Put a hundred rounds through my new 96A1 this morning.... is a very impressive handgun. I really thought (exactly as you said in your video) that the weight of the pistol vs the size of the round was just about a perfect balance, making for a really enjoyable shooting experience. Did notice a tendency on my part to shoot 4" to 6" low and to the left at 30 ft that I'll have to overcome with time, but will be really fun getting there.
Nice pistol and very nice review. I have watched this video a handful of times and it made me want one of these pistols. I did a little searching and found one last night. Put it on order and can't wait to get it. Thanks for the video Hammer Striker.
Thank you so much for explaining the function and location and co,position of the internal recoil buffer! I have a 92A! (my first hand gun) and until now had not been able to find as much useful on the Recoik Buffer and how and why it works! Thank You!
Just picked up a 96 A1 from my local gun store and wow! Compared to all my boring polymer handguns this one is very slick. I have a 80’s .25acp Beretta bobcat and they are very similar. I’m looking to upgrade my stock grips with those exact ones.
I can't wait for the day I bought this pistol. It is truly a masterpiece that will not be repeated again in history. Just looking at it is a pleasure, let alone own it.
I didn't know about the purpose of the polymer buffer... do we know where this evolved from? In Dick Marcinkos book, he talks about having sent all of his teams berettas back to the factory. Apparently they were shooting so many rounds during daily drills, that their m9s were wearing out and failing pretty consistently. Beretta made an adjustment at the factory and started sending them "custom" berettas.
I have one of these and a 92G made in the US. I like both guns but I found the slide to frame fit quite loose compared to the 92G which is noticeably tighter. Lighter hammer springs and steel parts upgrades are a must for modern 92/96 series .
I've had one for about 2 years+. It feels like you're shooting a beefy 9mm. It will put the bullet where you tell it to. The bullet with the most kinetic energy are the 165 grain weight range.
Nice video Very comprehensive. You might have pointed out that this design owes a lot to to Walther P-38. In fact, barrel removal is identical to the P-38. The drop block is almost interchangeable, but not really, although it looks like it should.
Not quite featured after the P-38- which by the way was invented in 1938, and beretta was made in 1526, so I’m guessing, Beretta didn’t model there guns after walthers, only 400 years to late, get your facts down
You said the recoil is manageable but you were getting a lot of muzzle jump because of the way you grip the gun lol I shoot mine and people think it's a 9
This one is not threaded. I am aware of threaded barrels (factory and aftermarket) for the 92 series but am not aware of any available for the 96. Maybe one of our viewers knows of a company that produces one.
No other gun beats this one in .40. It’s the best there is - accurate, manageable, fun, reliable. I have owned and shot many other guns in this caliber - Glock, Sig, Smith, Springfield, CZ, etc. This one beats em all.
+jeremy beverly Thank-you. These are actually made by Beretta, we got them from Midway ( www.midwayusa.com/product/894490/beretta-factory-grips-beretta-92-96-oval-texturing-walnut ) . I just looked, they appear to be in stock, you can also likely get them from the Beretta store.
Thank-you. It is holding up well, every time we take it out, it just works. It is still a lot of fun to shoot, and tends to attract interest any time we have it out. We don't put quite the volume of ammo through it that we do some of our other "go-to" guns, not due to any hassles with the gun itself.
I bought an old used 96D Police trade in with night sights for $350. Mine has not cracked the slide yet. I have installed a Wilson buffer, and may replace the stock 13 pound recoil spring to a Wolffe heavier 14# or 15lb. You can feel a 10-20% increase in recoil over the M9 9mm
The first question is a consistency question - if the Point of Impact (POI) it is pretty much perfectly centered on the Point of Aim (POA) and simply low then it is most likely "Hold" (which I will explain). If there is a left or right component to the error then it is more likely in how you are gripping the gun or pulling the trigger and you would want to fix that before adjusting how you aim. To explain "Hold" - different manufactures have different opinions on how the sights should be aligned on the target to hit what you want to hit. A "6 o'clock hold" would be to align the sights just touching the bottom of the intended target location (the bullet should hit just above the sights). A "Center Hold" would be aligning the sights to cover the bottom half of the intended target location and the bullet will hit right on the sights" A "Noon Hold" would be to touch the top of the intended target with the sights and the bullet will hit just below the sights. So, if you are hitting dead-center below where you intend then you may want to change your "Hold" based upon the above. A laser will help because you can easily adjust it to align POA with POI but you still want to learn what hold works with the iron sights in the event you need to use the gun when the laser is inoperable for some reason. And, laser or not, if you are hitting left or right or are not consistent in the error then you want to address grip or trigger control issues before adjusting how you aim the gun as those types of issues will result in just chasing the problem around the target. We shoot a lot of different guns and encounter this a lot and will adjust for it as we shoot the gun. If you have one or a few guns you can learn the "Hold" for each one and be able to go right where you need to.
