PX4 Storm LOVE

[HammerStriker]

I had been eyeing the Beretta PX4 Storm for a LONG time. After much research, I finally took the plunge and purchased a full sized F model in 9mm. Shot it at the range next to my CZ P01 today. I put about 100 rounds through the PX4 before switching to the P01. The first mag through the P01 surprised me. It really felt like the Beretta had much less recoil and the trigger pull on my CZ felt...well..harsh...in comparison to the PX4's trigger. I'm no trigger expert, I leave all my triggers stock. But that is the best way I can describe the P01 trigger next to the PX4's...harsh. At about 200 rounds my eyes started getting tired (went shooting after working a full day) and the CZ stock sights were a blur. I could, however, still see the Px4s bright 3 dots without issue. Still love my p01 and shoot it more accurately than the Beretta --at least for now--but the PX4 may quickly become my favorite pistol. We'll see after a few more range trips!

[TeeBee]

The PX4 is on my short list of guns to try. My favorite guns are my hammer-fired CZs, so the PX4 seems to be a logical alternative to check-out.

[claymore504]

Glad you found you like the PX4. The P01 is going to feel diferent for sure going against a full size handgun that os known to be soft shooting. Even putting my P01 against my P09 is a big difference. I think I know what you are saying on the trigger feel. To me the CZ has a shorter stroke before the hammer falls and it all happens quickly. The Beretta has a longer stroke and seems to roll through the tigger pull. Two very different guns for sure, but both great indeed.

[HCM]

I had been eyeing the Beretta PX4 Storm for a LONG time. After much research, I finally took the plunge and purchased a full sized F model in 9mm. Shot it at the range next to my CZ P01 today. I put about 100 rounds through the PX4 before switching to the P01. The first mag through the P01 surprised me. It really felt like the Beretta had much less recoil and the trigger pull on my CZ felt...well..harsh...in comparison to the PX4's trigger. I'm no trigger expert, I leave all my triggers stock. But that is the best way I can describe the P01 trigger next to the PX4's...harsh. At about 200 rounds my eyes started getting tired (went shooting after working a full day) and the CZ stock sights were a blur. I could, however, still see the Px4s bright 3 dots without issue. Still love my p01 and shoot it more accurately than the Beretta --at least for now--but the PX4 may quickly become my favorite pistol. We'll see after a few more range trips!

Different lockup systems. CZ uses the browning tilting lock up, the Storm uses a rotary lockup so it recoils straight back / flatter.

IME, ithe PX4 is something of a "diamond in the rough." In stock form the PX4 Storms have 3 issues which need correction: The grip is slick / has poor traction; The trigger pull is too heavy and the sights.

The grip can be addressed via stippling or grip tape. IME the PX4 storm has the worst grip texture of any modern polymer service pistol.

Ameriglo and LPA offer fiber optic and high visibility night sights.

The trigger pulls have traditionally been heavy on both the storm and 92 series guns due to the need for a main spring heavy enough to ignite poor quality military ammo found overseas.

If you are in the US or EU you will be fine replacing the 26lb main spring with the 16lb factory D model (Double Action Only) spring or, even better the Beretta Competition trigger group of the Langdon tactical Trigger Job in a Bag.

[HammerStriker]

Glad you found you like the PX4. The P01 is going to feel diferent for sure going against a full size handgun that os known to be soft shooting. Even putting my P01 against my P09 is a big difference. I think I know what you are saying on the trigger feel. To me the CZ has a shorter stroke before the hammer falls and it all happens quickly. The Beretta has a longer stroke and seems to roll through the tigger pull. Two very different guns for sure, but both great indeed.

YES, the way you describe the trigger pull differences is exactly what I mean. Thank you. A shorter pull that happens faster is prob why I shoot the CZ straighter and can't keep rounds in the mag! LOL. Whenever I empty a mag in the P01, it's like "that's it"...way too fun but a bit tiring after a few boxes of ammo. The Beretta feels like I can shoot it all day...I guess that's where the size difference comes into play.

