^{Continued from Part 2}

Accuracy Evaluation 

Typically, most gun reviews include some accuracy evaluations where the gun is fired from a rest or at some distance. In my original review, I shared some NRA B-8 scores from targets I shot freestyle at 25 yards. The editor graciously allowed that due to some challenges with the venue where I shot. Suffice it to say, this was another reason I wanted to write a revised review: for the chance to actually bench and “chrono” the Beretta 92X Performance pistol—something I had never technically done before.

I grouped three different factory-loaded 9mm cartridges: the HOP Munitions 147-grain RN Poly match round, the Nosler 115-grain ASP JHP cartridge, and the Staccato Range 124-grain FMJ loads. For this re-evaluation, I fired 20 rounds of each factory load over my chronograph, dividing the 20 rounds into two groups of 10 rounds each.

Here’s the part where I confess to having the sights zeroed for 124-grain Speer Lawman at 5-yards. Due to their Italian service pistol heritage, Beretta 92s tend to do best with 124-grain ammunition, but this doesn’t preclude them from firing and cycling other weight bullets either.

In the case of the Beretta 92X Performance, the rear sight is fully adjustable for both windage and elevation, which makes it even easier to marry a load to the gun.

HOP Munitions 147-Grain RN Poly

There are some flyers in both groups that I’m not proud of, and that were my fault, but the mean radius still has something to say. Keep in mind that as a rule of thumb, slower-moving and heavier 9mm 147-grain bullets tend to print slightly wider groups. I’ve observed this in my own hand loads with varying powder charges, too. All 20 rounds fired and cycled cleanly without any stoppages.

Nosler 115-Grain ASP JHP

No complaints with the Nosler ASP 115-grain JHP rounds!

Staccato Range 124-Grain FMJ

And no complaints with the Staccato Range 124. It’s one of the most consistent general-purpose 9mm cartridges I’ve tested through almost every gun I’ve reviewed in 2024.

Shooting the Beretta 92X Performance 

In addition to benching the pistol and shooting those rounds over the chronograph, I was glad to dust off the old girl and shoot a few drills just to remind myself what it feels like to shoot it. So, I did some Bill Drills and shot Gabe White’s Standards. I’ll be honest that I didn’t print the Bill Drills or GWS nearly anywhere I wanted to be, but I can hardly blame the gun for that. After all, while shooting, it wasn’t hard to clock .17 and .18 splits.

Recoil and recovery from each shot wasn’t hard, but my support-hand tension suffered, so many of my shots walked to the C-Zone. Compared to the past, I did walk away from that 80-round range session, wishing that the standard sights were roomier, with more space to allow light to pass between the rear sight notch.

Other than my lack of practice drawing and shooting the Beretta 92X Performance, I did again notice that I wasn’t crazy about the way the thumb safeties were profiled. They were useable but not ideal as the widest part should be set back.

Smooth Operator: The Beretta Locking Block

I briefly touched on the gun’s locking block in Part 1, but between its heavier steel-frame weight and the way this component works, it allows shooters to enjoy a very pleasant recoil impulse regardless of which load is being shot through the pistol. For perspective, this gun weighs 58 ounces with a loaded 18-round magazine and the LOK grips currently installed. All that mass “soaks” up the recoil wonderfully.

The HOP Munitions 147-grain Poly round is loaded to a gentler 900 FPS (factory specs) as it’s meant to be a soft-shooting action pistol competition load. It’s engineered that way in order to make minor power factor.

Because of its softer recoil impulse, most guns need a lighter recoil spring to efficiently cycle these. It was certainly true of two of my Walther PDPs and the Glock 17L. However, when I shot these rounds through the 92X Performance, they cycled just fine with the stock recoil spring! I suspect it’s because of the Beretta 92’s locking-block recoil system, which doesn’t need as much force to unlock. I’m positive that with my gun also being well worn-in is also helpful.

This observation with the gentler HOP Munition load is consistent with my experiences with the rest of my Beretta 92s, not just the 92X Performance. I recall shooting a match with my Wilson Combat Beretta Brigadier Tactical a few years ago at another match. That gun cycled my uber-soft 147-grain handloads with 3.3 grains of HP-38.

