Beretta 92FS maintenance?

SKS Ray

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I took my Beretta 92FS out the other day and had multiple stovepipe issues during slow fire, but not so much during rapid fire. I've never had any problems with it and have probably only put a few hundred rounds through it since I bought it brand new. At first I thought it was the federal 100rd bulk pack ammo I was using but I tried another brand and had the same problems. I can't see the recoil spring or extractor wearing out after such limited use so I'm thinking its time for a cleaning and was wondering about maintenance regarding oil.

Anyone have the same problems with theirs and where and how much oil are you using?
 
Two things that come to mind, based on the statement that it only happens during Slow fire, is Limp Wristing (only base on the Slow fire only comment), or possibly letting your thumb ride the slide based on your grip during slow fire. The 92FS family is my pistol of choice, I have shot 10's of thousand of rounds and can count the number of failures on both hands. I clean it like any other pistol, give the entire gun a light coat of the oil of the day, and then I do place some Tetra Grease or similar product on the slide rails, and locking block contact points.

I took my Beretta 92FS out the other day and had multiple stovepipe issues during slow fire, but not so much during rapid fire. I've never had any problems with it and have probably only put a few hundred rounds through it since I bought it brand new. At first I thought it was the federal 100rd bulk pack ammo I was using but I tried another brand and had the same problems. I can't see the recoil spring or extractor wearing out after such limited use so I'm thinking its time for a cleaning and was wondering about maintenance regarding oil.

Anyone have the same problems with theirs and where and how much oil are you using?
 
I have never experienced that with my 92FS. Given your impressive number of posts and feedback I will presume it is not "limp wristing".

Did the problems begin to occur after disassembling and cleaning the gun? I can't remember if this is a factor on the 92FS but on some pistols the recoil spring can only be installed in one direction. I'll pull mine out to check then get back to you.

But my best guess is it may be a lubrication issue. Oil makes a good metal preservative by preventing rust and corrosion. However, many armorers and experienced shooters of semi automatic pistols believe a very light coating of high quality grease provides better protection of the sliding and moving parts (slide and frame rails, locking lugs, barrel/bushing, etc.) Oil on those parts tends to breakdown quickly while grease has more staying power.

You may have your own preferences for oils and greases and there are many from which to choose. By some of the new "nano" lubes are getting very good reviews. Here's one that I know is used by the armorers at several police departments, apparently, because they learned about it when taking their training at Sig and Glock.

http://www.laruetactical.com/lubemi...rease-lubricant-protectant-tw25b-12cc-syringe

Clearly, you don't have to spend even that much money for a good grease. Still, I would suggest a thorough lubing of your pistol before you shoot next time to see if it makes a difference. Please let us know how you make out!
 
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I'm definitely guilty of not cleaning my guns and letting them run dry. After all, I shoot AKs and Glocks. [wink] Figuring since the 92 has such a good reputation for reliability and it's in service in the sand box, I never paid much attention to oiling it.
 
SKS Ray, I ment no offence with the Limp Wrist sugestion, It is just one of the first things that come to mind when a Stovepipe seems only to happen during slow fire. Alot of shooters tend to loosen up the wrist during slow target shooting. As for the Beretta 92 the factory shipping oil is also a storage preservative, and should be cleaned before use, over time it tends to get gummy and can cause problems. this is a cheat sheet I found years ago on another forum, and from time to time I have consulted it.

Failure To Feed (FTFe).

1. Dirty or Rough Chamber and/or Feed Ramp and/or Hood - Clean them and/or polish them.
2. Non-compatible ammo - Try other brands.
3. Poor Lubrication - Lube it.
4. Dirty Magazine - Clean it.
5. Bad Magazine Spring - Replace it.
6. Bad Magazine Follower - Replace it.
7. Bad Magazine Tube - Replace it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Failure To Fire (FTFi).

1. Failure to allow the trigger to fully reset - Allow the trigger to move fully forward after each shot.
2. Bad Ammo (commonly hard primers) - Try other brands.
3. Poor Lubrication - Lube it.
4. Firing Pin Spring Too Long - Replace it. (Only on older guns. New guns come with shorter springs.)
5. Firing Pin Jammed - This can happen if the extractor bolt loosens, and while loose, the firing pin turns (the extractor bolt also retains the firing pin). When the bolt is re-tightened it can jam the firing pin because the bolt is not in the retaining slot of the firing pin. (The bolt must have loosened a lot for this to happen and you would probably have had a lot of FTEx's first).
6. Weak or Broken Hammer Spring - Replace it.
7. Dirty Firing Pin Channel - Clean it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Failure To Extract (FTEx).

1. Dirty or Rough Chamber - Clean it and/or polish it.
2. Non-compatible ammo - Try other brands.
3. Limp-wristing - Lock your wrist
4. Loose Extractor Spring Screw - Tighten it.
5. Bad Extractor - Replace it.
6. Poor Slide Lube - Lube it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Failure To Eject (FTEj).

1. Dirty or Rough Chamber - Clean it and/or polish it
2. Non-compatible ammo - Try other brands.
3. Limp-wristing - Lock your wrist
4. Loose Extractor Spring Screw - Tighten it.
5. Bad Extractor - Replace it.
6. Bad or Missing Ejector - Replace it.
7. Poor Slide Lube - Lube it.
8. Dirty Magazine - Clean it.
9. Bad Magazine Spring - Replace it.
 
