Beretta 96D Pennsylvania State Police

[bloodandgutsmurphy]

Good morning guys and gals,

For those of you who haven't seen my post about my Delaware State Police S&W 681, I collect police-marked pistols. From time to time I like to share them with others.

The Pennsylvania State Police adopted the Beretta 96D in the nineties. From what I have read they served the troopers well. When I first bought this handgun I anticipated that it was going to be a lousy shooter since it is double action only. Boy was I wrong: it is a really nice shooter. DAO firearms were popular amongst the law enforcement community, at the time a lot of officers were transitioning from revolvers and dao semiautomatics made the transition easier for them.

Beretta, Sig, and S&W came out with DAO variants of their DA/SA pistols. I have shot all three. I like the Beretta the best: the Smith does not have a second strike capability (it operates just like a striker fired handgun) and the Sig's trigger pull is too long and heavy.

This little honey was acquired from the used gun guys who always set up at the Indy 1500. They are one of my favorite vendors, you never know what you can find.

 

[bloodandgutsmurphy]

 

[jwamplerusa]

Nice, very nice!

 

[johny5]

Very cool! I've wanted one for years.

 

[rob63]

That is an interesting and cool gun!

 

[drillsgt]

Interesting gun, a 96D was my most accurate .40 S&W.

 

[ECS686]

The US Border Patrol also issued the DAO Beretta 96 but in Brigadier version around 1996 until they went to HK P2000 LEM around 2002 ish. Worked very well for them. The standard issue gun for the Federal Bureau of Prisons from 2000 until recently was the 92D Vertec format. The only issues with the Vertec I encountered running the range was the Vertecs had poly triggers that went dead in the training guns a lot. Other than that quirk they were good guns overall.

 

[bloodandgutsmurphy]

The US Border Patrol also issued the DAO Beretta 96 but in Brigadier version around 1996 until they went to HK P2000 LEM around 2002 ish. Worked very well for them. The standard issue gun for the Federal Bureau of Prisons from 2000 until recently was the 92D Vertec format. The only issues with the Vertec I encountered running the range was the Vertecs had poly triggers that went dead in the training guns a lot. Other than that quirk they were good guns overall.

Thanks for the info.

Did the Border Patrol or the Federal Bureau of Prisons ever mark their handguns? Which facility did you work at ?

 

[indykid]

Ohio State Police a long time ago used the Beretta 92D finished in a matte nickel.

 

[ECS686]

Thanks for the info.

Did the Border Patrol or the Federal Bureau of Prisons ever mark their handguns? Which facility did you work at ?

I just retired out of USP Terre Haute but traveled everywhere. BOP guns have no Agency markings. The only assigned firearms was SORT which used SIG 228s but same with no Agency specific markings.

The BP or Customs Beretta and HKs I have seen during several Lead Firearms recerts at FLETC, I don't recall markings but can't 100% say Other than BP advance stuff Customs is the only ones at Glynco as BP other than advanced has moved elsewhere for the last several years.

 

[bloodandgutsmurphy]

I just retired out of USP Terre Haute but traveled everywhere. BOP guns have no Agency markings. The only assigned firearms was SORT which used SIG 228s but same with no Agency specific markings.

The BP or Customs Beretta and HKs I have seen during several Lead Firearms recerts at FLETC, I don't recall markings but can't 100% say Other than BP advance stuff Customs is the only ones at Glynco as BP other than advanced has moved elsewhere for the last several years.

Isn't the Somali pirate from the incident involving Captain Phillips there? I bet you have some cool stories to tell.

Thanks for the education. I do have a S&W 686 that was issued to the Montana State Prison system, I would like something from the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Maybe one day I'll get lucky.

 

[ECS686]

Isn't the Somali pirate from the incident involving Captain Phillips there? I bet you have some cool stories to tell.

Thanks for the education. I do have a S&W 686 that was issued to the Montana State Prison system, I would like something from the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Maybe one day I'll get lucky.

You won't find any Federal agency guns for sale As far as I know last ones available were Customs Service S&W 686 CS 1s that a few made it out to the public sale. The rest as far as our firearms are cut up. When I hired in they had just finnished cutting up M 14s they had in the towers. My issued McMillan Sniper rifle was cut up when it had too many rounds through it (their words, but the thing still shot 1 hole groups I'm still upset on that one)

Muse was the Pirates name and he has since been transferred to another Federal prison.

