Building Perfect CCW (Wilson Compact)

[PlayboyPenguin]

I have always wanted to carry a Beretta Compact but the fact I will not carry a gun with a manual safety has always prevented me from doing it. I decided today to finally bite the bullet and get some custom work from Wilson Combat to make my Beretta 92FS Compact Inox M9A1 (like the one pictured below) into my ideal carry gun. This will be the first time I have sent a gun off for custom work. Here is what I am pretty sure I want to do...

1. Custom Wilson Action-tune trigger job
2. Convert safety to decocker only
3. Drill front sight for fiber optic
4. Replace mag release with extended steel mag release
5. Flush barrel with frame and recrown
6. Dehorn frame
7. Armor-Tuff coat the frame (grey)
8. Replace stock hammer with skeletonized hammer
9. Replace grips with WC G10 OD green grips

These are some things I am uncertain on...

1. Replace rear sight with combat sight?
2. Low profile or standard decocker?
3. Replace stock trigger with short reach trigger?

Anyone have any thoughts or advice?

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[solv3nt]

G

Anyone have any thoughts or advice?

Carry a 1911 Kidding aside, I sent a Colt to them, and they did amazing work. However, there's one caveat, there's only one guy that does the majority of customer supplied pistols, which means that you'll probably have a (9) month wait or so (based on how long it took to get my Colt back. Also, before you get a short trigger, make sure that your chosen holster will completely cover the trigger.

 

[PlayboyPenguin]

G


Carry a 1911 Kidding aside, I sent a Colt to them, and they did amazing work. However, there's one caveat, there's only one guy that does the majority of customer supplied pistols, which means that you'll probably have a (9) month wait or so (based on how long it took to get my Colt back. Also, before you get a short trigger, make sure that your chosen holster will completely cover the trigger.

That is why I am not worried about the cost. By the time it is done, and I have to pay for the work, I will be long dead and it will be my kid's problem.

 

[Hawaiian]

I am not familiar with Wilson's Action-tune trigger job or with their short reach trigger job. While you want a nice short reset, smooth trigger and adjust the over travel, you do not want a competition type trigger on a carry piece. I use Bruce Gray from Gray Guns to tune my HK's. He does a carry package and a competition package. I have the competition package on a P30 and it is too sensitive to carry. At least for me. When adrenaline is pumping, I don't want something that light as it may go off before I want it to when I am shaking in my boots. It is great for the range, but for a carry piece, there is a reason he offers two separate action packages. YMMV

 

[solv3nt]

Wilson Combat ships all of their guns with a 3.5# - 3.75#s. My colt is a crisp 4#. It's all a matter of what you're comfortable with.

 

[ZA_Survivalist]

Sexy!

 

[tanzuki]

I like it. Remindes me a lot of my Baby Eagle.

 

[Riot]

My thoughts on the Beretta...

Beretta is a very good gun, very combat proven and durable...HOWEVER, she's heavy and very bulky when compared to other carry pieces in that category. Also that trigger! The first DA shot is long and heavy, plus the decocker/safety cannot be utilized with the firing hand (which is why a lot of the times I would already have it on FIRE, which negates having an external safety IMHO).

So if you're planning on all that work for it, why get the Beretta at all? There are many carry pieces that have what fits your needs without spending all that custom work...is it because you're more familiar with Berretas?

Judging by your custom work thoughts, I would think that an H&K USP Compact, CZ 75 Custom Compact SDP or even an FNP 9mm Compact would fit your needs a little more…Taurus and EAA also make tons of SA/DA compact 9mms that would be good carry pieces as well...

Just a thought, bro.

 

[Mikej]

All that work on such a nice gun and what if you do need to use it to defend yourself? You may never see it again. At least that is one of the reasons I've heard in the past for NOT having an expensive custom carry weapon.

Mike

 

[Joe13]

Dude, you got way too much time and money on your hands

Every time I turn around you have another perfect gun! I still can't afford the first one you posted much less this one... Then all the mods! Your killing me

 

[solv3nt]

All that work on such a nice gun and what if you do need to use it to defend yourself? You may never see it again. At least that is one of the reasons I've heard in the past for NOT having an expensive custom carry weapon.

