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Thread: Beretta APX Review

  1. #11
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    Not a fan aesthically but I'm sure it works.
    Last edited by Pilot1; 03-29-17 at 08:28.

  2. #12
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    ramairthree, thanks much for posting this review.

    Have you had a chance to disassemble the fire control unit, or whatever Beretta calls the chassis with all the fire control components? I'm curious as to how complicated that is to conduct a detailed disassembly and reassembly. Any idea how the complexity compares to say the FCU of a SIG P320?

    Likewise, how is the slide disassembly/reassembly process? Anything quirky about that, such as tiny parts, a need for special tools or a need to remove the rear sight to get to some parts in the slide, etc?

    While this may be very difficult to sense from examining the 9mm APX, do you have sense of whether the APX was designed originally as a 9mm or as a .40 S&W? I've read statements on the errornet that a .40 version is coming soon.

  3. #13
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    Chassis is simple. Punch out a pin.

    I have not looked into detailed, complete slide, trigger disassembly, etc.

    To be honest, I am not a fan of the whole chassis gun concept.

    I don't buy one AR lower and have several uppers.
    I have a bunch of ARs.

    I have a Glock 17, chopped for 19 mags Glock 17, Glock 19, and Glock 26, and would consider a Glock 34. I would not get a Glock FCU and a bunch of different uppers and frames if that was an option.

    If Beretta comes out with. 5.25 APX Upper with Production sites and a Pro trigger and accurized barrel, and a compact APX, and a subcompact G26 type APX, and I was a fan of the system, I would just buy complete guns in each vs swapping one FCU between them.

    Although some guys have already bought the different colored frames and are playing dress up Beretta Barbie with their APX.

  4. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by ramairthree View Post
    Although some guys have already bought the different colored frames and are playing dress up Beretta Barbie with their APX.
    Savage

  5. #15
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    I picked up one of these a couple days ago at a LGS and having given it a good look inside and out I think it's a well built and rather handsome pistol (the slide "serrations" are much more aesthetically pleasing and less exaggerated than they appear in most photos, and do make racking the slide or press checks about as easy as they can get). My three design qualms are with (1) the fact that you need a tool to change out backstraps (2) you need to remove a pin to take out the chassis and (3) that firing pin block pin that pops out when you pull the trigger (although since it's on 92 series and PX4 pistols, I almost think it was a conscious choice for continuity in Beretta pistols rather than a design necessity). The first two really aren't that big a deal since these are not presumably regular functions, although SIG got this right with the P320 as these functions do not require any tools or pin removals. (Where SIG got this concept wrong, and where Beretta got this right, is the SIG requiring a complete grip module change to change the grip size, something you can't even test in advance without spending about $40 on a grip module.) I look forward to shooting it in the near future.
    Last edited by olivehead; 03-21-17 at 08:27.

  6. #16
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    Update.

    I have sanded down the trigger safety so it fits flush.

    This really improves my appreciation of the trigger.

    I suspect my example was at the very high end of acceptable protrusion.

    After a half an our or so of dry firing,
    I rank it above a stock Glock, M&P, and XDM trigger.
    Before I was liking my XDm trigger more. There is a lot of variance in opinions on the XDM trigger. For some reason the leave the factory with a range of 4.5, like mine, to 6.5 so # of pull. And while, in stock form many prefer it to the Glock, it is way easier to upgrade a Flock trigger.

    It is Perhaps very close to almost on par with a VP9. I do not like that gun enough to own one and am going by memory.

    But still not the amazing short pull and reset pull of a PPQ. Someone here was concerned a PPQ is not a suitable carry trigger. It is not super light comp trigger. It is a typical 5.5lb trigger, but has a very short, crisp pull and amazingly short reset. It was designed as a police gun. But I do understand concerns, such as guys with 2.5 pound comp triggers in their carry Glocks that will go off if drooped and are the equivalent of carrying a 1911 cocked with the safety off.

    I will make another trip to the range Thursday.

    Speed and accuracy, until different sights, will nipot be at full potential. The sights seem to be deisigned for above average speed and acceptable combat accuracy. While I think they are better quality than stock plastic Glock sights, and more potential accuracy and speed than say, classic M9 sights, there is a good selection of sights out there offering better combined speed and accuracy.
    A slightly larger gun, with better sight radius, designed for competition, such as the XDM 5.25, with sights for such, thus left it in the dirt on the last range trip,
    While it shot on par with the G19. I look forward to seeing spomething like the combined fiber optic/tritium sights come out for it.

    I will have a holster on the next range trip and can get a more active feel for it.

    The factory XDM mag pouch has a notch in the front that makes it hold the mags very well. But the slot/notch facing the wrong way on the rear pouch.
    Still still APX pouches on the Beretta web site.

  7. #17
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    Update-
    Getting ready to go to the range.

    Holster and a couple of extra mags arrived yesterday.
    The holster is an ABS belt, dropped belt, offset dropped if you add a spaced, or paddle civilian Ghost.
    Fit is fine except length looks like designed for a five inch model, would be neat if they do a Production/ssp model.



    I prefer full trigger guard covering for this type of model, but again limited choices. I hope they make matching mag pouches.


    Mag pouches are an issue. The free factory XDM double pouch has slots, works great for the front one. Back slot faces the wrong way.



    Some of my IWB mag pouches designed for the Glock, 92, etc. are rounded enough to use.



    But my square fitting type pouches are not unless you Force and deform them to fit.

    Have some stuff I have to do, then should be at range this afternoon.
    Last edited by ramairthree; 03-23-17 at 09:40.

  8. #18
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    The PX will not be the place to buy one. They are selling the mil/Le one for more than MSRP?
    Still not a deal with no tax.