 

[bloodandgutsmurphy]

The Custom's Service 686 can still be found on the market: some FBI guns to, like their S&W Model 13 and 1076 3rd gen semiautomatic in 10mm. I wouldn't mind adding both of them to my collection.

They should have given you the option of buying your M21. That stinks.

 

[snorko]

Beretta just did a limited run of 92X models with the DAO "D" spring and hammer. So a Beretta XD?

 

[ECS686]

Beretta just did a limited run of 92X models with the DAO "D" spring and hammer. So a Beretta XD?

I don't believe Beretta re introduced a true DAO. Beretta anymore. They discontinued them because nobodys buying much in hammer fired DAO's. The D spring from the DAOs is dropped into a standard and makes the first DA trigger a lot better. And the 92X seemed to have this from the factory. To me it felt like a slicked up revolver. An old trick several Beretta smiths do.

 

[snorko]

Beretta just did a limited run of 92X models with the DAO "D" spring and hammer. So a Beretta XD?

I don't believe Beretta re introduced a true DAO. Beretta anymore. They discontinued them because nobodys buying much in hammer fired DAO's. The D spring from the DAOs is dropped into a standard and makes the first DA trigger a lot better. And the 92X seemed to have this from the factory. To me it felt like a slicked up revolver. An old trick several Beretta smiths do.

Or, they did, with a rail and tritium front sight. Mine was delivered Wednesday. https://www.budsgunshop.com/product_info.php/products_id/411559501/beretta+92d+w/+92x+grip+9mm+15+1

 

[Amishman44]

Good morning guys and gals,
For those of you who haven't seen my post about my Delaware State Police S&W 681, I collect police-marked pistols. From time to time I like to share them with others.
The Pennsylvania State Police adopted the Beretta 96D in the nineties. From what I have read they served the troopers well. When I first bought this handgun I anticipated that it was going to be a lousy shooter since it is double action only. Boy was I wrong: it is a really nice shooter. DAO firearms were popular amongst the law enforcement community, at the time a lot of officers were transitioning from revolvers and dao semiautomatics made the transition easier for them.
Beretta, Sig, and S&W came out with DAO variants of their DA/SA pistols. I have shot all three. I like the Beretta the best: the Smith does not have a second strike capability (it operates just like a striker fired handgun) and the Sig's trigger pull is too long and heavy.
This little honey was acquired from the used gun guys who always set up at the Indy 1500. They are one of my favorite vendors, you never know what you can find.

Nice Beretta pistol...and in .40 S&W too!
I've always liked .357SIG caliber and think it would be an excellent round in a full-sized Beretta...as performance would be excellent!
I've always been sort of a fan of DAO pistols, having several Ruger P-Series models, all in DAO configuration!
I've always been been able to shoot them quite well, having grown up with DA/SA revolvers and shot them in DA mode many a time!
I think I really just prefer the consistent trigger-pull of the DAO pistols.

 

[ECS686]

Or, they did, with a rail and tritium front sight. Mine was delivered Wednesday. https://www.budsgunshop.com/product_info.php/products_id/411559501/beretta+92d+w/+92x+grip+9mm+15+1

Interesting to know really surprises me as we had issues getting some parts for our older D models becauae they had discontinued them. You should like it the actual D models are pretty good as Hammer fired DAOs

 

[snorko]

Interesting to know really surprises me as we had issues getting some parts for our older D models becauae they had discontinued them. You should like it the actual D models are pretty good as Hammer fired DAOs

I think it will be a fun shooter. S&W made several DAO versions of their 3rd gen semi autos and I really liked those. On the S&Ws, the trigger reach was reduced as well as the pull weight which then fit my hand better. Doesn't seem to be the case on the DAO Beretta and while the trigger pull is very smooth, I had expected it to be a little lighter based on what folks have said. It is heavier than my Wilson Centurion traditional DA/SA.

 

[drillsgt]

I think it will be a fun shooter. S&W made several DAO versions of their 3rd gen semi autos and I really liked those. On the S&Ws, the trigger reach was reduced as well as the pull weight which then fit my hand better. Doesn't seem to be the case on the DAO Beretta and while the trigger pull is very smooth, I had expected it to be a little lighter based on what folks have said. It is heavier than my Wilson Centurion traditional DA/SA.

I haven't received mine yet but looking forward to it.