Beretta cx4 carbine

4032 Views 23 Replies 7 Participants Last post by clr8ter, Jan 11, 2013

dsiemssen

Discussion Starter · Jan 4, 2013

I can't decide which caliber to get, either 9mm or 40s&w??? Please help me decide! 9mm is cheaper to shoot but the 40 has more stopping power

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JonM

· #2 · Jan 4, 2013

"stopping power" is irrelevent and mostly a myth. the only things out there i would consider having any real stopping power would be somethng like a 155mm howitzer or hellfire missile. pretty much gaurantted one shot stops.

anyway... its easier to find 9mm magazines and ammo than 40cal.

my preference in 9mm vs 40cal is 9mm. more rounds less recoil quicker follow ups.

good luck finding a cx4 of either caliber ive never seen one in a store.

dsiemssen

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jan 5, 2013

I actually work at academy sports and we carry them in store for $799.99...plus my employee discount

not a bad deal. But thanks for the info! I was thinking the same thing to go with the 9mm... But stopping power you need to add the 454 Casull or the 500s&w

clr8ter

· #4 · Jan 6, 2013

anyway... its easier to find 9mm magazines and ammo than 40cal.

+1 I have the .40, and I wish at this point I had gone with 9mm. Better availability. Also, pay attention to what magazine setup you're buying. The CX4 comes with mag wells for 92 series, PX4 series, and one other one, I think. Mags are not interchangeable, but you can swap out mag well parts to take a different series mag. Very easy to do.

Obama_is_balls

· #5 · Jan 6, 2013

dsiemssen said:
I actually work at academy sports and we carry them in store for $799.99...plus my employee discount not a bad deal. But thanks for the info! I was thinking the same thing to go with the 9mm... But stopping power you need to add the 454 Casull or the 500s&w

Which store are you at? I work at store 190

JTJ

· #6 · Jan 6, 2013

I was at a local gun show last week and there was a JR Carbine priced at $1600.

It was the only carbine I saw. If you can get the Beretta at that price, grab it in 9mm. It should handle the NATO rounds nicely. Dont expect more than a 150-200 fps boost in velocity.

dsiemssen

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jan 6, 2013

Obama_is_balls said:
Which store are you at? I work at store 190

I work at store 90(Nashville/Franklin, TN) 190 is south Carolina? Maybe? I remember doing a HUGE fishing transfer to that store about a year ago lol. Are y'all completely wiped out of ammo/guns as well? We have ZERO handgun ammo, obviously no 223/5.56/7.62 in stock. We have people lined up at 6am every single day(even when there isn't a truck waiting to see if we got ammo or AR's in....

dsiemssen

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jan 6, 2013

JTJ said:
I was at a local gun show last week and there was a JR Carbine priced at $1600. It was the only carbine I saw. If you can get the Beretta at that price, grab it in 9mm. It should handle the NATO rounds nicely. Dont expect more than a 150-200 fps boost in velocity.

Damn that's ridiculous. Yea academy sports has the beretta priced at that. Just trying to get one in 9mm is gonna be the tough part. But I agree, 9mm is gonna be the way to go. The rifle itself is impractical. There really is no good use for it besides target honestly. If I needed to get after someone, that's what the 870 is used for

also 9mm, my girlfriend would be able to learn how to shoot and not be so scared of it.

dsiemssen

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jan 6, 2013

clr8ter said:
+1 I have the .40, and I wish at this point I had gone with 9mm. Better availability. Also, pay attention to what magazine setup you're buying. The CX4 comes with mag wells for 92 series, PX4 series, and one other one, I think. Mags are not interchangeable, but you can swap out mag well parts to take a different series mag. Very easy to do.

