despised the trigger pull of the FN. So the next day we went out and I traded it in on a Taurus PT92-AF.
I am no fan of the M9. I hate location of the decocker/safety on the slide and the fact that it can't be carried in condition one status. The Taurus solves this issue by putting the decocker/safety on the frame, the way JMB intended. (BTW, at this point I can hear the Beretta fans getting spun up.)
Metero Data:
Temp - 60 deg F
Wind - 5 kts steady, gusting to 8 kts (est)
Rel Humidity - ~65%
Range Data:
100m outdoor range, covered firing points
pistol fired at 3, 5, 7, 15, and 25 yds.
Targetry - FBI silhouette, NRA 25 yd bullseye
Ammo Data:
WWB 115gr FMJ
WWB 147gr JHP
UMC 115gr FMJ
FED 135gr JHP
CorBon 125gr JHP(+P)
Personal Data:
6'-1'
175 lbs
Large hands
Pistol Fit and Finish
The fit of the PT92 was excellent. Everything was snug and parts moved smoothly. The finish, anodized black, was good but not great. The etched lettering on the slide was filled with gold paint. I could have done without this touch, but that's merely a reflection of my personal aesthetics and it doesn't impact the function of the gun one way or another. A nice touch was the inclusion of an integral picatinny rail for the mounting of lights/lasers. The pistol ships with 2 17-round mags. While the mags seem to be of sturdy manufacture, I have my doubts about their logevity given the fact that you're stuffing 17 rounds in the same space as 15. My thinking is the mag springs will wear out quickly.
Shooting Impressions
Overall the pistol fired over 300 rounds of various sorts. There were no failures of any kind to report. The single action was good, with no take-up and a small bit of over-travel, breaking at about 4 pounds. The double action was long and somewhat gritty. As with most 9mm pistols, the PT92 is very controllable with negligible muzzle flip. Sights are of the standard 3-dot variety and stand out well against the target. The rear sight is drift adjustable for windage but the front sight is fixed. Owners wishing to upgrade their sights to luminous/self-luminous sights will have to either paint the front dot with luminescent paint or have a gunsmith drill out the front sight a bit and insert a tritium capsule
At all ranges, the pistol was easily capable of 2"-4" groups. The best groups were fired using the UMC 115gr - 1.5" @ 15 yds, 2.25" @ 25 yds.
This is a big pistol, particularly for the caliber. The M9/Beretta/Taurus isn't built. It's over-built. I personally think that this is due to the use of an aluminium frame. The original design dates to the 1970's and reflects '70's technology. My guess is Beretta wanted to ensure the pistol frame could withstand the beating and abuse it's intended audiences (LEO/Military) would give it. I have fairly big hands and had no problems handling the the controls or firing the PT92. My wife was also able to generate solid groups with it, as was my 13 yr old son.
The Taurus PT92 will not change anybody's mind about hi-cap 9's. It's a solid pistol and enjoyable to shoot. This is a lot of pistol for the money and all things being equal, I would recommend it over the Beretta by dint of it's control location.
Mike
Earlier in the month I had purchased a used FN Forty-Nine hand gun (I got a great deal on it.) Fit and function on it were very good, though the DAO trigger was heavy. During the weekly trip to the range, the wife and son positively despised the trigger pull of the FN. So the next day we went out and I traded it in on a Taurus PT92-AF.
I am no fan of the M9. I hate location of the decocker/safety on the slide and the fact that it can't be carried in condition one status. The Taurus solves this issue by putting the decocker/safety on the frame, the way JMB intended. (BTW, at this point I can hear the Beretta fans getting spun up.)
Metero Data:
Temp - 60 deg F
Wind - 5 kts steady, gusting to 8 kts (est)
Rel Humidity - ~65%
Range Data:
100m outdoor range, covered firing points
pistol fired at 3, 5, 7, 15, and 25 yds.
Targetry - FBI silhouette, NRA 25 yd bullseye
Ammo Data:
WWB 115gr FMJ
WWB 147gr JHP
UMC 115gr FMJ
FED 135gr JHP
CorBon 125gr JHP(+P)
Personal Data:
6'-1'
175 lbs
Large hands
Pistol Fit and Finish
The fit of the PT92 was excellent. Everything was snug and parts moved smoothly. The finish, anodized black, was good but not great. The etched lettering on the slide was filled with gold paint. I could have done without this touch, but that's merely a reflection of my personal aesthetics and it doesn't impact the function of the gun one way or another. A nice touch was the inclusion of an integral picatinny rail for the mounting of lights/lasers. The pistol ships with 2 17-round mags. While the mags seem to be of sturdy manufacture, I have my doubts about their logevity given the fact that you're stuffing 17 rounds in the same space as 15. My thinking is the mag springs will wear out quickly.
Shooting Impressions
Overall the pistol fired over 300 rounds of various sorts. There were no failures of any kind to report. The single action was good, with no take-up and a small bit of over-travel, breaking at about 4 pounds. The double action was long and somewhat gritty. As with most 9mm pistols, the PT92 is very controllable with negligible muzzle flip. Sights are of the standard 3-dot variety and stand out well against the target. The rear sight is drift adjustable for windage but the front sight is fixed. Owners wishing to upgrade their sights to luminous/self-luminous sights will have to either paint the front dot with luminescent paint or have a gunsmith drill out the front sight a bit and insert a tritium capsule
At all ranges, the pistol was easily capable of 2"-4" groups. The best groups were fired using the UMC 115gr - 1.5" @ 15 yds, 2.25" @ 25 yds.
This is a big pistol, particularly for the caliber. The M9/Beretta/Taurus isn't built. It's over-built. I personally think that this is due to the use of an aluminium frame. The original design dates to the 1970's and reflects '70's technology. My guess is Beretta wanted to ensure the pistol frame could withstand the beating and abuse it's intended audiences (LEO/Military) would give it. I have fairly big hands and had no problems handling the the controls or firing the PT92. My wife was also able to generate solid groups with it, as was my 13 yr old son.
The Taurus PT92 will not change anybody's mind about hi-cap 9's. It's a solid pistol and enjoyable to shoot. This is a lot of pistol for the money and all things being equal, I would recommend it over the Beretta by dint of it's control location.
Mike
After trying to figure out that bit reminiscent of a Faulkner character, I would say that the author was speaking of a TAURUS, an "improvement" on the original Beretta design, not a Beretta itself. 