+Mike Yes, it has been reliable, we have had no trouble with it at all. We would recommend it to a friend who is looking for a "service pistol" type hammer-fired gun.
@HammerStriker - What's the difference between the Beretta 96A1 and the Beretta 96 Centurion? Is the Beretta 96A1 barrel interchangeable/compatible with the Beretta 96 Centurion?
From what I can tell, the Centurion is a shorter slide/barrel/frame version of the 96A1 with a full-size grip and is no longer in production. It would be conceptually similar to the sizes 1911's come in ("Commander", "Officer", etc). I would not expect the barrel and slide to be interchangeable at all, however FCG components would likely be interchangeable.
?? Beginning with the double action, after discharge, still holding the trigger back. How much forward movement to reengage for the next shot is there (1 click or 2)? I had S&W 669 that reengaged very quickly for subsequent shots. So, how much extra travel is there?
There are 2 clicks, one almost imperceptible (you can only hear it in a quiet room) followed by a noticeable click that you can actually feel. The reset is about 2/3 of the way out to where the trigger would sit if you manually cocked it into single-action. It is actually a very nice reset, just enough travel to make the trigger manageable and very easy to get quick follow-up shots.
Adrian Rubi We are not aware of any stated service lives. However, you can expect things such as springs (recoil and magazine) to wear over time on any gun (though you would likely be into thousands of rounds before this occurred). If you start noticing feed/ejection issues on a previously trouble-free weapon, that would be a sign the recoil and/or magazine springs are nearing the end of their useful life.
+CTROCK In our experience it is a high quality gun and has been very reliable. Remember though that it is a "Service Pistol" so it is large an heavy, if you want it for fun, range, home defense, just because, etc. then it will serve you very well. If you are looking for something for Concealed Carry, though it would be reliable and trustworthy, there are smaller and lighter guns better for that particular purpose.
+CTROCK Any gun can experience an occasional issue, however the one in this video has been well behaved and not encountered any jams or other bad behavior. That is actually a reasonable price, especially for one of the big-box stores. That gun is currently selling for about $650 on grab-a-gun but you will have to add on for shipping, FFL Transfer fee.
@@CTROCK I have a Beretta 96. I shoot the Beretta 92fs just a little bit better but the 96 isn't bad at all. The pistol handles the .40 S&W better than most people think. Still, I wish I had the 92fs instead because I shoot it better. I only have the 96 because I found it at a very good price and I couldn't afford anything much more expensive at the time.
Really nice this comes in .40
Put a hundred rounds through my new 96A1 this morning.... is a very impressive handgun. I really thought (exactly as you said in your video) that the weight of the pistol vs the size of the round was just about a perfect balance, making for a really enjoyable shooting experience. Did notice a tendency on my part to shoot 4" to 6" low and to the left at 30 ft that I'll have to overcome with time, but will be really fun getting there.
Thank you for your review. It is very helpful.
Nice pistol and very nice review. I have watched this video a handful of times and it made me want one of these pistols. I did a little searching and found one last night. Put it on order and can't wait to get it. Thanks for the video Hammer Striker.
+Carl Love Thank you. We have certainly enjoyed the one in the video.
I just got mine, after almost two years wait ( it’s worth it ), and now have second one in order.
Thank you so much for explaining the function and location and co,position of the internal recoil buffer! I have a 92A! (my first hand gun) and until now had not been able
to find as much useful on the Recoik Buffer and how and why it works! Thank You!
Good video, Very well done. It was a toss up between the Beretta 96 A1 and a Walther ppq m2. This video really helped.
Just picked up a 96 A1 from my local gun store and wow! Compared to all my boring polymer handguns this one is very slick. I have a 80’s .25acp Beretta bobcat and they are very similar. I’m looking to upgrade my stock grips with those exact ones.
I have an old 92S! Love it, and would love to get a 96, as .40 is what I like to carry. 😎
I can't wait for the day I bought this pistol. It is truly a masterpiece that will not be repeated again in history. Just looking at it is a pleasure, let alone own it.