The P09 and P07 have been on my short list of wants for a while. Love CZs and was worried that the PX4 would not hold a candle to them, but they actually compliment each other well. This was my first range trip where I didn't take any striker fired pistols along with DA/SA and I enjoyed the trip more than usual. The PX4 and P01 triggers are different, but its not difficult to switch back and forth between the two. Going from striker to DA/SA always kinda sucks for me...I can do it fine, but always takes a mag to adjust and kind of feels like a waste of ammo. When I started shooting, I was 100% a striker fired shooter, never thought that I'd prefer DA/SA one day. This hobby is going to break my wallet :D

[HCM]

YES, the way you describe the trigger pull differences is exactly what I mean. Thank you. A shorter pull that happens faster is prob why I shoot the CZ straighter and can't keep rounds in the mag! LOL. Whenever I empty a mag in the P01, it's like "that's it"...way too fun but a bit tiring after a few boxes of ammo. The Beretta feels like I can shoot it all day...I guess that's where the size difference comes into play.

The P09 and P07 have been on my short list of wants for a while. Love CZs and was worried that the PX4 would not hold a candle to them, but they actually compliment each other well. This was my first range trip where I didn't take any striker fired pistols along with DA/SA and I enjoyed the trip more than usual. The PX4 and P01 triggers are different, but its not difficult to switch back and forth between the two. Going from striker to DA/SA always kinda sucks for me...I can do it fine, but always takes a mag to adjust and kind of feels like a waste of ammo. When I started shooting, I was 100% a striker fired shooter, never thought that I'd prefer DA/SA one day. This hobby is going to break my wallet :D

The trigger of the CZ and PX4 are not dissimilar, IME the bigger difference is the trigger reach due to grip shape. the CZ grips generally narrow towards the top of the grip where as the PX4 and 92 series Beretta grips do not / are larger.

[corneileous]

I sure love the Beretta PX4. Maybe that’s why I have three of them… A full-size 40 Smith and Wesson, a full-size 45 and a compact 9 mm…Lol.

I guess if there had to be anything about them I wasn’t crazy about would be the awkwardly-sized safety levers. They could’ve made them a little bit smaller and less irritating on the hand when you go to rack the slide but being that I’ve converted all of mine from the original type F format to the type G format, I no longer have those enormous bat wing style safety levers on it anymore because the type G kit comes with the much smaller stealth levers. I will admit that if the conversion kit kept the gun’s ability to still have a thumb safety that you would be pretty much going from one extreme to the other unless you got the kit that comes with the Carry levers but being that the kit converts your handgun to just a decocker only, I don’t mind that I have to use two hands to work the lever just to deccock the hammer.


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[corneileous]

IME, ithe PX4 is something of a "diamond in the rough." In stock form the PX4 Storms have 3 issues which need correction: The grip is slick / has poor traction; The trigger pull is too heavy and the sights.

The grip can be addressed via stippling or grip tape. IME the PX4 storm has the worst grip texture of any modern polymer service pistol.

I agree, they are just as bad as my Springfield XDE 45 but installing a Pachmayr grip sleeve helped quite a bit. At least they do give you different sizes of backstraps, though.

So far, I don’t mind the plain iron sights but just for something to do, I did install a set of the Trijicon night sights on the 40. Someday I might look into aftermarket sights for the other two but as far as the trigger pull goes, I guess I’m one of the ones that likes it just how it is especially that I’ve done quite a bit of practice getting used to it because at first, every time I would go to shoot the gun I would always pull the hammer back because I didn’t like that first double action shot. Now I’m pretty proficient at it.


The trigger pulls have traditionally been heavy on both the storm and 92 series guns due to the need for a main spring heavy enough to ignite poor quality military ammo found overseas.
Interesting, I did not know that but I wonder what the excuse is for the Springfield XDE because it’s pretty much the same trigger pull as all of my storms.


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[corneileous]

YES, the way you describe the trigger pull differences is exactly what I mean. Thank you. A shorter pull that happens faster is prob why I shoot the CZ straighter and can't keep rounds in the mag! LOL. Whenever I empty a mag in the P01, it's like "that's it"...way too fun but a bit tiring after a few boxes of ammo. The Beretta feels like I can shoot it all day...I guess that's where the size difference comes into play.

