Beretta PX4 Storm
The Beretta PX4 Storm is a derivative of the Beretta 92, which won the US military contract over the Colt 45 in 1984.
Without getting too far into this aspect, I must note that on June 11, 1979, the day that the US government chose the Italian 9mm Beretta 92 contract versus the American-made Colt 45, every US war veteran turned into Meryl Streep for at least one day.
Our statement to the world was, “The people of America have spoken, and their choice is for our soldiers to use smaller bullets that cost less. Also I forgot to mention that if we’re going to buy all of our guns from Italy, we politicians will get a great deal on leather furniture if we pull this off.”
This was also the day of John Wayne’s death, but this isn’t about the Beretta 92.
Sorry, I made that part up. Moving on.
Beretta came out with the PX4 just a few years ago. In my opinion, it’s a cool-looking gun. And come on, you’ve got to admit that’s definitely a good buying point.
The PX4 Storm, available in 9mm, 40 and 45 calibers, has been featured on Live Free and Die Hard, as well as a few episodes of 24. That’s right, Jack Bauer carried it. And that’s important.
One sleek looking piece.
What attracted me to the Beretta PX4 Storm was the grip on it. Once you wrap your hands around this sucker, you’re sold. If not, you’ll notice that the backstrap, or the back of the grip of the pistol, can be changed out with one of two other supplied backstraps.
I’m sure this is a great selling point, because the buyer is thinking, “This grip may not fit perfectly, but if it doesn’t, I can just change it out later.”
It takes a minute or two to replace this backstrap, and it’s not something that a lot of gun shops would let you mess around with before purchasing it. So as a prospective PX4 buyer, you may not get a chance to try out the different grips before buying it. What’s interesting is, I’ve tried all three backstraps, and they all feel about the same to me. All three of these grip options fit my hand well.
The PX4 comes with a Picatinny rail, standard, along with night sights. If you’re considering the purchase of a PX4, know that most modern semiautos have the Picatinny rail, but very few come with factory night sights (The HK P30 is another one that does).
The PX4 retails for $600 or so, and surprisingly, I haven’t seen them for more than $100 below that.
Since the most common version comes with a manual thumb safety, I would definitely recommend carrying this gun chambered. Not just because of the awkward thumb safety that must be flipped up (instead of down like most other traditional slide-mounted safeties), but due to the fact that the slide must be dramatically snapped into cycle in order to load the round effectively. By the way, the manual safety has a second function as a decocker.
If you were in a dark room trying to be stealthy with this thing, you can’t just pull back the slide and ease the first round into the chamber because the round will tumble around and get stuck.
When you choose to chamber a round, don’t do it slowly. Rack that sucker like you’re John McLane. Sharks patrol these waters, amigo.
If you would like to buy the optimum weapon for home defense, purchase an inexpensive shotgun and several rounds of OO buckshot.
If you’d like to purchase a handgun for home protection, and you feel more comfortable with a manual safety, the Beretta PX Storm may be the perfect weapon for you.
The PX4 is very easy to disassemble and reassemble, perhaps even easier than a Glock.
There’s a flaw I’d like to point out with the PX4 Storm. If you would like to learn how to perform double-taps or master the art of accurate kill-zone rapidfire accuracy, don’t get the PX4 for these reasons:
1) Although you can pull the hammer back if you’d like, the single/double action may work against you on your first shot. There is a long, hard trigger pull, similar to a revolver on the first shot. Even though you’ve got a 17 round magazine (for the 9mm version), the most important shot (the first one) may be off if you’re not an experienced handgunner.
2) After your first shot, the trigger reset is abnormally long on this pistol. Without going into the details of trigger reset mechanics, if you happen to be a tactical guru who knows what a trigger reset is, then know that this particular peacemaker may not be an optimum choice for you. But you probably already knew that.
Shown with leather holster, handcrafted by Utah's Eric Larsen. Click on the image to view Eric's holster website, if you're into holster porn.
Just for clarification…the PX4 is not a derivative of the 92 series. It’s an offshoot of the old Cougar series.
Of all the guns I own, my Colt Govt Model Series 72 .45 1911 is my absolute favorite gun to shoot. not so much to disassemble and clean.
