Beretta PX4 Storm full size .40 Middle child or Workhorse?

[BehindBlueI's]

Do you make and shoot your own design?

Me? No. Well, unless you count reloads. But I vet everything I carry and preferably carry something with a decade or more of service history behind it.

But I absolutely do not rely on "design" or manufacturer data. Nobody doubts Glock is a good product, but nobody who knows shit denies that they've had some bad roll outs. Their neat little single stack that had to be redesigned to feed reliably, Gen 3s that choked when a weapon light was installed on the rail, the 17M issues...plus manufacturers lie and cover things up. P320?

[PX4 Storm Tracker]

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly of the PX4 .40 full size.

Just a few things...



The Good: I have found the full size .40 to be flat shooting and of very quick feeling cycling. To me recoil is light and yet not boring. To have 15 rounds of 180 grn HSTs is good for “social work”. It is reliable and well balanced. Post muzzle burn or spark is manageable.


The Bad: I find the full size .40 dense feeling. The slide and barrel have more metal in them and then there is the ammo. Just the lead from 15 rounds of 180 grn fodder is 2,700 grns. 10 .45s in 230 grn are 2,300 grns. 18 9mm 124 grn drill bits are 2,232 grns. Some might not notice, but I can feel when my magazine on my .45 is full or getting empty. So, to me... it is noticeable.


The Ugly: There is a strange anomaly that I’ve often seen with the magazines in .40s (14 rounders). When they are filled, the inner coils go into the outer coils and stick to themselves a little. This makes a rattling of loose ammo. A Ninja could not sneak up on a music festival with that on his belt. You sometimes can take out a round and pump it up and down a few times, put the round back in and be fixed. I have tested shooting when it was rattling... shot just fine. Recoil reset things.

I was going to write that I’ve never seen any other caliber do that. Then, a few hours ago when my wife picked up her SubCompact 9, it did it. She disassembled the mag and switched to a different duty mag... pending inspection.

[LockedBreech]

This thread would be my time to shine, except I haven't shut up about my PX4 .40 fullsize since I joined the forum.

I have a 2008-production (PY25xxx) PX4 .40 fullsize that has, at this point, about 15,000 rounds through it. That count is not particularly high for a ten-year-old gun, especially by this forum's standards, but it was my one and only gun for a long time, so it got experimented with. It has done a roughly 2,000 round challenge (before I knew the 2K challenge was a thing and before I joined this forum, so it was not properly logged and tracked and therefore not a TRUE 2,000 round challenge) without issue. It has fired, by my estimate, 5-7 types of service JHP and every type of .40 range ammo I've been able to find. It has fired bullet weights from 135-grain to 180-grain.

I swapped the magazines and springs around the 10,000 round mark. The replaced magazines are X-marked as range only but continue to function without flaw. There is no major internal wear at all. If I knew nothing about the gun I'd guess it has 1-2K on it by the wear.

It doesn't get shot nearly as much since my primary transition in carry and range use to 9x19. However, I am still very fond it if and I would trust my life to it in a heartbeat. It is the reason I have found .40 in other platforms, even legendary ones, a bit of a letdown.

In my ownership of a Glock 22 Gen 4, Glock 22 Gen 3, first-gen M&P .40, Sig P226, and Sig P229, nothing has touched the PX4 .40 in my subjective experience. It's excellent.

[PX4 Storm Tracker]

This thread would be my time to shine, except I haven't shut up about my PX4 .40 fullsize since I joined the forum.

I have a 2008-production (PY25xxx) PX4 .40 fullsize that has, at this point, about 15,000 rounds through it. That count is not particularly high for a ten-year-old gun, especially by this forum's standards, but it was my one and only gun for a long time, so it got experimented with. It has done a roughly 2,000 round challenge (before I knew the 2K challenge was a thing and before I joined this forum, so it was not properly logged and tracked and therefore not a TRUE 2,000 round challenge) without issue. It has fired, by my estimate, 5-7 types of service JHP and every type of .40 range ammo I've been able to find. It has fired bullet weights from 135-grain to 180-grain.

I swapped the magazines and springs around the 10,000 round mark. The replaced magazines are X-marked as range only but continue to function without flaw. There is no major internal wear at all. If I knew nothing about the gun I'd guess it has 1-2K on it by the wear.

It doesn't get shot nearly as much since my primary transition in carry and range use to 9x19. However, I am still very fond it if and I would trust my life to it in a heartbeat. It is the reason I have found .40 in other platforms, even legendary ones, a bit of a letdown.

