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Beretta 96 Combat repaired

2K views 6 replies 7 participants last post by  fnfalman 
#1 ·
I'm a big fan of the SAO 92/96 Beretta pistols so when an opportunity to purchase a rare 96 Combat appeared a couple of years ago I took it. Despite the term Combat in its name, it's a competition pistol with an extended barrel, barrel weight and barrel bushing and SAO trigger for accuracy and ease of shooting. Both bac1023 and I have posted about our pistols in the past. Mine came with a trigger job from some owner in the past. The trigger was fantastic, super light and short. However, within one range session, the hammer started following. First once in a while then after very shot. Every time the slide dropped forward the hammer would drop. I had to cock it after every shot and accuracy was very disappointing. I tried tensioning the sear spring more by bending it but that didn't work.

I ordered the rare Beretta Combat parts from Brownell's. The website said the parts could be backordered but I did not hold out hope. Why would Beretta still be making parts for a rare pistol that hadn't been made in a decade? However, Brownell's came through after a few months and I received a new hammer, sear, sear spring and a full collection of all the bushing sizes.

There are no guides on line on how to fully disassemble an SAO Beretta 92/96 series unlike the guides on the normal DA/SA ones. So I set the project aside for many many months. I did ask around and got some good advice but wasn't ready to tackle it yet.

This week I finally got around to tackling the project and using online videos of detail stripping a DA/SA 92/96 and the advice I had gotten from others online about SAO Berettas, I finally disassembled it. I could see that the hammer had been modified where it engages with the sear. I'm sure the trigger job was amazing and safe when first done but once the hammer and sear wore a little more the sear was unable to hold the hammer. I suspect but have no proof that this was due to the modification cutting through the surface hardening of the hammer and leaving softer metal to wear. The sear had some wear but generally looked good. Just to be safe I replaced the hammer, sear and sear spring. The sear spring is the same as in the DA/SA models but the hammer and sear are different.

Once put together and function tested there was no more hammer follow. The trigger was still very good, smooth and light but a touch heavier and a bit less crisp than previously. But that was a small price to pay for no more hammer follow.

The next day I got out to the range to verify that the pistol was working well. The pistol shot well with no issues with both the stock magazines as well as extended Mecgar magazines using FMJ Sig Sauer brand 40 S&W ammo.

Fixing hammer follow should have no effect whatsoever on accuracy but the accuracy was incredibly improved. It went from the same as a normal DA/SA 92/96 to much more accurate. I guess having to inspect the pistol and cock the hammer after every single shot was throwing me off way more than I expected. I was going to refit a bushing but now I'm going to shoot it as is. I'm very very pleased with the 96 Combat now.

The pistol:


First 5 shots after repair


Typical targets shot two handed standing
 
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#6 ·
Glad you got it fixed Tom, nice shooting as well.
 
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