dept recently obtained 12 beretta 92d,s in 9mm in very good to great condition. they appear for all circumstances to take the same replacement parts as an M9 or standard 92 ?? we have numerous new springs for the M9 and 92 so that would help with maintenance. does anybody have any firsthand long time experience with the double action only model and have any signs to watch for or known issues to be aware of ?? other than the long trigger travel i loved them and the accuracy was above standard in our opinion. the trigger weight wasnt a big issue because it was very smooth. we did notice some magazines will not engage the slide stop. are they safe for +p for duty use or stick with standard velocity ??
The 96D Brigadier used to be our issue weapon. They were in service about 6 years, then replaced as our very hot .40 load was tearing them apart, mainly cracking the frames on the front edge of the magwell, as seen looking down into the magwell. You should not have these issues with 9mm. Yes, 92F and FS springs, guide rods, and barrels are the same. If you can get the shorter, 4.1 barrels, all the better.
good thing, parts commanality is always good with a budget, lol. we still allow personal weapons and ammo from the approved list but thought these would be a good choice for spares. the XDm, Glock, crowd seemed to be able to switch over easy enough that some range time should have them profeciant. their marked on the slide with the trijicon info which was an added bonus to see they had night sights already installed.
Very reliable pistols. The cracking of the dust cover that kmrtnsn refers to was an issue with 96 series pistols, not 92s. That should not be a problem with the 9mms.
I picked up a 96D Centurion about a year ago, was a police trade in and was very well priced. I havent shot it as much as some other pistols, but its been placed on “nightstand” duty. I prefer leaving a firearm without a safety in the nightstand incase the wife ever needs to grab it - I’d prefer one less step for her to be able to fire it.
They’re good pistols, and yes almost all the parts from M9s are interchangable, with the obvious exception of the hammer.
hearing about the .40 slide cracking really deters us from any +p use. of course beretta will say no to it due to the wide variety of specs between different manufacturers.
Don’t forget the “D” mainspring. It’s a common fix to use the D mainspring to improve the DA pull on the non DAO 92’s and 96’s. I consider the 92D to be one of the better variants of the Beretta platform. I’ve been looking for a solid deal on a 92D police trade-in for quite a while now. 
im a die hard glock man but after only a week with these im searching for one to purchase for my personal use. always liked how the sights “stood out” so to speak on berettas m9 but im in agreement with you that this is the better variant. not going to put my glocks up but would like to have a 92d i could customize a little. 2 tone would be nice.
We’re issued 92Ds and I haven’t found anyone on the department that actually likes them. The trigger pull is smooth, but very long. Its a very accurate gun to shoot slowly on a flat range, but when you try to run it fast there’s that’s where the long trigger pull bites you in the ass.
There are inspection procedures for the M9, which would largely apply to the 92D.
The one thing you need to be really aware of is the trigger return spring. If it breaks, the trigger won’t reset. You can manually move the trigger forward and fire again as a work around, but I would replace every one of them, and replace them every few thousand rounds.
As modern handguns go, there are better designs out there.
I’ve had a 92D for several years. About the only complaint I have with it is the insanely long reset. Other than that its a nice shooting pistol.
If I get one, it will be Cerakoted in graphite black for the slide and controls, and burnt bronze for the frame.
thanks for all the info, and im not advocating it as one of the best choices. i just really like the accuracy and any excuse to purchase another handgun lol.
I have one, an 1996-vintage production piece that I obtained brand-new-in-box in 2006. Last year, I used it as a dedicated carry and competition (IDPA primarily) gun for 6+ months.
Modifications made: Grips replaced with Trausch ultra thin grips; trigger return spring replaced with the Wolff reduced power INS TCU (Trigger Conversion Unit), trigger bar, slide release, and recoil springs all replaced with Wolff springs (standard-power for recoil spring), Check-Mate Industries’ dry-film magazines used (I’m one of Check-Mate’s sponsored shooters, but I genuinely prefer the magazines due to their hardened steel baseplates and reliability). Sights are Trijicons, which were the OEM sights on my particular 92D.
The Wolff TCU drastically increases the lifespan/reliability/durability of the trigger return spring, which is a weak point of the gun, as the forecasted lifespan of the OEM spring is only 5K manipulations. The Trausch grips totally change the character of the ergos of the gun in a favorable way.
Hope this all helps.
Best, Jon
nice piece and it helps a lot, thanks. the ones we recieved have barrels even with the end of the slide. we will defiantely look into the trigger return spring and keep our eyes on them. thanks for listing the thin grip manufacturer. just want to say this is the best gun guy forum out there. actual helpfull info and people willing to share it without bashing your choices on why and what. thanks again.
Sounds like you got 92D Centurions.
I had a 92d centurion as an issue gun years ago. As far as issues go mine had a failure at the range one day with light primer strikes, upon armorers inspection too much carbon built up in the firing pin channel not allowing the pin to move freely enough to ignite the primer
it is a centurion and we realise its “old school” but still a decent piece. my glock 17 and 19 are still my 1st choices though. going to pick the better ones out and have them duracoated.
I have shot a 96D that had an outstanding double action pull. A real pleasure to shoot. This is an old-school DA and sure the pull and reset is long, but think “bottom feeding revolver with a great trigger” and you are there.
I realize DAO’s aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, and I tried the “short-pull” Smith 5943 and it didn’t work for me, but I happen to like the slick-side 92/96.
Good advice here; respring them and enjoy. If they have night sights, they may be dated and will tell you how old the guns are in general. If they are fairly old, or look well-used, you might also consider new locking blocks. However, I don’t think later locking blocks are near as prone to cracking. http://berettaforum.net/vb/showthread.php?t=45325
JonInWA, that is a mighty nice looking 92D.
what kind of grip screws are those? I have trausch grips too and my grip screws stick way out
Between this and the P6, you must have a soft spot for vintage pistols. So after your six month experiment, would you rather carry this Beretta or a G17/19?
Screw fit can be a bit of an issue with some of the Trausch grips; the issue I initially had was that the grip screws protruded too far and were scraping the sides of the magazine tube. Here’s a link to my detailed review and discussion of these grips, including the resolution regarding the screw protrusion that I found worked best for me; others have chosen to simply grind down the screws.
http://berettaforum.net/vb/showthread.php?t=72239
Best, Jon