Today's installment covers the final two guns in my polymer Pistol review, each of which offers new features for the polymer platform, and compelling options for shooters.
Beretta offers a wide variety of top quality handguns, including civilian versions of the US military’s M9, but their recent developments in their x4 Storm brand most fit the development in the polymer pistol format. Their Px4 Storm platform offers a modular, hammer fired, polymer frame pistol in multiple sizes and calibers to maximize options for home defense and concealed carry. The PX4 Storm includes accessory rails, individual grip sizes like the M&P pistol, and adjustable sights.
When Glock introduced multiple frame sizes, they stared full size, then compact, and finishing with a sub-compact designed for the best concealment. Beretta shifted the deployment to take advantage of the strong consumer demand for a sub-compact frame, so the most recent PX4 Storm is the mid-sized compact frame in 9mm, .40S&W, and .45ACP. All of the pistols are offered with a range of Beretta accessories, as aftermarket options haven’t caught up with the newest pistols.
Personally, I find even the 9mm model in any frame size to be too big for my hands. Compared to other pistols, the Beretta has a more substantial, even beefy, profile, the bulk of which positioned in the grip. I can’t comfortably wrap my hand around the PX4 Storm, and remain confused by such a deep grip for a normal capacity double stack magazine. The XD-M uniformly increases capacity without adding bulk to the grip face compared to the PX4 Storm, so I’m not sure of the ergonomic decisions made by Beretta.
Finally, Taurus offers a selection of polymer pistols including several new additions in their concealed carry and slim line dimensions. For the purposes of this examination, the Taurus 24/7 model offers the best comparison. It’s a full-size, polymer frame, striker fired pistol in multiple popular calibers, as well as accessory rails, manual safety, and site options. While not technically in the same family, Taurus offers different sizes of this platform as the Millennium and Millennium Pro models for more compact carry guns.
The latest generation of 24/7, the G2 models, offers interchangeable back-straps and a trigger safety similar to Glock and other manufacturers while still preserving the thumb activated safety. Grip geometry reminds me of the venerable H&K USP, another top quality semi-auto pistol. The 24/7 G2 continues the Taurus tradition of “second strike” capabilities, rare for striker fired pistols that allows the user to pull the trigger again on a round if there’s a misfire in the chamber.
Much print in gun magazines has been spent on the relative merits of this feature. No shooter likes to hear “click” when they expect to hear “bang,” so on the surface, this feature should have some value. But, with modern factory ammunition in such uniform high quality and misfires relatively rare, the actual incidence when this second strike capability comes into play is probably not noticeable. Why I like the feature is that I can practice mag changes, target and sight alignment, and dry firing repeatedly without racking the slide after every “click.” It’s a nice feature to practice dry-firing, which is the shortest path to mastering a new pistol.
