The Elite LTT (Langdon Tactical Technology) was introduced by Beretta in 2018. In a brilliant move, Big Beretta let genius firearms trainer, Ernest Langdon, design a handgun. I don’t use the “G” word lightly. The Elite LTT is recognized in the highest Beretta Circles as the ultimate 92.
When you first see it, the lines are familiar. When you pick it up, it feels different than other handguns. It is rough in the right places with tapers and smooth contours. The trigger is like applying sunscreen around a bikini. It’s a better Beretta.
Over the years, Beretta had a lot of good ideas. The bad news is they like to spread them out over many guns, one idea at a time. For the Elite LTT, Ernest Langdon collected all the best features up and smashed them into one gun to rule them all.
“I think this is the most shootable platform to date. We took the favored M9A1 frame, the Vertec slide, adding front cocking serrations, and an exclusive radiused trigger guard to create the flattest and softest shooting full-size 92 package.” Ernest Langdon of Langdon Tactical
According to legend, the Beretta forge started operation about 1500. The first documented transaction is a contract dated October 3, 1526, the bill of sale is still in the files in Brescia, Italy. The Republic of Venice agreed to pay 296 ducats to Maestro di Canne (master barrel maker) Bartolomeo Baretta to make 185 arquebus barrels. This makes the Beretta the oldest maker of firearms in the world.
Beretta’s Model 1915, was carried by Italian forces during World War I. Ian Fleming’s famous spy James Bond carried a Beretta Model 418 chambered in .25 ACP, in the first 007 novel, Casino Royale.
Beretta starting building 92 series handguns in 1972 and they are still turning them out. The 92FS became famous in 1985 when it replaced the fabled .45 caliber M-1911 as the M-9. Some people are still sore about this.
The Los Angeles Police Department and other law enforcement agencies adopted Berettas for duty use. From the Nakatomi Plaza to the Hurt Locker in Iraq, the Beretta has been a movie go-to gun.
The Beretta 92’s signature open slide design cuts weight and allows for easy clearing of debris. The falling locking block design provides good accuracy and the in-line travel of the barrel makes it run reliably with a suppressor.
In 2006, the Marines added a Picatinny rail, a beveled magazine well and improved magazines to the M-9 and designated it as the M-9A1 sending it to Iraq and Afghanistan. The M-9A3 was released in 2015, for the Modular Handgun System competition.
I carried the M-9 in war and peace and I taught other soldiers to shoot it. Our relationship worked, but it was platonic. There were a few things that kept me from falling in love with the Beretta. The grip was too big, the trigger too long and the sights too hard to use.
Ernest Langdon has changed everything important; for the better. For me, it is like going to my high school reunion and seeing that the overweight chess club president with braces has lost 100 pounds and is now a lingerie model who teaches kickboxing.
The Beretta 92 Elite LTT is built in partnership with Ernest Langdon of Langdon Tactical. Called the ‘Ultimate 92 Package’, the LTT Elite starts with a modified M9A1 frame wearing Langdon Tactical G10 grips. The top half is a Vertec slide with front cocking serrations and a G-Model decocker.
Dovetailed fiber optic sights, steel trigger and guide rod, improved springs and a stainless 4.7-inch barrel with target crown complete the spec sheet. Don’t call this a 92, the 21st century LTT Elite is a whole new thing.
The LTT Elite has a lightweight “D” hammer spring and a skeletonized lightweight hammer to reduce double-action pull. The G model de-cocker removes the possibility of inadvertent application of the safety. This is a big deal when clearing a malfunction or reloading can lead to a gun that won’t shoot.
There are several features which mitigate the thickness of the gun. A short trigger pull and reset reduces the length of the trigger pull. The checkered front and back strap with super thin VZ/LTT G10 grips change the feel. The frame is shaped to eliminate edges around the undercut trigger guard, the rear of the slide and the beaver tail to match the human hand.
Changes in the frame and an extended magazine catch help you reach all the controls. A flush spring cap and beveling the magazine well make magazine insertions a snap.
The original Beretta sights would be right at home on an arquebus. The Langdon designed .110” dovetail fiber optic front sight with a square notch serrated rear sight, jump out and demand your attention making two eye shooting fast and easy.
Magazines are important. The gun ships with three Beretta logo magazines and the magazines that came with my gun all worked perfectly. The Elite also runs on the plentiful surplus M-9 magazines, but make sure that all of your magazines work before trusting them beyond the range. KCI USA makes a reliable Beretta FS92 9mm 30-Round Magazine.
MECGAR ANTI-FRICTION 20-round magazines ran perfectly.
Italian magazine manufacturer Mec-Gar produces magazines in blue and nickel finishes with an 18-round capacity, which fit flush in the magazine well on the 92 series. Mec-Gar also produces an extended 20-round blued magazine that protrudes below the frame by 3⁄4 inch (19 mm).
