Beretta PX4 Storm .45 High round count, long duration usage.

[PX4 Storm Tracker]

I have been keeping up my pattern of 900-1,000 rounds of .45 ACP through my PX4 .45 Gs. I have over 131,000 rounds through my PX4 .45s and plan to continue enjoying shooting them.

I determined to try a different maintenance approach with this new Storm .45 and it has worked out well, so far.

It is @8,000 rounds and I did not use any solvent or cleaning agents during the 8,000. I used dry nylon brushes and paper towels pushed by specifically shaped skewers (as outlined in my cleaning protocols in post 171 https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....n-usage/page18 ). I just keep it clean enough to keep shooting and watch for build-up.

I also did not disassemble the side @5k as I usually do. I waited until 8k and disassembled the slide and frame. I wanted to see the difference in accumulated grime, always cleaning dry. To further complicate this, the ammo scarcity caused me to use different variations of ammo. Notably the PMC 230 grain FMJ target loads run smokey and really dirty. It was like dumping carbon ash inside of everything. I ran a couple of thousand of those, as well as S&B JHP & Federal Champion FMJ, copper dipped. No problems with small pistol primers or large.
Surprisingly, the inside of the firing pin channel was not any worse than a normal 5k inspection. I plan to go 8k again or stretch it to 10k intervals.

The LTT 11# hammer spring has functioned perfectly the whole time. No light strikes, even when its dirtiest.

There was a little surprise upon disassembly, as the struts pin was out and floating around in the hammer. I don't know how long that was, but everything worked perfectly at all shooting sessions. I installed a new pin.

I am still changing slide rebound springs (guide rod assemblies) every 5k.

[PX4 Storm Tracker]

Hard carbon deposits can build up between the teeth of your block. .45s will do this quickly, even in a few hundred rounds. Carbon buildup can also get around your breech face in time.

Using bronze brushes can deform the breech face when done repeatedly. I don't recommend it. However, there is an easier solution than heavy solvents and scrubbing.

If you carefully take a metal dental pick and rub gently... it will come right off! 4 out of 5 dentists agree... keep your teeth clean.


For more on keeping a healthy block going see posts 35 & 36 of --> https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....-and-how/page4

[NWshooter]

Hard carbon deposits can build up between the teeth of your block. .45s will do this quickly, even in a few hundred rounds. Carbon buildup can also get around your breech face in time.

Using bronze brushes can deform the breech face when done repeatedly. I don't recommend it. However, there is an easier solution than heavy solvents and scrubbing.

If you carefully take a metal dental pick and rub gently... it will come right off! 4 out of 5 dentists agree... keep your teeth clean.


For more on keeping a healthy block going see posts 35 & 36 of --> https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....-and-how/page4

You have always been so graceful in answering the questions I have had since entering the PX4 platform, and so willing to share your knowledge with others looking to learn.

I’ve saved your photos on where to lube the PX4 from many months ago. Refer to it every once in a while to make sure I’m still doing it correctly

Thank you.

[PX4 Storm Tracker]

You have always been so graceful in answering the questions I have had since entering the PX4 platform, and so willing to share your knowledge with others looking to learn.

I’ve saved your photos on where to lube the PX4 from many months ago. Refer to it every once in a while to make sure I’m still doing it correctly

Thank you.

Thanks for the positive feedback!

[SwampDweller]

I just read through every page of this thread. This is quite fascinating. I've never given the PX4 much of a look but now I'm certainly interested in it. Thanks for the detailed information, it's a gold mine!

[PX4 Storm Tracker]

I just read through every page of this thread. This is quite fascinating. I've never given the PX4 much of a look but now I'm certainly interested in it. Thanks for the detailed information, it's a gold mine!

Most encouraging feedback, thanks!

There are also other threads on this Forum about the PX4 Storm in different calibers and sizes. Lots of knowledge and information can be found around here.

[JTQ]

PX4 Storm Tracker,

You've mentioned your wife shoots the 9mm PX4's, assuming her hands are smaller than yours, and knowing the .45 Auto PX4 is a slightly larger gun with longer reach to the trigger, does she handle the .45 Auto PX4 well or is the extra size of the pistol an issue for her?

[PX4 Storm Tracker]

PX4 Storm Tracker,

You've mentioned your wife shoots the 9mm PX4's, assuming her hands are smaller than yours, and knowing the .45 Auto PX4 is a slightly larger gun with longer reach to the trigger, does she handle the .45 Auto PX4 well or is the extra size of the pistol an issue for her?

Interesting question! Yes, her hands are smaller. She runs the small backstrap on her SubCompacts and Compact. She is most comfortable with the SubCompact and finds the Compact a bit chunky.

In our house (no kids live with us) PX4s are out and around. Though my Storm .45 EDC is always with me, my range pistol is on the desk. She also uses my full size .40, stashed in her "safe spot" (medium backstrap). So, that means that I require her to stay proficient with all the Storms. They are all set up as type G, though my EDC and .40 have stealth levers.

When we go to the range I often have her put 4-8 rounds through my .45 to make sure she is familiar and confident enough with it. I also put a few rounds through her SubCompact for the same reason.

She finds the .45 to be large and harder to move around quickly. She rarely tries fast shooting because of the recoil. The size is less of an obstacle than the recoil. My shooting partner shoots a full size 9 with the large backstrap. That simulates a close trigger pull reach to the .45 with a small backstrap. She puts rounds through that, too. Trigger pull reach is not an issue, though less comfortable for her. The big issue with the .45 is recoil, especially with +P rounds, such as in self defense use.

She has more experience than the average woman (not all, certainly) and I make her shoot revolvers, striker fired pistols, 1911s, AR-15s, AK47s, shotguns and anything else to make sure she is familiar enough if need be. The size and recoil make her slower and more deliberate with the .45 Storm, but accuracy is sufficient for self defense situations.

She does not like to shoot more than a magazine (9 rounds) through the .45 per session.

[PX4 Storm Tracker]

PX4 Storm Tracker,

You've mentioned your wife shoots the 9mm PX4's, assuming her hands are smaller than yours, and knowing the .45 Auto PX4 is a slightly larger gun with longer reach to the trigger, does she handle the .45 Auto PX4 well or is the extra size of the pistol an issue for her?

Today at the range I had her put a couple of rapid acquisition, rapid fire shots on multiple targets with my 45. She did very well and was no slower with it than with her SubCompact. She just handed it back and said, "No problem". Though they were target loads and not +P, I had her do 4 +Ps with her SubCompact the same way. Next time I will have her do the rapid acquisition of multiple targets with my 45 using +Ps.

I also had her put a couple of 45 JHPs through my old Ruger P345, which my shooting partner had with him in his range bag. No problem there either.

[JTQ]

Thanks for the feedback. In auto pistols I'm a .45 shooter, so recoil wouldn't make much difference to me, I'll still be slow, but all my autos are single stacks and it's been a while since I've handled, or even seen a PX4 .45. I recall it being larger than the PX4's in 9/40, but I seem to recall it was a little more small hand friendly than some of the other contemporary .45 autos at the time I was looking at them like the G21 (pre-SF/Gen4/Gen5), HK USP45, and the CZ97.