# Beretta APX 9 mm



## Rickcin (May 6, 2019)

Just recently got involved with shooting, starting with a Ruger 22 and would like to eventually purchase a 9 mill next to target shoot. People I know are telling me the new Glock 45 is a great pistol while some other friends are fans of Sig’s which I’m sure are great pistols but very pricey.
I realize this is a Beretta forum but I’ll ask anyway, how do these pistols compare to the top brands for reliability, serviceability and manufactures support?


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

I just ordered an APX Centurion and got it in today.

I have not shot it yet, but I am impressed with the gun.

Over the last 20+ years, this is my 37th Beretta firearm that I have owned. This is my 1st APX.

Everything I have read about them seems solid. No review or post I have read has complained about functioning issues with reliability. It was Berettas attempt to keep the military contract, and the weapon is designed for military and law enforcement use.

If you like that style of trigger - striker fired - it seems like a great gun.

I googled reviews and did a lot of reading for a day prior to ordering one. I am satisfied with it. 

It is a new design, so it hasn't had time to really catch on yet. But Beretta has had some awesome rebates for about the last 9 months on the gun - the current one is a $100 rebate.

Everyone who shoots one seems to like them. I can't wait to try mine. I have been dry firing it, and I like what I feel so far


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## Rickcin (May 6, 2019)

Definitely love the specs on the APX and it’s also moderately priced compared to similar pistols. I’ve also read some positive comments regarding customer service. 

Can you tell me if the APX has an external safety?? Thanks


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

No external safety, but there is an add on kit to put one in yourself. It is mentioned in the manual. Not sure if it is out yet


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## Rickcin (May 6, 2019)

Glock’s do not have external safety’s either and I’ve read that external safety’s are soon to be a thanks nag of the past. I’m a newbie and wasbthinking a safety is better to have than not but guess the next best safety is not having a round in the chamber?


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

Rickcin said:


> Glock's do not have external safety's either and I've read that external safety's are soon to be a thanks nag of the past. I'm a newbie and wasbthinking a safety is better to have than not but guess the next best safety is not having a round in the chamber?


No, a gun without a round in the chamber is useless. There are many realistic scenarios where you would not have time to chamber a round. Plus, under stress - if you short stroke the slide, you would be out of the action for sure.

If you are really worried about this, I'd buy a DA/SA gun. 1st shot is heavier - all other shots are lighter. And, if you have the time, you could always manually cock the gun.

I have owned tons of guns over the years. The last 10 or so, I only buy DA/SA ones. This APX is my return to the striker fired style. At the price I paid, I could not pass it up. I do not know if I will ever make it my carry gun. But, we'll see. I feel better with a DA/SA, personally. As I get older, I worry more about dumb mistakes.

The S&W M&P line are striker fired guns with manual safties, if ya really want that. But, remember, under duress - when you get tunnel vision when the adrenaline starts to kick in. Do you really wanna have to remember to flip that little lever? I just wanna focus on pulling the trigger. That is why I like DA/SA guns. Even ones with a safety (like the Beretta 92), I never use the safety.

For over 4 years now, the HK P2000 has been my carry gun. This APX is the same size. I'll see how comfortable I am over time about using it as a carry gun. But, I would never carry a gun unchambered.

I will admit that when I first got my concealed carryt permit in 1996 - I DID carry unchambered for about the 1st 6 months. I had to get comfortable carrying the gun. So, in initially - while not ideal, I do understand the temptation. After about 6 months, I chambered a round all the time and never looked back.


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

Rickcin said:


> Glock's do not have external safety's either and I've read that external safety's are soon to be a thanks nag of the past. I'm a newbie and wasbthinking a safety is better to have than not but guess the next best safety is not having a round in the chamber?


Here, it is available: https://www.berettausa.com/en-us/apx-grip-frame-safety-apx-grip-frame-safety/e02588/


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## Rickcin (May 6, 2019)

I follow your reasoning and believe you are exactly correct. If you are going to carry, in order to protect, a chambered round is the way to go and a safety is something that probably has zero benefit to an experienced user.

