# Beretta 92A1 problem - hammer not locking back???



## Seb7701 (Mar 12, 2017)

Hi all - new to the forum but very much hoping for some Beretta wisdom to solve a hiccup in my fairly new 92A1!

The gun has now fired approx. 600 rounds, but is still on occasion failing to lock the hammer back during firing, meaning that it will cycle flawlessly, but will randomly fail to lock the hammer back, thus calling for double action trigger pulls midway through shooting. Truly starting to be a pain!! 

I had originally thought it to be just in need of running in, but now around 600-700 rounds into it's life, I wouldn't have expected this kind of issue. It has had a trigger job, so not sure if there was chance of damaging something then or not?

Anyhow, would love to hear any info that might shed some light on things!!

Cheers,
Seb


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## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

Seb7701 said:


> Hi all - new to the forum but very much hoping for some Beretta wisdom to solve a hiccup in my fairly new 92A1!
> 
> The gun has now fired approx. 600 rounds, but is still on occasion failing to lock the hammer back during firing, meaning that it will cycle flawlessly, but will randomly fail to lock the hammer back, thus calling for double action trigger pulls midway through shooting. Truly starting to be a pain!!
> 
> ...


The sear or the sear notch on the hammer was probably damaged when someone performed a "trigger job". *You should not use that gun until it's fixed*, it's an accident waiting to happen.


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## pblanc (Mar 3, 2015)

Check to make sure the trigger bar spring is in the correct position.


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## AZdave (Oct 23, 2015)

What ammo are you using?

If generic reloads this could be ammo.
If factory made then less likely.


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## Seb7701 (Mar 12, 2017)

Thanks guys - I am suspect on the trigger job a little, although it was an experienced gunsmith. Unfortunately there weren't any Wilson combat 'tune kits' in stock otherwise it probably would have been a better option I imagine?
What parts would need to be replaced to put it back to stock?
Oh, and yep, they're reloads, but I'm not sure how that would affect anything given that they work better than some factories I tried the other day.

Also, just so a local stockist with Beretta USA sears - I assume that parts are interchangeable between USA and Italian Berettas?

Thanks again for the help!!


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## pblanc (Mar 3, 2015)

To undo a trigger job, you would need a new hammer and sear, but if you have to go that route, I would also replace the sear spring. The parts should be the same for Italian and US made pistols.

I take it when the hammer follows the slide, it does not ignite the next chambered round? I do not think this is an ammunition issue. If the ammo has enough recoil force to eject the spent cartridge and chamber the next round, the slide will have come back plenty far enough to cock the hammer.

If you have noticed this problem ever since the pistol was worked on, it is just possible that the smith who worked on it installed the sear spring upside down. It is very easy to install the sear spring of a 92 series upside down. It is, in fact much easier to do it that way than the proper way. But when it is installed that way it puts insufficient pressure on the sear and could cause it to fail to capture the hammer notch. One would not expect an experienced smith to make this mistake, but stuff happens, as they say.

If you should want to try to work on the pistol yourself, a poster on youtube by the name of childofjuly has a series of excellent videos on assembly and disassembly of the Beretta 92 FS including sear removal and re-installation.


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## Seb7701 (Mar 12, 2017)

Thanks pblanc- would love to be able to work on the pistol but not quite game at this stage. I couldn't quite remember whether it was only after the trigger job as I put the issue down to the pistol not having been run-in yet . Nonetheless a couple of days ago I spoke with the gunsmith who stated that he knows exactly what the problem is and that it should be easily fixed, so will take the gun back to him and at the same time get a Wilson combat spring kit put through it as well as I have heard they do great things (kit #322).
At the end of the day if at some stage I find myself having to replace the hammer, sear and sear spring, it won't be a catastrophe, but here's hoping that the gunsmith can make everything right again, as I do love the gun!!


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## pblanc (Mar 3, 2015)

If you have not already bought the WC spring kit, I would consider just buying one or two reduced power mainsprings (hammer springs) instead. The spring kit includes reduced power and extra power recoil springs. These are intended for use if you are regularly shooting either reduced power hand-loads, or extra-power loads. If you are shooting factory ammunition and the pistol is cycling well, there is really no need or purpose served in changing the strength of the recoil spring. The Beretta 92 shoots +P 9mm factory loads just fine with the stock spring. Likewise, the extra-power firing pin spring is really a solution in search of a problem in that the 92 has a very effective firing pin block safety that renders it quite drop safe.

A reduced power mainspring is a very common modification that many Beretta 92 owners make to reduce the trigger pull weight. The effect will be primarily upon the double action trigger pull, although it will reduce the single action trigger pull weight slightly. The stock Beretta 92FS comes rather over-sprung with a mainspring rated at 20 lbs. Many people install a mainspring of the same type that comes stock in the Beretta 92D double action only pistol which is rated at 16 lbs and still provides completely reliable ignition. If you go below 16 lbs you start to run the risk of light strikes and ignition failures on ammo with hard primers. 

I have had light strikes on Russian steel-case ammo with my Beretta when I had a 13 lb mainspring installed. Russian ammo tends to have notoriously hard primers. I currently have a 14 lb Wilson Combat mainspring installed and have had no further problems.


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