{"id":119909,"date":"2020-02-22T20:25:04","date_gmt":"2020-02-23T01:25:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=119909"},"modified":"2020-02-22T20:25:04","modified_gmt":"2023-09-06T08:32:35","slug":"beretta-92x-performance-a-factory-built-race-gun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/beretta-92x-performance-a-factory-built-race-gun\/","title":{"rendered":"Beretta 92X Performance \u2013 A Factory Built Race Gun"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Beretta
Beretta\u2019s new 92X Performance is a match-ready pistol direct from the Italian factory. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fans of the Beretta 92 are a loyal and dedicated bunch. I\nhave found over the years that most folks who are quite fond of the model 92\nare so because it was the handgun they were issued and trained on in the U.S.\nmilitary. I don\u2019t have that particular life experience, but I have observed\nthis to be a very special bond for some people \u2013 not at all unlike that between\nsoldier and 1911 beforehand, or soldier and M1 Garand. And like the military\nissued model 1911 before it, the Beretta 92 was built for battle use. This\nmeans it is built to lose tolerances that serve it well in harsh environments\nwith minimum maintenance, but those qualities don\u2019t lend themselves very well\nto a competition handgun. So, the market for pre-military men and women\nshooting sports like USPSA and IDPA or IPSC, and wanting to shoot their\nfamiliar model 92, was a large one. This led to aftermarket tuners and\ngunsmiths making a living on the Beretta 92, as well as \u201cbest in class\u201d model\n92s being custom produced by Langdon Tactical Technology (LTT) and Wilson\nCombat. If you wanted out-of-the-box performance from a model 92 pistol \u2013 you\nwent to them for it. Earlier this year, Beretta announced a new model that was\nclearly targeted toward this same buyer market. With Langdon and Wilson so well\nestablished and trusted, this means that Beretta has some fairly large shoes to\nstep into. Did they succeed? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Beretta<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For starters, Beretta built the 92X completely out of steel. This adds significant weight, compared to the more frequent alloy frame models. It seems that heavy is the new black. All the well-known brand names that take pride in building competition pistols are making something in 9mm that approaches 50 oz. in weight. There are reasons in favor of, and against, such a heavy handgun \u2013 the most common of the former being recoil control. To max out the weight, Beretta tops the 92X with a Brigadier slide. For those unfamiliar, the Brigadier slide is significantly thicker and therefore heavier. It provides a different feel of balance to the handgun and is more durable to high pressures. It also means that more slide weight is reciprocating with each shot. Whether this cancels out the benefit of the heavier frame in terms of recoil impulse, I will leave to each shooter to decide. My first shots with the 92X were focused on trigger and sights, more than hard grip and recoil management, and the gun was a bit jumpy. But after I settled in and took a solid high grip, I found that it shot pretty flat. With the naturally undercut trigger guard and the extended beavertail, getting that high grip on the gun is easy to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Beretta<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Beretta also chose to build the 92X on the Vertec frame \u2013 a move that will no doubt stir up some energetic debate on the forums. Making this move slightly less controversial, Beretta also provides an alternate one-piece grip with the gun that effectively changes the entire ergonomic feel. It adds a significant curve to the back of the grip and increases the feel of texture. After trying it both ways, I found that I much prefer the Vertec grip. For smaller handed shooters, the Vertec provides better trigger reach and control. It also gives the pistol a grip angle almost identical to a 1911. But as I always say \u2013 choices are good \u2013 and Beretta packs the choice in the box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

92XTRAS<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Besides the all-steel construction and the Vertec frame with alternate grip, Beretta packs this pistol full of extra features, almost all of which are focused on the performance-minded shooter. Here is a short list of the primary features that help separate this pistol from the standard model 92:<\/p>\n\n\n\n