In my case, I’m using the pistol primarily for range shooting and the wife is not comfortable with me having a loaded pistol available for home protection. I’ll admit that having an external safety is probably a waste and a thing of the past and as you mentioned, you create your own safety, when needed, by not having a chambered round. 

I believe the Beretta has a trigger safety that is similar to Glock’s?
I’ve read this is more of a drop safety or one that prevents the gun from firing if an object gets caught or hung up within the trigger guard.


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

Yes, it has a similar trigger safety. However, that trigger safety does not really stop the gun from going off by accident. Get your shirt caught in your holster while holstering the gun. It can go off. This is where DA/SA shines.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

With apologies to *Shipwreck*, a very experienced pistol user, my feelings and beliefs about trigger systems are very different from his.
He prefers a traditional-double-action (TDA) trigger, but I don't.

I strongly suggest that a beginning shooter choose a pistol with a _consistent_ trigger action. Whether the pistol is single-action (SA) or double-action-only (DAO) doesn't matter as much as does its trigger-action's _consistency_.
It is hard enough, to learn to shoot a pistol accurately, effectively, and well, without complicating the job by requiring the beginner to learn to competently handle two different trigger actions: DA for the first shot, and then SA for all subsequent shots.

While the TDA trigger does a lot to keep accidental shots from being fired, it isn't a sure thing.
For instance, while holstering, a TDA trigger could be blocked (by a fold of clothing, perhaps) and an inexperienced shooter might still "push through" the blockage, firing an unintended discharge.
_The truth is, only one thing prevents unintended discharges: The shooter's strict and careful attention to what he is doing._

But, yer pays yer money, and yer takes yer choice.
_Chacun à son goût_, as they say in France.


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## Rickcin (May 6, 2019)

I really don’t understand all of the various trigger types and trigger safeties that are used by various gun manufacturers. My understand of the Glock trigger was that the added trigger bar needs to be pulled back to the main trigger while both have to be continuously pulled to release the firing pin.

I’d suspect this safety protects against a dropped gun but would do little to prevent a part of clothing to get hung up within the trigger guard?

Not sure as to what I really need pistol wise to maximize safety other than learning and practicing safe gun usage until it becomes habit.


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

Rickcin said:


> I really don't understand all of the various trigger types and trigger safeties that are used by various gun manufacturers. My understand of the Glock trigger was that the added trigger bar needs to be pulled back to the main trigger while both have to be continuously pulled to release the firing pin.
> 
> I'd suspect this safety protects against a dropped gun but would do little to prevent a part of clothing to get hung up within the trigger guard?
> 
> Not sure as to what I really need pistol wise to maximize safety other than learning and practicing safe gun usage until it becomes habit.


Yes, that is correct. The trigger safety would not stop some other item from pulling the trigger back.

As for what was said above - I carried a Beretta 92 for 3 years. Even with a lighter hammer spring - it was an 8lb, long DA trigger. I never worried about the gun going off if my shirt was caught up in my IWB holster.

Now, I don't even carry IWB - so, its no longer an issue (I carry OWB). But, I know so many people who started learning to shoot with DA/SA. I think it is a great gun for a beginner. Steve and I differ on that, and that's fine too.

But, just like we all have our own opinion of a "best" or "favorite" gun - many of us have different opinions of how a gun newbie should proceed. Nothing wrong with that


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## denner12 (Oct 14, 2017)

I as well don't agree with Steve on this one. I believe learning to shoot a DA/SA handgun as a beginner or for anyone else for that matter is wise. It's not just because one may suffer "Glock Leg" while carrying CCW although a point well taken. 

I carry in the waistband anywhere from 11:00 to 9:00 and I feel more comfortable knowing that if I make a mistake(we are humans after all) that a DA/SA handgun is much more forgiving than a 5 to 6 pound striker fired weapon, or single action cocked and locked weapon. That being said, a DA/SA handgun is not hard to learn and I believe it to be the best platform to learn first. About three weeks ago I shot a troublesome varmint at about 20 yards while he was on the move with my PX4 .40 Compact on a quick draw in DA. 

