Re: Accurize a 92FS/M9 NM parts?
Tony Kidd returned to Texas (from the AMU as Chief of the USAMU Custom Gun Shop Pistol Section) to concentrate on 10-22 accessories as business was too good to pass up.
I don't think he builds pistols anymore.
There's about six weeks of hand work done to an M9 to get it to National Match standards (if you want to win, otherwise there are more reasonable mods to get it to shoot well enough to get you leg points and to the Distinguished Pistol Shot Badge and the President's tab).
To do it yourself you'll need good sights (which also clear the rising firing pin block in the slide), a trigger job, and a good barrel (KKMs and Bar-Stos seem to be the favorites).
Handloads are essential as 9mm Ball quality runs hot and cold. For non Excellence-in-Competition and DCM matches (which require ball ammo) your best accuracy potential comes from good solid-base hollow point bullets (Nosler, Speer, Sierra, and Hornadys come highly recommended).
Dave Sams' M9 waiting list is about 12 months and I think $1,000-1200 above cost of the base pistol. I personally believe you can build a cheaper, more durable M1911A1.
I've found (for me) the M9 obviously kicks less but is no easier to shoot. I find the trigger re-set (for timed and rapids) harder to adapt to.
I have 12 of the 30 required pistol points to Pistol Distinguished, shot (2-handed) in military combat matches with rack-grade GI M9s. I suck one-handed.
Sams National Match M9 I bought used from a guy who tried it and decided to stay with .45s. Tape on trigger guard indicates it passed last year's trigger weight and safety function test at Camp Perry.
Here you can see how Sams installs hardened inserts into the aluminum frame rails for durable steel-on-steel contact:
The AMU uses six:
A Bar-Sto barrel hood which fits into the slide face recess:
Muzzle threaded, coned, and flared to fit the slide:
Some more details:
http://www.gun-tests.com/pdfs/1-4-berettamods.pdf http://www.gun-tests.com/performance/oct97shootbetter.html