[…] go ahead and check out La Pachanga. I noticed a security guard at the front door, so I put my Beretta PX4 Storm back in the truck and locked it up. He patted me down and informed me that there was no smoking […]
i bought a px4 last year and i love it. i think its trigger is great and me being a lefty shooter, i love the ambidextrus safety/decocker. i am a veteran shooter in the area of rifles but a novice in the area of handgun shooting but that doesnt mean that i dont hit anything that i point this gun at. if i so much as think of hitting a target or anything, and i happen to have the gun in my hand and pull its trigger, suddenly there are little .40cal holes wherever my eyes were. my situation may be unique but i belive that this is a great characteristic because it means that any person can pick up this tool and be able to defend themselves effectivlely.
Another good ambidextrous semiauto is the H&K P30, but it will set you back a few more bucks.
Nice writeup. I looked at the PX4 awhile ago because I love the idea of having that, a CX4 carbine, and eleventy clips to go along with my trusty 1100 when the zombies attack. I went S&W MP40 and, though I know it makes me inferior to every god-fearing 1911 man, I start looking forward to shooting it again as soon as I pull away from the range.
Glad you like it Nate, thanks for reading.
Jack Bauer is brilliant, I really hope they should hurry up with the film if they’re going to get on with it!
CAN ANYONE TELL ME HOW TO CHANGE THE GRIPS ON MY PX4, .40 CALIBER. I THINK I CAN SEE HOW TO DO IT, BUT I DON’T WANT TO SCRATCH THE GUN IN ANY WAY, SO WHY NOT ASK SOMEONE THAT HAS DONE IT? ALSO, IS THE EXTRA GRIP THAT COMES WITH THE GUN A SMALL, MEDIUM, OR LARGE?
DOSE ANYONE HAVE A PLACE THAT SELLS BARREL WRENCHES FOR A CX4 CARBINE?
where I can buy a PX4 storm anyone can tell me thanks …………………………..
drop out your mag, and on the lowest bottom portion of the handle you will see a “wire”, looks like the top of a big staple. Use something flat to get it started, but pry it up. then u can pull it with your fingers. once its out, the backstraps snap right off.
Love my Beretta PX4 Compact .40 S&W, shoots beautifully and feels superb. Deep penetrating shots each and every time I shoot no matter what target type.
I own a .40 Storm Subcompact because it looks mean. It was my first gun. I picked it up, and to me it said, “Back up and walk away. I mean business.” Before ever firing it, I was fortunate enough to meet a former Marine spec ops team member/former Police Officer and become close friends with him. He was well acquainted with the Beretta M9, as he had carried it for many years as a Marine. After training with him for a month, he told me my Beretta would make an excellent boat anchor. Though his sidearm of choice is a highly modified/customized Glock 9mm, he highly recommended the S&W M&P9, having carried it as a police officer. He said, “Buy one. You’ll shoot through one mag and go throw your Beretta in the river.” The Beretta was not fun to shoot, I admit. I kicks hard and in 105 degree weather the small sweaty handle doesn’t inspire great confidence. I heeded his advice and laid hands on an M&P9. Mmmmmmmm. It felt good! I absolutely love that gun. Having fired boxes upon boxes of ammo through it, I can’t imagine it ever not being one if my favorite weapons. Still captivated by the savage beauty of my Beretta, I have refused to sell or trade it. Instead, I have looked to addressing the issues that make it inferior to me: Grip, comfort, and capacity. I have ordered a magazine adapter from Beretta that allows a full grip and use of the full size 14 round or extended 17 round mags. This may address all concerns at once. We will see.
I’ve owned both a CX-4 & a PX-4 (full size) in .45 for a few years, now. I’ve fed them both a variety of ammo & have never experienced any kind of failure. They both shoot to point of aim and I love them both. I only wish their magazines were interchangable…
BTW, if you are an inexperienced handgunner, I would suggest gaining some experience before using a handgun to defend your home or yourself. You won’t scare off anyone if you are fumbling around trying to remember if the decocker lever goes up or down to fire…
My PX4 compact .40 has a relatively short reset I’m not sure why the author of this review considers to to be long. While not as short as a Glock, I would not consider this weapon a poor choice for double taps regardless if one starts in double or single action; both are silky smooth.
I own a compact PX4 in 40 cal. What a fine shooting pistol. It is very accurate, eats whatever I put through it and concealable. I liked it so much, I had to try the full size 9mm cousin. Once again an awesome shooting pistol. It is a little bit heavier with the 20 round magazine, but balanced in the hand. After letting a couple of good friends try out my babies, they went out and bought their own.
I rarely carry my Springfield XD’s now.