The P09 and P07 have been on my short list of wants for a while. Love CZs and was worried that the PX4 would not hold a candle to them, but they actually compliment each other well. This was my first range trip where I didn't take any striker fired pistols along with DA/SA and I enjoyed the trip more than usual. The PX4 and P01 triggers are different, but its not difficult to switch back and forth between the two. Going from striker to DA/SA always kinda sucks for me...I can do it fine, but always takes a mag to adjust and kind of feels like a waste of ammo. When I started shooting, I was 100% a striker fired shooter, never thought that I'd prefer DA/SA one day. This hobby is going to break my wallet :D

Yeah, I had to get used to my PX4 before I bought the other two and then eventually to my EDC which is my Springfield XDE. At first I wasn’t crazy about it but once I learned about the true benefit of hammer fired double action/single action handguns, I started practicing extensively where every time I would go to the range, I would go through several magazines worth of just firing the first shot in double action mode and then a second shot in single action mode- decock the hammer and do it again to where now, I have no use for striker fired pistols… LOL. I no longer even own one being that I gave my first every day carry which was a Ruger LC9S 9mm to my mom.


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[Gadfly]

I occasional hit the pawn shops, hoping to find a deal on a PX4....

I found one in Kingsville TX, but when I went to take the slide off to inspect it, they got pissy. And they wanted $450 for heavily dinged up gun with no box and only one mag. It was a .40 (sad trombone noises). If it had the box and all 3 mags, I would have jumped. But having to buy more mags would put it way over $500. Nope. I should have jumped when they were all over the internet for $325-350....

[TheNewbie]

Even if you have no interest in the PX4, the thread about the PX4 .45 should make you want one.

[PX4 Storm Tracker]

Even if you have no interest in the PX4, the thread about the PX4 .45 should make you want one.

I second that! :) My shooting partner has 39,086 rounds on his PX4 Storm full size 9 mm with no part breakages.

[medmo]

Welcome to the official "I ♥ My Px4" club! Believe it or not you can actually love that Px4 a whole lot more. Check out LTT, (langdontactical.com), and see how you can convert a really good TDA, (Traditional Double Action), pistol into a AYFKMDA?, (Are You Freakin Kidding Me Double Action?), pistol. Seriously, the trigger job in a bag, or sending it in for the shop action work is magical, amazing stuff. It completely separates it from the pack from any other TDA out there and is truly exceptional.

[HammerStriker]

Different lockup systems. CZ uses the browning tilting lock up, the Storm uses a rotary lockup so it recoils straight back / flatter.

IME, ithe PX4 is something of a "diamond in the rough." In stock form the PX4 Storms have 3 issues which need correction: The grip is slick / has poor traction; The trigger pull is too heavy and the sights.

The grip can be addressed via stippling or grip tape. IME the PX4 storm has the worst grip texture of any modern polymer service pistol.

Ameriglo and LPA offer fiber optic and high visibility night sights.

The trigger pulls have traditionally been heavy on both the storm and 92 series guns due to the need for a main spring heavy enough to ignite poor quality military ammo found overseas.

If you are in the US or EU you will be fine replacing the 26lb main spring with the 16lb factory D model (Double Action Only) spring or, even better the Beretta Competition trigger group of the Langdon tactical Trigger Job in a Bag.

I think the sights and trigger pull are fine, I actually quite like both. The front and back straps have plenty of traction, I agree that the side panels are too slick. I actually prefer DA/SA because of the heavy first pull. Not sure I'd like the gun as much if I lightened the trigger. I feel like if I wanted a lighter pull I'd just use my glock or buy a single action CZ. Maybe I'll install night sights at some point, but prob not. I have other pistols with nigh sights and don't see the value in them if you're going to attach a WML, which I have. The P01, now those sights I will 100% replace, really do not like their stock sights. What's the optimal DA/SA trigger pull weight for you? I'm actually thinking of getting my P01 slide milled for a red dot, but that's a whole other topic...

[HammerStriker]

I sure love the Beretta PX4. Maybe that’s why I have three of them… A full-size 40 Smith and Wesson, a full-size 45 and a compact 9 mm…Lol.