Mike

The odds of ever having to use your firearm to defend yourself are slim to none. In the highly unlikely event that you do use your firearm in self defense, keeping your expensive gun will the least of your worries, as you will more than likely fighting off prosecution or civil matters from lifelong injury/wrongful deal suits.

Carry a reliable and accurate gun. If it happens to cost $2k+, so be it.

 

[PlayboyPenguin]

Well, I sent him off into the big cruel world all by himself today. I hope he is better for it next time I see him...if I ever do.

 

[PlayboyPenguin]

Got the call today. My Beretta has been received and is now officially in the queue.

 

[biggie24420]

I just sent in my slide to get the G conversion done to it. Hopefully in three months or so I will have it back and I can't wait. The G conversion is the only thing I am doing to the pistol.

 

[Tbucket]

Did Playboy ever get his back???

 

[U8395279]

Did Playboy ever get his back???

If you follow his channel, you will see that he ended up switching his carry gun to a Chiappa Rhino revolver in .40 S&W. Before that he tried a Chiappa in .357, but it damaged his hearing, so he then switched to one in .40 S&W.

I don't think that he would dare switch from carrying the Chiappa Rhino at this point. Doing that would simply upset Harley Quinn too much, as she also follows his YouTube channel. And she has other ways to hurt people besides her Chiappa:
.

 

[U8395279]

My thoughts on the Beretta...

Beretta is a very good gun, very combat proven and durable...HOWEVER, she's heavy and very bulky when compared to other carry pieces in that category. Also that trigger! The first DA shot is long and heavy, plus the decocker/safety cannot be utilized with the firing hand (which is why a lot of the times I would already have it on FIRE, which negates having an external safety IMHO).

So if you're planning on all that work for it, why get the Beretta at all? There are many carry pieces that have what fits your needs without spending all that custom work...is it because you're more familiar with Berretas?

Judging by your custom work thoughts, I would think that an H&K USP Compact, CZ 75 Custom Compact SDP or even an FNP 9mm Compact would fit your needs a little more…Taurus and EAA also make tons of SA/DA compact 9mms that would be good carry pieces as well...

Just a thought, bro.

There is another option available from Beretta, though: The newer PX4 Storm. It is also available in a compact model. And since it has a polymer frame, it is a lot lighter than any of the all metal pistol options. So it would not have the weight and bulk of a Model 92/M9 pistol.

And it is available in a decocker version.

Even the full size PX4 Storm is not all that big, in my opinion. Here is a photo showing all 3 size variations of the PX4. From lower left to upper right they are Subcompact, Compact, and Full Size:



The Subcompact is too small, in my opinion. It is so much shorter that it lacks the rotating barrel that the Compact and Full Size models have, which is one of the best features of the PX4.

The PX4 Storm is a fine pistol and does not need much of any customization. All I did to mine was to have it refinished, have Beretta's adjustable combat sights installed, and replaced the standard decocker levers with low profile levers. Plus a Limbsaver Grip sleeve for good measure.

Another plus: all of the variants of the PX4 Storm are available in .40 S&W too.

Here is how large the full size looks in a hand:

 

[PlayboyPenguin]

Did Playboy ever get his back???

I did get it back and it is an awesome gun.

 

[etrain16]

I did get it back and it is an awesome gun.

View attachment 296792 View attachment 296794

That really looks fantastic! I need to set some $$ aside to have Wilson Combat do some upgrades on my 96A1.

 

[Ura-Ki]

Sexy Sexy! Always loved the lines on Italians, Girls, Cars, and Guns!!! Looks like she turned out real nice! I have been looking into up grading my back up piece with Beretta Cougar, which is sort of a 92 compact. and I see some good ideas for upgrading this. Change the front sight to a tritium night sight, the rear to a combat ledge with white notch, the G10 grips and the short trigger ( maybe) as well as de horn every thing, and ceracoat M-16 ish dark grey! I would leave the large decocker and add the large mag release!