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Beretta's PX4 Storm Compact Carry 2: Review

Beretta's PX4 Storm Compact Carry 2 comes standard with Langdon Tactical Technology upgrades.

Beretta's PX4 Storm Compact Carry 2: Review
Beretta’s PX4 Storm Compact Carry 2 comes standard with Langdon Tactical Technology upgrades. (Photo courtesy of Yamil Sued)

Beretta is a leader in the double-action/single-action semiauto market, and one of its more popular pistols has been the PX4 Storm, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. In recognition of this, Beretta partnered with Langdon Tactical Technology to offer the new PX4 Storm Compact Carry 2, which features a slew of custom upgrades.

I had the opportunity to shoot alongside LTT president and CEO Ernest Langdon several years ago while filming for “Guns & Ammo” TV. It was a humbling experience. A combat veteran and competitive shooter, Langdon possesses a wealth of knowledge when it comes to shooting and tactics.

As a gunsmith, he’s consulted with several major firearms manufacturers over the years—making good firearms even better. Having worked for Beretta for several years, Langdon is keenly aware of the functionality of its pistols.

“Beretta has had a relationship with Langdon Tactical on the PX4 platform since 2016, when we collaborated to develop a special configuration model utilizing the best of our existing parts catalog assembled onto a factory model Compact Carry,” Beretta product manager Ben Grundwerg told Handguns. “The Compact Carry 2 is an update of the original Compact Carry model by adding in parts we’ve developed—with input from, or on request from, LTT—in the time since the original Compact Carry model launched in 2017.”

Updates

pistol slide
The PX4 has a rotating barrel that reduces muzzle flip, and on the Compact Carry 2 it’s heavier—improving control even more. (Photo courtesy of Yamil Sued)

It’s worth noting that Langdon Tactical also sells a version of this pistol. Grundwerg said LTT purchases Compact Carry 2 guns from Beretta and then adds its own menu of modifications. Options for the Langdon Tactical version—which carries a higher price tag, as you’d expect—include a slide cut for red dots, flat-face trigger, NP3 finish and more.

The Compact Carry 2 I reviewed comes right from Beretta. While not as concealable as a subcompact pistol, this 3.2-inch barreled DA/SA semiauto is a meticulous balance of concealability and shootability. With an overall length of 6.8 inches, the Compact Carry 2 is five inches tall, and 1.42 inches at its widest point. Its longer grip and additional weight make the Compact Carry 2 harder to hide but easier to shoot than a subcompact.

One of Langdon Tactical’s more popular products is its “trigger job in a bag” for those seeking to improve upon the PX4’s stock trigger. With the PX4 Storm Compact Carry 2, you can enjoy that upgrade right out of the box. Key aspects of this trigger upgrade include an optimized trigger bar that’s treated with a black DLC coating, and a chrome silicon hammer spring.

The PX4 Compact Carry 2 sports a new heavy rotating barrel profile. The heavier barrel works in the same way as the PX4’s standard barrel (see sidebar), but the extra weight helps to further mitigate recoil. Beretta compares the enhanced barrel performance to the feeling of shooting a compensated pistol.

Safeties and Levers

back end of pistol
The Compact Carry 2 is the only PX4 Storm with a bobbed hammer. The low-profile Type G decocker is designed to strike a balance between easy operation and no snagging. (Photo courtesy of Yamil Sued)

The Compact Carry 2 does not have an external safety. Instead, it features a Type G ambidextrous decocker, which Beretta calls a “Carry lever.” The low-profile design helps minimize overall slide width so as not to interfere with the shooter’s grip when racking the slide. That said, the carry lever is slightly larger than the original “stealth lever.” It’s big enough for you to switch easily from single action to double action.

“The Carry-style levers were developed after a discussion with Ernest in mid-2017, when he noted a need for a ‘Goldilocks size’ decocking safety lever for the PX4—as the standard F/S levers were very large and had snag points, while the stealthy low-profile levers were too flush to comfortably manipulate through a full day of running training drills,” Grundwerg said.

“The ‘perfect’ levers would be no-snag and have just enough shelf to comfortably engage hundreds of times in a day of serious training without being so large as to detract from the concealability of the gun. From that request, Beretta USA designed a safety profile that fit those requirements,” he said.

The PX4 Carry Compact 2 ships with three 15-round metal magazines that have orange followers. A model that comes with 10-round magazines is available for capacity-restricted states. Metal magazines insert and eject from a pistol’s magazine well more smoothly than polymer magazines. This, combined with the Compact Carry 2’s knurled, oversize magazine release, makes for efficient reloads.

Recommended


Mag Release and Concealed Carry Hammer

pistol trigger
The gun features an upgraded trigger group from Langdon Tactical Technology, and the oversize magazine release makes for fast, sure reloads. (Photo courtesy of Yamil Sued)

Like the magazine release, the serrated slide stop lever is easy to use without getting in the way. It’s large enough to be depressed with either thumb to send the slide forward, a technique favored by many competitive and tactical shooters because it can be faster than racking the slide to chamber a round.

One of the most distinctive features of the Compact Carry 2 is the bobbed concealed-carry hammer, which Grundwerg said stemmed from a request for the D hammer to retain the single-action engagement notch for a more comfortable and concealable profile.