In my ownership of a Glock 22 Gen 4, Glock 22 Gen 3, first-gen M&P .40, Sig P226, and Sig P229, nothing has touched the PX4 .40 in my subjective experience. It's excellent.

Excellent!

This type of experience has led us to have a saying, If you find a good .40 Storm, don't let it go. That is, if you want to trade this or that, switch to 9 or .45, whatever you do... when you have a good full size .40 workhorse, just keep it.

Please feel free to write about your .40 more, if you'd like. That's what this thread is for.

[beenalongtime]

The PX4 Storm in 9mm is enjoying much celebrity currently. The .45 Storm has it’s own characteristics. In this thread, I would like to discuss the PX4 .40 full size. It is not as popular and deserves a closer look.

Reliability? 100% reliability is our experience. Here are some reasons, in my opinion: Firstly, the cartridge is high pressure and will throw the slide back hard enough to eject well and setup reintroduction of the next round.

Wear & tear? We have found the .40s to not wear much on inside parts (compared to .45), slightly more than the 9mm.

Cleaning? We have found the .40 to get about 30% dirtier (per round) than a 9mm, ammo brands being equal.

What has been your experience? What things would you like to discuss about the .40?

The fact that Langdon models weren't produced in that caliber.
I realize I am still a relatively new shooter (I have a LOT to learn). In your other thread, you mentioned the section of the slide that was hollowed out in the 9mm, but not in the other calibers. I thought 9mm in Nato specs, is supposed to be a higher pressure round, closer to the 40S&W? I don't know that for a fact, nor do I know if it is just due to the length (more powder, the way 10mm has more oomph then the 40).

i've always wondered about the "i must prove that this pistol is okey dokey before i carry it." mindset. do you give no credit to the manufacturer for doing proper design and testing? do you take no knowledge of the other pistols that are out in the wild that are being used by people everyday? no acknowledgement of independent testing done by various government bodies (who have far larger budgets than me).

when you buy a new car, you gas it up, check tire pressures, find the horn and radio buttons, and off you go. you don't first drive it 50,000 miles on a test track before taking it to the grocery store. you trust that it will do what you expect it to do.

sure, you might make sure your pet ammo load works fine (likely the gun maker has already shot everything commercially available in testing at some point) for your own peace of mind, but clean it up, load it up, and go.

I think a gun would be closer to a race car. You want to know how it will handle (different types of ammo), how things look/feel (sights, grip, controls, POA, POI), and if there are going to be common problems that need fixing. You wouldn't just go out and jump in a race car cold/never driven before (in most cases).

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly of the PX4 .40 full size.

Just a few things...



The Good: I have found the full size .40 to be flat shooting and of very quick feeling cycling. To me recoil is light and yet not boring. To have 15 rounds of 180 grn HSTs is good for “social work”. It is reliable and well balanced. Post muzzle burn or spark is manageable.


The Bad: I find the full size .40 dense feeling. The slide and barrel have more metal in them and then there is the ammo. Just the lead from 15 rounds of 180 grn fodder is 2,700 grns. 10 .45s in 230 grn are 2,300 grns. 18 9mm 124 grn drill bits are 2,232 grns. Some might not notice, but I can feel when my magazine on my .45 is full or getting empty. So, to me... it is noticeable.


The Ugly: There is a strange anomaly that I’ve often seen with the magazines in .40s (14 rounders). When they are filled, the inner coils go into the outer coils and stick to themselves a little. This makes a rattling of loose ammo. A Ninja could not sneak up on a music festival with that on his belt. You sometimes can take out a round and pump it up and down a few times, put the round back in and be fixed. I have tested shooting when it was rattling... shot just fine. Recoil reset things.

I was going to write that I’ve never seen any other caliber do that. Then, a few hours ago when my wife picked up her SubCompact 9, it did it. She disassembled the mag and switched to a different duty mag... pending inspection.

I found it to be less balanced then the 40 compact. I even prefer the subcompact to the full size. I tend to use it currently, as a dry fire/practice pistol more, and plan on making it a emergency/bedroom gun. I should add, my full size is a type C.
Let me go ahead and state, I have a full type C in 40. I have two compacts in 40 (the range/carry one, and one I am doing some stuff to, that will make it the carry gun, unless a relative ends up with it). I have two subcompacts in 40, one type G and one Type C. The subcompact was my first and there were multiple reasons for 40. (stuff I don't need to go into here) The type C was bought on a whim as it was listed as a type D incorrectly (wanted to try both and had the funds).
I also have two 9 compacts (one my version of the EL, that I am awaiting sights to finish), and a subcompact 9 slide (was mislabeled as a compact). These were because of ammo shortages, I want choice, and I also have been asked to join a shooting competition last year, but my schedule wouldn't allow it (would love to do that and less recoil could help times). A full size may be coming (sitting at the LGS in the used case).

