Beretta Px4 Storm Compact Review: Perfect Storm?

Beretta is a company that has been around for a couple of years. As a matter of fact, in 3 years, they will celebrate their 500th year in the firearms business — a true milestone for the oldest firearms manufacturer in the world.

The company has enjoyed great popularity and success over the years with guns like the Beretta M9, which served as the U.S. military sidearm for many years.

They have always been a bit different in their designs, and I have always liked their styling; their guns impart a “Buck Rogers” look and feel to me.

The Px4 Storm series is one of those interesting designs. From its rounded rear frame to the very different lock-up it uses, it’s a gun that captures attention.

I finally got this one in recently, and what a neat gun it was to review!

PX4 Compact Carry Review at a Glance

Pros

• Reliability
• Durability
• Recoil Control
• Accuracy

Cons

• Grip lacks texture
• Price

The Bottom Line

The Beretta Px4 Storm is a DA/SA pistol that uses a rotating barrel instead of the Browning tilting action. This operating system helps alleviate recoil, making it a particularly soft shooter.

The Compact Carry model was designed in collaboration with Ernest Langdon and features stealth levers, night sights, an improved trigger, and comes with three 15-round magazines.

Specs & Features

Specs

• Width: 1.4”
• Length: 6.8”
• Barrel Length: 3.2”
• Height: 5”
• Weight: 27.3 oz.
• Capacity: 15 + 1
• Trigger Pull Weight: DA: 6 lbs., 10 oz; SA: 3 lbs, 3 oz. (measured with a Lyman digital gauge)

Features

• Grey Cerakote slide
• AmeriGlo high vis night sights
• Picatinny accessory rail
• Reversible magazine release with small, medium, and large buttons included
• Low-profile “stealth” decocker and slide-release levers
• Rotating barrel
• Talon grips included

Source: Beretta

Px4: A Bit of Background

The Px4 Storm debuted in 2004 with the primary intent of replacing the aging Beretta Cougar. It is now available in three different calibers and nine different configurations.

It’s in use by at least 15 countries in their military or police agencies.

Its barrel only moves fore-and-aft as opposed to both that and up-and-down like on most standard pistols.

Due to this, the Storm tends to recoil straight back into the hand rather than flip up. However, due to its shorter length, the sub-compact variant does not utilize the rotating barrel.

Note: This gun is a “G” model, which uses a slide-mounted decocker only. If you are looking for one with a combination safety/decocker, look at the type “F” models.

Who Is It For?

The Compact Carry Storm has features that make carrying it for self-defense a bit easier and more effective — the sights, the Talon grip wrap, and the trigger work all scream “concealed carry.”

Other folks who would probably benefit from owning this gun would be law enforcement and security personnel. Beretta’s reliability and durability are legendary, and the Px4 has been stress-tested to 150,000 rounds without failure.

Another possible use for this gun is home defense. With 15-round mags and a slot under the barrel for a light, you’re good to go.

Lastly, this gun might fit well for those who lack grip strength. I was impressed with just how easy the slide was to rack. It wasn’t quite in the Ruger or S&W “EZ” category, but for a mainstream gun, it was pretty darn easy.

Fit & Feel

I have average-size hands, so average-size grips work for me. Users with larger hands should be well served by the included backstraps.

One review claimed that the front sight was too wide, but rectangular sights provided a great sight picture for me.

At arm’s length, I get just about half the width of that sight in open space on either side. This gave me plenty of “wiggle room” to hold an accurate sight picture.

The stock grip texture is rather smooth and lacking in some areas. However, the Compact Carry offers a non-permanent solution in the form of Talon grips that allow users to add a more aggressive grip texture to the firearm.

One of the drawbacks that some shooters see in this and similar guns is its width. Being almost an inch and a half wide means a good holster is called for.

To help alleviate this somewhat, the compact carry model features “stealth levers,” which help reduce the slide width over standard Px4 models.

How Does It Shoot?

I shot a few targets from my backyard bench using the Ransom Multi-Cal Steady Rest.

Due to a general lack of ammo, I was relegated to using 115-grain Fiocchi Training Dynamics and Federal.

I set the targets at around 15 yards.

As always, I shot to the right. I wasn’t trying to “prove” that the Storm was a tack driver. Rather, I mostly wanted to experience what other reviewers and owners have commented on — the lack of felt recoil.

After my experience with the gun, add my name to that “reduced recoil” believer list.

This thing doesn’t kick like most other 9mm pistols I’ve shot. The rotating barrel seems to really dampen the recoil to a noticeable degree.

One thing I wasn’t ready for was the custom trigger. I had one shot go off early as I was settling the sights in. That 3-pound-ish trigger had a little take-up, as most DA/SA triggers do, but there was zero creep or overtravel.

This would be a great gun to check different 9mm loads for accuracy. Put it on a solid rest, aim, and let em fly. You won’t be able to blame bad groups for this trigger!

What Sets it Apart?

What sets this pistol apart from traditional Browning swing-link actions is, obviously, its rotating barrel. That single feature puts this gun in a whole different category.

Recoil is lessened, the front sight is a rectangular night sight, and no trigger pull is needed to take the gun down. The trigger is more than excellent, and the gun even has a lanyard loop! What’s not to like, eh?

If you are going to compare the Storm to other 9mm pistols, you really need to compare pears to pears (I like pears more than apples). This means looking at other guns that use a rotating-barrel action.

That really cuts the number of other guns down.

The only other current rotating barrel pistols are offerings from Grand Power, the new Smith & Wesson M&P 5.7, and the mythical (and likely non-existent) Glock 46.

By the Numbers

Reliability: 5/5

I experienced no failures of any kind.

Ergonomics: 5/5

It fits my hand perfectly and handled well. The included Talon grips make up for the lack of stock grip texture.

Accuracy: 5/5

Groupings were more than sufficient for the gun’s intended purpose.

Customization: 5/5

Beretta’s website has dozens of aftermarket parts, grip, mags, etc.

Value: 4.5/5

The gun is really special but costs almost $900.

Overall: 4.5/5

Upgrades for the CC Storm

Like most other CCW pistols, the Beretta Px4 has some upgrades like holsters, grips, and spare mags. Though not as robust as the Glock aftermarket, there’s enough there to get you up and running.

Final Verdict

The Px4 Storm Compact Carry is one heckuva pistol. Sure, it’s not cheap, but the quality is definitely there.

Keep in mind that the Compact Carry model features some upgrades that raise its price over other Storms.

The rotating barrel does reduce recoil, which may be a huge draw for some. Overall, If you want a distinctive 9mm, unlike any other on your block, give the Px4 Storm CC a hard look. I think you’ll like what you’ll see!

What are your thoughts on the Px4 Storm Compact Carry? Let us know in the comments below. Love weird guns? Be sure to check out our article on the 10 Most Underrated Handguns!