It’s the only PX4 Storm without a protruding hammer. The bobbed hammer won’t dig into your body when you’re carrying concealed, nor will it snag on your clothing, potentially fouling your draw stroke.

The D hammer spring provides a lighter, smoother double-action trigger pull, making it easier to register that first hit. It also minimizes the trigger pull difference between double-action and single-action modes, for a more consistent shooting experience.

Customization

pistol grips
Interchangeable backstraps allow you to tailor the PX4 Storm Compact Carry 2’s grip to fit your hand. (Photo courtesy of Yamil Sued)

Most shooters underestimate the importance of achieving and maintaining a proper grip on the pistol, which is vital for rapid, accurate follow-up shots. From the start, the PX4’s modular design has lent itself to customization, and three interchangeable backstraps help ensure the grip fits the shooter’s hand for optimal comfort and control.

Despite its mostly sleek surface, the Compact Carry 2 has panels of moderately aggressive texturing on the front and backstraps to provide a sure grip even with sweaty hands. For those wanting more texturing, Talon textured grip adhesive is included. While akin to skateboard tape, which has long been a makeshift grip enhancement, the Talon tape is cut specifically to fit the Compact Carry 2.

A single-slot Picatinny rail at the front of the frame allows you to mount a light, laser or combo unit to the Compact Carry 2. That’s particularly handy here since the slide is not cut for a red-dot optic.

Speaking of the slide, it’s machined from solid bar stock carbon steel and sports shallow serrations front and rear. Its Sniper Gray color accents the black polymer frame to create a sleek, understated vibe.

Sights

Sights on the Carry Compact 2 are an orange dot front and plain black rear with a square notch. Now you might expect a gun like this would incorporate night sights, but as Grundwerg explained, due to rule changes in Italy (the Carry Compact 2 comes directly from Beretta Italy) the company had to reconfigure the model. And in doing so, it added other features, like the bobbed hammer and the carry lever.

The stock sights aren’t bad. The plain black rear sight helps direct your eye to the prominent orange dot on the front sight. I would opt for night sights, though, and Beretta does sell tritium sights on its website for $110.

Accuracy

accuracy results
(Accuracy results provided by the author)

For accuracy testing, I fired four five-shot groups with three different loads from a rest at 15 yards in single action. The overall average group size was just over two inches. The single-action trigger pull was short, light, and clean breaking. I’m certain the Compact Carry 2 is capable of even greater accuracy, but lately I’ve been struggling to shoot tight groups with open sights.

Accuracy testing complete, I moved the target to about 10 yards and fired offhand. The pistol didn’t disappoint. Not only was it accurate, but it was also flat-shooting and easy to control. After a couple magazines fired in single action after the first shot, I fired a couple magazines in double action, decocking the hammer between shots.

I’ll admit I’m not a big fan of double-action/single-action pistols. The long, heavy double-action trigger pull can make achieving that ever-important first hit harder than it needs to be. But the double-action trigger pull on the Compact Carry 2 was smoother and lighter than I expected.

One thing I did expect was for the Carry Compact 2 to run without a hitch. It did. Anniversaries always represent good times to reexamine longtime gun models, and Beretta has done exactly that with the PX4 platform.

What Makes It So Special, Conclusion...

Most semiautomatic pistols utilize a barrel that tilts downward at the muzzle as the slide locks into battery and tilts upward when recoil sends the slide back. The PX4 Storm’s rotary barrel system is different.

During recoil, the barrel’s rotation causes it to disengage from locking lugs and complete its rearward movement. An angled groove in the barrel guides this action with the help of a similarly angled protrusion on the cam block. After feeding and chambering the next round, the barrel rotates back, engaging the lugs and locking the breech for firing. The rotating barrel is intended to enhance reliability and accuracy, and also to direct recoil forces laterally rather than straight back into the shooter’s hand. The idea is that the redirected recoil forces reduce muzzle rise during recoil, allowing for faster and potentially more accurate follow-up shots.

“The Compact Carry 2 is the ultimate evolution of our solution for a 9mm polymer-frame DA/SA gun for concealed carry,” Grundwerg said. “I carry an original CC that’s been upgraded over the years to essentially reflect what became the Concealed Carry 2 spec, so I truly believe in that model as a great solution for concealed carry for DA/SA fans. I believe it’s one of the most carry-optimized guns in Beretta’s portfolio today.”

The PX4 Storm Compact Carry 2 is a solid choice for those looking for a polymer-frame DA/SA pistol. It’s loaded with custom upgrades, and the Compact Carry 2’s size and design attributes make it carry and shoot equally well. With the Compact Carry 2, Beretta and LTT may have created the perfect storm.

PX4 Storm Compact Carry 2

  • Type: hammer-fired DA/SA semiautomatic
  • Caliber: 9mm Luger
  • Capacity: 15+1 (10+1 available)
  • Barrel: 3.2 in. cold-hammer-forged carbon steel
  • OAL/Height/Width: 6.8/5.0/1.4 in.
  • Weight: 27.3 oz.
  • Construction: Sniper Gray-finished carbon steel slide; black polymer frame
  • Grips: Talon textured grip tape included
  • Sights: plain black rear, orange dot front
  • Safety: Type G decocker
  • Trigger: DA pull, 6 lb. 4 oz.; SA pull 2 lb. 7 oz. (measured)
  • MSRP: $875
  • Manufacturer: Beretta, beretta.com/en-us



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