Actually, a DA shot can be very accurate, trust me. Likewise, I shot a Copperhead snake's head off in DA once(maybe more luck than anything else, but I'll take credit). If you master a DA/SA action then you can practically master any type action out there, whether it be a striker fired pistol, single action, a revolver, etc.....If you don't then you may have an insecurity ingrained regarding the DA/SA action in which I feel one never overcomes if they don't learn it early. 

I'd advise a lot of snap cap practice with the DA, don't stage, and just pull through smoothly at whatever speed you feel comfortable with and keep your sights on target. It will come natural to you. Actually, in my shooting, I find a DA action gives you time to clean up the sights. Langdon is actually on the trigger before he even gets up to the target, and he feels it gives him an advantage over a striker fired pistol, but then again we are no Langdon's.


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## denner12 (Oct 14, 2017)

Rickcin said:


> I believe the Beretta has a trigger safety that is similar to Glock's?


That in my mind is a misnomer and oxymoron regarding the so called "trigger safety." If your finger can defeat the so called "trigger safety" than pretty much any thing else can as well.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Um, *denner*, paragraphs are our friends.

Please! Pretty please!

I'm not gonna argue about trigger systems. If you like TDA, then use TDA by all means. And that goes for anybody. Anybody at all.
What I'm about is how a _beginner_ learns. A trigger system that works exactly the same every time makes the learning process less complicated, and success more likely. And a beginner needs success, in order to keep him or her shooting and learning.

Once the beginner has learned enough of the fundamental skills needed in order to make informed decisions, then the choice of preferred trigger system can be rationally made.
But until then, I strongly suggest that consistency is more important than almost anything else.


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## Rickcin (May 6, 2019)

Totally logical from a learning perspective, would be like learning to drive a car while alternating between an an automatic and standard transmission.
( but to a lesser degree) 
I decided to start shooting with the SR22 over the Ruger Mark models just so I would have a slide to learn to deal with to be able to transition comfortably into a 9 mm. I really don’t think I’ll ever be holstering any pistol since there just for range shooting.


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## denner12 (Oct 14, 2017)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> Um, *denner*, paragraphs are our friends.
> 
> Please! Pretty please!


I apologize, didn't realize how long my rambling went on. I fixed it.


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## Rickcin (May 6, 2019)

I think I’m just starting to get it, as far as the trigger is concerned. Today at the range instead of just pulling ( squeezing ) the trigger on the first round, I manually pulled back the hammer and could really the difference with the trigger pull. 
My shooting is definitely improving and I’m feeling much more comfortable using the pistol and breaking it down to clean it, although probably not needed at this point.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

_Don't *pull.*
Don't *squeeze*.
*PRESS*. _Straight back.


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## Rickcin (May 6, 2019)

Got it my friend, I’m learning and making progress and getting more comfortable and a little less nervous!


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## Jeb Stuart (Jan 19, 2020)

As far as triggers go, each to his own. I left light striker fired triggers and started shooting nothing but DAO and never looked back. All my carrry guns are DAO. Two Beretta Nano's, Three Beretta Pico;s, Two Kahr CM9's and a Kahr CW380. Not to mention two LCR's and a 642.
Personally love them. Smooth, controlled, deliberate.
Lol, for a long time, I thought I was the only person to shoot them. Then saw this.

https://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/why-switched-double-action/


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## Rickcin (May 6, 2019)

I can’t disagree that it might be a good choice for a carry gun as it adds somewhat of a safety factor, however for someone like myself who only targets shoot at a range, I would much prefer a striker fired pistol since it’s a consistent trigger pull.

My first pistol was a DA/SA 22 caliber and my first DA trigger pull was always one that landed furthest from a fairly tight grouping but I understand it’s entirely different than using the pistol in a self defense situation than just target shooting.


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