Why I Bought Another Beretta 92F
Kevin Felts 05.30.17
With so many good quality striker-fired handguns on the market, why would anyone buy a hammer-fired, single action / double action handgun that was designed in the 1980s?
The simple answer is, “Because I wanted to.”
The other answer is a little more complex.
In November of 1988, I went to a gun store in Beaumont, Texas with the intent of putting a handgun on lay-away. I had been reading about the military trials and had decided to base my first handgun purchase on the results of those tests. The gun store just happened to have a Sig P226 and a Beretta 92F. I opted for the Beretta.
Since I was 20 years old, the owner told me I could put the Beretta on lay-away, but could not leave the store with it until I turned 21. My birthday was in January.
From November 1988 to January 1989, I volunteered to work all the overtime that was available. I was working at a welding shop as a helper and overtime was plentiful. After making sure the families bills were paid, I put away the extra money.
When I turned 21 years old in January of 1989, the handgun was paid off. It was the first handgun I bought myself. My true first handgun was a Smith and Wesson model 66 combat magnum my dad gave me as a high school graduation present.
In 2015, that Beretta 92F was stolen.
Luckily, the serial number was written down and I had close up pictures. A police report was filed with the Sheriff, pictures and the serial number were also provided.
Buying that Beretta 92F in January of 1989 was a coming-of-age event. I was no longer a bystander who talked about buying guns.
Over the following decades that handgun and I went on numerous hiking and camping trips. We spent days at the local sandpit firing off thousands of rounds. When on a road trip, it was in the glove box. Even though I have owned numerous handguns, that Beretta had a special place not only in my collection, but also in my heart.
There is an old saying, “If a horse bucks you off, you get back in the saddle.”
So, buying another Beretta 92F is me saying, “Whoever stole my handgun, I bought another one. Unlike you, I worked for it and did not steal it.”
