Blame it on politics, crime, the worldwide demand on metals or all of the above. The fact remains: ammunition is much more expensive today than it was a few years ago.
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The Soaring Cost of Ammunition
Author: Richard Johnson
Richard Johnson is an American author, editor and entrepreneur.
A former police officer and trainer, he left public service and founded Tac6 Media, LLC.
Richard is a prolific writer with hundreds of articles related to firearms and law enforcement published by Harris Publications, Athlon Outdoors, NRA, Police & Security News, The Firearm Blog, Human Events and more.
Hornady Manufacturing, Inc. introduced the extremely popular LeverEvolution line of ammunition in 2006. Now they have expanded the line to include the .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum cartridges. These two handgun cartridges are very popular with hunters, both from handguns and from lever-action rifles.
A .22 conversion kit for your SIG SAUER pistol is a great way to get range time in at a fraction of the cost associated with centerfire ammunition.
For a time, SIG offered a .22 conversion kit for the classic pistols: the P220, P226, P228 and P229.
However, the company discontinued these kits and they are now only available as used kits that often sell for triple the original MSRP.
If you shoot the 5mm rimfire, Aguila Ammunition has good news: the 5mm Remington Rimfire Magnum (RFM or sometimes RRM) is back in production. Additionally, the company is offering two loads now.
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Beretta Px4 Storm Sub-Compact Pistol
It seems like every firearms company is solidly in the striker-fired camp. Beretta is one of the few that continues to find value in the hammer-fired pistol world.
Case in point: the Px4 Storm Subcompact. Introduced more than a decade ago, the handgun continues to be a staple in the Beretta catalog.
Why? Well, some of the reasons are obvious while others are a bit more subtle. So, let’s take a look at the Px4 Subcompact and review the features this gun offers.
Px4 Subcompact
Released in 2008, the Beretta Px4 Storm sub-compact pistol is a polymer-framed, hammer-fired handgun that has earned a very good reputation in the self-defense and law enforcement communities.
Any shooter familiar with the larger pistols in the Px4 Storm line will recognize this pistol’s styling and operation.
However, there is a significant difference between the subcompact and larger Px4 pistols. Beretta designed the Px4 with a rotary barrel lock up. Due to the compact size of the Px4 Subcompact, this model uses a til barrel lockup common to other pistols like the Glock 43 and Smith & Wesson M&P Shield.
Originally, the Px4 Storm could be had with one of four different trigger types, designated by Beretta as F, G, D and C trigger options. Currently, the company trimmed the options down to one: the F.
This trigger option is the traditional double-action/single-action (DA/SA) pull with a slide-mounted de-cocker. The de-cocker can also serve as a manual safety and is ambidextrous.
The following video from Beretta reviews the subcompact pistol along with the other models in the Px4 line:
The pistol was designed to be friendly to left-handed shooters. In addition to the ambidextrous safety, the gun has a reversible magazine release button.
Since the day it was introduced, the Px4 sub-compact pistol is available in both 9mm and .40 S&W versions. Although a pistol chambered in 45 ACP has been rumored, none have ever been offered by Beretta.
The Px4 comes with three different sized backstraps. A shooter can easily swap them out to find the best sized for his or her hand.
Also to help fit the shooter’s hand is a unique magazine baseplate feature that Beretta calls the Snap-Grip. As with many sub-compact pistols, the gun’s grip is relatively short. However, the front portion of the magazine base plate can be snapped down, giving the shooter additional gripping surface.
When not shooting, the extension can be snapped back up, providing for a smaller profile for concealed carry.
A short Picatinny rail is molded into the underside of the pistol’s frame. This allows the shooter to add a white light or laser to the Beretta Px4 Storm sub-compact pistol.
Specifications
Here are the specs on the Beretta Px4 Storm Subcompact:
| SKU | JXS4F20 | JXS9F21 |
| Caliber | .40 S&W | 9mm |
| Standard Magazine Capacity | 10 | 13 |
| Action | DA/SA | DA/SA |
| Barrel Length | 3.0″ | 3.0″ |
| Overall Length | 6.22″ | 6.22″ |
| Width | 1.42″ | 1.42″ |
| Weight (unloaded) | 26.1 oz | 26.1 oz |
| MSRP (2008) | $575 | $575 |
| MSRP (2021) | $650 | $650 |
Last update: June 3, 2021