Beretta PX4 Storm vs CZ P01? Help

[HammerStriker]

So I'm pretty new to DA/SA handguns, and started my quest to find the "perfect" TDA with the acquisition of a CZ P01 (9mm). I feel like the P01 purchase may have been a mistake, and am looking to avoid buying another gun that I may want to sell shortly after purchasing it.

Things I don't like about the P01:
-Not much real estate to grab onto the slide
-sights are horrible, both the radius and sight picture. Why the heck is the rear sight so forward on the slide?
-the de-cocking lever gets in the way of my grip
-a bit of a pain to take down, definitely a pain to "work on".
-when de-cocking the hammer it drops to only the "half-cocked" position, not all the way down--I just find this annoying
-Is it just me or is this gun a bit "snappy" for a 9mm?

Things I like about the P01:
-The grips can be easily swapped out
-Trigger is pretty nice
-Aesthetically pleasing to look at
-Handy compact size, fits in the goldilocks "do it all" category IMO
-All metal (alloy) frame
-well balanced



So....I went to my local range yesterday to test out a full-sized Beretta PX4 Storm in 9mm (type F). Right off the bat, I liked the sights much better and I also felt less muzzle rise than with my P01, the Px4 is less "snappy. The trigger was smooth in both DA and SA, the DA pull doesn't feel heavy, even though I'm pretty sure the weight is about the same as with the p01. I like that the de-cocking lever is out of the way of my grip, but was not fond of the safety. It is counterintuitive and weird to have to flip the safety up after de-cocking the hammer with a downward flick of the same switch. The grip could also use more texturing for sure, but overall, I like the ergos of this pistol--Talon grips can probably take care of this for me. I was having a good run with the range's px4 until i started double tapping, then every other round started to hang up, I was getting FTFs. The rounds would just nose dive into the side of the barrel, I was NOT getting this from my p01 or the other guns I was shooting in the same manner (Glock 26 and M&P9), with the same ammo (factory Federal FMJ 115 grain). I was really bummed out after my range trip, because I had my heart set on acquiring the PX4, but after my trip I'm doubting the reliability of this gun. When I went home I found an article on TTAG's website, they experienced the same malfunction with one of their test PX4s. What gives? Is this something that is prevalent and well documented with these pistols, or was my range rental just abused and in need of a cleaning? Looking for some input from folks with Px4 Storm experiences.....

[spinmove_]

I would say Ernest Langdon has not had the same experiences with the PX4. Others here have not either.

That said, it sounds like the PX4 just jives better with you. You can easily convert it to a G model (as opposed to F). In 2019 they’re a pretty reliable gun. I’d wait for others to chime in, but there was a time when I considered the PX4c myself.

Personally I find CZs more my thing. They’re not everyone’s thing. YMMV.


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[HammerStriker]

I would say Ernest Langdon has not had the same experiences with the PX4. Others here have not either.

That said, it sounds like the PX4 just jives better with you. You can easily convert it to a G model (as opposed to F). In 2019 they’re a pretty reliable gun. I’d wait for others to chime in, but there was a time when I considered the PX4c myself.

Personally I find CZs more my thing. They’re not everyone’s thing. YMMV.


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Thanks for the feedback. No disrespect to Mr. Langdon, but he is sponsored by Beretta, doesn't this create a conflict of interest? I take his review of the PX4 with a grain of salt.

[revchuck38]

FWIW, I’m not sponsored by Beretta and have three full-size PX4s. I’ve had a FTF episode once with one of them, when the gun was filthy and I loaded it with Magtech ammo. A quick wipe and lube fixed it. The other two have yet to bobble. That’s a total of more than 6k rounds among them. I’m putting the blame for the bobble on me.

My guess is that the gun you rented was either dirty or dry, maybe both.

[HammerStriker]

FWIW, I’m not sponsored by Beretta and have three full-size PX4s. I’ve had a FTF episode once with one of them, when the gun was filthy and I loaded it with Magtech ammo. A quick wipe and lube fixed it. The other two have yet to bobble. That’s a total of more than 6k rounds among them. I’m putting the blame for the bobble on me.

My guess is that the gun you rented was either dirty or dry, maybe both.

Appreciate the feedback, do you run the type G (de-cocker only) or F (de-cocker + safety)? If you had a choice between type G or F, which would you pick?

[TicTacticalTimmy]

Just some notes on your dislikes on the CZ:

-Half cock: i much prefer this because it 1. Keeps hammer from touching firing pin which provides a layer of safety if the FPB somehow failed 2. Allows for a lighter DA pull 3. Is the position I can easily and safely manually decock the pistol to (only relevant for safety models)
-Sights: the newer CZs like the P01 Omega have the rear sight extend all the way back. Most aftermarket sights such as Dawsons will do this for you
-field strip: personally the CZ way of field stripping is my favorite of any gun, but that is probably just my bias. If you are not aware, to field strip you:
1. Eject magazine, rack slide and inspect it is clear
2. Placing left thumb in trigger guard for leverage, use left fingers to pull slide back so notches line up (if this is hard, cock gun first)
3. Holding mag in right hand, bash the slide stop
4. Release slide, remove slide stop and slide, etc.