I didn't know about the purpose of the polymer buffer... do we know where this evolved from? In Dick Marcinkos book, he talks about having sent all of his teams berettas back to the factory. Apparently they were shooting so many rounds during daily drills, that their m9s were wearing out and failing pretty consistently. Beretta made an adjustment at the factory and started sending them "custom" berettas.
I have one of these and a 92G made in the US. I like both guns but I found the slide to frame fit quite loose compared to the 92G which is noticeably tighter. Lighter hammer springs and steel parts upgrades are a must for modern 92/96 series .
Bigbore I have seen your videos, what's your opinion on the durability of the 96A1? how do they hold up to high round counts?
Beautiful gun.
Exelente buenísimo una de las mejores pistolas
I've had one for about 2 years+. It feels like you're shooting a beefy 9mm. It will put the bullet where you tell it to. The bullet with the most kinetic energy are the 165 grain weight range.
That is one of the nice things about heavier guns, next to no recoil.
Hey, the wood grips on your beretta are they the same thickness as the stock plastic ones you get with it?
+Bubba Smack They are either the same or so close you cannot tell when handling it. I didn't actually measure them.
great video. thanks.
+memjarias2 Thank you.
Nice video Very comprehensive. You might have pointed out that this design owes a lot to to Walther P-38. In fact, barrel removal is identical to the P-38. The drop block is almost interchangeable, but not really, although it looks like it should.
gtracer66 It can be very interesting when you follow some of the modern "design innovations" back to things that were done many years prior.
Not quite featured after the P-38- which by the way was invented in 1938, and beretta was made in 1526, so I’m guessing, Beretta didn’t model there guns after walthers, only 400 years to late, get your facts down
You said the recoil is manageable but you were getting a lot of muzzle jump because of the way you grip the gun lol I shoot mine and people think it's a 9
Is the barrel threaded on this model? Is there a model that comes threaded? Also do you think there is any company that makes threaded m96a1 barrels?
This one is not threaded. I am aware of threaded barrels (factory and aftermarket) for the 92 series but am not aware of any available for the 96.
Maybe one of our viewers knows of a company that produces one.
No other gun beats this one in .40. It’s the best there is - accurate, manageable, fun, reliable.
I have owned and shot many other guns in this caliber - Glock, Sig, Smith, Springfield, CZ, etc. This one beats em all.
It’s a Beretta, over 500 years of sound reputation, how can you go wrong, most military love them, cleaning is so simple,
Nice video. where'd you find those grips?
+jeremy beverly Thank-you. These are actually made by Beretta, we got them from Midway ( www.midwayusa.com/product/894490/beretta-factory-grips-beretta-92-96-oval-texturing-walnut ) . I just looked, they appear to be in stock, you can also likely get them from the Beretta store.
How is your 96 a1 holding up? Do you have any updates on it? Nice Video by the way!
Thank-you. It is holding up well, every time we take it out, it just works. It is still a lot of fun to shoot, and tends to attract interest any time we have it out. We don't put quite the volume of ammo through it that we do some of our other "go-to" guns, not due to any hassles with the gun itself.
I bought an old used 96D Police trade in with night sights for $350. Mine has not cracked the slide yet. I have installed a Wilson buffer, and may replace the stock 13 pound recoil spring to a Wolffe heavier 14# or 15lb. You can feel a 10-20% increase in recoil over the M9 9mm
Mine shoots low, even in this video it shoots low. How can I correct that? I have a laser coming, will that help?
The first question is a consistency question - if the Point of Impact (POI) it is pretty much perfectly centered on the Point of Aim (POA) and simply low then it is most likely "Hold" (which I will explain). If there is a left or right component to the error then it is more likely in how you are gripping the gun or pulling the trigger and you would want to fix that before adjusting how you aim.
To explain "Hold" - different manufactures have different opinions on how the sights should be aligned on the target to hit what you want to hit. A "6 o'clock hold" would be to align the sights just touching the bottom of the intended target location (the bullet should hit just above the sights). A "Center Hold" would be aligning the sights to cover the bottom half of the intended target location and the bullet will hit right on the sights" A "Noon Hold" would be to touch the top of the intended target with the sights and the bullet will hit just below the sights.
So, if you are hitting dead-center below where you intend then you may want to change your "Hold" based upon the above.
A laser will help because you can easily adjust it to align POA with POI but you still want to learn what hold works with the iron sights in the event you need to use the gun when the laser is inoperable for some reason.
