The Beretta 92X Performance and the CZ Shadow 2 Optics Ready are both DA/SA steel-framed pistols with the extra weight assisting with the recoil mitigation that’s needed for fast follow-up shots during competition.
The Beretta 92X Performance swapped out a slide-mounted safety for a frame-mounted safety, making cocked-and-locked carry an option. Other enhancements made to the platform include an extended beavertail, a Vertec frame, and oversized magazine release and a generously sized ambidextrous thumb safety. Sawtooth serrations adorn the slide for easy manipulation, and aggressive checkering on the front and backstraps facilitate excellent control during recoil.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
The 92X also includes one of the better fiber-optic front sights that I’ve seen and used and it hosts a fully adjustable rear sight as well. Beretta went the extra mile by improving trigger operation with its Extreme-S system that yields a better pull and a much shorter reset. With its Nistan finish on the slide and frame, and its two-tone appearance, the 92X Performance was, in my opinion, the best looking pistol of the bunch. And with its Picatinny rail, all of the features that make it such a great competition pistol lend themselves to making the 92X Performance an excellent choice for defensive use as well.
