Beretta 92F Custom 'Samurai Edge'

The Samurai Edge was a custom made version of the 9mm Beretta 92F created for S.T.A.R.S.. It was sold in Kendo's Gun Shop, owned by Robert Kendo, and designed/created by his brother Joseph. It was equipped as a standard Handgun by all S.T.A.R.S. members.

The Samurai Edge was a modified Beretta 92FS, which Joseph Kendo himself designed and upgraded. Kendo also emblazoned each Pistol with the S.T.A.R.S. logo, placed upon the grip and left side of the slide below the ejection port. The grip has also been enlarged and extended below the magazine foot. Further modifications include a Brigadier slide, a slightly widened ejection port (possibly to reduce the odds of jamming), Novak sights, an extended slide catch, and a stainless steel barrel.

Alternate versions
Different members of S.T.A.R.S. were known to add further customizations based on their personal preferences and their time in S.T.A.R.S. These details, as well as the history of the weapon itself, were outlined in the manual for the Marui Samurai Edge replicas. Unfortunately, this manual was only ever printed in Japanese, and all available translations reveal a heavy use of common, and often incorrect, technical terms, as well as several areas where the descriptions are almost incoherent. What follows is an interpretation of the information outlined in the manual, as well as other relevant information.

Chris Model
Chris' Samurai Edge had been upgraded with a silver trigger, in addition to minor internal modifications to make it a competition-capable weapon, such as a medium-weight slide and adjusted trigger pull.

Jill Model
Jill's Samurai Edge has been upgraded with a silver trigger and magazine, a standard sized slide-stop lever, and the logo on the grip is a much brighter shade of blue.

Barry Model
Barry Burton had a heavily customized version of the 'Samurai Edge'. It fired .40 S&W caliber bullets in a 3 round burst fire mode and featured a longer barrel and compensator for increased accuracy and stability. Though never actually used by Barry, it is available to Chris and Jill as an unlockable weapon. It has unlimited ammunition. It's noteworthy that this Samurai Edge is not based on a 92FS like the other versions of the weapon, but rather a 96F model (hence the .40 caliberchambering) combined with a 93R-type firing mechanism (hence the 3-round burst).

Wesker Model
Albert Wesker's weapon is the most heavily modified Samurai Edge, with the exception of the Barry Model. Wesker's Samurai Edge has the lower frame and takedown lever replaced with Inox (stainless steel) parts, in addition to a skeleton hammer and Brigadier sights. Interestingly, Wesker is seen using this design throughout both the remake and Umbrella Chronicles, with the exception to the opening cutscene to "The Mansion Incident" and during the player's first encounter with Sergei.

Inconsistently, Wesker's handgun also features either an integrated Vertec style or hard-mounted TICK-Mount style rail on the bottom of the frame, as well as a bevertail horn (a feature that does not exist on any real 92 variant).

The Samurai Edge manual also mentions that "A large removable silencer [which mutes sound sufficiently] can be mounted directly to the frame in a one-touch motion. The silencer type installs directly into the barrel, but accuracy doesn't worsen because a brake is not used on shorter recoil." Wesker is never seen using this feature outside of the Samurai Edge Manual.

Rebecca Model
With the exception of a green S.T.A.R.S. logo on the grip, Rebecca Chamber's Samurai Edge is unmodified past the original Kendo design. This is probably due to her having been in S.T.A.R.S. for less time than her teammates. However, it is possible for the player to modify Rebecca's Samurai Edge even further, since a scope attachment, which increases the chances of decapitation, can be found in a duralumin case in the Umbrella Corporation Management Training facility basement.

Other S.T.A.R.S. Members
It is presumed that the rest of the S.T.A.R.S. members also used unmodified Samurai Edges.

Current Status
After the Arklay Mountains incident, the Spencer estate incident, and the viral outbreak and subsequent destruction of Raccoon City, most of the Samurai Edge handguns were presumably lost or destroyed. With the S.T.A.R.S teams disbanded, these uniquely modified weapons would have no longer been utilized by any paramilitary group. However, surviving S.T.A.R.S members may still have a Samurai Edge - Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Barry Burton and Rebecca Chambers all lived through the incidents caused by the actions of Umbrella. During Resident Evil 5, Wesker is still seen using this variant during various cutscenes. It is available to the player when playing as Wesker in his S.T.A.R.S. attire during The Mercenaries mini game. Canonically, Wesker looses his Samurai Edge in the cargo bay of his bomber near the end of Resident Evil 5, and it is presumed that he did not retrieve it before the bomber crashed into the volcano.

Tokyo Marui, a high end airsoft company, produced a "BioHazard" line based on Resident Evil that included Barry's Samurai Edge, Jill and Chris' Samurai Edges labeled as "Last Escape" models, and a "Samurai Edge Standard", the only one still in production.

Other Appearances
During the first trailer released for The Darkside Chronicles, Claire can be seen wielding a Samurai Edge, though no explanation has been given as to how she obtains it.

Inspiration
The Samurai Edge, in its standard form, bears much in common with a real life weapon: the Beretta Elite[] (or Elite I) which was produced from 1999-2001. The initial model bore all of the aesthetic features, sans the extended grip plates and S.T.A.R.S. markings (or anything to do with Joe Kendo for that matter). Itself a revised and modified Beretta 92FS design, the Elite series are known for their distinctive looks, accuracy, and customized features.