A HUGE Word of Caution on the Beretta 9000S
A word of caution on the Beretta 9000S
Over the years, there have been a few times when I've acquired several firearms in one transaction. One such transaction included an almost brand-new 9 mm Beretta 9000S that I cleaned, locked away, and never fired until last October. I decided to read up on this little gem before I took it to the range for the first time. I'm glad I did.
One common thread in many articles about the 9000S is about various problems with the ambidextrous thumb safety. Apparently, the safety is DESIGNED to decock the hammer when moved to the safe position, and there have been several reported instances of assortede problems with the safety features on this model.
I brought my 9000S to the range and fired 10 rounds down range with no problem. The gun itself felt a bit clumsy and lacking in accuracy, even for the first 10 I ever fired. So on to the next step...
I decided to test the safety. I made sure the chamber was empty, inserted a full magazine, and chambered a round. With the hammer fully cocked, I aimed at a target 35' away with my finger off the trigger - moved the safety from the "fire" position to the "safe" position and HAMMER DECOCKED AND THE GUN FIRED.
I'm not sure if this thing malfunctioned or if it's supposed to work that way (see articles linked below) but IMHO this gun is one dangerous POS to carry.
I dropped the magazine, cleared the chamber, and locked the gun in my truck. The gun was cleaned when I returned home, and it's been locked away ever since. My anger has subsided enough that I'm ready to contact Beretta about my little experience. No matter what Beretta tells me - even if takes the gun back for repair service - I will never carry or fire this weapon again.
Here are a couple of links on the 9000S. There are several more articles out there if you search for them.
http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/i.../t-429894.html
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=233162