And, laser or not, if you are hitting left or right or are not consistent in the error then you want to address grip or trigger control issues before adjusting how you aim the gun as those types of issues will result in just chasing the problem around the target.
We shoot a lot of different guns and encounter this a lot and will adjust for it as we shoot the gun. If you have one or a few guns you can learn the "Hold" for each one and be able to go right where you need to.
Is it reliable? Would you recommend it to a friend? Thanks.
+Mike Yes, it has been reliable, we have had no trouble with it at all. We would recommend it to a friend who is looking for a "service pistol" type hammer-fired gun.
@HammerStriker - What's the difference between the Beretta 96A1 and the Beretta 96 Centurion? Is the Beretta 96A1 barrel interchangeable/compatible with the Beretta 96 Centurion?
From what I can tell, the Centurion is a shorter slide/barrel/frame version of the 96A1 with a full-size grip and is no longer in production. It would be conceptually similar to the sizes 1911's come in ("Commander", "Officer", etc). I would not expect the barrel and slide to be interchangeable at all, however FCG components would likely be interchangeable.
Where do you get grips for the 96A1 40cal
This one has been in Hammer's collection for quite some time - not sure where exactly he got it.
Ok just wanted to know I like them
?? Beginning with the double action, after discharge, still holding the trigger back. How much forward movement to reengage for the next shot is there (1 click or 2)? I had S&W 669 that reengaged very quickly for subsequent shots. So, how much extra travel is there?
There are 2 clicks, one almost imperceptible (you can only hear it in a quiet room) followed by a noticeable click that you can actually feel. The reset is about 2/3 of the way out to where the trigger would sit if you manually cocked it into single-action. It is actually a very nice reset, just enough travel to make the trigger manageable and very easy to get quick follow-up shots.
so is the gun all metal?
Yes, a combination of alloy on the frame and steel on the slide.
You can simply drop in a 92 barrel and mag and have both.
doesn't work for me. Extractor doesn't grab, and 9mm fits too loose. The 40sw has a wider base, 0.41 vs the 9mm is about 0.36"
I own two 96A1's and put a factory 92 barrel in both. I've fired over 3,000 rounds through both without any FTF, FTE or FTF at all.
I heard going from 96 to 92 works well, but not a hundred percent when going from 9 to 40, just get one or two of each, 92’s and 96’s, worked for me 😉
Does any part on it have a service life like how many rounds before changing the recoil spring?
Adrian Rubi We are not aware of any stated service lives. However, you can expect things such as springs (recoil and magazine) to wear over time on any gun (though you would likely be into thousands of rounds before this occurred). If you start noticing feed/ejection issues on a previously trouble-free weapon, that would be a sign the recoil and/or magazine springs are nearing the end of their useful life.
Hammer Striker....Thanks.
I like youre Beretta96a1. :D
Is this gun any good? I am thinking buying this gun.
+CTROCK In our experience it is a high quality gun and has been very reliable. Remember though that it is a "Service Pistol" so it is large an heavy, if you want it for fun, range, home defense, just because, etc. then it will serve you very well. If you are looking for something for Concealed Carry, though it would be reliable and trustworthy, there are smaller and lighter guns better for that particular purpose.
+Hammer Striker - any jam problem on this gun? at academy they sell for $678.00 without tax. is that a good price for this gun? thanks
+CTROCK Any gun can experience an occasional issue, however the one in this video has been well behaved and not encountered any jams or other bad behavior. That is actually a reasonable price, especially for one of the big-box stores. That gun is currently selling for about $650 on grab-a-gun but you will have to add on for shipping, FFL Transfer fee.
+Hammer Striker -Thanks
@@CTROCK I have a Beretta 96. I shoot the Beretta 92fs just a little bit better but the 96 isn't bad at all. The pistol handles the .40 S&W better than most people think. Still, I wish I had the 92fs instead because I shoot it better. I only have the 96 because I found it at a very good price and I couldn't afford anything much more expensive at the time.
wow I didnt think a .40 S&W would jump that much in the hands. I shoot 9mm and .45 without all that :/
+NERD IT UP .40 has more of a "twisting" recoil that many find unpleasant. 9mm has relatively minor recoil and .45 tends to be almost straight back.
Hammer Striker interesting, thanks for the info
Mixed Signals Band yes I really wish they'd make a .45 with at least a 10 round magazine. Would be my home defense choice mot likely.
+NERD IT UP Springfield XDS....13+1
the 96 old iron and weighs a ton nothing to do with the new Px4
Best pistol in the world
😊