The one we sell at academy does not come with the mag wells. But beretta does sell them separately on their website of course it's a pretty penny. As of now it only takes the PX4 mag but in the future I will get the mag well to take the 92 magazines for larger ammo capacity. I've also heard somewhere, someone makes an interchangeable mag well to take a Glock mag but I've researched that and I haven't came across one. But the trouble I will have is finding the darn gun at the moment. Maybe I can sweet talk my manager into her placing a special order in for me(but that rarely happens at academy sports)

Have you heard or seen anything about the Glock mag well?
Overall, besides the caliber choice, are you happy with the gun?feeds well, maintenance? How's the recoil(would a small gal 5'5 be able to shoot it comfortable? She's never shot before) anything you don't like about the gun?

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Overkill0084

· #10 · Jan 6, 2013 (Edited)

dsiemssen said:
I can't decide which caliber to get, either 9mm or 40s&w??? Please help me decide! 9mm is cheaper to shoot but the 40 has more stopping power

I tend to be skeptical about "stopping power" as it relates to pistol cartridges. Near as I can tell, what passes for stopping power is pretty much a wash between 9 mm and .40 S&W when using proper defense ammo.
As for the CX4, I have one in .45 acp. It is one of several HD options I keep handy.
Below is a review I posted to another forum on 22 Oct 2011. Maybe you will find it helpful, or maybe not.

CX-4 Storm .45 acp review
Yesterday I picked up my new Beretta CX-4 Storm Carbine in .45 acp. Brought it home and cleaned the goop out of it. It had at least as much as my CZ, and it was pretty soupy. Take down was simple. I managed to figure it out without the instructions. Field strip breaks the gun into 3 major component groups. The barrel portion, the bolt assembly, & the rear portion (Not the technical terms but you get the idea.) After the excessive amount of goop, the next thing you notice is the lack of metal involved. I’m still not a polymer devotee, so it will take some getting used to. Personal quirks aside, everything appears well executed. I went ahead and pulled the bolt assembly apart and de-gooped it. If this thing would have fit into my ultrasonic cleaner I would have used it. As it is it will probably be sweating preservative grease for a while yet. Lubed and reassembled. Easy stuff.
I posted a query in the Handloading section to see if there was any info regarding carbine specific data out there. I was provided info on some potential 2400 loads that I thought would be worth experimenting with. So I loaded up some 2400 and HS-6 test loads. Off to the range…
Drove up to my local indoor range and was surprised that the place wasn’t completely overrun, being a Saturday. First up was my general purpose loads for the 1911s. 6.0 gr of Unique w/ a 230 gr plated RN. Initially I just wanted to ensure it would hit the paper to start with. I was pleasantly surprised to find it about 4” high at approx 10 yards and grouping fairly well. Up front, let me say that I’m not a particularly brilliant iron sight shooter with a rifle (or pistol , for that matter.) Fortunately this thing has decent sights. The front is a post that is adjustable for both elevation and windage. The rear is a peep sight with two options, short (SR) or long range (LR). I used the short range option.
Initial impressions from firing it the first time, “What’s wrong with the trigger” and “Is this thing supposed to kick this hard?” The trigger is a two stage type with a short take-up and a creepy, heavy second stage. The CX-4’s recoil caught me by surprise. I don’t find that shooting a .45 handgun is particularly unpleasant. So the recoil from a fairly mild caliber struck me as excessive, all things considered.
I ran through my ammo testing without incident. My groups continued to hover in the same 1” to 1.5” range throughout at 25 yds. The exceptions being the random flyer which I will share the blame with the trigger. There were no malfunctions whatsoever. My HS-6 and 2400 loads were using MBC Softball 230 gr bullets. I find cast to be fairly dirty in comparison to plated and jacketed. The gunk from the cast bullets & the unburned 2400 had no effect on reliability. In all, I fired approx 160 rounds of various loads from mild to max, the gun didn’t care. For it’s intended future role as a Home Defense gun, I will need to run some hollow point ammo through it, but early indications leave me optimistic.
The horrible trigger is showing signs of improving with use. The excess shipping grease will eventually work it’s way through, or I will break down an detail strip it, TBD. The recoil is simply annoying, not severe. I will adjust to it.
Future plans are for an optical sight and a flashlight. I have a Burris Fastfire II that will be moved from it’s current home on my S&W. It will require a riser adapter of some sort due the height of the iron sights. I will be the first to admit that I have a bit of learning to do regarding the ins and outs of rail mounted accessories I will also be ordering another spacer for the butt. The length of pull is on the short side for me.
Other gripes:
For what it is, the CX-4 seems pricey. Yes it’s a quality piece, but I can’t get around the feeling that Beretta is making a very generous profit on these. It is mostly plastic, after all. Magazines- as near as I can tell I can get the 8 round Beretta mags or the 8 rd off-brand magazines. All those Cougars out there and no one has a large capacity magazine? (If I’m wrong, someone let me know) Granted they aren’t 1911s, but they aren’t exactly obscure either.
All in all, I’m pretty happy with it all things considered.

