Hi everyone,
This is my third post about the PX4 and having put 260 rounds through it with on failures I thought Iâd post how it is doing and also do a general comparison between the PX4 and Glock as I was close to buying a full size Glock instead of the PX4.
I like both the PX4 and Glock so I will do my best to keep it as unbiased as I can!
Trigger:
Iâve got the F Model, but there are 4 different PX4 variants:
F Model = DA/SA / Decocker / Safety
G Model = DA/SA / Decocker / No Safety
D Model = DAO / Spurless Hammer / No Safety
C Model = DAO / Spurless Hammer / No Safety / Shorter and Lighter Trigger
There are two things the PX4 offers in the trigger department that Glock does not. The first is that the PX4 has restrike capability. This is often a hotly debated item as some people say there is no point in restriking the primer of a round that didnât fire and that one should do a âtap rack bangâ instead of counting on restrike to fire. I donât see a downside to having restrike capability, so I would prefer it if given a choice. The other thing that the PX4 offers is the option of a manual safety. Some people prefer no manual safety and you can get a model with no manual safety if you prefer.
Glock offers a much more configurable trigger. You can change out the connector, trigger spring, and/or striker spring if you want it to feel differently. Changing the connector and trigger spring should have a very minimal effect on striker power so you can lighten the trigger on a Glock easily without comprimising primer detonation capability.
I am used to the Glock trigger so I shot it better on day one, but after 260 rounds I would say I shoot the PX4 trigger just fine compared to the Glock after getting used to it. One thing you might not like about the PX4 trigger is that it breaks near the end of its rearward travel. I read some people complaining about this and it annoyed me a little the first time I shot it, but after getting used to it on the second and third days I shot it, it doesnât bother me at all now. I think the reset is longer than the Glockâs, but I wasnât having any issues with it once I got used to it. Double action shots were long and smooth as expected.
You donât have to pull the PX4 trigger to take it down. You also donât have to press any levers or do anything special. Just press down on the two notches on the frame and the slide can go forward and pull off the frame. Many people consider pulling the trigger on the Glock to facilitate takedown a serious safety issue. Again, if given a choice Iâd prefer a pistol that doesnât require pulling the trigger to field strip, but I donât really have a problem with the Glock. Just make sure it is UNLOADED before taking down.
Between the Glock and the PX4, I would have to say I still prefer the Glock trigger just by a slight edge, but that might be because I am used to the Glock more. I can shoot the PX4 trigger just as accurately though.
Recoil:
I started with a Glock 19, and then switched to a Glock 26. The first thing I noticed when I shot the 26 for the first time was that it had a lot more snap than I thought it would compared to the 19. I changed the recoil spring on the 26 from factory 16# to a Wolff all steel setup using an 18# spring. This took away the snap and made the 26 so much more comfortable to shoot. I havenât had any function problems with the 18# setup even with lighter ammunition, although I almost always shoot a 147gr handload around 950 fps these days. Where I am going with this is that my G26 shoots much softer now than it did when it arrived from the factory.
After 3 shooting sessions with the PX4 I can say that it has less recoil than my G26 does, maybe 25%. Iâve read that the 40S&W PX4 is very nice to shoot and there have been numerous posts where people love the 40S&W version because they say it feels like a 9mm. When I was at OPS I can tell you that it is most likely because Beretta has the 40S&W PX4 sprung heavier to handle the heavier loads of the 40S&W.
Recoil is such a subjective thing. You really arenât going to get around the laws of physics, but you can certainly change how it feels. Consider a revolver for a second, all that recoil goes to the shooter immediately. With an automatic, the recoil goes to the barrel/slide first, then the slide moves rearward at a specific rate, then the slide usually stops at its most rearward travel where any remaining energy is transferred to the shooter. This could turn into a heavier spring / lighter spring debate, but my take on it is this: Competition shooters like lighter recoil springs because it increases slide speed. I also think they are so used to recoil that they donât care about the slide slamming into its most rearward travel and hitting them with the recoil all at once. They also tend to shoot lighter loads which make this easier. With a heavier load like a 9mm +P or 40S&W, I can tell you that I much prefer a heavier spring that soaks up a little more energy before the slide goes to its most rearward position. When people say the recoil is so much more comfortable on this pistol or that pistol I often wonder if it has a heavier slide or a heavier spring and that it the whole difference in addition to the bore axis. The PX4 has a low bore axis light the Glock.
One downside to a heavier spring however is limpwristing. If you have weaker powered ammunition and donât have a firm grasp on the frame, a heavier spring will contribute to limpwrist style jams. I tested both the PX4 and my G26 (18# spring) with my 147gr 950 fps handload and I couldnât get either them to fail by holding them very weakly.
What about the PX4 rotary barrel and its effect on recoil? Perhaps it makes a difference, I am not sure. One nice thing about it is that I would think it would really help on those calibers known to have torque in their recoil. I donât notice torque in my G27 with 180gr loads which really surprised me, but maybe the faster 40S&W loads would benefit from torque reduction because of the rotary barrel. If this is true, I sure wonder how the PX4 45 would shoot. I had a G30 that the torque of the recoil just drove me nuts.
