If i had to choose between only the m&p and 92 i would go with m&p. I do not like both guns personally, but the 92 is my least favourite of the two. The trigger on the 92 is atrocious. For the price you are paying - which is $100 more average than glock and cz you are better off with glock or cz. The 92 is really nothing more than a water cooler piece to tell your friends you have the sidearm issued to the regular us army. If its price range was more around $500-600 then it'd be something to look at. Just my opinion.
Beretta 92fs vs. S&W m&p 9mm - which to buy
- Thread starter tk1360
- Start date
andrew3081
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Vancouver, BC
Try and shoot both guns if u can and see which one you like.
I personally like the M&P better because it fit me better.
I personally like the M&P better because it fit me better.
Have a M&P and a Girsan Regard ( 92fs clone). I like both but I love my new FNS9. It has a better trigger than both and by far the best 9mm I've shot. I'd recommend it over any other 9mm. The best thing is to try them if you can. There's lots of good 9mm out there except the ones that start with Glock.
The SA trigger on my older 92FS is excellent, better than an M&P trigger (I shot a friend's). Just like the M&P, there are kits to lighten up the trigger weight if needed. After shooting mine, it wasn't needed. The first DA pull is longer and stiffer, just the nature of the design. Whether they put bad triggers in the new ones, I can't say.
Worst trigger I've ever used was on a S&W SD9VE and the the M&P isn't known for having a great one either.
Everyone says the Girsans are cheaper and they are and yes they resemble berettas but trust me its not the same gun at all. The serrations, the internals, the smoothness of the action not the same as the original.
Yes its a few bucks more but go with the real thing.
Just my .02
Yes its a few bucks more but go with the real thing.
Just my .02
ChrisAlston
Regular
- Location
- Calgary, Alberta
I have an older (90's produced) 92FS and an M&P.
I think the trigger on my Beretta is actually quite nice, the single action in particular. A little heavier than my other DA/SA guns but very clean on the break with a good reset. It's got an extremely smooth action, and has been 100 percent reliable for 1200+ rounds I have put through it since owning it for about 7 months. I have medium smallish hands, and the grip, though large, actually fits me just fine. It could use better sights tho. I also just love the look of the gun, it's one I would never sell.
The M&P is a totally different gun, but I like it as well. Mine is a .40 cal, and I can shoot it a little better than the Beretta, but probably because I've had it for several years and have around 3k rounds thru it now. Also been extremely reliable and trouble free, only one malfunction I can remember. The factory trigger wasn't great but with the Apex kit it's pretty awesome. The grip feels great, sights are good. Overall a nice piece for less money than a Beretta or a Glock.
I prefer my Sig P226 over both these guns however.
I think the trigger on my Beretta is actually quite nice, the single action in particular. A little heavier than my other DA/SA guns but very clean on the break with a good reset. It's got an extremely smooth action, and has been 100 percent reliable for 1200+ rounds I have put through it since owning it for about 7 months. I have medium smallish hands, and the grip, though large, actually fits me just fine. It could use better sights tho. I also just love the look of the gun, it's one I would never sell.
The M&P is a totally different gun, but I like it as well. Mine is a .40 cal, and I can shoot it a little better than the Beretta, but probably because I've had it for several years and have around 3k rounds thru it now. Also been extremely reliable and trouble free, only one malfunction I can remember. The factory trigger wasn't great but with the Apex kit it's pretty awesome. The grip feels great, sights are good. Overall a nice piece for less money than a Beretta or a Glock.
I prefer my Sig P226 over both these guns however.
Nothing wrong with that!dare to be different.
I've owned an Inox Beretta 92 FS and currently own an M&P40 and as mentioned above they are both very different pistols. I like them both, although I've gone to either striker or cocked and locked semi autos now. I've got small hands but still found the Beretta easy to manage (there's no question it's a large pistol, though), and replacing the mainspring with the "D" version is a dead simple way to lower the trigger pulls. Beretta 96 mags work in a 92 as well, you can load 13 (or is it 14) 9mm rounds. I still think the older Inox model with the straight dust cover is one of the best looking handguns.
I like how the M&P feels in the hand, and mine has been accurate and reliable. The replaceable backstraps make it easy to find a good fit, and if you don't like the factory trigger pull (I'm ok with it myself) there are replacements that are fairly easy to install.
If you can, try them both. If you can't, take your best guess and if it doesn't work out you can sell it on the EE easy enough.
wow. lots of feedback and opinions. I really appreciate the variety and truth be told I was looking at the P226 as well but removed it from the comparison as it is really more expensive and was going for more of two options in the same ballpark.