I have since added the Burris Fastfire 2 and a flashlight.

clr8ter

· #11 · Jan 8, 2013

disemssen - the CX4 comes with one magwell insert for a specific magazine series. The parts to change it are not that much money, actually. If you go to the Beretta forum, they have a very good classified section, and you can buy, sell, or trade for whatever you may need. I have had good luck with that.
In general, I like the gun. I bought it because I can run the same mags in it that I use in the 96A1. Breaks down easy to clean, no tools. Same basic controls in more or less the same spot as the pistols.

Cons, IMHO;

Sights are ****. Plan on doing something else.
It falls under 922R rules, you have to be careful when you start changing things.
I think the part that attaches the bottom of the pistol grip to the end of the stock looks stupid. Sawing it off apparently causes a problem with the 922R rules.
Recoil (.40). It hurts my shoulder. I know this sounds stupid, and I do not know why it does. A couple of mags, and I feel it the next day. I'm 5'9", and pretty boney. Having said that, my wife shot it, she's a novice shooter, and she didn't complain. She ran 1 mag thru it.
Some of the internals can use improving. One part in particular will render the gun unable to fire if it breaks. This apparently is not common, but it could happen. There is a company called Sierra Pappa that makes very high quality upgrades, all metal. NOT cheap, though. Again, look this up on the Beretta Forum.

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dsiemssen

Discussion Starter · #12 · Jan 8, 2013

clr8ter said:
disemssen - the CX4 comes with one magwell insert for a specific magazine series. The parts to change it are not that much money, actually. If you go to the Beretta forum, they have a very good classified section, and you can buy, sell, or trade for whatever you may need. I have had good luck with that.
In general, I like the gun. I bought it because I can run the same mags in it that I use in the 96A1. Breaks down easy to clean, no tools. Same basic controls in more or less the same spot as the pistols.

Cons, IMHO;

Sights are ****. Plan on doing something else.
It falls under 922R rules, you have to be careful when you start changing things.
I think the part that attaches the bottom of the pistol grip to the end of the stock looks stupid. Sawing it off apparently causes a problem with the 922R rules.
Recoil (.40). It hurts my shoulder. I know this sounds stupid, and I do not know why it does. A couple of mags, and I feel it the next day. I'm 5'9", and pretty boney. Having said that, my wife shot it, she's a novice shooter, and she didn't complain. She ran 1 mag thru it.
Some of the internals can use improving. One part in particular will render the gun unable to fire if it breaks. This apparently is not common, but it could happen. There is a company called Sierra Pappa that makes very high quality upgrades, all metal. NOT cheap, though. Again, look this up on the Beretta Forum.

Thanks for the input! The beretta cx4 that I sell at Academy Sports does not come with the mag well insert for whatever reason. But from all the info you have shared, I gathered that if I want something for just fun then get the 9mm...the only problem now will be finding one haha :/ hopefully this madness dies off allowing manufacturers and retail stores and gun shops replenish their stock.

clr8ter

· #13 · Jan 8, 2013

does not come with the mag well insert for whatever reason.

