Categories
Handguns

New Beretta APX Pistols for 2018

Beretta USA is expected to announce three new APX pistols at the 2018 SHOT Show in January. The new pistols are the APX RDO, APX Combat and APX Flat Dark Earth. These guns are an expansion of the line that was only recently introduced to the US commercial market. (Update: Shooters that like the APX line might want to read the 2019 SHOT Show rumors…)

Beretta APX RDO

RDO stands for “red dot optics” and likely tells you what makes this gun different from the standard APX. The slide of the APX RDO is cut to allow for the quick installation of four different optics including the Trijicon RMR.

Beretta APX FDE

Many people are moving toward adding a red dot sight on their self-defense pistols. As the APX is designed to be a combat handgun, it makes sense that the company would want to accommodate shooters adopting this trend.

It is not likely that these new models will fit most, if any, of the existing Beretta APX holsters.

Beretta APX Combat

Beretta APX Combat

One step farther than the RDO model would be the Combat model. The APX Combat is said to be a pistol with a red dot optic cut and a threaded barrel. The threaded barrel would allow for the addition of a sound suppressor.

For a home defense gun, this is ideal. The reduced muzzle blast would potentially allow you to still hear other threats, the shouts of family members and responding law enforcement officers.

Of course, a sound suppressor is also desirable for military units and law enforcement officers for many of the same reasons. I feel this is a “no-brainer” for Beretta to offer.

Beretta APX Flat Dark Earth

Beretta APX FDE New Gun 2018

Unlike a previously seen APX with a FDE colored frame, this gun is all flat dark earth. It has both a frame and slide with an FDE finish. Other bits, like the trigger and magazine release, remain black.

Additional Information

These guns will be shown at the SHOT Show, but some have already started to appear on sales sites around the country. When they begin to ship is anyone’s guess. However, I would expect that Beretta is very close to getting these out to the public now.

Also, I’m working on getting photos of the guns mentioned above. While I’ve seen what these new guns look like, I have not yet secured permission to use the photos I have seen. Once I do, I will post them for you as well.

Last Update: October 23, 2022

Categories
Handguns

Beretta Pico

The new Beretta Pico was announced today at the 2013 National Rifle Association’s Annual Meetings and Exhibits in Houston, TX.  The new gun is intended for the concealed carry market and comes to the table already looking like a mature platform with multiple options, frame colors and accessories ready to go.

Beretta Pico

The Pico is being called “ultra-concealable” by the company, and at the widest point, the Beretta Pico is only 18mm.  For those of us stuck still using the king’s system of measurements, that works out to be less than 0.71″ wide.  That is pretty darn thin.

Additionally, the pistol has many of the edges rounded to prevent snagging on garments when drawing from concealed locations.  Additionally, the slide release is flush with the frame, meaning it does not protrude beyond the width of the frame.

Beretta Pico 380

One of the distinguishing characteristics of the new handgun is its ability to change between 380 ACP and 32 ACP with a quick barrel swap.  In less than a minute, the shooter can move between calibers with a single gun.

In both calibers, the barrel only tilts 1.4° during the firing sequence.  According to Beretta, this increases reliability of feeding.  Additionally, by having limited tilt, the company states this dramatically reduces felt recoil.  One Beretta spokesperson stated this gun was unlike other subcompact .380 pistols on the market, because the recoil was so low you would actually enjoy shooting this gun.

The new Pico has the ability to swap frames as the company’s other pistol, the Nano, does.  The frames are polymer.  Ready immediately for the new pistol are frames in black, purple, white, pink and flat dark earth.  The Pico is able to do this by using a chassis system like the Nano.

Categories
Handguns

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.

right side view of beretta px4 storm sc

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.

slide locked back on px4 storm sc

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.

field stripping the Px4 Subcompact

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.

Px4 SubCompact with Backstraps

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.

What my Px4 Subcompact came with

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:

SKUJXS4F20JXS9F21
Caliber.40 S&W9mm
Standard Magazine Capacity1013
ActionDA/SADA/SA
Barrel Length3.0″3.0″
Overall Length6.22″6.22″
Width1.42″1.42″
Weight (unloaded)26.1 oz26.1 oz
MSRP (2008)$575$575
MSRP (2021)$650$650

Last update: June 3, 2021

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