I guess if there had to be anything about them I wasn’t crazy about would be the awkwardly-sized safety levers. They could’ve made them a little bit smaller and less irritating on the hand when you go to rack the slide but being that I’ve converted all of mine from the original type F format to the type G format, I no longer have those enormous bat wing style safety levers on it anymore because the type G kit comes with the much smaller stealth levers. I will admit that if the conversion kit kept the gun’s ability to still have a thumb safety that you would be pretty much going from one extreme to the other unless you got the kit that comes with the Carry levers but being that the kit converts your handgun to just a decocker only, I don’t mind that I have to use two hands to work the lever just to deccock the hammer.


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The safety levers are a little awkward, agreed. I won't be carrying the pistol, otherwise I'd install the low profile levers or purchase the PX4 Carry.

[HammerStriker]

Welcome to the official "I ♥ My Px4" club! Believe it or not you can actually love that Px4 a whole lot more. Check out LTT, (langdontactical.com), and see how you can convert a really good TDA, (Traditional Double Action), pistol into a AYFKMDA?, (Are You Freakin Kidding Me Double Action?), pistol. Seriously, the trigger job in a bag, or sending it in for the shop action work is magical, amazing stuff. It completely separates it from the pack from any other TDA out there and is truly exceptional.

HAHAHA, thank you! Have read a lot of positive reviews on the LTT mods.

[corneileous]

The safety levers are a little awkward, agreed. I won't be carrying the pistol, otherwise I'd install the low profile levers or purchase the PX4 Carry.

My Springfield XDE is my primary carry but in the winter when it’s too cold to wear my cargo shorts for off-work casual wear, I’ll carry either of my Storms but even for not carrying, I still hated the bat-wing levers and still didn’t want any of my storms to have a safety so that’s why I did it. I wish my XDE didn’t have a safety but I don’t know how to convert it because I don’t think there’s a similar kit and whether there is or not, the safety-decocker on it is very low profile so I don’t worry about it. I’ve been carrying it pocket carry even for 2 and a half years and I’ve yet to flip the safety on by accident.


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[PX4 Storm Tracker]

I carried a PX4 Storm 40 full size for years and had a duplicate for range use and both were completely stock. Both remained type F with the original levers, hammer springs and no modifications.

I ran my PX4 45 range pistol for nearly 11,000 rounds with the original hammer spring.

Many of the people that we train in the use of the PX4 Storm run the pistol completely stock.

It is a good, solid pistol and there are many modifications available, but they're certainly not needed to have a great pistol, in my opinion.

[HCM]

I think the sights and trigger pull are fine, I actually quite like both. The front and back straps have plenty of traction, I agree that the side panels are too slick. I actually prefer DA/SA because of the heavy first pull. Not sure I'd like the gun as much if I lightened the trigger. I feel like if I wanted a lighter pull I'd just use my glock or buy a single action CZ. Maybe I'll install night sights at some point, but prob not. I have other pistols with nigh sights and don't see the value in them if you're going to attach a WML, which I have. The P01, now those sights I will 100% replace, really do not like their stock sights. What's the optimal DA/SA trigger pull weight for you? I'm actually thinking of getting my P01 slide milled for a red dot, but that's a whole other topic...

What type of shooting are you doing?

For plinking with no time pressure you can make anything work.

I spent 15 years shooting DAO autos. I’m quite familiar with stock DA /DAO triggers. I’m looking for 8-12 LBS DA with 10 or less being preferable. My PX4 stock was 15lbs DA - 7 SA - unacceptable.

If you are talking safety, length of trigger pull is more significant than weight.

Re sights - I’m less interested in the Ameriglo sights because they are night sights but rather because they are high visibility. Both those and the fiber optics are available through beretta.

[No.6]

Levers: you can find here and elsewhere praise for the carry levers which are for G conversion and a bit larger than the stealth and much less dramatic than the default.
(https://langdontactical.com/px4-carry-lever-decocking-lever/)

Others prefer 92 style like the Cougars.
(https://langdontactical.com/px4-safety-levers-92-style/)

[TheNewbie]

What type of shooting are you doing?

For plinking with no time pressure you can make anything work.