I've had a rattling issue once, where when I put the magazine back together, after initial cleaning, I moved the baseplate a bit, so it wandered in the magazine. My LEO relative, received his gun back from the department gunsmith, with new sights and new magazines. No one could load one magazine completely, so they gave it back to the gunsmith, and he found he couldn't either. He pulled it apart and found something in on top of the baseplate (sounds like a piece of a broken one, from the story I was told) and it did rattle some.
Generally, I prefer the compact 40 over the full size, but often it will be the subcompact (shorter range, more concealable). I am tending to use the type C's more as trainers, and due to that, I do let the trigger go out farther then the reset on a type F or G.

[Kyle Reese]

Any reason to not snap up a Type C PX4? These can be had brand new for like $320, shipped.

Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk

[PX4 Storm Tracker]

Any reason to not snap up a Type C PX4? These can be had brand new for like $320, shipped.

Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk

TYR, I have never shot a type C. I’ve handled one, though. I have never heard of long term usage. If you like the action, Beretta makes good stuff. My only concern or question comes with the consequences of the action mechanically.

The slide will cock the hammer which then must fall a long way (building force) to land on the sear much farther down than a type F or G. Will this cause sooner wear and degradation of the sears? I don’t know. You also give up second strike capability, as the slide must half cock the pistol to be ready to fire again (like a Glock). The hammer rides in half cock which exposes the firing pin. It is safe enough, but I’ve found that after a day of carrying, lint will fill that area. With an F or G the hammer protects the impact surface.

Does any of this matter? Personal choice. Is it worth $320? No doubt! How will it do long term? I await anyone taking it long term to find that out.

[PX4 Storm Tracker]

@beenalongtime I don’t understand this reference, “The fact that Langdon models weren't produced in that caliber.”

The 9 and .45 have that area milled out. The NATO rounds are a little hotter, but not because of case size. A rimless cartridge (like 9, .40, .45 ACP) headspaces on the front of the case. Headspacing stops it from going in farther, aligning the headstamp (around the primer) to the breech face (where the firing pin protrudes).
The PX4 in 9 (& .45) can handle +P ammo which averages 10% higher pressures. .40 is already, technically a +P round. That is why you don’t commonly see any .40+P ammo. Perhaps, that is the answer. If Beretta thought you would shoot only +P long term, they might beef it up. The additional weight of the slide also helps to mitigate recoil.

You wrote, “dry fire/practice pistol more, and plan on making it a emergency/bedroom gun”. I would suggest that if you dry fire a lot, the possibility of firing pin damage might make it a poor choice for home defense, long term. If you use fresh snap caps, you could avoid that risk.


Your collection of Storms is impressive! How many rounds have you put on the full size type C?

You wrote, " I have two subcompacts in 40, one type G and one Type C." I have never heard of a SubCompact type C. Is this a limited addition?


You're going to be our Go To Guy for type C info!

[DAB]

DAB, If you could please clarify your question, I could more accurately respond.

In case this is it: I modify the Storms that are for my use the same. I install a Low Profile kit (levers and slide catch) and a Cougar D spring. I follow the same maintenance protocols as I do in .45 and 9mm.

My .40 does have Talon Grips, since my wife likes to shoot it or carry it, occasionally.

my reply was directed to BehindBlueI's.

the point is, at some point you have to trust the work of another if you don't do everything yourself.

do you do metallurgical tests on critical parts? dimension checks on all parts? where do you draw the line.

and if that is the standard you advocate, then what hope does the average shooter, who does not possess your deep knowledge, have in trusting a gun to function as advertised? all Harry or Sally wants to know is that the gun they have selected will perform as advertised. it will go bang reliably, will hit the target as intended. many people cannot afford 2 pistols, particularly the poor, who most need the ability for self defense in some lousy neighborhoods. they can afford a $400 pistol and 2 boxes of ammo.

[Johnny Bravo]

I have a PX4 Compact in .40 that I have done up with Trijicon HD's, D spring, and the low profile levers. I've got probably 6 - 7 hundred rounds through it without issue (admittedly not many). I'm more comfortable with .40 in such a short barrel than I am 9mm and the PX4 is a mild shooter in this caliber.

I am not real fond of anything other than TDA for AIWB carry and the PX4 fills the bill perfectly.

I am also curious to see how the high round count guns hold up even though mine will probably never become one of them.

And I apologize in advance for not having anything to add to the discussion, but maybe if the thread doesn't die I will have something later on.