Beretta Px4 Storm

Px4 Storm
The Beretta Px4 Storm (9mm Para)
Type	Semi-automatic pistol
Place of origin	Italy
Service history
Used by	See Users
Production history
Manufacturer	Beretta
Produced	2004–present
Specifications
Mass	Px4: 785 g (27.7 oz) (without magazine) Px4SC: 715 g (25.2 oz) (without magazine)
Length	Px4: 192 mm (7.6 in) Px4SC: 158 mm (6.2 in)
Barrel length	102 mm (4.0 in)
Cartridge	9×19mm Parabellum .40 S&W .45 ACP
Action	Short recoil, locked-breech, rotating barrel lock
Muzzle velocity	360 m/s (1,181 ft/s) (9×19mm Parabellum)
Effective firing range	50 m (160 ft) (9×19mm Parabellum) 25 m (82 ft) (.40 S&W, .45 ACP)
Feed system	Px4FS: 9x19mm: 10, 15, 17, 20 (extended) .40 S&W: 10, 14, 17 (extended) .45 ACP: 9, 10 (extended) Px4C: 9x19mm: 10, 15 .40 S&W: 10, 12 Px4SC: 9x19mm: 13 .40 S&W: 10
Sights	3-dot iron sights

The Beretta Px4 Storm is a semi-automatic pistol intended for personal defense and law enforcement use. It is available in full size, Compact, and Subcompact versions. The Px4 uses a trigger and safety system similar to the Beretta 92 and the Beretta 8000 series, though it is distinguished from its predecessors by its light-weight polymer construction with steel inserts, standard Picatinny rail, and swappable grip backstraps. The full size and Compact versions use the same short-recoil, rotating barrel action as the Beretta 8000 series, whereas the Subcompact uses the tilt barrel system.

Design details

Field stripped Px4 Storm full size

Close-up of the rotary barrel locking mechanism.

Unlike the Beretta 92FS/96FS/M9/M9A1 and the 8000 series pistols, the Px4's trigger guard is rounded rather than squared. The polymer guide rod has a captive slide spring.

The full size and Compact versions have a spring-loaded disassembly bar, accessed via recesses on both sides of the frame, which must be grasped and pulled down to release the slide. This is different from the rotating takedown pin of Beretta's previous hammer-fired pistols, which the Px4 Subcompact retains.

The magazine holds the top round directly behind the barrel's breech end so only a slight feed ramp is needed. This allows the barrel to fully support the case. The 6-R rifling of the barrel generates counter-clockwise torque which is harnessed by the locking system to reduce the amount of pressure required from the rotating barrel lock's cam and pin system to affect unlocking. The steel transfer block's cam pin is 5 mm wide and 2 mm deep. The entire hammer unit mechanism can be removed from the Px4 as a single group. This allows easy access to the firing mechanism for cleaning.

Beretta designed the Px4 so that it would be difficult to re-assemble incorrectly after a field strip.

The Px4 originally featured an interchangeable, luminescent 3-dot sight system (coated in Super-LumiNova) for use in dark or low-light situations. With short exposure to any kind of light, the night sights' luminescence lasted up to 30 minutes.

Beretta discontinued the luminescent 3-dot nights sights for the Px4 in 2010, replacing them with standard 3-dot sights. The weapon also incorporates a Picatinny rail under the muzzle to allow flashlights, laser sights, and other accessories to be attached.

The full size (including the Px4 .45 ACP) and Compact versions are manufactured in Italy. The Px4 Subcompact is manufactured in the United States.

Modular parts

Several parts were designed to be modular for ease of customization. These parts include the backstrap, the magazine release button, the slide catch, the safety/decocker levers, and the hammer unit mechanism. The backstrap is available in three sizes: slim, standard and oversized. The magazine release button can be mounted on either side of the weapon and replaced by one of three types: standard, large or combat (extended). The standard slide catch and the safety/decocker levers can be replaced with slimmer versions to avoid snagging when the weapon is drawn quickly from a holster.

Px4 Full Size

The Px4 full size was the first version available in 2004. Officially, it was offered in four different models:

• Type F: Single and double-action. Decocker. Manual safety.
• Type G: Single and double-action. Decocker. No manual safety.
• Type C: Single-action-only ("Constant Action" - hammer is in half-cocked position). Spurless hammer. No decocker. No safety.
• Type D: Double-action-only. Spurless hammer. No decocker. No safety.

However, the Type C and Type D models were usually sold to law enforcement agencies. Type F pistols can be converted into Type G pistols by removing a ball bearing in the safety/decocker unit or by changing the entire safety/decocker unit, depending on user preferences.

Occasionally, Beretta offers the Px4 full size with an INOX (stainless) slide.

Px4 Subcompact

The Px4 Storm Subcompact was released in 2008, initially in 9x19mm and later in .40 S&W. It has a DA/SA trigger. The stainless steel barrel is resistant to corrosion from moisture. It is intended for personal defense and law enforcement use with a focus on concealed carry.

