Text & photos
by R.K. Campbell

As a long-time user of John Browning's best pistol-the 1911 .45 auto-it might be fairly said that little in the handgun world impresses me.

I do enjoy firing and collecting numerous other types of pistols, but the 1911 has always been my favorite. Of late, I have used quite a number of Beretta pistols. The reason has much to do with a partnership formed between my sons and the US military. I decided I should have some familiarity with the US service gun. I have delved into the realm of the Beretta offerings and found a pistol that is impressive. All handguns are tradeoffs in features offered, but the Beretta comes off better than most. As a fighting handgun it has made the grade.

One of the more interesting of all Beretta pistols is the capable, and interesting Elite II. This handgun is based on the Model 92 and obviously is a 92 at heart. But it is loaded with features proven in competition. Like the 1911 and Smith and Wesson's pistols, the Beretta 92 has felt the tender massage of the custom gunsmith. The slight differences in the Elite II make for a gun that works better than the sum of its parts. This is a capable handgun.
We've seen quite a few 92s used in IDPA competition, and why not? They work well, are accurate enough, and offer the least muzzle flip of any popular 9mm. If Bill Wilson can shoot one, we all can! IDPA is like real life. The person behind the gun, his or her skill, and the tactics used decide the issue to a far greater extent than the gun.

Proven Design
Many features we find standard on modern pistols were proven in competition. Novak sights, forward slide serrations, and skeletonized hammers were first found on competition guns. But if there is a rule in competition that we must adhere to it is this-if we put roller skates on a pig, we only have a fast pig. The 1911 was a good gun to start with. So was the Beretta 92.

The Beretta 92 has overcome nationalism and hard testing to emerge as one of the more proven pistol designs of the century. It is accurate enough for the tasks it is put to, and above all works each and every time the trigger is pulled. It is safer than most pistols, with a pin lock, loaded chamber indicator, a long double-action trigger, and manual safety.

The pistol differs from most in that it uses the oscillating wedge lockup first used in the Mauser Model 1896 or the 'Broomhandle.' The pistol does not use the familiar Browning angled camming surfaces. It does not use a barrel bushing. The double-action trigger is actuated by an external drawbar. The pistol's most recognizable feature is its open top slide, claimed to be one source of the pistol's great reliability. As issued, the 92 is a good gun. But it was time for the 92 to evolve.
Better Balance

One modification I like very much is the short slide Brigadier model, which simply chops about a half-inch off the front of the pistol. This makes for better balance, and to my eyes a better-looking pistol. The Elite II is made in this fashion. The slide is also thicker in the midsection, just over the locking wedges. This makes for a pistol far more capable of handling +P or +P+ ammunition.

I have never experienced a problem with a Beretta. One of mine was set up by Teddy Jacob-sen (Actions by T, 16315 Redwood Forest Court, Dept. GWK, Sugar Land, TX 77478; phone: 713-277-4008) to handle +P+ ammunition and has never stuttered. But slide fractures of a handful of Beretta pistols apparently occurred, for whatever reason, and the new gun is certainly stronger than any standard Model 92.

For most home-defense shooters, the heavy slide will serve to dampen recoil-a good thing. For the competitor or special team member who fires 500-1,000 rounds a week, that little bit of extra steel will prove longer wearing than the Model 92. The slide is stainless steel. Stainless is just that, stainless, but it also makes for easier maintenance. The frame is aluminum, for lightness. The slide features cocking serrations-both front and rear. The aggressive front serrations are well designed for use with gloved hands.

The best feature of the new gun-to my eye-is the addition of Novak sights in dovetail slots in the slide. As a practical matter, you simply cannot alter the sights of the original 92. The Novak Low Mount is snag-free and quick into action. But it also offers a precise sight picture when precision fire is needed.

I like the Novaks very much. The sights are well designed. I find I can pick them up quickly, as there is plenty of room in the generous rear notch to center the front post. Older shooters sometimes prefer a wider front sight, but I find the issue sight perfectly suited to my eyes.
Nice Construction

The barrel of the Elite II is well fitted to the slide, with less play felt than in 92s in my dealer's display case. The barrel offers an aggressive protective crown, similar to the 45-degree cut given such handgun barrels by my friend Teddy Jacobsen. A crown such as this protects the muzzle from accuracy-destroying nicks and bumps. Accuracy is no doubt protected, if not increased.

