Originally Posted by
Screwball
Huh?
Think you took my post a little out of context. I was specifically speaking on your point about the .45 being wider. Didn’t imply that the frames/designs are identical other than width. And considering that most of my post was about magazine stacking/thickness of the grip... I figured it would be clear enough. Sorry if it was not.
Years ago, a member on BerettaForum was asking about converting his .45 with a .40 slide available on GunBroker. I specifically tried the slides on both guns to confirm it wouldn’t work for him. One combination... forget which... would allow the block to lock on the takedown lever, but still, the slide stopped from moving backwards. If the .45 was dimensionally wider, one slide wouldn’t have fit on the other frame, and one would be loose. The fact that the backstraps and magazine release parts being standard for all three calibers reinforces that the frames are similar in that dimension.
Are the barrels, extractors, blocks, and other parts effected by caliber sizes the same? No, never implied it. A .45 slide has to move farther back to eject and chamber the longer .45 compared to a 9mm slide ejecting/chambering a 9mm. The hammer on a .45 needs to be further back for a similar reason, so yes, the trigger arm needs to be longer on the .45. The actual hole in the frame for the magazine has to be longer (not wider) because the .45 magazine is longer (front to back) than a 9mm magazine. I also wouldn’t think I’d be that dense to say they are completely identical, but the slide would not move rearward. Width is shown that the slides can get on the rails between calibers... but obviously the ejector and other caliber specific parts/clearances are keeping the slides from cycling.
To also add, MDS has been making Beretta magazines for years... pretty much, they are identical to PB magazines. It is a factory magazine, just made in a different location than Beretta. MDS is actually owned by Beretta. With the 92/96, the MDS magazines were just a few dollars cheaper than PB magazines. Unsure how they are priced currently, or if they have specific models being made at MDS/PB... but MDS is Beretta.
To be clear, I’ve been out of the .45 PX4 for years... and no regret for it. It is a good firearm, but there are better options for me out there. With that being said, I’m not saying I’m better than you or know more about them. Didn’t have a round count close to yours on my .45 when I traded it... but I did own it and a 9mm at the same time for a few years. Both were ran in the same holsters, both were shot side by side, and even once sat there for a couple seconds trying to load a .45 magazine into a 9mm pistol. Sorry, but just giving an additional viewpoint... which pretty much supports yours. Only point I made was regarding width, which isn’t really calling you out... just expanding.
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