I took my Beretta 92FS out the other day and had multiple stovepipe issues during slow fire, but not so much during rapid fire. I've never had any problems with it and have probably only put a few hundred rounds through it since I bought it brand new. At first I thought it was the federal 100rd bulk pack ammo I was using but I tried another brand and had the same problems. I can't see the recoil spring or extractor wearing out after such limited use so I'm thinking its time for a cleaning and was wondering about maintenance regarding oil.

Anyone have the same problems with theirs and where and how much oil are you using?

SKS Ray... the Beretta 92FS is notorious for that problem. I'd get rid of it fast before the thing blows up in your hands!

I've PM'ed my address so you can sent your 92 to me for free.

Your heath and safety are my only concern.... hey that's what people do to/for members here on this forum! [smile]
 
SKS Ray, I ment no offence with the Limp Wrist sugestion, It is just one of the first things that come to mind when a Stovepipe seems only to happen during slow fire. Alot of shooters tend to loosen up the wrist during slow target shooting. As for the Beretta 92 the factory shipping oil is also a storage preservative, and should be cleaned before use, over time it tends to get gummy and can cause problems.

After 2 or 3 rounds I thought it was my grip. I figured since I rarely shoot pistol that was the case and I was too relaxed. But after 3 more mags and tightening up I'm pretty much convinced it was a result of a dirty gun or lack of oil.
 
I would blast it out real good with a gun scrubber type product, including the inside of the mags, a light coating of oil, and apply some grease to the slide rails, and locking block.. Also would not hurt to run a few mags of some hotter ammo, just for good measure. Brownells has a basic cleanning and lubrication video series for the 92FS, Quick videos and fairly basic, but section 3 does show key lubrication points.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?annota...&feature=iv&src_vid=Tz-_LVLEE3s&v=krYuMkSgamQ
 
I'm definitely guilty of not cleaning my guns and letting them run dry. After all, I shoot AKs and Glocks. [wink] Figuring since the 92 has such a good reputation for reliability and it's in service in the sand box, I never paid much attention to oiling it.

The 92 is very reliable when it is lubed and you use factory or Mec-Gar mags (not the shitty USGI aftermarket mags)

the critical lube points are the locking block area, locking block rails, and slide rails
 
definitely make sure the extractor is clean and the gun is well-oiled. i tested out a bunch of surplus M9 mags i bought in manchester this saturday at the range, i always take decent care of my 92FS as it was my first gun (d'awww).
 
I'm definitely guilty of not cleaning my guns and letting them run dry. After all, I shoot AKs and Glocks. [wink] Figuring since the 92 has such a good reputation for reliability and it's in service in the sand box, I never paid much attention to oiling it.
I have owned one new one and a used one. The new one was, in my opinion, under lubricated out right out of the box. I had a few issues that I blamed on "break in" until I finally got frustrated and pulled the slide and lubricated the gun. The slide rails were pretty dry. The gun ran perfect after this simple lubrication.
 
Only time I had failures to feed with my 92 was with some Wolf ammo, but I'm OCD about cleaning my guns. It's my favorite pistol, too.
 
Mine has more belly button lint than my belly button. And I neva have any issues. I even use ammo that my glock wouldnt shoot, with no problems.

Try adding some belly button lint.
 
Not sure if you are shooting indoors or outdoors.
Some lubes and grease do not do well in cold temps and actually get tacky.
I always prefered the teflon based oils for cold weather shooting.
 
The beretta 92/m9, like a 1911 or a sig P226/229 or I suppose any gun with full length frame rails (vs the metal tabs that most polymer frame gun slides ride on) needs lube. It'll run dirty but not so much dry.
 
Did you use FrogLube?

As much as I'm a fan of it, it turned rancid in my 92FS and caused stovepipes and FTFeeds. I cleaned it out real good, lubed it again with the liquid type and I'm back in business.

I've read you can just reheat it and it'll flow again. I'm not sure how that un-rancids it, but I suppose anything is possible.

ETA: Mine was sticky like it had old syrup in it. I was really surprised to see FrogLube turn to a brown mess.
 
Did you use FrogLube?

As much as I'm a fan of it, it turned rancid in my 92FS and caused stovepipes and FTFeeds. I cleaned it out real good, lubed it again with the liquid type and I'm back in business.

I've read you can just reheat it and it'll flow again. I'm not sure how that un-rancids it, but I suppose anything is possible.

ETA: Mine was sticky like it had old syrup in it. I was really surprised to see FrogLube turn to a brown mess.

Paste or liquid? Where did you apply the lube? I use the paste on the slide exterior, interior, and treat the whole barrel with paste. Slide rails with a couple of drops of liquid. Make sure your firing pin stays dry -- no FL whatsoever. I've seen people make that mistake and get jammed up by it.

I've used FL in the summer and middle of winter in subzero temps and never had an issue with it. The brown mess means it's generally doing it's job -- all it needs is a quick wipe down.
 
Paste or liquid? Where did you apply the lube? I use the paste on the slide exterior, interior, and treat the whole barrel with paste. Slide rails with a couple of drops of liquid. Make sure your firing pin stays dry -- no FL whatsoever. I've seen people make that mistake and get jammed up by it.

I've used FL in the summer and middle of winter in subzero temps and never had an issue with it. The brown mess means it's generally doing it's job -- all it needs is a quick wipe down.

The brown mess was sticky and difficult to remove. And it was on the rails, not in the "dirty areas". I'm pretty sure *sticky* and *lubricant* are not the same thing. It's actually a known issue with FL and the new stuff is rancid-proof or whatever they call it. I think it's more of a problem with stored guns. If I shot more it wouldn't be such a problem.

To answer your question, I treat the whole thing in the paste (hot metal) and use the liquid as a normal lube.
 
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