# Beretta Help, Damaging Brass



## sig_girl (Jan 18, 2012)

I just got a second hand beretta 92-a1.

Everytime I load a loaded mag into the gun and remove it, the first round has scratches in the center of the brass, where the brass touched the gun.

And

When I chamber a round and eject it, there is a long gash on the brass and the bottom rim is damaged to.

Is there any fixes to this? Or do I have to get it looked at by a gun smith.


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## denner (Jun 3, 2011)

Schematic for Beretta® 92A1 / 96A1 - World's Largest Supplier of Firearm Accessories, Gun Parts and Gunsmithing Tools - BROWNELLS

I'm not a gunsmith, but, it looks like the ejector no# "32" in the schematic from Brownell's is making the mark along the side of the case. If the firearm is cycling properly I'm not sure scratching the case is a problem nor the mark the extractor claw is making on the rim of the case. But, If you take the slide off and insert a round into a magazine and insert the magazine the ejector no# "32" should ride parallel, just left of the casing but not touching. Being a used pistol I'd check to see if the two pins; "33" and "34" are there holding in the ejector or perhaps the ejector may be damaged and need's to be replaced. I'd run it by a reputable gunsmith and ask him/her if this is a problem that needs fixing.


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## VAMarine (Dec 25, 2008)

I don't think it's the extractor (#6, #32 is the _ejector)_ as it shouldn't be making contact with anything other than the rim of the case, I'm betting there's a burr on the bottom of the slide.

Sig_girl, can you do a basic field strip of the gun and post pictures of the bottom of the slide from a couple different angles as well as shots of other internals of the slide? While your at it, take as many pics of the parts (frame included) as you can from a couple different angle and post them as well.


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## denner (Jun 3, 2011)

My bad, I meant to post ejector #32. I got my ejector and extractor mixed up. Yep, VA could also be a burr on the bottom of the slide, but just by loading a magazine i don't know?


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## VAMarine (Dec 25, 2008)

denner said:


> My bad, I meant to post ejector #32. I got my ejector and extractor mixed up. Yep, VA could also be a burr on the bottom of the slide, but just by loading a magazine i don't know?


Well lets look at what she's saying:

Everytime I *load a loaded mag into the gun and remove it, the first round has scratches in the center of the brass, where the brass touched the gun.*
If there's a burr, and she's seating the mag as she should (firmly) the burr could scratch the casing, steel after all is harder than brass, if the burr makes contact with the center of the case....
And

*When I chamber a round and eject it, there is a long gash on the brass and the bottom rim is damaged to.*
When the slide is cycled, that burr will start cutting the brass from the mid area of the casing all the way to the rim which is what the photos appear to be showing

As for worry, _*IF *_it is a burr, I don't think it will harm anything in the gun and unless your reloading I wouldn't worry too much about the brass, but I would still have it taken care of.


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## sig_girl (Jan 18, 2012)

VAMarine said:


> Well lets look at what she's saying:
> 
> Everytime I *load a loaded mag into the gun and remove it, the first round has scratches in the center of the brass, where the brass touched the gun.*
> If there's a burr, and she's seating the mag as she should (firmly) the burr could scratch the casing, steel after all is harder than brass, if the burr makes contact with the center of the case....
> ...


How do I fix a bur? How do I find out if I have one?


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## denner (Jun 3, 2011)

VAMarine said:


> Well lets look at what she's saying:
> 
> Everytime I *load a loaded mag into the gun and remove it, the first round has scratches in the center of the brass, where the brass touched the gun.*
> If there's a burr, and she's seating the mag as she should (firmly) the burr could scratch the casing, steel after all is harder than brass, if the burr makes contact with the center of the case....
> ...


VA, yep, if she is correct being the center of the brass which I overlooked and along the casing to the rim the burr theory is sounding highly probable. Good call!


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## sig_girl (Jan 18, 2012)

VAMarine said:


> I don't think it's the extractor (#6, #32 is the _ejector)_ as it shouldn't be making contact with anything other than the rim of the case, I'm betting there's a burr on the bottom of the slide.
> 
> Sig_girl, can you do a basic field strip of the gun and post pictures of the bottom of the slide from a couple different angles as well as shots of other internals of the slide? While your at it, take as many pics of the parts (frame included) as you can from a couple different angle and post them as well.


