-
If I tinker around, try some different loads, and get to the point where I decide to build up the front sight, I'll fabricate a very small piece of steel or aluminum that I can epoxy directly onto the top of the sight. The trick will be getting it to fit precisely and not be noticeable. I suspect that might be the direction I'm headed but I want to exhaust other options first.
-
fatelk, my experience with Beretta 92 series pistols has been very positive and I think you'll find a load that will shoot point of aim.
Another possibility for raising the profile of the front sight is to find a tiny Allen head cap screw with head diameter that is the same width as the sight blade. Drill & tap a hole on top of the sight blade and insert the cap screw in that threaded hole. As seen from the shooters point of view, the front blade will simply appear to be taller. The head of the screw can be dressed down until it presents the required height.
-
Well, I went out this evening and shot several different loads, including some factory HPs and some old Canadian surplus rounds. They all shot just as high or higher than my reloads. My loads were actually about 6" high at 25 yards. My loads actually shot the best too, though it wasn't an exhaustive test and I wasn't really trying for my very best accuracy. The groups I shot with my favorite load were around 2.5" at 25 yards. I figure that's not bad for this old gun. I really can't do much better with anything.
I took along some electrical tape, and carefully trimmed tiny pieces that I built up on the top of the front sight, piece by piece until it was shooting where I wanted it to. This pile of tape measures .050" thick. I think I'll make a tiny little piece the size of the top of the front sight, .050" thick, and epoxy it onto the sight, see how that does.
The drill and tap idea is a good one too. If the epoxy doesn't hold I might look at that instead.
-
The last 5 years of my career, I used a Beretta 96 as my uniform duty sidearm. I liked the pistol, and REALLY liked its caliber--40 S&W. 40 caliber pistols tend to collect in my safe, so the Beretta 96 went down the road not long after I retired. If the design has a flaw, it is that the pistol is rather large for a service 9mm or 40 S&W. It is easily the size and weight of a 1911A1 45 ACP, 5" barrel and all. Most 9mms and 40s tend to be more "Commander-sized", with 4"-4.5" barrels. The pistol never failed in any manner, and I put at least 6,000 rounds through it during its service cycle.
-
Before trying to raise point of impact by altering the sights, you might consider trying a heavier bullet. I used to shoot bullets in the 120 -125 grain range. They all shot low. When I went to the Lyman #358212 round nose .38 Special bullet, just under 150 grains, not only did the Beretta shoot to point of aim, accuracy improved as well. It's the only bullet I use now in any 9mm pistol.
-
The problem here is that everything shoots high, not low. Everything I tried yesterday shot even higher.
To be honest, I really don't want to change ammo if I don't have to. The current load I have, 125gr, works very well in my other guns and shows good promise in this one. Whatever the problem is with this gun, I think raising the front sight a sliver should fix it up just where I want it.
-
I've never been a fan of heavy for caliber bullets and think the 115-125 grain bullets are where the 9mm Luger needs to be.
-
With heavy boolits the 9mm is just a high capacity 38special. It has it’s best performance with the standard weights as P&P mentioned.
Many people shoot the heavier boolit for a perceived drop in recoil. I am not certain how well this works.
Heavier boolits sometimes give better accuracy due to more bearing surface. A lot depends on boolit fit and hardness.
-
I finally got it done. I fabricated a tiny piece of steel precisely the right size, and glued it to the top of the front sight, using some "structural adhesive" that's supposed to be better than epoxy for things like this.
My first 5 shot group at 25 yards measures 1.75", and was just a couple inches left of center. I drifted the rear sight slightly and put 8 out of ten in about 2.5" dead center. I did have a couple fliers that took the whole group out to nearly 4", don't know if that was me or the gun. About the very best I can do on a good day is around 2"@25 yards, with a handgun from a bench.
I'm pretty happy with it. It seems to be a great shooter for what it is.
Another thing I was surprised about is the little Rough Rider .22lr I bought. I sighted it in too (filing and bending the front sight). I shot two cylinders at 25 yards, and 9 out of 12 inside about 2". That seems great for a cheap little $130 revolver.
Attachment 223661
-
Glad you found an answer to your problem!
I've considered getting one of those Beretta 92S models for a while and probably get one or a American police trade-in 92FS one day. Although to be honest, I loved my Taurus 99AF model which was the same as the original 92 design but with adjustable sights and a frame safety which is appropriate since Beretta sold Taurus the original 92 series machinery when they converted to a slide mounted safety system in the 92S.
-
Thanks Bruce. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I shot it again today, was busting clays on the berm out at 35 yards.
I had a chance to buy a Taurus a few years back, at a really good price. I turned it down because I wasn't sure about the Taurus reputation. I wished later that I had bought it.
-
The Beretta 92 series pistols are old school works of art.
Take a moment to really examine one and you'll appreciate the engineering that went into it.
The pistol is the product of careful evolution. The roots of that pistol go way back. The pistol itself evolved from the Beretta model 1951 but some elements such as the open top slide go even farther back. Over the years that single stack, single action evolved into an aluminum framed double stack, double action pistol.
The design is old school with a LOT of machining. Even the small parts are forged and machined.
There's a lot of quality in those pistols.
-
Well, I took it out again today and suddenly wondered why it was shooting so high. My little addition to the front sight was gone, popped off and went flying somewhere I guess. My industrial adhesive wasn't as tough as they claim, or maybe I just didn't do it right.
Oh well, it's Kentucky windage (or should I say elevation) for me for now. It's still a great gun and a bargain, but I'm just tired of messing with it. It'll go back in the safe until I feel like fooling with it again in the future.