Replica CO2 Airgun Collection

*Valtro Airgun 92*
	Beretta 92FS Type M9A1 (9 mm)
Info: Manufacturer/Model: Valtro, Airgun 92 Replica Of: Beretta 92FS Type M9A1 (9 mm) Made In: Italy Caliber/Ammunition/Feed: 177, lead pellets, 14-shot double rotary clip Air Source: CO2, 12 g Powerlet Accessories: spare 14-shot rotary clip Recommended Pellet or BB: RWS Meisterkugeln Pistol (7.0 gr) Weight (lb)/Length (in): 1.3, 8.5 Body Material/Finish/Grips: polymer, black, polymer Barrel Length (in)/Material/Rifled: 4.5, steel, yes Trigger Action: DA and SA Trigger Pull (lbs)/Adjustable: >12 (DA), 5.3 (SA), no Sights (front/rear): front (fixed), rear (fixed) Velocity (fps): 394 Sound Level (dB): 96 Thickness of Pellet Holder (in): 0.286 Manufactured Dates: 2009 - present Condition/Manual/Box: 98%, yes, yes Serial Number: M02999	Comments: The Airgun 92 is made in Italy by the firearm manufacturer Valtro, a division of Italian-Arms. At the time of this review, it is the only airgun made by Valtro. The Airgun 92 is an excellent replica of the Beretta 92FS Type M9A1 although it displays no Beretta trademarks. The fit and finish of the Airgun 92 are very good with most seams being hidden and smoothed. Functional controls on the Airgun 92 are the ambidextrous thumb safety and the magazine release. All other controls are molded into the frame. At first glance, the loading mechanism appears to be similar to that used by Daisy in the Model 617X. However, the Airgun 92 has two features that together set it apart from all other CO2 replica handguns: 1) it uses two CO2 cylinders and 2) it uses two tandem mounted 7-shot rotary clips (Valtro refers to this as the Shoot² system). Interestingly, the use of two CO2 cylinders does not seem to substantially increase the number of good shots or the muzzle velocity when compared to other airguns that use only a single CO2 cartridge. The muzzle velocity (357 fps) is a little below the average velocity of other rotary clip fed airguns such as those from Daisy, Crosman, and Umarex. The Airgun 92 can be fired either double-action or single-action. The double-action trigger pull is long and heavy (>12 lb) and gets progressively heavier as you approach the break point. The trigger pull in single-action mode is much lighter (5.3 lb). Both the front and rear sights are molded into the frame and cannot be adjusted. The Shoot² system uses two rotary clips mounted in tandem to give the Airgun 92 a capacity of 14 shots. The clips have eight holes, but the index hole (the one below the red index mark) must be left empty on each clip. The process of aligning the clips and mounting them on the seat pin is slow and cumbersome (see illustration below) and after a few reloads makes you wish that Valtro had gone with a single 8-shot clip. Valtro's implementation of a dual CO2 system does not seem to provide any advantages over single cartridge designs. In addition, the CO2 piercing mechanism does not reliably pierce both cartridges simultaneously. The accuracy of the Valtro Airgun 92 (0.60") was similar to other pellet pistols with rifled barrels in its class. Good pellets for use with the Airgun 92 are RWS Meisterkugeln Pistol, JSB Match S-100, and Crosman Premier Super Match. Owner's Manual for Valtro Airgun 92 (.jpg) Performance: Measurements were made on 12/09/2011 at a temperature of 71 ºF and 5000' elevation. A ten shot string was fired from a bench rest at 15' using RWS Meisterkugeln Pistol pellets (7.0 gr). The highest velocity measured was 367 fps, the lowest was 341 fps (average of the 10-shot string was 357 fps, s = 8). The average velocity was below the advertised value of 394 fps but the shot-to-shot consistency was good. A five-shot string fired with open sights grouped at 0.60". Click the thumbnail below to see a larger image. Click here for a description of the measurement methods. Eight different brands of pellets were tested with the Valtro Airgun 92. The targets below show the results for firing five-shot groups from 15' using a bench and open sights with the following pellets: JSB Match Diabolo (1.09"), Gamo Match (1.19"), RWS Meisterkugeln Pistol (0.77", 0.60" previous image), RWS R-10 Match (0.92"), H&N Finale Match Pistol (0.95"), Crosman Premier Super Match (0.86"), RWS Hobby (0.90"), and JSB Match S-100 (0.72"). The most consistent performer in the Valtro Airgun 92 was the RWS Meisterkugeln Pistol. All measurements are center-to-center.
	Right Profile: The accessory rail on the Airgun 92 accepts standard Weaver mount items.
	Front View: Only the thumb safety, which is ambidextrous, and magazine release are functional controls. All others are molded into the frame. Pushing the safety lever down engages the safety and pushing it up disengages the safety. There is no de-cocking mechanism on the gun other than using your thumb to slowly lower the hammer as the trigger is pulled.
	Left Profile 2: Both the front and rear sights of the Airgun 92 are molded into the top of the gun and are therefore not adjustable.
	Right Side Markings: Although the Valtro Airgun 92 is an excellent replica of the Beretta 92FS Type M9A1, it contains no Beretta trademarks.
	Left Side Markings:
	Loading BBs: The Valtro Airgun 92 uses a unique pellet loading system called Shoot². The Shoot² system consists of two 7-shot rotary clips (there are actually eight holes in each clip, but the index hole must remain empty) that stack together for a total of 14 shots. The illustration below shows the sequence for loading the Shoot² system. When loading pellets into the clips, be sure to seat them properly so that the tails are flush with the face of the clip (see below).
	Loading CO2: The Airgun 92 uses two CO2 cylinders that are loaded into a special holder that is inserted into the grip. The bottom of the CO2 holder has a large handle attached to the piercing screw. It is difficult to get both cylinders to puncture at the same time. Crosman cylinders are particular difficult to pierce properly and are not recommended.
	Packaging: Owner's Manual