Beretta 92XI SAO Sabbia: The Ultimate Race Gun

In 1985, the U.S. military made a decision that deeply divided the handgun world. The move to adopt the double-action/single-action Beretta 92 handgun to replace the mighty single-action 1911A1 as its official sidearm forced shooters to recognize the DA/SA semiautomatic handgun as a mainstream option for duty, defensive and sporting use. Some shooters never got over that.

The Beretta, which wasn’t well-known to civilians at the time, became one of the most successful handguns of all time thanks to its military endorsement. Virtually overnight, the Beretta effectively converted the single-action handgun market into one dominated by double actions. In an ironic twist, 40 years later Beretta has gone back to the system it replaced by introducing the competition-minded single-action Beretta 92XI SAO Sabbia.

For as long as double-action/single-action handguns have been on the market, shooters have complained about the transition between the long, heavy initial double-action trigger pull and shorter, lighter subsequent single-action pulls. Over the years, custom gunsmiths and firearms engineers have worked to address this reality with varying levels of success, but the simplest solution is to adopt a single-action ignition system. With the XI SAO series, which includes the Sabbia, that’s exactly what Beretta did.

The SAO Sabbia is not the only single-action 92. The Beretta 92 XI series also includes a Tactical model and even two race-ready compensated versions that are single actions.

Sand

Sabbia is Italian for “sand,” which describes the family’s earth-tone finishes. The aluminum frame is anodized in a light bronze hue while the steel slide is covered in flat dark earth Cerakote. The barrel and controls are treated with black DLC, which gives the gun a three-tone look.

The SAO Sabbia is built on Beretta’s full-size Vertec aluminum frame. The Vertec, introduced several years into the 92’s history, made some meaningful departures compared to the original. For starters, the Vertec frame has a straight backstrap in lieu of the traditional curved 92 frame.

The Vertec also has a flared magazine well. On the Sabbia it is further enhanced with the addition of a removable aluminum extended magazine well from Toni System, the Italian firearms accessory firm.

The Vertec frame also has an integrated Picatinny rail on the dust cover for mounting accessories.

Grips and Controls

The grip panels on the Vertec frame appear thinner than the originals, and the Sabbia features thin but aggressively textured Lok Grips panels made from G-10. Both the frontstrap and backstrap are machine checkered. The overall combination of these textured surfaces provides plenty of grip when it comes to controlling the gun.

At first glance, the controls on the SAO Sabbia are similar to other Beretta 92s, but a deeper dive reveals some significant differences. The fundamental difference is, of course, the fact that the SAO Sabbia is a single-action design. Beretta calls this the Xtreme-S single-action-only trigger. This pistol is designed to be carried in condition one—i.e., cocked and locked. Further, with the skeletonized hammer to the rear and the frame-mounted safety engaged, you can take one look at this gun and know it’s not a traditional Beretta 92.

Like a 1911 or a Browning Hi Power, the pistol can be fired only when the hammer is in the cocked position. It can be cocked by racking the slide or manually cocking the hammer. After the initial take-up on the first shot, each trigger pull is identical to the last. The trigger on my sample had a hitch of creep but was light at 3.4 pounds. Reset was short, measuring approximately 0.08 inch.

The trigger bow itself is nearly flat, with only a slight curve on the serrated face. Instead of a slide-mounted safety lever, the Sabbia uses a frame-mounted ambidextrous safety, just as the original Model 92 did.

Smooth Operation

Pushing the extended safety levers upward actuates it, which puts the gun into cocked-and-locked mode. The safety lever is long enough that it can be engaged and disengaged without shifting one’s grip on the pistol. There is no decocker.

The ignition components, including the hammer and trigger, as well the slide stop, extended magazine release and takedown lever, are DLC coated for smooth operation.

The open-top slide is an identifying characteristic of the Beretta 92 series, and on that front the SAO Sabbia is no different. The lack of slide mass is good news, since less reciprocating weight equals less muzzle rise. The slide has both rear and forward vertical cocking serrations. There is an external extractor riding at the 2:30 position on the slide.

Like all Beretta 92s, the SAO Sabbia operates on the same basic premise as the Walther P38. Instead of using a Browning tilting barrel system, the Sabbia uses a simple locking block that drops down from its engagement with the slide and allows the barrel to travel a short distance to unlock. Some credit this system with creating less muzzle rise, and the limited barrel movement probably also contributes to the Beretta’s reputation for mechanical accuracy.

Construction and Design

The barrel on the SAO Sabbia is 4.7 inches long and threaded 1/2x28 at the muzzle. The threads are covered by a knurled steel thread protector, and an O-ring provides a tight seal between the thread shoulder and any muzzle device that’s installed. The internal surfaces of the barrel are chrome-lined, and the exterior has a matte blue finish.

The recoil system on the SAO Sabbia is fairly standard. A polymer full-length recoil spring guide locks between the front of the slide and a recess cut into the barrel’s locking block, and there is a flat recoil spring guide.