I will try to rally up everyone with something I am considering buying and spend some more time at the range putting a few more mags through them to see if I can find any clear cut advantages/ preferences.
I will try to rally up everyone with something I am considering buying and spend some more time at the range putting a few more mags through them to see if I can find any clear cut advantages/ preferences.
Thanks for the advise. As someone new to the site I am definitely beginning to see how active the EE sub forum can be.
No problem....the EE has been the bane of my savings account!Thanks for the advise. As someone new to the site I am definitely beginning to see how active the EE sub forum can be.
To make your decision more difficult...
That is not even nice... While new to firearms I am familiar with photography EE and know how easy it is to splurge on a deal from some near gear.
No problem....the EE has been the bane of my savings account!
To make your decision more difficult...
I own both. In fact both are the only 9's I own. I love them both for very different reasons. It's possible to like both of them at the same time. So my recommendation for the OP is to get both.
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
I shot one a month or so ago and I thought it was pretty bad as well.
- Location
- YEG Alberta
Just to make your decision even harder... Or easier...
I've shot a lot of different 9mm pistols over the years while conducting training - have yet to see a student that wouldn't let you try their pistol out. So while I don't own either of the two models you're interested in, I definitely prefer the M&P, which comes in a number of different configurations. The CORE version mentioned earlier is worth a thought when it is all going to be range play anyways - and you're not likely to see a whole lot of other people at the range with them either. And with the Apex trigger kits a lot of guys drop into them, they seem to be about as close to a single action trigger as you can get.
But you might want to cast your net wider before making your final choice. I happen to feel that the BHP works the best for me for ALL uses. Nothing beats a BHP for natural pointability. I'm aware that some complain it's "not super accurate", but you will notice if you start shooting the accuracy games like PPC, neither of the two pistols you inquired about are seen very often in the 1500 matches - nor the SIGs, Glock's, etc. None of them make the cut. If want the best in accuracy in a centerfire 9mm pistol, you should be considering the target versions on the 1911 platform. For accuracy games like PPC and Bullseye, the 1911 platform is the overwhelming choice. Anything else is like trying to win the revolver 1500 with a Colt or Ruger. Some may prefer DA/SA; for me and others, it is a non-starter even though many DA/SAs will let you work your way around it. I will take the "crappy" 4.5 lb trigger on my BHPs (complete with the magazine disconnects still in place) over a varying trigger pull every single day of the week (although some BHP triggers truly are ugly). And still others feel the CZ's are actually a much improved version of the BHP and therefore a better choice. If you really do want the nicest, crispest trigger pull available on a 9mm pistol, then the choice is simple: 1911 again. But most won't put the trigger above everything else either.
And then there's how people individually feel about tupperware versus steel.
So what I'm getting at is take your time and really look over what's available before buying - shoot as many different 9mms as possible. Look at your targets instead of just banging away, so you can see not only which pistols feel best in your hands, but if you're grouping with one is a bit better than the rest of the herd. It's not like trying a bunch of different pistols, shooting them, etc is drudgery and a painful chore! I love the chance to try out a firearm that I've never had in my hands before.
I'd also make sure of my purchase criteria. How much is "dare to be different" worth? If I shot best with a Glock, I wouldn't care if everybody else I knew owned one - I'd buy a Glock. For me, it is mostly about comfort/ease in use and how well I can shoot with it - most of the other considerations are a distant second. I would be looking at how easy it would be to make changes in the fit (by comparison, about all you can do with a BHP if it doesn't feel right is change the grips), aftermarket trigger kits, conversion kits, changing the sights, etc. It would suck to be stuck with a pistol you didn't care for if the glitter of being different ever wore out.
The goal is to pick the pistol that your hands, eyes, and brain says is best for YOU - not the pistol that me or anyone else says you should be picking or looking at. Really no different than picking a rifle, shotgun, bird dog breed, etc. Take your time and have a lot of fine with the different candidates before making your choice. Think of it as the dating before the marriage...
Those are my suggestions and I'm sticking to them.