The ANTI-FRICTION finish on the 20-round magazines is made from heat-treated carbon steel with polymer followers and base plates. These special anti-friction magazines were specifically developed to correct previous problems with Beretta 92 magazines in dusty environments. They have a big winner, I couldn’t get these mags to choke with any ammunition.
Why then do you need an Elite LTT? In this video, Ernest Langdon explains why he designed the Elite LTT and what it does for you.
I couldn’t wait to get this gun to the range. I handled it at SHOT. You can feel the trigger and the curves, but how will it shoot. Spoiler alert, it shoots very well.
One of the toughest things about shooting a traditional double/single action like the Beretta 92 is the transition between the first and second shot. I found the trigger smooth in double action and the transition to single action seamless. The silky quality of the trigger avoids the jarring switch to single action I was accustomed to in other guns. I did not expect this.
The longer trigger movement in double action does allow the shooter more opportunities for error, but there is no excuse to miss with the LTT trigger.
I took the LTT Elite to Langdon’s 3 Day Advanced Tactical Pistol Skills class. This is a 1500 round adventure that tests everything you can do with a pistol from magazine changes to moving targets. I wanted to get double action tips from the master himself.
Not surprisingly, we spent a lot of time talking about manipulating the trigger. To greatly oversimplify, “Full Spectrum Trigger Control” involves preparing the trigger in recoil so that as soon as the sight picture is acceptable, you are ready to break the shot.
After a few drills, I could not perceive a difference in the feel of the trigger between double and single action. This was a completely new experience for me with a DA/SA gun. The trigger was smooth and controlled.
I had no issues with the gun in class. To Langdon’s horror, I even used a few of my old M-9 mags on some of the drills. After sorting out which ones still worked, they ran fine and I didn’t beat up my new mags dropping them 100 times on concrete.
I did shoot out the fiber optic, but that is to be expected when you repeatedly get the gun very hot and bang it around. I had a thousand rounds of fast shooting on the Elite before I even started the class. It was a quick fix getting it back in the fight with a lighter and a Leatherman.
Going to class works all the corners of the operating envelope. I didn’t find anything this gun couldn’t do as well as the striker fired guns. The sights were better than most and I believe that the trigger is significantly safer for any practical work.
The “G” decocker eliminated my worst problem with the Beretta 92, unintentional activation of the safety during manipulation. The controls all worked as they should and I could reach the mag release without changing my grip.
Can the LTT Elite hit at 50 yards? I am not good enough to hold all my rounds on the plate at 50, but even standing unsupported, the gun will reach out there. The hits on the CTS target speak for themselves.
Elite LTT Features:
SPECIFICATIONS:
Action Single/Double
Barrel length (in) 4.7”
Caliber 9×19 (PARA)
Grip Width 1.3″
Magazine Capacity 10 – 15 rds
Overall height (in) 5”
Overall length (in) 8.4”
Overall width (in) 1.5″
Sight radius (in) 6.4”
Weight unloaded (OZ) 34.8
SLIDE:
| FRAME:
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The Beretta 92 is an ideal host for suppressor use. The locking block system and straight recoil action love cans and provide great reliability and accuracy. I found that when shooting the LTT Elite with both eyes open, the bright fiber optic sight was easy to put on target even though it didn’t rise over the suppressor body.
The GSL Stealth suppressor delivers 34db reduction at an affordable cost.
AlphaWolf Threaded Barrels For Beretta 92FS/M9 are the place to start. Designed for lead, plated, or jacketed ammunition these 9mm barrels are high quality; accurate and reliable. Built from certified, stress relieved 416 stainless steel with a Salt Bath Nitride premium coating.
The Alpha Wolf’s exacting tolerances allow for drop-in installation. The threads matched up with the suppressor perfectly and everything was concentric with perfect function.
GSL’s 9mm Stealth suppressor is a modular design with interchangeable adapters. The Stealth is so versatile, it is the only 9mm can you will need for any application: 9mm rifle, pistol caliber carbine, sub gun or pistol.
- Caliber: 9mm
- Sound Reduction: 34 dB
- Length: 6.875”
- Diameter: 1.375″
- Weight: 7.2 oz.
- Materials: Aluminum
- Finish: Hard Coat Anodized
GSL promises a silencer as good as or better than anything on the market at a lower cost.
The Beretta 92 Elite LTT delivers. It is clean looking and smooth shooting. The best of its kind, it will stand up and shoot with any production gun in the world. I say without reservation that this is the best double action trigger I have ever pressed.
Beretta 92G ELITE LTT: MSRP $1100.00
Visit Langdon Tactical Technology to learn more by clicking HERE.
