K, so…(Queso?)…let’s have some fun with this. Post your stories of non-range, non-self-defense heartaches concerning your most beloved weapons.
I have a “new” old Safe Queen I created today. Didn’t want to, but it happened.
I had some down time and decided to do a deep clean on my EDC Wireless Hole Puncher. Her name is Milly. Once a week she gets a wipe down with an oily rag. Not oil soaked, but lightly oiled. The rag never gets washed. Once a month Milly gets a field strip where I pull the slide off, remove the barrel, dust out the insides, run a patch through the barrel, lightly oil and reassemble.
Today, though, was different. I took everything apart I possibly could (including all three EDC magazines) without removing any pins. It wasn’t that much more to pull apart - four screws for the grips and pop the mag release out. The mag release was the last thing I took apart.
No Problem, Right?
Anyone who has ever owned, operated, disassembled a full sized Beretta 90/92/96 knows the spring for the mag release has A LOT of tension and great care must be taken during removal and installation. I have jokingly referred to my recoil spring as working part time as a valve return spring on a Chevy V-8. The mag release spring is a smaller version and could moonlight as a valve spring for a lawn mower engine. Very tough little spring.
So, there I was, working in the back of the Expedition (my Wife hates the smell of the gun cleaner and oil, so I can’t work inside, My oldest son commandeered the workbench in the shop for his computer project and it was a nice day), I have the tunes on, I have a cold beverage, and I am in the zone. At the exact moment I go to pull the mag release out, which is a simple function of depressing the off side of the button and slipping it out of its detent position, one of my cats decides to jump into the truck to observe and play su-purr-visor.
I lost my careful grip on the mag release assemble and it came apart. As the spring sailed passed, I felt it ever so gently graze the whiskers on my right cheek.
Well, I have been looking into upgrading to a larger mag release, so off to the internet I went, after cleaning and assembling the remaining parts. After an exhaustive search, I figured out that EVERY aftermarket, oversized Beretta 92/96 magazine release DID NOT come with the spring or bushings. It was stated in the description for the part.
I reached out to Beretta.
Beretta does have polymer and steel versions of the magazine release sold separately and a kit to upgrade a few polymer parts to steel. The kit includes a complete magazine release assemble (with spring and bushings), steel trigger and steel decocking lever. The kit is $100 for stainless and $97 for blued. The steel mag release is $45 and the polymer is $20.
I opened a chat window with beretta and aske a rep if the $45 mag release came with the spring, he said “No” and I asked him if he could verify, have someone do a bin check, physically look. He said he would and someone would get back to me via email. I did receive an email from Beretta a short time later saying the case was closed.
I contacted them again via chat window and explained the situation again. It was a different person. This guy was like “What’s the puzzle?” He explained ALL the Beretta magazine releases were assemblies and came with springs and bushings. He said the guy I spoke with previously was new and didn’t even own a Beretta pistol. On the second guys word, I ordered the $45 steel mag release. It should be here next week.
The image shows my OE mag release and both bushings. I purposely turned the mag release upside down in a frown because it’s sad. I will update the thread when the new one comes in and gets installed.
when only myself would field strip my tools. Not anymore Sir My head hurts enough already lol 
for all who do
it’s as good as if I never worked on it I need to get some glasses that don’t come from the Dollar store . lol 
