Maybe you were issued a Beretta M9 in the military or a Model 92 for law enforcement duty. And maybe, like me, you were unimpressed with the gun. It had an overly large grip frame and heavy trigger. That was my experience. I was much happier with the 1911A1 pistol. So, I was convinced that there was no reason to bother with the gun again—at least until now. Beretta recently released the 92 GTS Centurion pistol with upgrades and enhancements tailored to American shooters’ tastes.
The Beretta 92 GTS Centurion
Its obvious lineage is Beretta 92. However, this new gun is nothing like the M9 that left a bad taste in my mouth 29 years ago. Built on the popular Vertec frame, the gun boasts ambi, frame-mounted de-cockers, extended mag release, dual cocking serrations, and a florescent red front sight.
The optics-compatible pistol uses a compact barrel and features a healthy 18 + 1 capacity. Best of all, the gun has a suggested retail price of just $899.
Designed for those searching for a carry gun with duty-size features, the GTS Centurion possesses the best DA/SA trigger I’ve ever tested. Likewise, it has an uncanny degree of accuracy. Let’s take a closer look.
Gun Details
Beretta machines the 92 GTS Centurion’s frame from aluminum to keep its weight manageable. It uses the Vertec style profile with a flat backstrap to help shooters with smaller hands better control the pistol. Both the frontstrap and backstrap are checkered, and its magazine well is beveled. The frame also possesses a light rail on its dust cover.
Ambidextrous, extended de-cockers are frame-mounted, making them easier for the shooter to engage them without changing their shooting grip. Pushing up on the de-cocker will safely drop the hammer from full-cock to half-cock. Beretta calls this option the G frame and I find it eminently more useful and easier to engage than the M9’s slide-mounted safety/de-cocker.
The slightly extended magazine release is designed so the shooter can engage it without shifting their grip. Thin, black polymer grips help keep the gun’s width down to just 1.5 inches.
92 GTS Centurion Action
The gun uses a traditional Double-action/Single-action trigger. However, it is far more advanced than any other I have tried in this configuration. If you’re a new shooter or have only been exposed to striker-fired guns, the DA/SA may need some explanation.
With the hammer in its down position, the pull of the trigger will cause it to rise and fall, firing the gun. That’s defined as double-action mode. Subsequent shots will be fired with the hammer in its full cock position—or single action. Trigger pull from this position will be shorter and lighter.
Normally, a gun with this configuration will register a double-action pull in the neighborhood of 13 pounds and a single-action pull around 4 pounds. Like I said, normally.
However, the Beretta 92 GTS Centurion is a different kind of cat. Its double-action pull is long, but on my Lyman Trigger Pull Gauge, it only averaged 3 pounds 14 ounces. I was so shocked by these results that I replaced the batteries in my gauge and repeated the process with another 20 trigger pulls. The results were exactly the same.
The GTS Centurion’s lighter DA trigger pull greatly enhances the probability of a first shot hit. The single-action trigger pull averaged just 1 pound 13 ounces! It’s not perfect. There is some creep and overtravel, but the sub-2-pound trigger is very controllable.
Compared to the military’s M9 pistol, which had a 4.9-inch barrel, the GTS Centurion uses a slightly shorter barrel, measuring 4.25 inches. That combination gives the gun an incredible balance, and the Vertec grip makes it a natural pointer.
Dot the Eye
When I ordered my test and evaluation sample, I requested an RMR-compatible mount. It only took a couple of minutes to mount the Trijicon red dot on top of the Beretta’s slide. As far as mounts go, this is a very well-made platform that is secure and allowed me to fire groups without developing any play.
To test the Beretta 92 GTS Centurion for accuracy, I set my targets out at 25 yards. I fired five shots to a group and three groups for each ammunition. The accuracy chart (below) displays the very best group.
All groups were fired from a seated rest using a DOA Tactical portable bench. Likewise, I rested the gun’s dust cover on a Ransom Rest Multi Cal Steady Rest for support.
I was able to center the RMR’s dot on the bullseye while adding the 29 ounces necessary to drop the gun’s hammer. All groups were fired in the single-action mode. The results surprised me.
Federal’s 124-grain Syntech Training Match rounds were able to cluster five rounds into a group of just under an inch. Remember, this is at 25 yards! Oddly enough, this load also generated the most energy of any of the six ammunitions tried.
Federal designed the Training Match rounds to be an economical range round, providing comparable energy and recoil levels of duty and self-defense ammunition. It’s a load I often use when training instead of more expensive JHPs.
The defense loads I tried also displayed exceptional accuracy. In fact, the aggregate group size of the rounds I tried was just 1.21 inches! For a service-style gun this level of accuracy is remarkable. Even match grade guns don’t often display this degree of precision.
Feeding the Centurion
Beretta ships the gun with two 18-round magazines where permissible. The same basic gun is also available with 10-round and 15-round capacity to comply with local restrictions. My test loads all had different overall lengths, bullet nose configurations, and three different projectile weights, yet they all fed without a single failure.
Ran Like a Scalded Cat
Firing the gun at steel silhouettes, I found that when I stayed on the dot, I got my hits even from the double-action, first-shot mode. The 92 GTS Centurion’s light double-action trigger made first shot hits an easy matter. Of course, follow-up shots in single-action were even easier to make with the sub-2-pound trigger pull.
I spent an early morning, post-monsoon Arizona shooting session with the 92 GTS Centurion and am happy to report that the gun ran flawlessly. During my 300-round session, the gun never choked once. That’s exactly the kind of performance we need for a gun that will be used for concealed carry or defense.
An often-unmentioned factor in a successful concealed carry gun is its price. For a gun to be successful, the user has to feel the gun is a great value for the money. Priced at a suggested $899, the Beretta 92 GTS Centurion, in my opinion, provides a tremendous value for the money. Its ergonomics, trigger, accuracy, and reliability make this pistol a top choice!
For more information, please visit Beretta.com.
Beretta 92 GTS Centurion Specs
| Model | 92 GTS Centurion |
| Action | Semi-Auto, DA/SA, Tilting Block Lock-Up |
| Caliber/Capacity | 9mm, 18 + 1 |
| Overall Length | 7.75” |
| Overall Height | 5.4” |
| Width | 1.50” |
| Weight Unloaded | 27.2 Ounces |
| Frame | Aluminum Vertec |
| Barrel Length | 4.25” |
| Safety | Frame-Mounted, Ambidextrous, De-Cockers |
| Accessories | Two 18-Round Magazines, Polymer case, Cable Lock |
| MSRP | Starting at $899 |
Performance
| Ammo | Velocity | Energy | Group |
| Black Hills 115-grain JHP | 1143 | 333 | 1.18” |
| Doubletap 124-grain FMJ RN Match | 1021 | 287 | 1.19” |
| Federal 115-grain Syntech Range | 1095 | 306 | 1.36” |
| Federal 124-grain Syntech Training Match | 1153 | 366 | 0.98” |
| Hornady 115-grain Critical Defense FTX | 1072 | 293 | 1.06” |
| Nosler 147-grain JHP Assured Stopping Power | 818 | 218 | 1.44” |
| Average | 1.21” |