The Px4 Subcompact is basically an updated version of the Beretta 9000. The two pistols even use the same recoil spring guide rod. Like the 9000S but unlike the Px4 full size and Compact, Px4 Subcompact uses a tilt barrel system and a rotating takedown pin. Also like the 9000S, magazines are available with the SnapGrip Extender base plate, which creates a longer grip profile.

Although the Subcompact is different from the larger versions in terms of its operation, it shares some interchangeable parts with the full size and the Compact, such as the safety levers, trigger, and magazine release buttons. Also, the Subcompact can use the longer magazines from the full size and Compact versions, and Beretta sells a magazine sleeve for the full size's 17-round magazine that basically extends the Subcompact's grip.

The Subcompact model has been discontinued as of 2023.

Px4 Compact

Standard Version

The Px4 Storm Compact was released in 2011; it is sized between the full size and the Subcompact models. It uses the rotating barrel design of the full size pistols but has a shorter slide and grip. The Px4 Compact has a block adaptor assembly due to the shorter barrel length and the rotating barrel design.

This version also has an ambidextrous slide stop lever. The Px4 Compact's magazines have orange followers to help users identify empty magazines in low visibility situations. The Px4 Compact can accept full size magazines.

Occasionally, Beretta offers the Px4 Compact with an INOX (stainless) slide.

Px4 Compact Carry

In January 2016, Beretta announced the Px4 Compact Carry, an optimized version of the Px4 Compact meant specifically for concealed carry. The version is a collaboration with Ernest Langdon (Langdon Tactical). The Px4 Compact Carry is a Type G model (with low profile decocker levers) available only in 9x19mm, includes a larger magazine release button, uses the improved Beretta plated competition hammer group for an improved, lighter trigger pull, a thinner slide with a Sniper Grey Cerakote coating (different from regular Compact model), an Ameriglo high-visibility orange tritium front sight and black rear notch sights for fast target acquisition, and includes a Talon grip wrap for improved grip texture and handling. It also comes with a total of three 15-round magazines. It was delayed from its original release date due to supply issues with the sights and was released at the beginning of 2017.

Px4 .45 ACP

The Px4 .45 ACP was released in 2008 and is available only as a "full size" pistol. It has a reinforced body and is slightly larger than the 9mm / .40 S&W full size pistols to handle the higher ballistic power of the .45 ACP cartridge. The .45 ACP version was Beretta's entry in U.S. military's Joint Combat Pistol program.

The Px4 .45 ACP is available as a standard black model and as a Special Duty model with desert tan frame color, PVD coated magazines and internal firing control assembly, double recoil spring, and a longer barrel that extends beyond the slide. The Special Duty model comes in a custom case with lubricating oil, cleaning kit, three magazines, three back straps, three magazine buttons, and user manual.

Users

A map with users of the Beretta Px4 Storm in blue

Current users

• Albania Used by Special Operations Battalion and Albanian Land Force
• Argentina: 1,500 pistols；Buenos Aires Metropolitan Police & Buenos Aires City Police
• Armenia
• Canada: Canada Border Services Agency
• Chile: Used by the Special forces
• India: Used by Para (Special Forces) as a sidearm.
• Italy: Used by NOCS; Guardia di Finanza; Brescia police
• Libya: Ordered 7500 Px4 before the civil war
• Malaysia: 400 pistols；Royal Malaysia Police and Ministry of Home Affairs
• Portugal: Polícia de Segurança Pública
• Romania: Romanian Police - 25,000 pistols
• Serbia: Formerly used by PTJ.
• South Africa: 40,000 pistols；South African Police Service and several Metro Police Departments.
• South Korea: The 707th Special Mission Battalion has been photographed using the Px4 during exercises. Presidential Security Service also uses Px4 alongside other pistols.
• Turkmenistan: Ordered 120 pistols
• United States: Used by the Ohio County, WV Sheriff's Department, Maryland State Police, Sparta, New Jersey Police Department, Providence, Rhode Island Police Department, Fresno Police Department, and Rochester, NY police department., Pharr, Texas Police Department.
• Venezuela: Venezuelan National Guard. Bolivarian National Police Corps.
• Vietnam: Vietnam People's Police. Use 9mm version with threaded barrel

Failed bids

• United Kingdom: 19 pistols evaluated as a replacement for the Browning L9A1 pistol, lost to the Glock 17
• Peru: Evaluated as a replacement for the Beretta 92F, lost to the SiG Sauer SP2022

See also

• Beretta Cx4 Storm Pistol-caliber Carbine
• Beretta Rx4 Storm 5.56mm Semi-Automatic Rifle
• Beretta Tx4 Storm Semi-Automatic 12 gauge Shotgun

Bibliography

• Neville, Leigh (2017). European Counter-Terrorist Units 1972–2017. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1472825278.

External links

• Beretta Px4 Storm Website Archived 2021-04-21 at the Wayback Machine
• Beretta Px4 Product Spotlight (archived)
• Px4 Storm Full Size (and compact) manual
• Px4 Storm Subcompact manual

Px4 Storm Compact

• Beretta official Px4 Storm Compact page

Px4SC

• Beretta official Px4SC page
• Beretta Web
• Guns and Ammo News article