Having said all that, the decocker getting in the way of your grip is a serious issue. You need to either change your grip or sell the gun, no sense fighting it when there are so many other options on the market.

For recoil the gun might just not fit your hands well, in which case I would probably just sell it. Or you could try different grips, I find palmswell grips make a big difference for me.

The P01 Omega has a longer sight radius, easier to work on, and decocker is much flatter.

P07 has all of the above, plus a slightly meatier slide and really soft recoil, but is a tiny bit bigger.

[Doc_Glock]

For me, having tried most of the players in TDA world, I got rid of nearly all of them and am sticking to Beretta 92s for metal guns and HK P30s for plastic. If I had to pick one for carry, far and away the HK product.

I did not find the PX4 reliable. Not terrible if shot with ammo it liked and kept well lubricated, but it was more finicky than I preferred.

All that to say, take a look at the P30 series.

[HammerStriker]

Just some notes on your dislikes on the CZ:

-Half cock: i much prefer this because it 1. Keeps hammer from touching firing pin which provides a layer of safety if the FPB somehow failed 2. Allows for a lighter DA pull 3. Is the position I can easily and safely manually decock the pistol to (only relevant for safety models)
-Sights: the newer CZs like the P01 Omega have the rear sight extend all the way back. Most aftermarket sights such as Dawsons will do this for you
-field strip: personally the CZ way of field stripping is my favorite of any gun, but that is probably just my bias. If you are not aware, to field strip you:
1. Eject magazine, rack slide and inspect it is clear
2. Placing left thumb in trigger guard for leverage, use left fingers to pull slide back so notches line up (if this is hard, cock gun first)
3. Holding mag in right hand, bash the slide stop
4. Release slide, remove slide stop and slide, etc.

Having said all that, the decocker getting in the way of your grip is a serious issue. You need to either change your grip or sell the gun, no sense fighting it when there are so many other options on the market.

For recoil the gun might just not fit your hands well, in which case I would probably just sell it. Or you could try different grips, I find palmswell grips make a big difference for me.

The P01 Omega has a longer sight radius, easier to work on, and decocker is much flatter.

P07 has all of the above, plus a slightly meatier slide and really soft recoil, but is a tiny bit bigger.

The mega and p07 would be great, except I live in commie California and do not have access to those newer models. I'm using VZ tactical Dimond grips, maybe the rubber stock grips eat up the recoil better? Thanks for your feedback.

[revchuck38]

Appreciate the feedback, do you run the type G (de-cocker only) or F (de-cocker + safety)? If you had a choice between type G or F, which would you pick?

I have a G, an F that’s been converted to a G, and a D (double action only). I dislike the safety version, IMO flipping the safety to the “off” position is awkward.

[Oukaapie]

I've got a PX4C and PX4 and they have both been extremely reliable. I keep them cleanish and well lubricated. A lot of guys have had similar experiences.

In my experience range guns are often dry, dirty and shot to shit.

H&K P30 is a great pistol but the V3 has a trigger that only a mother could love. Guys on the forum seem to love LEM but it's got a learning curve to run well.

[spinmove_]

Thanks for the feedback. No disrespect to Mr. Langdon, but he is sponsored by Beretta, doesn't this create a conflict of interest? I take his review of the PX4 with a grain of salt.

Not sure if he’s necessarily sponsored or not, but the dude has been working with Beretta pistols by choice for quite some time. I understand where you’re coming from though.

I honestly have no dog in this fight as I’m transitioning to CZ polymer TDA pistols myself. Sounds like you’re in Kaliforniastan so those aren’t exactly an option for you either.

Maybe some pictures of how you’re gripping the pistol to address the decocker issue would be helpful. Decocking to half-cock isn’t something you’re ever going to get around, but I don’t personally see it as an issue. The sights thing is moot IMO as you can get other sights that do give you more sight radius, but the additional sight radius is of dubious value with the overall change. Field stripping is what it is.

I know of other people have had 0 issues with their PX4s as long as you keep them properly lubed.


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[ranger]

I prefer striker pistols so I am a M&P 2.0 guy but I have a Beretta PX4 Compact and a Fullsize - ran a bunch of rounds through them trying to get comfortable with TDA and they had no issues. 99% of the ammo was my reloads. I just kept them lubricated and not especially clean.

[Bucky]

I ran a PX4 for a year or so, and never had any jams. I didn’t clean it often, but like all my guns it got lubed before taking it to a shoot.

That said, I’m more of a 92 fan.

I also don’t like the decocker CZs. I’ve got more time on the 1911 platform than anything, and I’m always gonna rest on a lever if it’s there.

