Thoughts on the PX4?

[JDePietro]

I have delayed asking this question so as to make sure that it has not been covered to death. I am actually surprised to see that there is very little written about the Beretta PX4. So now I turn to some of the fine members of this board who have bought, returned, or covet the PX4.

This is why I am interested in the pistol in the first place.

After being with me for a while my girl friend started to understand why she needs to learn how to protect herself. After taking a class on self defense (gunless) she really understood why. With having elected such a great Sheriff in Berks she had the opertunity to obtain her ltcf without venturing into the city or even waiting 45 days. Now her attention is turned to finding the perfect handgun.

Currently she is utilizing my Taurus mod 85 Ultra-lite. It is not a bad firearm but I bought it with the intention of using it as a backup. It does not weigh enough to combat the evil recoil of the .38+p or for that matter the reg .38's. Recoil is a big factor with her because the more comfortable it is for her to shoot, the more range time and practive she will be willing to put in. So far she has handled a Glock, and a S&W PD. She does like the M&P very much but I have advised her to take a look at all there is on the market before she decides.

The PX4 has many of the attributes she is looking for. Easy take down and cleaning, advertised reduced recoil and superb accuracy.

So in your own words what are your thought about the PX4? Is it reliable? Do you carry it as your main sidearm?

Thank you all in advance for your replies.
-Josh

[MTechnik]

The px4 has nice light recoil because the barrel is low, and the twisting action of the barrel. That said, it can't be abused and not cleaned because of the action. Great pistol otherwise.

[TTR]

I have the PX4 .45 ACP. Man I love that pistol. Easy to break down and clean, accurate.

[c.sander]

i love my px4... its my cc piece when im not OC'ing generally... also i rarely ever clean it... maybe once every 6 months or so... every 2500 rounds or so as well and its never had a malfunction... it points real well, its comfortable in the hand, not real heavy, more accurate than i am, a breeze to field strip, and comes stock with night sights albeit not the greatest night sights but if its outside during the day they are real bright later ;p i own one in .40 and on my list of things to buy in the future is another in .45 and a SC Px4. it is my favorite handgun to shoot out of all my handguns.
.... it also looks damn sexy
ETA: ive had a handfull of malfunctions... but none of them were the guns fault.. faulty ammo or shooter on every occasion... ive easy 30,000 rounds through her


and a shot of all of my handguns so you know what its up against for my personal use

[P-11 shooter]

I looked at one and didn't really like it. The plastic seemed a little cheezy or something. I got the M&P and I think it's a better made gun with many of the features that make it good for a female shooter.

Plus you don't have t keep it clean at all. The M&P tourture test gun might get cleaned every 5-10 thousand rounds if it's lucky and keeps on ticking.

[RONNIE77]

Are you looking to get the full size or the compact for carry?
I don't own one, but I have shot all three calibers 9,40 & 45 in the full size. I never shot the compact version, so I can't verify. I liked the 9 and the 45 best. They shoot very well and are comfortable for me. They are nice guns.

[synergy]

Having shot and maintained them...I don't care for them. Too large for what they are, slide mounted safety is a liability to me (whenever you grab for the slide, you can activate the safety unintentionally), it seems a little "weighty" to me, and generally has nothing to offer me over the competition.

In your OP, you stated you liked lower recoil, easy cleaning and takedown, and good accuracy.
Most popular choices will do you just fine in those respects.

The M&P is very soft shooting, but I think the Glock is too, for it's weight. With 9mm ammo, and some practice, the recoil is quite manageable from pretty much any choice.

Shop features first, amongst the good brands.

[mrnyman]

The PX4 series of Guns is a step down for Berreta, the most ugliest and cheesiest looking Guns Berreta has ever come up with.

The rotating Barrel really doesnt solve anything , Harsh recoil was never a problem for Berreta, look at the 92/96 series excellent Guns without the nonsense.

I have a collection of Berretas but i will not be adding that monstrosity to my collection.

Nyman

[JohnUSCG]

I suppose that "Beauty is in the eye of the Gun-holder'. I, for one, think the overall appearance of the PX4 is great. The rotating barrel system is nothing new for Beretta as it was the same recoil system that was in place for the Cougar series of pistols and is still in production today under the 'Stoeger' cougar name.
Does the rotating system lessen recoil? Well...that is a somewhat subjective question and for me, it doesn't change the recoil feel much if at all. The overall size of the gun and the 'weighty' front end seem to counteract as much as anything.
I love my PX4. I simply wish that Beretta did more to widen their advertising and accessories for this as I could really see it being a great contender with the IDPA and USPSA crowd. Beretta, unfortunatly, has been around so long that it takes a full generation for them to actually change things to meet the market. (Not that it is such a bad thing.....just something I think they can improve upon)
Several PD's are picking up the PX4 as their issued duty weapons. They are in the final testing phase for the State Police in several states and I have seen some of the data. Pretty impressive to me.

[96D]

The PX is not a bad lookin & shooting pistol but I thought it was alittle top heavy, so I traded it on a nice Cougar.