Beretta Px4 Storm Rotating-Barrel Semi-Auto Tactical Pistol Family for Military Spec-Operators, Law Enforcement, and Civilian Tactical Shooters: Standard, Compact, Sub-Compact, and Special Duty (SD)/Joint Combat Pistol (JCP) Models (Video!)

By David Crane
defrev (at) gmail (dot) com

All photos and video clips contained in this article were shot by DefenseReview.com, and are copyrighted. DefenseReview.com owns the copyright on these photos. The photos and video clips were shot with a Canon PowerShot S90 10-megapixel digital camera (still camera with video capability).

October 19, 2011
Last edited/updated on 10/21/11.

While we're on the subject of tactical/combat pistols at the 2011 NDIA Infantry Small Arms Systems Symposium, we should probably discuss the Beretta Px4 Storm tactical pistol family, including the following models: Standard, Compact, Subcompact (also written Sub-Compact), and Special Duty (SD), which was developed and submitted for the U.S. military Special Operations Joint Combat Pistol (JCP) program. At first glance, the PX4 Storm looks just like any other high-capacity DA/SA (Double Action/Single Action) semi-auto tactical pistol. However, the Beretta PX4 Storm is unique in that it utilizes a rotating barrel, which is supposed to provide both lock-up strength/durability, smoothness-of-operating (cycling smoothness), and relatively low bore axis (for a DA/SA pistol) advantages. Well, "unique" may be a bit of a stretch, since the STI GP6, STI GP6-C, and STI GP5 tactical pistols also utilize a rotating barrel system/lockup. But, the Px4 Storm is unique enough.

The Beretta Px4 Storm tactical/combat pistols are hammer-fired double-action/single-action (DA/SA) semi-auto pistols that feature a 3-dot sight system, Mil-Std-1913 "Picatinny" rail on the dust cover (front of the frame) for mounting a tactical white light/laser sight, the usual Beretta slide-mounted sweep-up ambidextrous manual thumb safety/selector lever/switch ("Type F"), reversable magazine release button, visible automatic firing pin block, forward cocking serrations (on slide), modular backstrap (small, medium, and large), and a matte black, non-glare Bruniton (TM) finish on the slide. Defense Review REALLY doesn't like slide-mounted "sweep-up" manual thumb safety levers, but o.k. 

The Px4 rotating-barrel design is an interesting one. A U.S. military Special Operations contact of DR's has test-fired it and liked the pistol's fast and smooth cycling action, if not the safety/selector switch design. We'd very much like to run this pistol at the range, and then we'd like to move the safefty/selector down to the frame and make it a 1911-style sweep-down lever.

Beretta Px4 Storm Tactical Pistol Family Specifications:

Company Contact Info:

Beretta USA
17601 Beretta Drive
Accokeek, MD 20607-9566
Toll Free 1: 800-237-3882
Toll Free 2: 800-929-2901
Office: 301-283-2191
Email Contact Page: http://berettausa.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/147
Website 1: http://www.px4storm.us
Website 2: http://www.berettausa.com

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