Utilizing a unique design, the Beretta PX4 Storm combines innovation with proven firearm designs to make an excellent pistol- even by their standards.
Table of contents
Introduction
Beretta, the Italian firearms titan (whose products we've reviewed here before), is known for its excellent and diverse handgun lineup- they've made everything from classic hammer-fired pistols such as the legendary 92 series to the poly-striker APX series, as well as numerous innovative designs like the 8000 series.
But in our humble opinion, the greatest of all these great pistols they're offering is undoubtably the PX4 Storm series.
What makes it such a good weapon even among the pantheon of excellent Beretta pistols is just how many good features it has that have been put together just right- some of which are unique only to the PX4 Storm, and others borrowed from older, more established pistols.
Combined with its lightweight polymer frame as well as minute but meaningful features they've added on, the end product is an eccentric yet fine work of firearm engineering that has been successful for over a quarter of a century and looks to remain that way for a while.
This week, after a brief hiatus for the holidays, we'll be diving into what may well be Beretta's best pistol in-depth.
Hands-on experience- Function, features, shooting and more
How it feels and handles
You might be surprised to learn that the PX4 Storm is a polymer-framed, hammer-fired pistol. Not a common combination, but it certainly gives it a unique feel. It weighs in at a modest 27.7 ounces- a bit heavier than a Glock but much, much lighter than many other DA/SA hammer-fired pistols such as Beretta's own 92 series.
Because of this, it feels light like a Glock yet more like an actual firearm, and it has remarkable ergonomics. Even if you end up having a problem with the grip, interchangeable backstraps ship with the gun so you can fine tune it to your liking. Overall, it's very comfortable to both hold and carry.
One other thing I love about it is its slide- while it has a high bore axis (i.e., the barrel of the gun sits higher up than, say, a Glock) it doesn't actually feel all that high when shooting due to the PX4 Storm's unique recoil system (which we'll explain later).
Additionally, both the front and rear portions of the slide are mildly serrated, so racking the slide, and press checking are oddly a breeze, especially given the prominence of the slide.
External features
I will open this subsection by saying that the PX4 Storm has a fantastic stock trigger- both the double action and single action trigger pull feel amazing, with very little take-up, creep or slap, and have fine but firm and solid breaking points. In fact, the PX4 Storm probably has the best factory trigger I've ever felt on a handgun (dare I say even better than the Sig Sauer).
Another point of praise for me is the slide release- it's far enough out of the way that you won't accidently trip it while shooting, while also being prominent enough that it's easy to flip under duress without busting up your thumb.
The flared-out safety/decocker (depending on the exact model you get) is a bit of pain in the ass, however- like the 92FS, it's "sharp" and juts out of the frame just enough you could easily nick your hand on it, and because it's in an awkward location on the rear of the slide, your chances of really dinging up your hand while racking the slide are substantially increased. Fortunately, aftermarket replacements are available.
I'm not really a fan of the magazine release, either- the stock mag release button is small and unpleasant to push, but improved mag button options are available both through Beretta as well as other aftermarket dealers as well.
The rails on the underside of the gun are another thing I love about this pistol- they're extremely easy to use and apparently quite versatile (I personally haven't tried putting on a huge array of lights and lasers on it, but every single one so far seems to work- something that may not happen with Glocks- especially older models).
Shooting it
And here at last, we come to the best part about the PX4 Storm.
Remember that unique recoil system we mentioned earlier? Well, it's almost unarguably the best part of the entire gun. The PX4 Storm borrows a clever, rotating barrel design from Beretta's earlier 8000 series pistols- where, in layman's terms- a significant portion of the recoil is dissipated through the barrel rotating with each shot. This also decreases wear and stress on the pistol's critical parts and has the side effect of slightly increasing accuracy as well.
Shooting it for the first time, I was amazed how soft the recoil was (even for a 9mm). Despite the noticeably large bore axis height of the gun, it had surprisingly little "flip" and seemed to settle back on target noticeably faster than most other high bore 9mm pistols I've shot (e.g the Sig P226).
It ran flawlessly, of course- if my memory serves me correct, I put over 500 rounds of Federal 147 grain ball ammo and did not have a single malfunction the entire time.
Now, I should also mention it had stellar accuracy- I managed to get a 2 inch group at 25 yards with the same ammo out of the full-size 9mm variant, and while I'm not a competition shooter and have no desire to engage is such activities, I would feel more confident than Mike Tyson fighting someone's grandma in a wheelchair if I had to take a PX4 storm to a competitive shooting event.
Overall, it's just a great gun to shoot- accurate and with exceptionally low recoil, it's definitely one of the more enjoyable handguns I've ever fired.
Other things worth mentioning
While it is, undoubtably, a great gun, one thing I can picture causing problems is the fact that the rotating barrel will make it very difficult to put a suppressor on it- from the handful of videos I've seen on this exact topic, the suppressor will either unscrew itself after a few shots, or become so tight you'll need tools to get it off. I am unsure if any aftermarket threaded barrels that address this issue exist, but regardless, users who want to put a can on their PX4 Storm should be aware of this.
The PX4 Storm has replaceable front and rear sights, and while the stock sights are perfectly adequate, if you're a guy who needs tritium sights for shooting in the dark, the PX4 storm offers you the chance to get them as well.
The PX4 Storm comes in 4 separate variants- including one with a decocker-only lever and one that only shoots in double-action.
The PX4 Storm also has a compact variant with the same options and all the same features (which we will do a separate article on sometime).
Pros and cons
Pros:
Unique recoil reduction system is noticeably effective and increases accuracy and decreases wear on critical parts
As is typical for top-of-the-line pistols, the PX4 Storm's reliability is virtually flawless
The stock trigger is exceptionally good
The polymer frame of the PX4 combined with the DA/SA action makes it a good choice for those who want to carry a weapon that isn't single action only (although a single-action only variant is available)
Cons:
The rotating barrel system will make putting a suppressor on the gun a little tricky
The high bore axis will make the perceived recoil on the shooter a bit sharper (although the recoil system greatly reduces this, it's still a bit higher than a typical Glock). However, overall accuracy is not negatively affected
Some of the external controls on the PX4 Storm are a bit rough (but this is an easy fix)
Final thoughts
Being nearly five centuries old, Beretta certainly has a lot of experience with making stellar firearms, and while calling the PX4 Storm the best handgun Beretta has ever made might be a bit controversial, for the modern era, I think it stands up to the title- it hits all the marks most users could want in a pistol- it's light weight (something that many more people want- if not require- in pistols), comes in many different variants to suit the individual's needs, is plenty reliable and accurate, of course, and has had a lot of work put into its design by a trusted, established and revered brand.
While the 92 series may be their most iconic pistol, the aforementioned qualities of the PX4 Storm ensure its popularity with modern customers better and in any case, it's hard to eclipse such an innovative design.
All in all, we stand by what we said at the beginning- for the modern audience, the PX4 Storm series is likely the best performer Beretta is currently offering.
Gun stats
Note: Stats are for the full-size model
Caliber | 9mm Luger, .40 S&W, .45 ACP |
Action | DA/SA, decocker/safety (F variant) DA/SA, decocker only (G variant) SA only, no manual safety (C variant) DA only, no manual safety (D variant) |
Height | 5.51" |
Barrel length | 4" |
Overall length | 7.6" |
Width | 1.42" at widest point |
Weight | 27.7 ounces empty |
Magazine capacity | 17 (9mm Luger) 14 (.40 S&W) 9 (.45 ACP) |
Safety | Only on "F" model. None on "G", "C" or "D" variants |
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