I spent 15 years shooting DAO autos. I’m quite familiar with stock DA /DAO triggers. I’m looking for 8-12 LBS DA with 10 or less being preferable. My PX4 stock was 15lbs DA - 7 SA - unacceptable.

If you are talking safety, length of trigger pull is more significant than weight.

Re sights - I’m less interested in the Ameriglo sights because they are night sights but rather because they are high visibility. Both those and the fiber optics are available through beretta.


15 lbs?!

Surely that is out of spec. Did you try to fix it or send it back to Beretta?

[HammerStriker]

I occasional hit the pawn shops, hoping to find a deal on a PX4....

I found one in Kingsville TX, but when I went to take the slide off to inspect it, they got pissy. And they wanted $450 for heavily dinged up gun with no box and only one mag. It was a .40 (sad trombone noises). If it had the box and all 3 mags, I would have jumped. But having to buy more mags would put it way over $500. Nope. I should have jumped when they were all over the internet for $325-350....

I hear you, wish I would have picked one (or two) up years ago...they were a steal prior to the pandemic.

[HCM]

15 lbs?!

Surely that is out of spec. Did you try to fix it or send it back to Beretta?

No, it’s not.

Fixed by swapping the main spring out for a D mainspring. I may invest in an LTT TJIAB if I don’t send it down the road.

It’s consistent with my prior PX4s in stock form.

[TheNewbie]

No, it’s not.

Fixed by swapping the main spring out for a D mainspring. I may invest in an LTT TJIAB if I don’t send it down the road.

It’s consistent with my prior PX4s in stock form.


That's crazy. Did the D spring make a drastic improvement in your PX4?


I am surprised that is in spec, and I wonder if Beretta would have tried to fix it if you contacted them.


The P-07 does breaker quicker than many DA/SA guns.

[HammerStriker]

No, it’s not.

Fixed by swapping the main spring out for a D mainspring. I may invest in an LTT TJIAB if I don’t send it down the road.

It’s consistent with my prior PX4s in stock form.

Interesting, I have a trigger gauge and will measure the trigger pull later tonight. Whatever my stock DA pull weight is, the trigger is pretty sweet. I also think the stock sights are great, but may be in the minority here.

[HCM]

Interesting, I have a trigger gauge and will measure the trigger trigger pull later tonight. Whatever my stock DA pull weight is, the trigger is pretty sweet.

Newer beretta 92 series guns like the M9A4 and RDO guns have begun coming with better trigger pulls. Maybe Beretta finally got around to doing the same with the PX4.

[PX4 Storm Tracker]

HCM "...
I spent 15 years shooting DAO autos. I’m quite familiar with stock DA /DAO triggers. I’m looking for 8-12 LBS DA with 10 or less being preferable. My PX4 stock was 15lbs DA - 7 SA - unacceptable. ...."

My experience has been quite different. I have owned a dozen PX4 Storms and have worked on and checked out another dozen or so for other people. I have electronic trigger gauges and have measured these PX4 Storms.

IME I have never seen a double action trigger pull that heavy, nor a single action trigger pull that heavy. The normal double action trigger pull will be between 9 and 10 1/2 lb. The single action trigger pull is always at 5 or just a pinch under.

The hammer spring of the PX4 type D is the same hammer spring as all of the other PX4 Storms. It is the D spring from the Beretta Cougar that fits perfectly in a PX4 and will lighten the action.

I have also heard the same information that the stock spring is excessively heavy because of bad ammunition in other countries and even some with rifle primers.

If I ran across a PX4 Storm with a 15 lb double action and a 7lb single action I would send it back to Beretta as there is trouble in the fire control unit or trigger bar for that to be happening. I have been buying and shooting PX4 Storms since they first came out.

[HCM]

HCM "...
I spent 15 years shooting DAO autos. I’m quite familiar with stock DA /DAO triggers. I’m looking for 8-12 LBS DA with 10 or less being preferable. My PX4 stock was 15lbs DA - 7 SA - unacceptable. ...."

My experience has been quite different. I have owned a dozen PX4 Storms and have worked on and checked out another dozen or so for other people. I have electronic trigger gauges and have measured these PX4 Storms.

IME I have never seen a double action trigger pull that heavy, nor a single action trigger pull that heavy. The normal double action trigger pull will between 9 and 10 1/2 lb. The single action trigger pull is always at 5 or just a pinch under.