The PX4 has the Glock beaten in light recoil. You could probably get the Glock close to the PX4âs recoil by putting in a heavier spring, but then you might have function issues with lighter ammunition.
Barrel:
I was disappointed in my PX4âs velocity. Being a full size, I expected a small jump in velocity. It actually has only a 4â barrel which I think really should have been 4.5â for its overall size. It also does not have polygonal rifling which usually provides a little boost in speed. It shoots about 30 fps SLOWER than my G26 which has a 3.46â polygonal barrel. To compare, Iâll bet a G17 would have added 50 fps to the velocity for its extra inch in length. You could however shoot lead bullets in the PX4's traditional rifled barrel.
The best thing about the rotary barrel to me is the way it locks up, I doubt youâll have any lockup issues with this setup. This is the one thing I donât love about Glocks. The way the Glock barrel locks up it can have issues not going up all the way. This can lead to a light off center primer strike which may not fire or may leave brass without enough chamber support. Once a Glock is well worn if it has a good recoil spring this will likely not be an issue, but I once had a tight extractor in a Glock that would not lockup fully every 20 rounds or so.
Iâm not going to get into barrel support as my PX4 is a 9mm and Glock 9mmâs are known to be quite supported. This may be more of an issue in 40S&W Glocks, but my G27 actually has fairily good support for a 40S&W. I will say that there is barely any feed ramp on the PX4 rotary barrel as rounds are loaded into it in an almost straight line from the magazine. Iâd be surprised if people have fail to feeds with this setup.
The Glock wins on velocity, but loses on lockup. Iâd call barrel a fair draw between the two.
Comfort / Control Features:
I have always found Glockâs comfortable, even the large frame 45/10mm ones. To me both feel equally good in my hands. The PX4 does offer a small and large backstrap as well which is nice. My wife said the smallest backstrap grip felt better to her.
The decocker safety on the PX4 is easy to use and operate. You can also get an optional slim lever group for the decocker safety if you want to minimize the width of the weapon. The slim lever group will also convert it from a F Model to a G Model (no safety).
I always use the slingshot method to close a slide, but if you are one to activate the slide stop, you would prefer the PX4 over the Glock. The PX4 has a nice side slide stop you can activate easily.
You can reverse the direction on the PX4 magazine release and change it to 1 of 3 different sizes as well.
The trigger is smooth and very comfortable compared to the Glock trigger within a trigger. I always change out the horrible target trigger with the smooth Glock equivalent, but the PX4 trigger is still more comfortable.
I think the PX4 wins this category because it is more configurable.
(continued...)
This is my third post about the PX4 and having put 260 rounds through it with on failures I thought Iâd post how it is doing and also do a general comparison between the PX4 and Glock as I was close to buying a full size Glock instead of the PX4.
I like both the PX4 and Glock so I will do my best to keep it as unbiased as I can!
Trigger:
Iâve got the F Model, but there are 4 different PX4 variants:
F Model = DA/SA / Decocker / Safety
G Model = DA/SA / Decocker / No Safety
D Model = DAO / Spurless Hammer / No Safety
C Model = DAO / Spurless Hammer / No Safety / Shorter and Lighter Trigger
There are two things the PX4 offers in the trigger department that Glock does not. The first is that the PX4 has restrike capability. This is often a hotly debated item as some people say there is no point in restriking the primer of a round that didnât fire and that one should do a âtap rack bangâ instead of counting on restrike to fire. I donât see a downside to having restrike capability, so I would prefer it if given a choice. The other thing that the PX4 offers is the option of a manual safety. Some people prefer no manual safety and you can get a model with no manual safety if you prefer.
Glock offers a much more configurable trigger. You can change out the connector, trigger spring, and/or striker spring if you want it to feel differently. Changing the connector and trigger spring should have a very minimal effect on striker power so you can lighten the trigger on a Glock easily without comprimising primer detonation capability.
I am used to the Glock trigger so I shot it better on day one, but after 260 rounds I would say I shoot the PX4 trigger just fine compared to the Glock after getting used to it. One thing you might not like about the PX4 trigger is that it breaks near the end of its rearward travel. I read some people complaining about this and it annoyed me a little the first time I shot it, but after getting used to it on the second and third days I shot it, it doesnât bother me at all now. I think the reset is longer than the Glockâs, but I wasnât having any issues with it once I got used to it. Double action shots were long and smooth as expected.
You donât have to pull the PX4 trigger to take it down. You also donât have to press any levers or do anything special. Just press down on the two notches on the frame and the slide can go forward and pull off the frame. Many people consider pulling the trigger on the Glock to facilitate takedown a serious safety issue. Again, if given a choice Iâd prefer a pistol that doesnât require pulling the trigger to field strip, but I donât really have a problem with the Glock. Just make sure it is UNLOADED before taking down.
Between the Glock and the PX4, I would have to say I still prefer the Glock trigger just by a slight edge, but that might be because I am used to the Glock more. I can shoot the PX4 trigger just as accurately though.