Yes, it does. It comes with ONE, not all of them. It's part of the gun, and it won't work without it. You just have to figure out which one it has.

BTW, there has been roumors that Beretta has discontinued them, and even in normal times, these things are scarce. I bought mine maybe 2 years ago, and I had to hunt for it. a Special Order is going to be your best bet, I'd guess.

CrazedJava

· #14 · Jan 8, 2013

Not a big fan of .40. You're not getting that much more power than a 9mm and you're increasing recoil, ammo price, and losing some capacity. Out of a carbine I see even less point. Not knocking .40 owners but in a handgun I can somewhat understand.

Out of a carbine you should have somewhat or much easier shot placement. If you're going to go pistol caliber 9mm is sufficient.

Just my opinion though.

clr8ter

· #15 · Jan 9, 2013

Not a big fan of .40. You're not getting that much more power than a 9mm and you're increasing recoil, ammo price, and losing some capacity. Out of a carbine I see even less point. Not knocking .40 owners but in a handgun I can somewhat understand.

Out of a carbine you should have somewhat or much easier shot placement. If you're going to go pistol caliber 9mm is sufficient.

At this point, I'm not sure I would disagree. 2 years ago I would have. My suspicion is, either one could make a very bad day for someone.

dsiemssen

Discussion Starter · #16 · Jan 9, 2013

clr8ter said:
Yes, it does. It comes with ONE, not all of them. It's part of the gun, and it won't work without it. You just have to figure out which one it has.

BTW, there has been roumors that Beretta has discontinued them, and even in normal times, these things are scarce. I bought mine maybe 2 years ago, and I had to hunt for it. a Special Order is going to be your best bet, I'd guess.

The only things in the box are a cleaning kit, 2 mags and a speed loader... Out of the box it takes the PX4 magazine. There is the mag well kit that beretta sells that makes the 92fs magazines compatible.

I see your point being a carbine. It's all about shot placement.. 22lr could stop someone depending on shot placement but I wouldn't recommend it by any means. Looks like 9mm it is gonna be the choice. Academy sports has a new order with them around the end of the month hopefully beretta fulfills that order so I can get it!

clr8ter

· #17 · Jan 10, 2013

There is the mag well kit that beretta sells that makes the 92fs magazines compatible.

That is correct. That is more or less what I said. We are going around in circles.

The gun comes with a mag well insert installed. If I am not mistaken, you can get them with the 92 mag well insert installed.

dsiemssen

Discussion Starter · #18 · Jan 10, 2013

Ooooo I understand what you were saying now. I thought you were saying it comes with the mag well for both. I apologize... Yes beretta does sell the mag well kit for the 92... Of course it's out of stock... But why don't they come out with an extended mag for the px4 or the cx4... They would make a killing on it lol.

Have you heard anything about a glock mag well kit? Someone mentioned that to me at work but never been able to find anything on it.

clr8ter

· #19 · Jan 10, 2013

Nope, no Glock option. There are pistol caliber carbines that do take Glock mags, though. Kel Tec S2000 comes to mind. I personally passed on that one. Yup, Beretta would make a lot of money on Hi-Cap mags in general, but they refuse to build them. The only one they have is the 30 round 92 mag. It CAN be converted to a 20 round 96 mag. I have done it. Actually, IMHO, that's one of Beretta's major issues right now. They don't really seem to be doing their R&D (Nano), or supporting the guns they bring out (CX4) too well. Like I said, it you need CX4 parts, join the Beretta forum, and peruse the classifieds, and check out SierraPappa.com.

dsiemssen

Discussion Starter · #20 · Jan 10, 2013

Yea I agree... You would think someone would have came out with an extended mag at least... But beretta should have came out with one for the CX4 alone... It probably would have gained popularity a little bit faster. What is R&D?

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