The 92’s Locking-Block

There’s something to be said about 92’s locking-block system and its reliability with a wide range of 9mm loads. I don’t want to go off-topic too much, but this is also why Beretta 92s lend themselves well as suppressor hosts. Lastly, it’s not hard for shooters to tune their Berettas; the recoil spring assemblies on Beretta 92s aren’t captured and it’s quite easy to find all manner of different weight springs from various brands.

The Takeaway   

As a Beretta 92 fan, I was extremely enthusiastic in 2019 when these formerly rare-steel guns would now be easier to find and competitively priced. Before COVID and inflation assaulted people’s wallets, these guns could be had for a street price of $1200-$1300, new.

I’ve never been shy about expressing my displeasure that the 92X Performance was designed around the Vertec frame. It’s not that the Vertec is terrible per se, but as it’s designed, it causes standard-sized hands to feel very cramped as they grip the frame. To keep the profile, Beretta could have added more length to the bottom of the grip, as that would have increased space and prevented fingers from feeling cramped.

Instead of redesigning the frame that way, I think Beretta would have been best served by taking the original 92 Billennium frame and modernizing it to fit action pistol sports as they’re conducted today. Aside from that, they should have left the beavertail alone. On my personal gun, I’ve rectified the cramp-feeling Vertec grip by installing the LOK Grips Veloce wraparound grip set. This is the best way to restore the grip profile to the curvier original (and a great way of augmenting grip texture in general).

The Beretta 92’s Proven Track Record

The QC and reliability issues this pistol suffered through in the recent past are extremely lamentable. To this day, these guns aren’t as popular in action pistol sports as they could have been. I have no doubt a good portion of this is a downstream effect of that reputation. I’m sure it drove those competitors who were looking for an all-steel hammer-fired pistol to the CZ Shadow 2. However, in fairness, it is still the more affordable of the two and has a robust aftermarket, thanks in part to the CZ-75 family’s sporting pistol dynasty.

Aside from that, any QC issue isn’t an indictment of the Beretta 92 system and proven track record. Though I am biased, I can still perceive the Beretta magic shining through the 92X Performance. It’s no different than picking up a stock Beretta M9 or USGI 1911 and appreciating its inherent qualities that lead to higher-level performance.

Read Part 1 and Part 2 here.

Beretta 92X Performance Safeties And X-Treme S Trigger

^{Continued From Part 1}

Although the 92 X Performance is a traditional double-action (TDA) handgun, it doesn’t come with the slide-mounted decocker-and-safety (or decocker only) that’s standard for the majority of Beretta 92 models. Instead, the 92X Performance includes a pair of ambidextrous frame-mounted thumb safeties. These are well-fitted and quite crisp when they snap in or out of safe.

The only “downside” is that the 92XP’s hammer must be carefully and manually lowered, just like on a CZ Shadow 2. The upside for the 92XP is that it can be safely carried cocked-and-locked like a 1911. Unlike Series 70 1911 or Shadow 2, the Beretta 92X Performance still retains the default 92 series firing pin block.

Beretta 92X Performance

These pistols use the Beretta X-treme S trigger (whose face is clearly seen in the title photo). The Beretta X-treme S trigger is certainly nicer feeling than a stock 92 trigger and a definite upgrade. By this point in time, the trigger on my own pistol is fully worn in. According to my digital trigger pull weight scale, the double-action pull is approximately 8 lbs, while the single-action pull is 2.9 lbs. 

The single-action trigger pull, arguably the most important of the two on this match pistol, has about ⅜ inch of pre-travel until it reaches its wall. The trigger breaks after moving an additional ⅛ inch to the rear. Its single-action reset distance also falls somewhere between ⅛ and ¼ inch.

All in all, the X-treme S trigger provides an extremely agreeable single-action experience, and I consider the trigger to be one of the gun’s greatest assets. In a sport gun like this, double-action would only matter when shooting something like USPSA Production division. Could the standard double-action pull be lighter? Sure, but double-action shots with this pistol are so low-percentage in a match setting, I don’t think there’s a reason to change out the mainspring. If memory serves correctly, it has a 16-pound 92D spring.

Like other steel-frame Beretta pistols, the frame of the 92X Performance is provisioned with two threaded channels for the set screws to adjust trigger pre and overtravel. But I’ve honestly never attempted to tweak them. In a defensive context, both the single-action and double-action trigger pulls are beyond adequate.   