But you might want to cast your net wider before making your final choice. I happen to feel that the BHP works the best for me for ALL uses. Nothing beats a BHP for natural pointability. I'm aware that some complain it's "not super accurate", but you will notice if you start shooting the accuracy games like PPC, neither of the two pistols you inquired about are seen very often in the 1500 matches - nor the SIGs, Glock's, etc. None of them make the cut. If want the best in accuracy in a centerfire 9mm pistol, you should be considering the target versions on the 1911 platform. For accuracy games like PPC and Bullseye, the 1911 platform is the overwhelming choice. Anything else is like trying to win the revolver 1500 with a Colt or Ruger. Some may prefer DA/SA; for me and others, it is a non-starter even though many DA/SAs will let you work your way around it. I will take the "crappy" 4.5 lb trigger on my BHPs (complete with the magazine disconnects still in place) over a varying trigger pull every single day of the week (although some BHP triggers truly are ugly). And still others feel the CZ's are actually a much improved version of the BHP and therefore a better choice. If you really do want the nicest, crispest trigger pull available on a 9mm pistol, then the choice is simple: 1911 again. But most won't put the trigger above everything else either.
And then there's how people individually feel about tupperware versus steel.
So what I'm getting at is take your time and really look over what's available before buying - shoot as many different 9mms as possible. Look at your targets instead of just banging away, so you can see not only which pistols feel best in your hands, but if you're grouping with one is a bit better than the rest of the herd. It's not like trying a bunch of different pistols, shooting them, etc is drudgery and a painful chore! I love the chance to try out a firearm that I've never had in my hands before.
I'd also make sure of my purchase criteria. How much is "dare to be different" worth? If I shot best with a Glock, I wouldn't care if everybody else I knew owned one - I'd buy a Glock. For me, it is mostly about comfort/ease in use and how well I can shoot with it - most of the other considerations are a distant second. I would be looking at how easy it would be to make changes in the fit (by comparison, about all you can do with a BHP if it doesn't feel right is change the grips), aftermarket trigger kits, conversion kits, changing the sights, etc. It would suck to be stuck with a pistol you didn't care for if the glitter of being different ever wore out.
The goal is to pick the pistol that your hands, eyes, and brain says is best for YOU - not the pistol that me or anyone else says you should be picking or looking at. Really no different than picking a rifle, shotgun, bird dog breed, etc. Take your time and have a lot of fine with the different candidates before making your choice. Think of it as the dating before the marriage...
Those are my suggestions and I'm sticking to them.
I am an 92FS fan. It feels like a gun (not a piece of plastic). I like the heaviness of it. I love the classic look too.
It's totally reliable (10K rounds through my first 92FS before my first spring broke - easily replaced).
I shoot IPSC with it. Competition after competition I see guys totally blow a course because of a some malfunction or another (though I imagine most are the shoooter's error, not the gun). Still, I've never had a malfunction except when I shot REALLY REALLY cheap ammo.
My hands are small-medium - I don't have a problem gripping it.
Yes, the DA is crazy heavy, but my perspective is that in competition only my first shot out of 6 to 60 shots is double action. The rest are all single action, and the SA on the 92FS is just fine. Trigger pull is smooth. Anyway, the DA trigger pull can be reduced by a few lb by changing out the mainspring .
The INOX is the ###iest 9 mm production gun IMHO, so once the government prohibits all our handguns, and all we can do is keep them at home and longingly look at them until we die and they are confiscated, it will be easier to look at this gun and remember the good times than to look at a blocky black polymer gun.
It's totally reliable (10K rounds through my first 92FS before my first spring broke - easily replaced).
I shoot IPSC with it. Competition after competition I see guys totally blow a course because of a some malfunction or another (though I imagine most are the shoooter's error, not the gun). Still, I've never had a malfunction except when I shot REALLY REALLY cheap ammo.
My hands are small-medium - I don't have a problem gripping it.
Yes, the DA is crazy heavy, but my perspective is that in competition only my first shot out of 6 to 60 shots is double action. The rest are all single action, and the SA on the 92FS is just fine. Trigger pull is smooth. Anyway, the DA trigger pull can be reduced by a few lb by changing out the mainspring .
The INOX is the ###iest 9 mm production gun IMHO, so once the government prohibits all our handguns, and all we can do is keep them at home and longingly look at them until we die and they are confiscated, it will be easier to look at this gun and remember the good times than to look at a blocky black polymer gun.
If the pistol works that well for you, then you made the right choice. It has certainly served the US military well and the AMU guys like it.
However, a pistol that isn't even 40 years old yet isn't a "classic look". Whether a Beretta or a Glock.
A 1911 is a classic. A Browning High Power is a classic. A Walther PPK is a classic. A S&W K frame is a classic. A Colt SAA is a classic.
But a Beretta or a Glock? Unmistakeable to recognize, perhaps. But not a classic until they have three or four more decades behind them.
