 | Que Smith is a life member of the National Rifle Association, and a certified instructor in basic handgun, personal protection, and firearms safety. Que is a Glock and Beretta armorer and a Glock instructor. He is well known for his accomplishments in marksmanship, and his expertise in guns and gun handling. You may contact Que at Que Gun Emporium (316) 744-7340, or by e-mail: qsmith@cox.net |
Guns, Firearms & Ammunition
2003-02-01 12:11:00
Why the F, FS, D & G's?
: What is the difference between the "F" and "FS" and "D" and "G" type guns?
ANSWER: For both the 9x-series and 80xx-series (Cougar) guns, the one or two-letter code at the end of the model number refers to the gun's operating system.Guns labeled F or FS (e.g., 92FS or 8040F) are traditional double/single action guns with a decocking safety located at the rear of the slide. When engaged, the safety lowers the hammer safely after rotating part of the firing pin out of the way to ensure that the gun cannot discharge. Also, the trigger is disconnected. The gun remains in this condition (hammer down, firing pin dislocated, trigger disconnected) until the user rotates the safety lever back up to the fire position. The M9 used by the United States Armed Forces, which in civilian terms is a 92FS, works this way.D-model guns (e.g., 92D or 8040D) are Double Action Only and have no safety lever. Because they are DAO, Beretta installs a slightly lighter hammer spring in the gun to reduce trigger pull weight. "D" guns also come with a bobbed hammer. The Beretta Brigadier carried by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service and the Border Patrol is a "D" gun (a 96D, to be exact).Guns designated by a "G" suffix (e.g., 92G Elite) work similar to the F and FS guns, except the decocker does not act as a safety. Instead, it is spring-loaded so that the gun cannot be left with the safety engaged. In that way, a shooter cannot inadvertently engage the safety while loading the gun, clearing a malfunction, etc. When pressed down, the decocker rotates the firing pin away while the hammer drops... when released, the decocker levers return to their normal firing position. Until recently, Beretta sold "G" guns only to government law enforcement and military agencies.