  9. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by ramairthree View Post
    The PX will not be the place to buy one. They are selling the mil/Le one for more than MSRP?
    Still not a deal with no tax.

    Which PX is that at?

    Ours (Randolph AFB BX) has 10% off all handguns fairly regularly. That would bring it down to $495 and no tax... something to think about...


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  10. #20
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    So, more range time with the gun.

    Holster was a Civilian Ghost from the BERETTA USA website. No good mag holder yet. I used the front pouch of a factory free XDM gear double mag pouch. It has a slot that works great with the APX mags.

    The gun was compared directly with a Glock 19 with factory sights, gen 2, stock trigger and a
    An XDM 5.25 Comp, stock.

    Draw and fire at 7, 6 inch 6 plate racks at 10, mag changes, etc.

    A second shooter was brought. Couple of classes and a dozen matches under his belt that had shot neither the XDM nor the APX before.

    No issues with drawing, firing, holstering. I was asked about that based on the slide ribs.

    The gun fits the hand well, and has good texture. The second shooter felt it was the best feeling gun of the three.
    So, we have a service pistol, with an above average feel.

    Trigger feel is improved significantly without the rib in the middle. I find it superior to the stock Glocks, XDs, XDMs, M&Ps, etc. however, I can grab a Glock trigger and spend a few minutes installing it and have a superior trigger. more effort, but the same for the XDM, etc. I rate it a little under the VP9 and below the PPQ trigger. I am not familiar enough with the 2.0s, pro shop, etc. offerings to say anything about them in comparison. The second shooter really liked the trigger.
    Will there be an aftermarket for this trigger?

    Right now the APX offers an above average striker fired trigger, probably 3rd to 5th or so in stock rankings, in a sea of offerings with readily available better aftermarket triggers, has an unknown future, amid a history of guns from Beretta with little to no factory or aftermarket support, and what little of which has been available is not at all competitively priced.

    The front sight is too big for serious accuracy shooting, and of a material suboptimal for low light or fast shooting. The recessed dots are continuously filling with gunk like some fat slobs unwashed, hairy belly button. The second shooter was not a fan of the sights either. If they were a standard, popular cut, that would be a fast and easy fix.

    Mag changes were fast and easy. The second shooter felt the mag release was placed perfectly. He is a couple of inches taller, heavier, and has larger hands.

    The slide release is horrible ergonomically. If you shoot to slide lock, you are either catching you thumb in the cutout that shows the FCU serial number, sliding past the, etc.
    it is a functional slide lock/release. You can reach it, it works. But push the gun fast and it is even worse than the stock Glock ones. When I wet the guns for grip and ergonomic handling it was even worse. Again, what do I need a giant sized takedown lever, but have such a bad slide release? The second shooter hated it even worse than me. On "lock and show clear" he said, "what in God's name were they thinking, it's like pushing the edge of a dime?"

    The second shooter has most of their time on a 92FS, to a 92G, to a 92A1 they want to convert to G.
    Their most time on striker guns is a G19.

    The pop up was not brought up by them, they are young with 20/20 vision, not military or LE, and slide mounted optics are not on their radar.

    A lot of times, I see guns get reviewed. Even by big name reviewers, or experts that are really semi-Fudds with some podunk LE or non-warrior .mil background. I get frustrated with these reviews. They are often not running the guns hard, dropping mags, doing fast mag changes, etc.

    I don't give a crap if you can do the Danny Glover and get a head shot at 25 yards and rave about the guns accuracy. I don't give a crap how shiny and smooth and well made you think the magazines are. I would rather know if you could move and spank 8 inch plates at 15 and your mag bases did not break when dropped and a few grains of sand did not keep your perfectly shaped and matched baseplate from seating in the gun. They don't even cover basic crap like, no good mag pouches are available for the gun, there are no night sights available, etc.

    Anyways, I digress.
    Regarding the trigger guard.
    I prefer the looks of curved, but for holster fit, lights, etc, find squared more functional. I can put on nomex flight gloves, mechanics gloves, etc. and with the exception of the Beretta 9000S don't have any issues with a wide variety of guns. I am not against the concept of a big trigger guard. But they are not going to be able to free a compact on par with the G19 or subcompact on par with the G26. A low mag release and massive trigger guard was a known platform limitation on the 92 series, and they doubled down on it for this.

    On the way to check out a gun store after this range trip, the second shooter an I had a conservation about the APX in depth.
    We discussed RWD V8 cars, and how you could get a big comfy, low end torque Challenger, and high revving, better handling quicker Mustang, a Camaro somewhere in the middle, and some hardcore versions of each.

    And what the APX would be in this field.

    Now throw in some other companies offerings to compete with each.

    Let's say you have a dozen offerings in this market. Some faster, some handle better, some cost more, some look better, etc.

    And now, in this crowded market of 2017 cars, with V8 power, RWD, Beretta decides to make an offering.
    And they show up with a 2005 Pontiac GTO.
    Sure, good engine, not a bad car, not what people hoped for looks wise, but a damn good American coupe in 2005.
    but it's not 2005.

    Beretta, you had over three decades to respond to Glock.
    Over a decade for many other models.
    You had years to skunk work out the leaders in certain design aspects.

    But we get a gun above average in some features, below average in a couple, with a couple of dumb points that should have been no brainier. This was your chance to redeem yourselves for the 90-Two, Cougar, 9000, and PX4. This was your chance to nail it. This was your chance to make up for letting the 92 platform sit on the back burner while other DA/SA guns rose to prominence. This was your chance to once again have an offering everyone wanted.

    A couple of above average points cancelled out by a couple of dismal features in a bundle of mediocre traits is not what I was hoping for.

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