The hammer spring of the PX4 type D is the same hammer spring as all of the other PX4 Storms. It is the D spring from the Beretta Cougar that fits perfectly in a PX4 and will lighten the action.

I have also heard the same information that the stock spring is excessively heavy because of bad ammunition in other countries and even some with rifle primers.

If I ran across a PX4 Storm with a 15 lb double action and a 7lb single action I would send it back to Beretta as there is trouble in the fire control unit or trigger bar for that to be happening. I have been buying and shooting PX4 Storms since they first came out.

The .40 FS is used PD trade in gun but the stock PX4 compact 9mm which preceded it also had a very poor trigger and required a mainspring replacement. The compact didn’t care for blazer aluminum or steel case 9mm but seemed to run with everything else.

To me the PX4 is much like the CZ Scorpion a dog is stock form which can easily be tweaked into a much more useful and ergonomic gun with a few drop in parts swaps.

The PX4 compacts in particular are like a different gun once you get the full size slide stop and safety /decockers swapped out for the slim levers.

[PX4 Storm Tracker]

It was a used PD trade in gun.

That could explain a lot! Perhaps that PD specifically had them made that way for their preference. All they would need to do is put in a D spring or 14 lb spring from a model 92 and they would increase the trigger pull weight. Perhaps they were finding that officers were shooting before they were ready.

[HCM]

That could explain a lot! Perhaps that PD specifically had them made that way for their preference. All they would need to do is put in a D spring or 14 lb spring from a model 92 and they would increase the trigger pull weight. Perhaps they were finding that officers were shooting before they were ready.

The .40 has run reliably but I recall teething issues with early PX4s issued by the Canadian Border Services Agency and at least one US agency I’m familiar with. However, whatever rolling in-line changes Beretta made seems to have addressed those issues.

Beretta is far from the only company to quietly address issues without publicly acknowledging them.

[HammerStriker]

Turns out my wheeler trigger gauge only goes up to 8lbs, so I could only measure the SA pull which is ~5lbs.

[medmo]

No, it’s not.

Fixed by swapping the main spring out for a D mainspring. I may invest in an LTT TJIAB if I don’t send it down the road.

It’s consistent with my prior PX4s in stock form.

I'd try the TJIAB with the opto bar and a 10# hammer spring before you decide to send it down the road. Otherwise you are robbing yourself from having a AYFKMDA? pistol, (Are You Freakin Kidding Me Double Action?), experience. I've been running the 10# hammer spring for a couple of years now.

https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?42251-Langdon-Tactical-PX4-10-Hammer-Spring

[gc70]

Regarding hammer spring weights:
- D spring for a 92-series is 16 lbs.
- standard spring for a PX4 is 14 lbs.
- Cougar D spring for a PX4 is 12 lbs.
- Wilson and Langdon have 10- and 11-lb. springs available.

My PX4 with a Cougar D spring has a DA pull a little under 8 lbs. and a SA pull a little over 4 lbs., both of which are nearly ideal to me for their respective trigger modes.

[LockedBreech]

Welcome to the party, pal. My first handgun was a PX4. 2007-manufacture full-size .40 S&W.

It’s my most reliable gun. In around 16-17K rounds, I’ve had two stoppages. One was due to ammo, both were years ago, prior to the 5K mark. I swapped springs and mags around 10K.

I have a severe soft spot for it and its probably the reason I still maintain a .40 S&W stockpile. These days my home defense is a Glock 17 G5MOS, my carry is an M&P Shield Plus, G19G5, or LCP Max, but when I go on road trips or camping it often finds its way along, though I know I shouldn’t mix trigger systems. It has a smooth, lovely trigger after this many rounds and because it was my first gun I really KNOW it, how it handles and shoots.

It’s not the hottest, newest thing. It has scratches and wear. I wish the grips were grippier and I’m not fond of the aftermarket solutions. My Superluminova sights are pretty much dead. But I know that gun, with a 180-grain Gold Dot, will go bang, aim true, and do the job.

Just great guns. If I ever find a screaming deal I’ll have to get the .45 variant.


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