Beretta PX4 Storm - Underrated is an Understatement!

[sheepdog]

I just bought a set of carry levers and Ameriglo sights from Langdon Tactical for my new PX4 Storm Compact Inox and went to install them. After I removed the levers and rear sight, I happened to notice this for the first time...

Somehow I don't think it is supposed to look like this (sarcasm). There are also some other milling issues that are only aesthetic (hopefully), but this first one especially does not look good at all, and I am fairly sure it was not designed to look this way. What do others think? Do your PX4 Compact slides look like that? It's like it's missing a chunk of steel.

In the last two pictures, the lines intersect on one side and not the other (I noticed this previously). I brought this to the attention of some Beretta PX4 Storm owners on Facebook. Some of them said theirs match, some of them said theirs didn't, and some, when they match, both interested perfectly while at others don't. I am sure you have probably seen the picture of the slide out there somewhere on the internet with most of the steel missing under the front sight. Is this an ongoing issue? I know every company has lemons, but I don't remember seeing so many milling issues with a particular gun. I'm curious to know what others think.

[gato naranja]

I know every company has lemons, but I don't remember seeing so many milling issues with a particular gun. I'm curious to know what others think.

I had your Inox PX4's twin. Almost identical in its slide eccentricities: the wavy, "kitchen-foil-thin" metal under the front sight, the small "gap" at the firing pin channel and the "lines" at the rear. The thing was flawless in function, but that kind of stuff detracts from the whole "pride of ownership" thing.

Other than those "features," the slide itself was actually kind of impressive from a machining/finish standpoint. It had, without a doubt, the most crisp slide serrations I have ever come in contact with. Be that as it may, I have not been real impressed with any Inox versions of Beretta's handguns, and do not consider them worth a premium.

gn

[Dave J]

FWIW, that "crack" by the firing pin hole is an intentional stress relief cut. It's supposed to be that way, and Beretta has been doing that for about 30 years now.

If you're looking at the offset in the milled vertical flats, that is also intentional and by design. If you study it a bit, you'll note that the asymmetry has to do with how the other working parts are arranged. Again, this is a carryover from the 92, and it's neither new nor random.

As far as the front sight dovetail, neither the 92 nor the PX4 has a track record of sight failures during use. On the contrary, they have a reputation for being solidly mounted to the point where they can be very difficult to change, and that was certainly the case on all the Beretta pistols I've done sight swaps on. So, I don't quite get the fuss about with what it looks like underneath.





(photo stolen from Beretta forum FAQ)

[gato naranja]

FWIW, that "crack" by the firing pin hole is an intentional stress relief cut. It's supposed to be that way, and Beretta has been doing that for about 30 years now.

Geez, color me stupid. However...

That stress relief cut was one of the only two ragged areas on the whole slide (the other was a cut related to the safety levers). I had to take swiss-pattern needle files to the considerable burrs on the two areas. Out of the box, the safety levers were difficult to operate, but after the file work, they were fine; as I mentioned before, the balance of that slide was beautifully done.*

gn

*That paper-thin metal remaining under the front sight channel was unsightly but impressive in its own way... on my best day I probably could not have milled stainless that thin without tearing it. My Bruniton PX4 just came with a hole there.

[Tazgator]

To be honest, while I may have initially been interested to the Beretta 92FS perhaps because of its use in the military, the Beretta PX4 Storm Full size kept drawing my attention and felt just right in my hands.

When it became available online a year ago for $399 I pulled the trigger and have never looked back. Especially when I also eventually picked up two additional extended 20rd magazines from Beretta for like $23 apiece.

Yes, I missed the memo on buying a striker fire firearm but I can assure you that as a newbie after spending considerable time at the range I am competent in the DA/SA and can place my first shot fired pretty decent, not to mention the follow up ones. The main thing is that I also have no qualms whatsoever in keeping a round in the chamber with that double action first pull, and don’t even bother having the manual safety on the majority of the time. It is truly a good home defense firearm. As well as a real decent personal defense piece, if I wish to carry more rounds in the magazine than my EDC which is also a DA/SA a Springfield Armory XD-E 9mm single stack that carries 8+1 flush or 9+1 extended.

