WA
Beretta 92FS "Perfect Version" |
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Background
Information If you have to own one Beretta, the best Beretta,
it has to be the WA Beretta 92FS "Perfect Version". Western Arms
is pretty much the undisputed king when it comes to manufacturing high-quality,
realistic replicas of handguns, and the Perfect Version, or "PV"
is no exception. Tokyo Marui and KSC both make great replicas, but don't come
very close authenticity-wise. The Marui M9 series lack a decocker and Beretta
trademarks. They also have a fixed-hop-up and visible seam lines. The KSC
M9 series have a better build quality and functioning decocker, but have huge
"KSC" markings on the grips where the Beretta triple-arrow logo
would be. If has to be the highest quality, most realistic Beretta, it's got
to be a PV. My personal PV was purchased from the folks at Full Auto Airsoft in Hawaii, since it was on sale at a very nice price (shipped, for $50 less than any Hong Kong retailers after shipping). I had always wanted a Western Arms handgun, always wanted a Beretta 92 series of some sorts, and always wanted to play LAPD =) When this deal came buy, I jumped on it.
Build Quality This gun is the nicest gas-blowback pistol I've ever held or fired. There are no visible seam lines, and the gun feels like a real gun in your hand. At 960g, it's no lightweight. You won't be worried you'll accidentally throw it like you'd feel if you were holding a KSC Glock. The sound the gun makes when you release the slide is worth the price tag alone. Pure music, a "ka-CHINK" of metal on metal parts. Inserting the metal magazine also gives a nice "k-schlink!" sound. The gun sports an excellent matte black finish that makes it look even more convincing. The grip feels nice and beefy in your hands, and of course the gun sports the coveted Beretta trademarks, licensed straight from Pietro Beretta in Italy. On the left side of the gun you'll see:
PIETRO
BERETTA GARDONE V.T. - MADE IN JAPAN
BY WESTERN ARMS
D071516Z
And on
the right:
MOD.92FS - CAL.9 Parabellum - PATENTED
BERETTA USA CORP., ACKK, MD.
This product is made in JAPAN by WESTERN ARMS CO., LTD. and Beretta trademarks
are affixed under exclusive license of FABBRICA D'ARMI PIETRO BERETTA S.P.A.
These are
the exact markings one would find on a real Beretta 92FS, save for the "Made
in Japan" and licensing bits, and the "ASGK" marking. Some
dislike the having the licensing agreement on the slide, but I don't notice
it. It's on the frame of the gun, under the slide, so the top line is usually
masked by the shadow of the slide. Also, the text isn't as bold as the "MOD.92FS"
markings above it.
As widely noted, the magazine does not perfectly fit inside the well, and
some noise is produced if you shake the gun back and forth. This can be inexpensively
remedied by placing some tape or a square of Velcro (the soft side, obviously)
inside the magazine well.
Power and Blowback The WA PV puts out a respectable 270-290FPS using HFC134a. Western Arms recommends ONLY HFC134a for use in all of their products. I will back them up on this. You don't want to turn a $180 gun into a paperweight because you want a little more punch. As evidenced below, the PV puts out as much or more range and accuracy using HFC134a than a Marui M9 using HFC22.
Blowback
on the PV is outstanding, it feels like a nice chunk of metal recoiling into
your arm. Thanks to WA's Magna Blowback system, you can fire the gun sideways
or upside down with no loss in power, and no gas leakage or frost-bitten fingers.
Range and Accuracy A WA PV with correctly set hop-up gets the same or better accuracy using HFC134a than a Marui M9 using HFC22. No one has been able to figure out why, but it just does it. Don't ask, just enjoy watching your Marui M9-toting friends scratch their heads in puzzlement. =) However, for you power-mongers out there (you know who you are, HFC22 addicts), you may find the PV lacking in that it is not built to tolerate the stresses that accompany using HFC22 gas.
**Accuracy testing to come soon.**
Balance, Comfort, and Function The PV is pretty much perfectly balance, it doesn't feel front- or rear-heavy at all. The gun itself is very comfortable, with it's textured grip providing a good gripping surface. The arch of the backstrap creates "natural" feel when you grasp the gun, placing the web between thumb and index finger as high as possible on the gun, the ideal shooting grip. The slide release is easily manipulated, and the safety/decocker is easily applied. Disengaging the safety may take a little movement, but is not excessive like on a Smith and Wesson automatic. The hammer is easily cocked, although I recommend doing this with a two-handed grip, as using only one hand repositions your grip on the pistol. Engaging the safety and using the slide release are very natural motions and can be accomplished without shifting your grip on the pistol. The slide is also easy to manipulate thanks to it's grooves.
This gun is a natural pointer, thanks to it's great grip design and balance. The sights are very good, no blocky Glock-type sights, just three clearly-visible white dots on thin posts.
The gun features a Double Action/Single Action trigger with a decocker. When the slide is racked, the hammer is automatically cocked. By pushing the safety lever downwards, the hammer is lowered and the safety activated. By pushing the lever back up, the hammer remains down but the trigger can be pulled, cocking and releasing the hammer in one motion. When the safety is activated, a piece of metal actually protrudes, physically blocking the hammer.
Disassembly
The WA PV is a breeze to disassemble, using the familiar Beretta field-stripping
system. Eject the magazine, turn off the safety, then, while pressing in a
button on the right side of the frame, turn a lever on the left side 90 degrees
downward, and the slide comes forward a few millimetres off the frame. From
here the hop-up can be adjusted, a word on that later. Disassembly can be
a tad tricky if you haven't done it before. The first time I tried, the lever
would *not* flip back up. After 5-6 attempts I consulted the WA manual, and
found that you have to be pushing the barrel back, then flip the lever up.
Voila, problem solved.
Hop-Up adjustment on this gun, like most WA guns, takes some time. You'll
need a very small hex wrench, and you have to field-strip the gun to adjust
the hop-up. Adjust, shoot, field strip, Adjust, shoot, field strip. Lather,
rinse, repeat. Gets old after a while, if you can imagine. However, it's worth
it, as stated above.
Comments This gun really grows on you. I find myself babying this gun. My last AEG, an MP5SD6, was a genuine piece of garbage after I had owned it for about three months. The stock had fallen off, the suppressor was marred beyond recognition, the paint that marked the fire selector's positions was gone, it was a mess. My KSC Glock 17 shared a similar fate. The front site was crooked and could never be straightened, the slide was scratched, rear sight misaligned, slide catch worn, you name it. I've sold both, but I actually baby this gun, an unusual thing for me. I have a reputation of one who is never satisfied. I've gone through 3 AEG's and a GBB in a year and a half, and have never owned an AEG or GBB more than six months. I plan on having this gun for a long, long time. A WA gun is an investment, and I'm starting to be wiser in my ways. Also, being a very popular model, there are a host of holsters, lanyards, flashlights, lasers, magazine pouches, suppressors, you name it, it's out there, essentially.