If you walk into ten gun free zones, you are likely to see eight silhouetted Beretta Model 92’s underneath the red angled bar. For some reason the anti-gun world loves the esthetics of the Italian design while simultaneously hating the object itself. Well, if it weren’t for double standards, these people would have no standards at all, but all politics aside, the full size Beretta 90 series handguns not only look really sweet, they work equally sweet.
You will have to look far and wide to find a more reliable platform. Truthfully, though, the classic Beretta Model 92 isn’t a great fit for smaller hands.
Get a Grip on Beretta Air Pistols
Good looking, yes, but a handful, also yes. One of the things that Beretta did when making revisions for what would become the M9A3 version of the 92 is slim down the grip. This one change made a huge difference for many handgun shooters.
Just about three years ago Umarex USA had introduced the Model 92 A1 in both .177 and 6mm airsoft. Introduced may not be the right word. Maybe unleashed would be better? The classic Model 92 was equipped with a full-auto mode that was a huge hit, to say the least, with our fans. Then just on the heels of the Model 92 came the M9A3. This new edition shared the same ergonomics and functionality of the Model 92, but featured a threaded muzzle (14mm left hand threads) and the slimmed down grip and sticky texture of the Beretta M9A3 firearm.
If the Model 92 A1 was a hit, the M9A3 was a smash hit.
Customers loved the Desert Tan finish, the slimmer grip, and, of course, the fun switch on the right side of the slide. It was the bomb, to express it in early 2000’s parlance.
And our Elite Force Airsoft brethren cooked up a 6mm version of this fine Beretta pew pew as well. However, with either of these superb replicas an airgun shooter can expect to find fully functional controls, full size drop free magazines, blowback action, and comparable weight to that of the firearm. Both of these models even field strip just like the firearm.
For some reason I am drawn to this full size replica. Maybe it’s the classic Italian good looks, or maybe it’s just that I like full sized pistols. Whatever it is, this M9A3 is the scratch to an itch for a full-sized fun machine that doesn’t have a baseball bat barrel sized grip. Oh, did i mention the muzzle on both the .177 and 6mm versions are threaded with 14mm left hand threads? Yes, the threaded outer barrel will allow the attachment of a faux suppressor or the airsofter only tracer unit for glow-in-the-dark BBs.
This is certainly a great time to be an airgunner and an even better time to be able to get a quality, 1:1 replica airgun to supplement firearm training.
Mark Davis, avid outdoorsman, family man, and outdoors writer, is the social media specialist for Umarex USA.