The SAO Sabbia uses an 18-round steel Mec-Gar magazine that comes fitted with an aluminum base pad made by Toni System. This base pad expands the magazine capacity to 22+1. The large base pad also makes the magazine easier to grab quickly off a belt pouch and ensures the extended magazine well doesn’t interfere with properly seating the magazine. Between the extended mag well and the tapered mags, reloads were very fast.

The Vertec models were the first 92 series Berettas I’m aware of to allow for interchangeable instead of integral front sights. Rather than being a forged element of the slide, the front sight is dovetailed in place. The SAO Sabbia uses a red fiber-optic front along with a serrated black rear. This sight setup is functional, durable and reliable.

Optics

I have a feeling, though, that many shooters will not use the iron sights. Optics have become important—some say crucial—accessories on a modern handgun, especially in the competition context. But being an older platform, the Beretta 92 was not designed with optic mounting in mind.

The area where the optic mounts is just above the extractor mortise, so the cut cannot be too deep. Additionally, on the Beretta 92 the firing pin catch rises above the top of the slide during the firing cycle, so accommodations had to be made to allow the catch to move freely without impacting an optic or mount.

The approach to solving this problem was relatively simple: Beretta machined two slots into the top of the slide just forward of the rear sight and drilled and tapped the bottom.

Beretta offers a variety of optic plates for the various formats on the market. I chose one for the Leupold DeltaPoint Pro and mounted this sight easily to the slide. The flat dark earth finish on the Leupold red dot was nearly identical to the aluminum and steel surfaces on the pistol, which made it look like an original part of the handgun.

Maintenance

Two fasteners secure the plate to the slide and another two secure the sight to the plate. While not as low as some designs, the system is simple and secure. The plate is recessed internally to allow the firing pin catch to move freely, even with the optic in place.

Due to the height of the mounted optic, the sights were not usable with the optic installed. Higher sights wouldn’t solve the problem, at least with the DeltaPoint Pro, because they would be impracticably high. Today’s red-dot optics are super reliable, but mounting one to this handgun is a commitment to using it.

Breaking down the SAO Sabbia for maintenance is identical to other Beretta 92s. Remove the magazine, lock back the slide and ensure the chamber is empty. Press the disassembly latch release button on the right side of the frame and rotate the disassembly latch lever 90 degrees downward. Release the slide and remove it from the frame. Remove the recoil spring assembly and then the barrel from the slide. Reassemble in reverse order.

I was pretty excited to take the SAO Sabbia to the range. I’ve fired hundreds of single-action pistols over the years and plenty of Beretta 92s, so it was interesting to shoot a handgun that melded those properties. Like all Beretta 92s, the SAO Sabbia is a big and relatively heavy handgun, so it is extremely pleasant to shoot in its 9mm chambering.

Testing

When I tested the SAO Sabbia, I had just returned from a three-day 1911 course taught by legendary competitor Rob Leatham and master pistolsmith Jason Burton, so this was a very appropriate time to be using a single-action auto. Thanks to the consistent trigger pull, the handling qualities of the gun and the optic, I was able to make hits quickly and repeatedly on steel targets set up from five to 15 yards. Most important, my first shot from the draw was faster and more accurate than it would have been with a double-action/single-action Model 92.

The ergonomics of the SAO Sabbia are excellent, and it has a good trigger, an easy-to-manipulate ambidextrous safety, an extended magazine release and a comfortable grip. These factors, combined with the Beretta 92’s reputation for reliability and accuracy, are what have kept this legacy design in the game for so many years.

What we are seeing at this point is a handgun that has reached the performance peak of its life cycle. There’s no question what the Sabbia was built for: It’s a race gun, pure and simple. Sure, you could use it for self-defense, but most buyers will have competition in mind. Assuming that sanctioning bodies will allow the pistol to be used in the same divisions as traditional DA/SA handguns—such as USPSA’s Production division—the SAO Sabbia will be an attractive choice.

Four decades after the Beretta 92 shook up the handgun world, the introduction of these single-action models, to include the SAO Sabbia, represents a major design shift on Beretta’s part. This evolution should go a long way in maintaining the 92 series’ relevance in the combat shooting sports.

Beretta 92XI SAO Sabbia Specs

• Type: single-action semiauto
• Caliber: 9mm Luger
• Capacity: 22+1 w/+4 extensions; 3 mags supplied
• Barrel: 4.7 in., threaded 1/2x28
• Weight: 35.3 oz.
• OAL/height/width: 8.5/6.45/1.5 in.
• Construction: flat dark earth Cerakote steel slide, light bronze anodized aluminum frame
• Grips: Lok FDE/black G-10
• Trigger: Xtreme-S single action; 3.4 lb. pull (measured)
• Sights: black steel rear, fiber-optic front; cut for optics adapter plates
• Safeties: ambidextrous manual thumb
• Price: $1,329
• Manufacturer: Beretta USA, beretta.com

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