Converting a Beretta 96

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MI2600

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I recently purchased a Beretta Centurion 96, .40SW. I found several articles online on the conversion to 9mm, but there were conflicted reports on what exactly needs to be changed.

I scanned our archives, but didn't find anything applicable.

Has anyone here done the conversion?
 
OP, I have a 96FS and - for range use - all I do is substitute a 9mm barrel & use 9mm mags. For me it is a range gun, and I’ve run +/- 500 rounds thru it without malfunctions (that I remember). That’d be over a 4 or 5 year period. Yes, the bolt face & extractor don’t quite fit the 9mm tightly but it’s good enough to feed, fire, extract, & eject. 9mm will even work in the .40 mag for range use.

If you want to use the gun for defense - home or carry - with 9mm, replace the entire slide assembly and swap the ejector. (Somebody please correct me if there’s more). Or practice/shoot for fun w a 9mm barrel and use .40S&W for defensive use.

As to why for me, I’m a cheapskate. .40s&w used guns are cheaper than 9mm - mine was cheap enough to gat a 9mm barrel & still only have a total cost of a 9mm 92FS handgun. And 9mm is cheaper to shoot. Although folks’ memories are fading, when 9mm was hard to find +/-4 years ago, I could always find .40s&w, so there’s flexibility too.

MI2600, have fun with it!
 
I have 11 9mm handguns running from C96 Broomsticks to Rugers. Until now, I had Zero 40S&Ws. Finding information re the non-permanent conversion sounded like a "Gotta Try".
 
Found this, I remember seeing them at one point.

https://efkfiredragon.com/beretta-taurus2.html

*Our 9MM are Interchangeable with PT99, 96G, 96D, 96EL, PT100, PT101 40 S&W This model is on a Pre-Paid back order. Once you complete the checkout process our system will charge your card today, and the barrel will ship in approximately 60 TO 90 days.

Couldn’t find any used Beretta 96 complete 9mm slides. There’s a barrel less one on eBay. There are a couple .40 slides.
 
The correct way to do it is to get a complete 9mm upper and slide it on the 96 frame. The sights will be closer to being "on" and the extractor will be more optimally located for the smaller case rim. The last place I saw that was selling complete 9mm Beretta uppers was CDNN...but it's been a while ago.

You can use your 96 magazines with the 92 upper. The tubes are the same except for slightly wider lips...they'll allow a 9mm cartridge to sit slightly higher
 
A 9mm "conversion" barrel (like the EFK Firedragon barrel linked above) is a perfectly suitable option. I've used conversion barrels in a number of guns. I've had several EFK Firedragon barrels and like them a lot.

The barrel maker will tweak the conversion barrel's design a bit so that headspace and extractor function is correct.

You can often use .40 magazines when running 9mm, but (as noted above) because the mag's feed lip gap is a bit wider for a .40 round, the .40 mags may not feed some hollow-point ammo properly. -- the hollow point mouth of some brands of SD ammo will sometimes dig into the feed ramp, cauing a jam. (This shouldn't be a problem with hardball/round nose ammo.). If you feel you must shoot hollow point and encounter the "feed issue", you'll might need to get 9mm magazines. As for sight variances between .40 and 9mm -- it's a possibility, but not likely to be a big concern -- nothing you can adjust for when aiming when running the 9mm magazine.

A conversion barrel will be less expensive than a full 9mm upper, and you MAY need to get some 9mm magazines, regardless.. (Beretta offered a 9mm/.40 set back in the late 90's with two slides and four magazines (2x9 and 2x.40).
 
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