[17poundr]

I guess that all of you know that Beretta has entered the 'Polymer gun wars', with it's own imput of the Storm 9mm...

It's not only a rather cool looking polymer semi-auto, but has a rather unique (I only know of 3-4 semi-auto handguns that use this, please correct me if I'm wrong), turning action, instead of the standard 'gas blowback and then spring assisted forward action'...

It also has a little brother with a short barrel (was it a 3 inch barrel)?
This short version uses the more common way of going through the semi-auto cycle, it's only the full size Beretta Storm that uses this new system...

What do you people think about this? I havent heard much of the Beretta Storm 9mm not at all in the volumes that the relatively as new Springfield XD has got...

So, why do you think there has been more silence about the Beretta Storm, and what do you think of it, and it's little brother. And what do you think of this 'new', rotating bolt system.

Mr Poundr.

ps. I grew up in Finland, so please forgive if I dont know some of the vocabulary of gun parts in English.:o Here is a link to the Beretta Storm webpage: http://www.berettausa.com/product/spotlight/spotlight_pistol_px4.cfm

Storm
http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=81830&stc=1&d=1216881581

'mini' Storm
http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=81831&stc=1&d=1216881581

[Srigs]

I have read only good things about the Beretta PX4 Storm. I even picked up a form so I could make holsters for it.

[Disaster]

The larger Beretta uses a rotating vs. a tilt lock barrel....otherwise the basic principle, is the same. This is the same system that they introduced in their Cougar and that is still sold under their subsidiary, Stoeger.

I've read the manufacturing propaganda that it is more accurate but haven't seen that pan out in real life. I can't see any physical reason for it to be more accurate than a well designed tilt/lock barrel design.

They also claim it reduces recoil but again, if it did, I didn't notice it, and from a Physics standpoint, I don't see any reason why it should. Reducing the felt recoil is about the weight and timing of the barrel/slide lockup and you can do a good job with both designs. In fact, Beretta, bagged the rotating barrel design for the smaller Storm because it requires more room to package it.

I also have a slight concern that the rotating barrel system might actually be a little less reliable.

The rotation has a lot of surfaces rubbing on each other as it slides into battery and I wonder how it would function dirty.

The barrel feed ramp is compromised a bit because has to spin and be wider and it doesn't tilt down and back, toward the cartridge in the magazine like a tilt barreled system does.

I had a few FTF's with my Stoeger Cougar and I read a posting where the Beretta Storm failed a Police Department qualification because of feed reliability issues.

link.
http://mp-pistol.com/boards/index.php?showtopic=14125

I liked the way the PX4 felt in my hand but I wasn't a fan of the slide mounted decocker/safety. It is not as easy to actuate as frame mounted one, like on a Sig, and it is right where I want to grip the slide when I rack it.

P.S. I do like the way it looks. I'm not sure if I'd call it the best looking polymer but it certainly is one of the better looking ones.

[berettaprofessor]

Despite the screenname, I'm not crazy about the PX4....looks anyway....it shoots fine, but no better than a 92. It's also a little top heavy IMHO. I think Beretta peaked with the 92's or, if you're not opposed to a smaller caliber, with the 80 series.