I unfortunately know countless people that for whatever the reason still refuse to carry a round in the chamber in their striker fire pistols that they carry. Go figure...





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[john c]

To be honest, while I may have initially been interested to the Beretta 92FS perhaps because of its use in the military, the Beretta PX4 Storm Full size kept drawing my attention and felt just right in my hands.

When it became available online a year ago for $399 I pulled the trigger and have never looked back. Especially when I also eventually picked up two additional extended 20rd magazines from Beretta for like $23 apiece.

Yes, I missed the memo on buying a striker fire firearm but I can assure you that as a newbie after spending considerable time at the range I am competent in the DA/SA and can place my first shot fired pretty decent, not to mention the follow up ones. The main thing is that I also have no qualms whatsoever in keeping a round in the chamber with that double action first pull, and don’t even bother having the manual safety on the majority of the time. It is truly a good home defense firearm. As well as a real decent personal defense piece, if I wish to carry more rounds in the magazine than my EDC which is also a DA/SA a Springfield Armory XD-E 9mm single stack that carries 8+1 flush or 9+1 extended.

I unfortunately know countless people that for whatever the reason still refuse to carry a round in the chamber in their striker fire pistols that they carry. Go figure...





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If you’re not consistently using the safety, I recommend you change out the safety/decocker to a decocker only. It’s best to have one manual of arms, and never be in the position where you pull the trigger but forget to deactivate the safety.


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[revchuck38]

My PX4 D is on its way to LTT for a trigger job. Looking forward to seeing what Ernest can do with the DAO version.

[LangdonTactical]

I just bought a set of carry levers and Ameriglo sights from Langdon Tactical for my new PX4 Storm Compact Inox and went to install them. After I removed the levers and rear sight, I happened to notice this for the first time...

Somehow I don't think it is supposed to look like this (sarcasm). There are also some other milling issues that are only aesthetic (hopefully), but this first one especially does not look good at all, and I am fairly sure it was not designed to look this way. What do others think? Do your PX4 Compact slides look like that? It's like it's missing a chunk of steel.

In the last two pictures, the lines intersect on one side and not the other (I noticed this previously). I brought this to the attention of some Beretta PX4 Storm owners on Facebook. Some of them said their match, some of them said theirs didn't, and some, when they match, both interested perfectly while at others don't. I am sure you have probably seen the picture of the slide out there somewhere on the internet with most of the steel missing under the front sight. Is this an ongoing issue? I know every company has lemons, but I don't remember seeing so many milling issues with a particular gun. I'm curious to know what others think.

This has been covered in other places on the forum. The cut at the rear of the slide is supposed to be there. It has been there on 92F models with slide mounted safeties for about 40 years. All of the PX4s have the same cut. The cut out under the front sight is also supposed to be there. The compacts have a much larger cut out under the front sight than the full-size PX4s have.

The original cut out was to allow the factory to stake the sight from the bottom. The Compact has a larger hole there because it has to make room for the top of the barrel lug, which comes all the way under that sight in recoil.

[revchuck38]

My PX4 D is on its way to LTT for a trigger job. Looking forward to seeing what Ernest can do with the DAO version.

It's back. I must've caught him at a slow time, it got to him last Monday and was shipped back out the same day. Really smooth DA, somewhat heavier than his usual because I told him I wanted to be able to shoot Winchester NATO-spec hardball with its hard primers so he used a 12 lb. spring rather than the 11. It's right up there with my breathed-on and broken-in K frames, and I ran 100 rounds of the Winchester through it with no problems. There's still this issue with the loose nut behind the grips, though.

[beenalongtime]

It's back. I must've caught him at a slow time, it got to him last Monday and was shipped back out the same day. Really smooth DA, somewhat heavier than his usual because I told him I wanted to be able to shoot Winchester NATO-spec hardball with its hard primers so he used a 12 lb. spring rather than the 11. It's right up there with my breathed-on and broken-in K frames, and I ran 100 rounds of the Winchester through it with no problems. There's still this issue with the loose nut behind the grips, though.

Since it is a D model, it should have been a simple job. Swap the trigger bar for a polished one, pull the hammer and polish the string strut and put in one of his springs (polished parts kept on hand). I bet it was done in less then 15 minutes. (type D trigger bar is the same as an F or G style, not the same as a C)