Great article.. as a professional firearms instructor myself and a former Marine and 30+ year policeman, I’ve always liked the accuracy of the 92 but not cared for its weaknesses in comparison to striker fired alternatives.. Im now looking forward to the high school reunion myself and ready to re-connect with the new improved high school sweetheart.. 👍
Was the issue with the locking block on Berettas resolved if so how was it corrected
I have a sig scorpion p226 elite
This isn’t your normal Beretta like we were issued in the Army. This is something completely different. I’ve known Earnest for a long time and anything he touches is spectacular.
The Beretta M9 was the first pistol I ever shot, in the Marine Corps. I wasn’t a fan of it then. I’m still not a fan, I think there are far better designs available. And an MSRP of $1100 is more than I really want to pay for a pistol no matter what. But I kinda want a Beretta just because they’re the oldest firearms manufacturer in the world, I’d like to own a piece of that history. Ideally, I’d like one of their shotguns, but since I’m not actually made out of money, that isn’t gonna happen. And I prefer the 92 to any of those plastic monstrosities that they make that are hideously ugly and no better than any other polymer handgun at best.
Oh, and the Hurt Locker is among the worst war movies ever made. The people who made it clearly did no research whatsoever, and the movie is bad to the point of being offensive to Iraq vets.
I have a stock 92FS, my second, by the way. It’s a great service pistol, but it really is too big for my hands and I do not like the long trigger pull. I’d love to have the Langdon model, but I’d have to mortgage my house and my wife would probably divorce me if she didn’t use that pistol to kill me.
Beachhawk, I too have a 92FS and didn’t like the long pull, and return to fire distance. Wilson Combat solved that with an easy to install trigger modification and a lighter return spring coupled with a metal guide rod that has spiral grooves. The result was a lighter trigger pull in double action and a shorter distance to pull. The return to pull made an amazing difference in staying on target after each round was fired. I don’t recall the actual price for the modification (that I did) but it was less than $100 two years ago. The best part is Wilson Combat makes all of the equipment here in the US.
I believe I obtained my 92SF in 1985, which I still have. I carried my 92SF for over 20 years during my law enforcement career. It never failed me and still shoots flawlessly to this day. I spent 2 years in Afghanistan and luckily was issued an M9 which also performed flawlessly. I have big hands and the Beretta just feels like it was made for big hands. I also have the 92 compact and will be adding the Elite G to my inventory. I also feel very comfortable with a couple of Sig Sauers P229 and MK25……….
My first pistol was the basic 92FS in black. I put so many rounds through it that I was afraid of wearing it out. I ended up selling it for what I paid for it with full disclosure of it’s mileage. It’s still shooting to this day. I bought a dual tone 92FS as a replacement and am now wearing it out. I added a Pacmyr grip set for added girth.
I don’t have large hands but my fingers don’t wrap around it twice either. The added girth fits perfect.
I’ve had 2 squib rounds with the first one with no damage (store bought ammo). That’s why from that point on I only load my own.
My carry is an 84FS, the 92’s little brother. With 13+1 in a medium frame it just seems to feel right. I only wish that Beretta still made this one.
I tried the PX4 in 9mm and just couldn’t get used to all the plastic. It just felt more like a toy. The “all metal” hand guns add a bit more feeling that something plastic is not going to break when it counts. That’s the way I feel on those plastic and steel guns. False feeling maybe. But when you need confidence you don’t want any loss of it because of something made of plastic because a company wanted to save money and took the easy way to get there. IMHO
Had two 92’s at different times. Love the cutout slide , hated how fat the grip was . Thin the design by 20% grips AND slide. Also overall size needs 10-20% reduction ( yes , i know it’s a full size “duty” pistol . But i have 3 that are full size duty guns that have thin ergo grip size , all dbl stack mags AND 1 is a 45 > Springfield XDM 13 rds).
I was issued a Beretta 96 when I first started as a LEO. I have a match shooting background and have a Master Class pistol score. I hated the 96, I shot it very inconsistently, and the grip sucked. I decided to give the LTT a try, and I must say it is AWESOME! It feels and shoots like no Beretta you have ever seen.
My favorite pistol is Mr Langdon`s Beretta PX4 Compact Carry with the Talon grips. The DA/SA trigger is a 5 lbs pull on the DA and about 3 on the SA. Great gun!!! Anything that he designs is worth the money.
I have the 92 full size and I have the compact version in stainless. I can not say enough about these two guns. They are flawless right out of the box. Every pull of the trigger goes bang. I do not have large hands but I can comfortably handle both of my 92’s quite easily. I am also a fan of the older model Ruger…..especially the P85. There is great deal of similarity in the two.
I was issued a Beretta 9mm during the Gulf War and disliked it. I tried to qualify with it and found it to be extremely Inaccurate. Yes, I can handle a pistol placing in the top 10% of all matches I competed in. I begged the armor to reissue My old .38 relvorer.
I have big hands, and the 92 feels like I am holding the big end of a baseball bat, in my hands. Hate it. And, it throws brass in every direction possible.