[PX4 Storm Tracker]

Thanks for the feedback. No disrespect to Mr. Langdon, but he is sponsored by Beretta, doesn't this create a conflict of interest? I take his review of the PX4 with a grain of salt.

I am an independent, regular guy. I don't work for a company, nor receive kick-backs or any special privileges, no conflict of interests, etc.

I have over 115,000 rounds on PX4s. I have 56,600 on my range PX4 .45G, my shooting partner has over 32,000 on his PX4 SD, my wife has 20,540 on her PX4 Compact 9mm, (to not bore you) we have over 15,000 on PX4 .40s and 13,000 on full size 9s, 9,000 on our SubCompact 9, and so on.

These all function completely reliably. I have found that people often don't know how PX4s should be kept up or lubricated. FTF will often be related to poor lubrication of the cam lug and cam slot.

While it is true that there could be an extractor or damage issue on a range rental... This is an exception, not the rule... in my experience.

Additionally, if you have feeding problems, or any others... Beretta will fix it for free.

[Clusterfrack]

Seems like you can be happy with either. I prefer not to have guns that need a lot of custom work. That’s one reason why I would choose CZ.

[HammerStriker]

I prefer striker pistols so I am a M&P 2.0 guy but I have a Beretta PX4 Compact and a Fullsize - ran a bunch of rounds through them trying to get comfortable with TDA and they had no issues. 99% of the ammo was my reloads. I just kept them lubricated and not especially clean.

I have a M&P9 2.0 Compact (the 4"), nice gun.

[HammerStriker]

Seems like the consensus is to keep the PX4 lubed and it will run perfectly reliably.

[HammerStriker]

Not sure if he’s necessarily sponsored or not, but the dude has been working with Beretta pistols by choice for quite some time. I understand where you’re coming from though.

I honestly have no dog in this fight as I’m transitioning to CZ polymer TDA pistols myself. Sounds like you’re in Kaliforniastan so those aren’t exactly an option for you either.

Maybe some pictures of how you’re gripping the pistol to address the decocker issue would be helpful. Decocking to half-cock isn’t something you’re ever going to get around, but I don’t personally see it as an issue. The sights thing is moot IMO as you can get other sights that do give you more sight radius, but the additional sight radius is of dubious value with the overall change. Field stripping is what it is.

I know of other people have had 0 issues with their PX4s as long as you keep them properly lubed.


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Yeah, I handles a CZ p07 while visiting TX, seems like a sweet poly TDA. Wish it was on the CA roster.

[PX4 Storm Tracker]

Seems like the consensus is to keep the PX4 lubed and it will run perfectly reliably.

Yes! If a PX4 will not run perfectly reliably, long-term and consistently with the proper lubrication and maintenance, something is wrong with it and Beretta will fix it.

There might be occasional horror stories of where people attempted to resolve PX4 issues in the same way they would with their Glock or XDM, because most gunsmiths don't know what to do with a PX4.

If you lube it correctly and take care of it, it will work or call Beretta customer service and they will make it work.

I have seen once where they had a pistol that just came out wrong. They tried to fix it twice and then, since they could not, they gave a total refund of all that was spent on it including tax.

I have had over a dozen PX4s and my students would add another 10 to that. Only that one, came out wrong. But, it was the very first line of their attempt at the 45. Since then, they have figured out how they actually could have fixed it. Either way, the point being that they will make it work or buy it back at full price.

[ralph]

I would say Ernest Langdon has not had the same experiences with the PX4. Others here have not either.

That said, it sounds like the PX4 just jives better with you. You can easily convert it to a G model (as opposed to F). In 2019 they’re a pretty reliable gun. I’d wait for others to chime in, but there was a time when I considered the PX4c myself.

Personally I find CZs more my thing. They’re not everyone’s thing. YMMV.


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Ditto for me as well, I tried a PX4cc, and it just did'nt work for me, and will soon be off to a new home. I'm sticking with my P01, 07..they work for me..

[Rex G]

Right off the bat, I liked the sights much better and I also felt less muzzle rise than with my P01, the Px4 is less "snappy. The trigger was smooth in both DA and SA, the DA pull doesn't feel heavy, even though I'm pretty sure the weight is about the same as with the p01. I like that the de-cocking lever is out of the way of my grip, but was not fond of the safety. It is counterintuitive and weird to have to flip the safety up after de-cocking the hammer with a downward flick of the same switch. The grip could also use more texturing for sure, but overall, I like the ergos of this pistol--...

Thanks for your first-impressions user report, and comparison of the two weapon systems. :)

The problems could, indeed, be a need for a bit of lube in the proper places. The lesser muzzle rise and lesser snappiness are good news for an aging, gimpy thumb/hand/wrist. I was able to condition myself to this style of safety/decock lever in the Nineties, even while also using 1911 pistols, by remembering to “align lever with the enemy” in order to fire, with either safety system.