I see you have boom boom stick...

I picked-up a belated Anniversary present for the Wife today. Due to circumstances beyond our control (2020 being the hateful little s.o.b. it is) we were unable to celebrate on the actual day as we were in the critical care ICU with my Mother. (Death stopped by for a visit and, like the Southern Lady she is, she politely sent him packing, tail between his legs.)

One of the few good things about 2020 is that if you have extra “trading guns” stashed away, you can turn some serious profit. I sold two handguns that I had duplicates of, for way more than I had in them. And since the handgun market is so hot, people are selling/trading rifles and shotguns at a loss, so I managed to pick-up this little beauty for a stupidly low price. Even better, it came with a match sling, 4 factory mags, a nice soft case, and best of all, it was unfired! A guy bought it a couple of weeks ago and them traded it back to the store for a couple of new Glocks. The only thing missing is the factory cardboard box. 



it even has the Bengal stamp of approval. (Or would that be “sniff of approval”?)

The Wife has liked the M1A for over a decade, but she always felt the standard 22” barreled model was just a little too nose heavy for her. On the other hand, the 16” SOCOM model didn’t balance quite right for her either, and the muzzle blast can be almost painful. So when she discovered the 18” Squad Scout, it was Goldilocks time: juuust right. 

I’ll admit that, after the year it’s been, I was a wee bit apprehensive when she came home this afternoon, hoping that she would like it. I needn’t had concerned myself as her eyes lit up just seeing the case. She loves it so much she’s putting off painting the front door and porch until next weekend so we can go break in her new rifle tomorrow!

Well, a few boxes of 150gr PMC later, and it’s officially love. She got dialed in at 100 meters in the first 10 round mag and proceeded to punish 24” steel gongs out to 150 with the factory irons. She went 4/5 at 200 on the 36” plate. Considering it’s her first day, and pretty generic (and smoky) ammo, I’ll call it a win. 

She also got up her nerve and put a few rounds through my Sharps. She enjoyed it but it was after all the .308, so she was getting a bit tired and her shoulder was beginning to feel a touch sore. 

An additional bonus; the range’s Competitive PRS shooter was there with a couple of his rifles and was calling hits for her out at 200. He then invited her over to try out his custom 6.5 Creedmoor and his .243 AR-10. She was getting first round hits every shot. I’ve been trying to talk her into trying a Ruger Precision Rifle in 6.5 and now she wants one. And the instructor volunteered to help us get it set-up and give us some basic instructions.

That's my dream rifle.  Won't be able to get one for a while, but someday.

2020 was a rather slow year for firearms acquisition in our household. Part of it was a conscious decision to concentrate on other projects (new deck, HVAC repairs, etc.) with the other part being the economic/societal changes and shortages brought on by the combination of COVID, election-year buying, general political unrest, and outright riots. (In my area of the country, used firearms, along with pretty much all reasonably priced common ammunition, disappeared by June. By the end of July, even the supplies of new guns were depleted and people were buying any ammo they could find, sometimes even for guns they don't own!)

The good news is that we have been stocking away a decent amount of "service grade" firearms and ammo over the past few years, so we have those bases covered. Since it has become a seller's market for home defense/carry handguns, and since we have a few of those that are superfluous to our needs, I've been able trade my way into some higher-end firearms. This latest addition to collection not only didn't cost me any money, but I actually came home with a few hundred rounds of ammo, 4 extra magazines, and $250 in cash! All in addition to my first Beretta.

The Beretta 92 series is arguably one of the most recognizable handguns in the world, up there with the 1911, Pistole 08 Luger, C96 "Broomhandle" Mauser, Glocks, and the Desert Eagle. Developed in 1975, the 92 series has served with militaries and police agencies in over 35 countries, with the most famous being the US Military as the M9, being adopted in 1985 to replace the 1911. It has gained a reputation for world-class reliability and has always been noted for it's inherent accuracy.

It has also been one of Hollywood's favorites, appearing in hundreds of movies and TV shows. Two particular movies in the late 1980s featured it as a "hero's weapon", where it became indelibly linked to the main characters. In Lethal Weapon, who can forget Martin Rigg's famous smiley face drawn on the target with his 92F? And John McClane's 92F was practically a co-star in Die Hard as he "Yippie ki yay'ed" his way though Hans Gruber and his men.

Yet, despite all the accolades, features, and fame, I've never owned one. There were two major "issues" that kept it out on my collection. (And a few minor ones that would have required a trip to the gunsmith and/or parts replacement.)

Issue Number 1 - The slide-mounted decocker/safety. I've owned quite a few handguns with this "feature", but they have all been traded away or sold off. I have fairly sizable hands, yet I still find the reach up to the lever awkward at best, often forcing me to break my grip to reach it properly.

Issue Number 2 - The grip angle/balance point. The standard 92 series has an alloy frame with a curved (humped) backstrap that just does not fit or balance well in my hands. When they introduced the Vertex-style grip a few years ago, the fit was significantly better, however, the balance was still off.

Minor Issue A - The standard trigger is, well, serviceable at best. The pull is overly heavy, long and full of creep. 

Minor Issue B - The factory sights just don't work for me. I have plenty of carry pistols, so I'm looking for something more target oriented with an adjustable rear and fiber-optic front.

So, what I am looking for is a steel-framed target model with a Vertex grip, frame-mounted safety, adjustable sights and a match-grade trigger. Which is exactly what Beretta introduced last year with the 92X Performance.





I own quite a few target models by Sig, HK, Springfield Armory, and Smith and Wesson, and can say that Beretta hit it out of the park with this one. The trigger is quite possibly the best factory DA/SA on any semi-auto I've ever owned. The double-action is outstanding, rivaling my CZ Custom P-01 for smoothness, and being a full pound lighter. The single-action is the equal of my Match HKs, with better reset, and breaks as cleanly as my 1911's.

The only feature missing is a slide cut for an optic, however, there are plenty of dovetail mounts to replace the rear-sight if I decide to go that route.

Nice Beretta Yuri. I carried a M9 (92F) in my vest on every military deployment to the Desert, Africa, Bosnia, and counter drug ops in South America from 1987-1997. Always enjoyed shooting them. 

A question for the group. What’s the best all around 9mm pistol?

You really can't go wrong with a Glock G17, or G19 if you want something slightly smaller.

I don't like them and can't seem to shoot them well, but I can't deny how good they actually are.


Personally, my Sig P320 has been my favorite 9mm I've owned or shot so far.  Out of all the Glocks, M&P's, Springfields, Berettas, HK's, etc. etc. etc.

You can never really go wrong with a glock. Never had an issue with them although you’ll find a lot of older people who frown upon “plastic” guns but they’re cheap, reliable and accurate. Most of their issues can be solved fairly easily with aftermarket parts. 

I’ve mentioned before how I’ve been thinking about picking up a red dot sight for one of my pistols. I came very close to doing it last year when I bought the wife her Sig X-Five Legion but she very adamantly does not want a red dot sight on it. She has astigmatisms and they causes multiple dots to show up when she tries to use one. I thought about buying another one the the same model for myself but the prices just got stupid and are still $200 to $500 more than MSRP. So I’ve been on the lookout for another pistol that would make a good host and finally found one.