Recoil:
I started with a Glock 19, and then switched to a Glock 26. The first thing I noticed when I shot the 26 for the first time was that it had a lot more snap than I thought it would compared to the 19. I changed the recoil spring on the 26 from factory 16# to a Wolff all steel setup using an 18# spring. This took away the snap and made the 26 so much more comfortable to shoot. I havenât had any function problems with the 18# setup even with lighter ammunition, although I almost always shoot a 147gr handload around 950 fps these days. Where I am going with this is that my G26 shoots much softer now than it did when it arrived from the factory.
After 3 shooting sessions with the PX4 I can say that it has less recoil than my G26 does, maybe 25%. Iâve read that the 40S&W PX4 is very nice to shoot and there have been numerous posts where people love the 40S&W version because they say it feels like a 9mm. When I was at OPS I can tell you that it is most likely because Beretta has the 40S&W PX4 sprung heavier to handle the heavier loads of the 40S&W.
Recoil is such a subjective thing. You really arenât going to get around the laws of physics, but you can certainly change how it feels. Consider a revolver for a second, all that recoil goes to the shooter immediately. With an automatic, the recoil goes to the barrel/slide first, then the slide moves rearward at a specific rate, then the slide usually stops at its most rearward travel where any remaining energy is transferred to the shooter. This could turn into a heavier spring / lighter spring debate, but my take on it is this: Competition shooters like lighter recoil springs because it increases slide speed. I also think they are so used to recoil that they donât care about the slide slamming into its most rearward travel and hitting them with the recoil all at once. They also tend to shoot lighter loads which make this easier. With a heavier load like a 9mm +P or 40S&W, I can tell you that I much prefer a heavier spring that soaks up a little more energy before the slide goes to its most rearward position. When people say the recoil is so much more comfortable on this pistol or that pistol I often wonder if it has a heavier slide or a heavier spring and that it the whole difference in addition to the bore axis. The PX4 has a low bore axis light the Glock.
One downside to a heavier spring however is limpwristing. If you have weaker powered ammunition and donât have a firm grasp on the frame, a heavier spring will contribute to limpwrist style jams. I tested both the PX4 and my G26 (18# spring) with my 147gr 950 fps handload and I couldnât get either them to fail by holding them very weakly.
What about the PX4 rotary barrel and its effect on recoil? Perhaps it makes a difference, I am not sure. One nice thing about it is that I would think it would really help on those calibers known to have torque in their recoil. I donât notice torque in my G27 with 180gr loads which really surprised me, but maybe the faster 40S&W loads would benefit from torque reduction because of the rotary barrel. If this is true, I sure wonder how the PX4 45 would shoot. I had a G30 that the torque of the recoil just drove me nuts.
The PX4 has the Glock beaten in light recoil. You could probably get the Glock close to the PX4âs recoil by putting in a heavier spring, but then you might have function issues with lighter ammunition.
Barrel:
I was disappointed in my PX4âs velocity. Being a full size, I expected a small jump in velocity. It actually has only a 4â barrel which I think really should have been 4.5â for its overall size. It also does not have polygonal rifling which usually provides a little boost in speed. It shoots about 30 fps SLOWER than my G26 which has a 3.46â polygonal barrel. To compare, Iâll bet a G17 would have added 50 fps to the velocity for its extra inch in length. You could however shoot lead bullets in the PX4's traditional rifled barrel.
The best thing about the rotary barrel to me is the way it locks up, I doubt youâll have any lockup issues with this setup. This is the one thing I donât love about Glocks. The way the Glock barrel locks up it can have issues not going up all the way. This can lead to a light off center primer strike which may not fire or may leave brass without enough chamber support. Once a Glock is well worn if it has a good recoil spring this will likely not be an issue, but I once had a tight extractor in a Glock that would not lockup fully every 20 rounds or so.
Iâm not going to get into barrel support as my PX4 is a 9mm and Glock 9mmâs are known to be quite supported. This may be more of an issue in 40S&W Glocks, but my G27 actually has fairily good support for a 40S&W. I will say that there is barely any feed ramp on the PX4 rotary barrel as rounds are loaded into it in an almost straight line from the magazine. Iâd be surprised if people have fail to feeds with this setup.
The Glock wins on velocity, but loses on lockup. Iâd call barrel a fair draw between the two.
Comfort / Control Features:
I have always found Glockâs comfortable, even the large frame 45/10mm ones. To me both feel equally good in my hands. The PX4 does offer a small and large backstrap as well which is nice. My wife said the smallest backstrap grip felt better to her.
The decocker safety on the PX4 is easy to use and operate. You can also get an optional slim lever group for the decocker safety if you want to minimize the width of the weapon. The slim lever group will also convert it from a F Model to a G Model (no safety).
I always use the slingshot method to close a slide, but if you are one to activate the slide stop, you would prefer the PX4 over the Glock. The PX4 has a nice side slide stop you can activate easily.
You can reverse the direction on the PX4 magazine release and change it to 1 of 3 different sizes as well.
The trigger is smooth and very comfortable compared to the Glock trigger within a trigger. I always change out the horrible target trigger with the smooth Glock equivalent, but the PX4 trigger is still more comfortable.
I think the PX4 wins this category because it is more configurable.
(continued...)