Slide, Sights  And Barrel

In my original review, I mentioned being very happy with the sights and the sight picture provided by the 92XP’s front fiber-optic sight and its LPA-made adjustable rear sight. This is still the case for the most part. However, from my perspective today, I wish the front sight was thinner because I wouldn’t mind a tad more light between the sight picture.

The Beretta 92X Performance slide itself has a thicker and more robust “Brigadier” profile, which is somewhat distinct in the world of Berettas. The inclusion of a Brigadier slide itself is consistent with nearly every other steel-framed Beretta that preceded the 92X Performance, and I like this nod to tradition.

Brigadier slides are easy to identify, especially from the side with that “mountain” profile I highlighted in Part 1 of this review. Additionally, Brigadier slides include dovetails for front sights, unlike standard Beretta 92 models.

From a pure shooting perspective, I’ve never been able to “feel” the difference between these thicker slides and standard ones. However, they’re supposed to bolster the metal around the locking block for added strength. I also appreciate that the Beretta 92X Performance possesses front and rear serrations that are neat and perfectly vertical and differ from standard Berettas, too.

When I first bought my 92XP, I was surprised that it shipped with a standard phosphate and chrome-lined Beretta 92 barrel instead of stainless steel units with a recessed crown. The latter are typically included with guns like the Beretta 92G-SD or Wilson Combat/Beretta Brigadier 92 Brig-Tac—even the standard Beretta 92 Inox.

From a practical standpoint, the “standard” 4.9-inch barrel belonging to the 92XP hasn’t been a hindrance at all, and I’ve since stopped worrying about it.    

The Small Details

Details matter, and this pistol is full of small details. Beretta 92 enthusiasts will notice that many of the smaller parts or accent pieces are modeled after those that first saw the light of day on rare, unique, or collectible Beretta 92 variants of the past.

The most notable of these details is the inclusion of the iconic Beretta 92 Elite 2 skeletonized hammer. The other is the extended magazine catch with roots in the enigmatic Beretta 92 Billennium—one of the aforementioned rare and unique steel-frame single-action only Beretta models from the turn of the century (which was also outfitted with the distinctive skeletonized Elite 2 hammer).

Additionally, the X-treme S trigger’s face has vertical ribbing, which I previously compared to the texture of the triggers found in vintage Smith & Wesson double-action revolvers. The texture is nice and feels fancy.

Finally, the traditionalist in me is also glad that all Beretta 92X Performance models use slotted grip screws compared to the 2mm Allen screws found on most modern and contemporary models. Slotted screws just look right on a Beretta 92. 

Oversized Match Parts

As the 92XP was built around match shooting, its ambidextrous thumb safeties are somewhat oversized to provide a perch for the shooter’s thumbs. At the time I write this, I’m well aware that Beretta offers different size safety levers. However, my gun, which was produced in 2020 came with the original oversize parts. In some shooting sports, these prevent the gun from properly fitting in their dimensions box width-wise—IDPA, if memory serves correctly.

I’ve also noticed that the width of the ledge on the safety itself will block the thumb (or index finger in my left-handed case) from optimally reaching the slide-release lever. The ledges on these thumb safeties should have been reprofiled so that their widest portion isn’t forward-biased and maybe with less outward protrusion. The forward bias makes it more difficult for people whose hands have short or normal-length thumbs.

After thousands of repetitions in both dry-fire and live-fire over the years, the fitment and feel to the safeties as they click on or off safe is still solid. They’re neither too stiff nor too mushy and all clicks feel positively tactile and are audible.

Running the Beretta 92X Performance

Between the excellent stock trigger, the 92’s built-in firing pin block, and these safety levers, there’s no reason this handgun can be run and managed like a single-action-only pistol full-time. Frankly, this is how I shoot it these days.

The takedown lever has an extension that serves as a ledge or mini gas pedal for right-handed shooters, so I have no experience with it. I still think they should have included a regular takedown lever that protrudes less, as the extended unit tends to clash with holsters.

The curvature of the trigger guard, along with the Nistan finish, creates a somewhat slippery surface in the knuckle area of the middle finger, where the skin makes contact with the bottom of the trigger guard. It’s subtle, but it’s something to be aware of. 

To Be Continued In Part 3