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

I have tons of Berettas (eith 92 variants and a PX4), and have owned many guns over the years. I also have two 92A1s - and your slide looks fine to me...

On almost every gun. I get those marks on the brass. I honestly think some of it may be from the slide, and some of it may be from one case scratching another s you push it down into the magazine..> as well as when they feed up and down the magazine (loading and when shooting).

As long as the bullet doesn't suffer setback (you can get this rechambering the same round a lot of times), and as long as you dont get DEEP gashes in the casings, I think this is a non issue. I've sene such marks on my casings in magazines on all of my carry guns I've ever owned. I've never really worried about how they got there


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## denner (Jun 3, 2011)

Looks fine to me as well, you may want to give berreta a call to get a reassuring second opinion, but to me it looks like firing a couple of hundred rounds should do the trick. What type of magazine are you using and does it make the same marks with one less round in the magazine and with different magazines? The reason i ask is because I've had after market magazines in which the feed lips were so weak it would allow the cartridge to sit too high on the magazine and likewise i've played around with extra round extenders that would create an issue of me having problems racking the slide and creating alot of tightness and friction w/ the slide inserting the magazine.


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## sig_girl (Jan 18, 2012)

denner said:


> Looks fine to me as well, you may want to give berreta a call to get a reassuring second opinion, but to me it looks like firing a couple of hundred rounds should do the trick. Does it make the same marks with one less round in the magazine and with different magazines?


Yup, no matter how many rounds in the mag, or what ever mags, same marks. The seller told me he only put 25 rounds through the gun, but he could be lieing, I am not sure.

After I cycle a round into the gun around 4 times, I get deep gashes in the bottom lip off the brass. It is boggling my mind..... Do you think, shooting a couple hundred rounds will fix it?


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## denner (Jun 3, 2011)

sig_girl said:


> Yup, no matter how many rounds in the mag, or what ever mags, same marks. The seller told me he only put 25 rounds through the gun, but he could be lieing, I am not sure.
> 
> After I cycle a round into the gun around 4 times, I get deep gashes in the bottom lip off the brass. It is boggling my mind..... Do you think, shooting a couple hundred rounds will fix it?


Sig-girl, from the looks of your slide and frame etc.....I would have no problem believing only 25 rounds have been fired through it. If it were me and if you feel it's a concern I'd contact Beretta and see what they have to say first. I may have seen something, in your first pic of the slide, is the bottom front of your firing pin block #58 protruding a little past it's cut out? I'm inspecting mine and mine is not protruding but sunk in a little less than flush in it's cut out. In other words the cartridge should not come in contact w/ the bottom of the firing pin block in my estimation. Likewise, I can't figure out the "deep" gashes to the rim of the cartridge and I don't see any thing visual as far as a bur that could be causing it. Generally if you take it to a gunsmith they shouldn't charge you for just looking at it as well. I own a 96 and 92, 12 and 19 years old respectively and they have been fine working machines. Honestly, if it were me, i'd just fire the pistol and monitor accordingly, especially if the pistol has no issues and shoots everytime, just may need to be shot, especially being a practically new firearm.


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## Gunners_Mate (Feb 17, 2010)

out of hundreds of ready mags (magazines punched for issue to 15 rounds for watch standers) every single one of them has a scratch of some sort on the first round from being inserted into the mag. I've spent a few of my many watch standing hours pondering the situation, and my best guess is as the first round, being at an angle to better assist feeding, with a closed slide, is forced into the steel feed ramp of the slide (the flat part of the slide that makes up the bottom square of the bolt face). when you pull the slide to the rear, for whatever reason, with a loaded mag the feed ramp rubs against that first round even more, creating a deeper scratch. after the feed ramp clears the round the follower and mag spring push that round up, allowing it to be caught by the feed ramp and shoved forward into the chamber and yadda yadda. 

I've also noticed every time you pull a round from the chamber the extractor claw does make a small scratch on the cases rim (my best guess is from being forced over top of the rim into the extractor grove, the lower edge does have a bit of an angle to it). All of these little nicks seem perfectly normal and none too excessive nor worrisome. As you've likely noticed your weapon feeds chambers locks fires unlocked extracts ejects cocks and feeds again, every time, with no regard for minor scratchs from a hard metal (steel) to a softer one (brass). Happy shooting


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