Why is Beretta CX4 so darn expensive compared to an AR?
- Thread starter Telemike
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badkarmamib
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Because it says Beretta on the side of it. It is a name-brand rifle. At those prices, it is still cheaper than an established-brand AR. While I find the visuals to be someone else's cup of tea, it is still cheaper than a SCAR-L...
burrhead
Member
Economy of scale. Basic economics.
BSA1
member
I have seen a couple for sale recently on the Internet for $500.00. You will need to add shipping and FFL transfer fee. And if you don't have them yet lots of magazines.
The High Point carbine has excellent reviews on YouTube. The main downsize to me is a carbine begs for a higher capacity magazine.
The High Point carbine has excellent reviews on YouTube. The main downsize to me is a carbine begs for a higher capacity magazine.
MDI_Weapon
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Keltec Sub2000 is another option if you can find one. They go for $500 or less.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
Exactly! They're pumping out trillions of AR's every day. It's extremely well established over a long period of time and there is a huge market for them. Looking at it this way, most modern firearms are going to lose when compared to the AR.
$699 is cheap for a 'good' 9mm carbine and I certainly wouldn't buy a $500 AR if that's what I wanted. I'd hate to know I passed up what I really wanted over a measly $200. I spent $700 on my Beretta 92 and it's just a pistol.
MachIVshooter
Member
Exactly. Nothing else out there has so many different manufacturers of parts and complete rifles competing with the same design.
I had a CX4 9mm kinda fun, but the heavy bolt slamming back and forth was obnoxious, and the gap between the stock and butt pad likes to grab and rip out facial hair, so be aware of that.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
I have the same issue with AR's.
cougar1717
Member
It takes a lot of design cost to figure out a how to integrate a polymer hammer with a square bolt assembly that rides on the integrated polymer rails, and a 10# trigger
stchman
Member
Pistol caliber carbines, almost pointless IMO. Get an AR, it shoots a far more powerful cartridge for less money.
What makes you think that a pistol caliber carbine is the best selection for a suburban defense firearm?
As to why it is more expensive, because Beretta is getting it, look at a Thompson and the CX4's price isn't so bad.
briansmithwins
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(sarcasm_on)No, that can't be! There must be a conspiracy to keep everything that isn't an AR from being so cheap!(sarcasm_off)
BSW
I'm into my Beretta roughly $1500 so far.
Not a toy, with upgrades it was done as a niche gun, which includes serious close-in defense for home or car.
It's light, it's compact, it's highly maneuverable, it can be easily used by either hand in a pinch, it carries two spare hi-cap mags on it, and within 75 yards or so it can engage with effectiveness.
Not even the lightweight ARs I have can match it in either weight or dimensions.
You either find it viable or you don't.
I do.
Denis
Not a toy, with upgrades it was done as a niche gun, which includes serious close-in defense for home or car.
It's light, it's compact, it's highly maneuverable, it can be easily used by either hand in a pinch, it carries two spare hi-cap mags on it, and within 75 yards or so it can engage with effectiveness.
Not even the lightweight ARs I have can match it in either weight or dimensions.
You either find it viable or you don't.
I do.
Denis
desidog
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Why not compare that Bear Creek AR to a Noveske or Colt AR while we're at it?
The CX4 is night and day better than a HiPoint, IMO. Well worth the extra money.
Speaking as a lefty, the CX4 is awesome in that you can flip the controls, charging handle, and ejection side is a few minutes. Of course, if you're a righty, that's a moot point.
However, if you get an AR, you can get a 9mm upper for it as well...
The CX4 is night and day better than a HiPoint, IMO. Well worth the extra money.
Speaking as a lefty, the CX4 is awesome in that you can flip the controls, charging handle, and ejection side is a few minutes. Of course, if you're a righty, that's a moot point.
However, if you get an AR, you can get a 9mm upper for it as well...
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
Gimme a break. Wait until 2am, turn off all the lights and fire that AR in a hallway with no hearing protection. Then get back to us.
9mm ammo is dirt cheap, even cheaper than 5.56. It can also share common ammo with your chosen sidearm.
It is plenty effective and fits into smaller, lighter packages. It doesn't get neutered in short barrels, nor does the concussive blast blow all the windows out of your house, if you go the SBR route.
There are lots of reasons to choose a PCC over a rifle for many purposes but they never seem to make sense to folks like yourself.
Mosin Bubba
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I've thought about this myself. Hi Point can bring a 9mm rifle to the market for under $300. No doubt that the Beretta is a lot nicer gun, but it's still just a plastic-stocked blowback PCC, I'm not seeing anything there that should cost twice as much as a Hi Point.
I think that Beretta prices it that way just because they can. 9mm carbines are kind of a niche category as it is, and the majority of buyers shopping for a PCC really just want a cheap, easy-shooting plinker. For that, you really can't beat a $300 Hi Point. There's some PCC buyers that want a more polished and "serious" gun than the Hi Point, and for that, Beretta is pretty much the only game in town. No one else is there to undercut them.
Blowback rifles are easy to do, and there is probably room a ~$500 gun that's nicer than the Hi Point and cheaper than the Beretta. But I don't think there's enough PCC buyers out there to make it worthwhile.
I think that Beretta prices it that way just because they can. 9mm carbines are kind of a niche category as it is, and the majority of buyers shopping for a PCC really just want a cheap, easy-shooting plinker. For that, you really can't beat a $300 Hi Point. There's some PCC buyers that want a more polished and "serious" gun than the Hi Point, and for that, Beretta is pretty much the only game in town. No one else is there to undercut them.
Blowback rifles are easy to do, and there is probably room a ~$500 gun that's nicer than the Hi Point and cheaper than the Beretta. But I don't think there's enough PCC buyers out there to make it worthwhile.
Gtscotty
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I've had a Marlin camp carbine, it was fun, but at the time I was loading everything on a single stage press, and I couldn't figure out a real use for a PCC. Now that I run pistol ammo on a progressive and rifle on my single stage, I think the main draw of a PCC would be as a fun gun firing ammunition that I can pump out at the rate of several hundred an hour. Also, for suppressed shooting, I'd rather use a pistol caliber than something like a 300 BLK, both because of the much lower ammo costs, and also the fact that good subsonic expanding 9mm, .40 cal and .45 cal bullets are available everywhere. The only downside to the Beretta that I see is that it doesn't come with a threaded barrel.
HankB
Member
I've hefted and dry-fired a CX4 - liked the pointability, didn't much like the trigger . . . although I understand there are aftermarket ways of addressing that. Added to an already rather steep price . . . well, that's why I don't have one. I also understand that Beretta recommends against the use of +P ammo.
IIRC, the CX4 is an import; would this be a concern if you wanted to make some "evil" mods to it?
As a cheaper alternative, I've seen a couple of guys shooting Mech-Tech CCUs on Glock frames in local carbine matches - from what I could see, they seemed to run just fine.
IIRC, the CX4 is an import; would this be a concern if you wanted to make some "evil" mods to it?
As a cheaper alternative, I've seen a couple of guys shooting Mech-Tech CCUs on Glock frames in local carbine matches - from what I could see, they seemed to run just fine.
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