The frame differs slightly from the standard 92. The serrations and checkering are most comfortable. The frame subtly lowers the Beretta's bore axis, resulting in the feeling the gun sets lower in the hand than the standard 92. The Beretta has little muzzle flip; this will help the gun even more. The lanyard ring of the 92 is gone.

The double-action pull of the pistol settled in at about 12 pounds with a bit of dry fire. The single-action trigger was quite nice at 4° pounds. It will probably smooth with use.

The Beretta came in a hard plastic box with two magazines and a lock.

I studied the gun long and hard, disassembling it. The locking wedges on this gun are of the modern, improved type with rounded wings rather than the more severe angle found in early military pistols. Rumored to be a source of early breakage, the modern wing cures even the thought of a problem in this mature design.

Fit, polish and attention to detail were superb. This is a world-class pistol, with no noticeable flaws of any type.

The Beretta is famed for feed reliability. After all, it offers practically a straight line feed from the magazine to the chamber. I used the supplied magazines during the test program but also used a pre-ban, high capacity magazine and a number of Pro Mag aftermarket magazines.

Testing
I lightly oiled the Beretta and began my test. I have been cautioned that the Beretta will malfunction if not lubed for practice. It can be lightly lubed for carry use, since few self-defense applications require more than a few rounds of ammunition. But when firing hundreds of rounds of ammunition, the initial lube may burn or blow out. I lightly oiled the gun just the same and began my test program.

I elected to get a feel for the gun by firing several hundred rounds of Winchester USA 124-grain ammunition. This loading has proven reliable and accurate in every pistol I have tested with it. Also there is little unburned powder, which results in less powder ash to screw up the gun's workings. Actually, with the gun's open top slide the only real look out would be unburned powder granules finding their way into the pistol's trigger action.

My initial firing was combat style, firing at pairs of man-sized targets from 3 to 25 yards. Results were excellent. The Beretta simply stayed on target during rapid firing strings. The Novak front sight hung on the target; the shooter need only concentrate on proper sight alignment and trigger press.

The first few hundred rounds were uneventful.

Potent Rounds
Next, I elected to proof the gun with law enforcement and personal defense ammunition such as Winchester's potent 1,350 feet-per-second (fps) +P+ Ranger load. With this loading, the gun flipped more but not so much. Virtually the same results as with the ball ammo were registered. Here is a gun that is controllable with the strongest of 9mm Luger ammunition. I would have been surprised by a malfunction with this gun. To date, with 1,150 rounds downrange, there have been no failures to feed, chamber, fire or eject. The gun works and works well.

Accuracy fell in a rather narrow parameter, from 2.0 inches to 3.0 inches at 25 yards. The gun was very consistent, whatever the load. It is accurate enough for hostage rescue and quite capable at long range. Ask military policeman A P Brown. He was able to stop a madman's rampage by carefully firing his Model 92 at a long 80 yards. And, he connected, neutralizing the threat.

The Beretta has proven reliable in service with the Los Angeles Police Department and New York City's Emergency Services District. The Elite II is the best Beretta of all and should prove even more accurate and reliable in service.

After an extensive test I found I like the Elite II very much. It handles smoothly above all else. It is better than most double-action pistols in this regard and certainly gives the skilled user an estimable fighting handgun. All controls work smoothly and positively and the gun has no sharp edges to abrade tender skin or clothing.

During this test period I used two holsters extensively. One was the proven K. L. Null horsehide holster. This holster spreads out the weight of a large gun for comfort, and hugs the body for concealment. A very well designed holster, impeccably executed.

The second holster shows the Beretta can be concealed with proper forethought. The inside-the-waistband holster from Wild Bill's Concealment Holsters offers soft, supple comfort. It rides high and close to the body, offering excellent concealment, even under a pulled-out shirt.

We are cautioned that harder holsters designed for the Model 92 may not accommodate the larger slide of the Elite II. The leather and horsehide holsters I used stretched a little to accommodate the Elite II and are now a perfect fit.

Overall, this is an excellent handgun with quite a bit of potential in every type of use. The Elite II deserves a clean bill of health and has my recommendation.

For ordering information, contact Beretta USA Corp., 17601 Beretta Drive, Dept. GWK, Accokeek, MD 26027; phone: 301-283-2191; on-line: www.beretta-usa.com.