I got my new apx a couple days ago now, I was supposed to go to the range today for an all beretta day but it did not pan out. So here is some comparison pictures of it with some other berettas and my glock 29.

First up- the apx I think is great, feels great in the hand, well made. It came with 3 17rd mags and I have 2 21rd mags on order. Very beretta when it comes to the take down lever and reversible mag release. Full ambidextrous slide stop/release is nice. It was very stiff at first but loosened up after playing with it and now works fine. The apx case is very nice way better than the old blue beretta cases. I also ordered a new grey plastic grip frame to change it up a bit since the slide is a dark grey. I don't mind the finger grooves at all they fit in my hand great. The slide serrations are amazing you get instant grip anywhere on the slide with no slippage. The trigger is kind of flat which is the in thing right now and feels good, short reset. I like it better than my glock g29 and g40. The g40 is like 4.5lbs so it's noticeably lighter pull than the apx advertised 6-6.5lb but it's still good and I don't have any issues with dry firing it.






Here are the back straps it comes with left to right - large medium and small. I like the small the best, it's a little thinner and lets me reach the mag release a little easier. Very secure mounting for the back straps and easy to change.


Here man the side profile of the medium (left) and small (right) to really get a sense of the difference in size. The small is straighter in the back more vertec or 1911ish imo. The small is a little thinner too but you can't really tell much by looking at them


And here's the grip frame no backstrap installed. The little metal pin in the background is what holds them securely into the frame.


Magazines- does not share with the 92 or px4 series of guns. So close yet so far away. Here is the 92 bottom, px4 center, and apx top. All factory beretta 17rds. Hard to see the in the picture but all the feed lip areas are different. And the angle of the mag bodies are all different as well.


92 back, px4 center, apx up front

Now for the size comparison pictures.

First up a standard 92fs (vz tactical slant grips)
I set this up so the grip area is in the same spot showing how different in size the are. The apx has more slide to the rear of it and shorter barrel.


Then here is where I just lined up the rear sights to show sight radius which is almost identical


Here is side by side notice the large front dot on the apx. The small backstrap is installed.


Here's the 92 compact showing the grip areas lined up. Wilson combat slim grips


92 compact versus apx grip length


Px4 vs apx. Px4 is much closer in size than the 92 series. Px4 has medium backstrap installed.



Some fine Italians

Nice family pics! Looking forward to hearing your impressions on shooting the APX.

Now for the glock comparison pics. I don't own any 9mm glocks, I did have a g26 before but no longer, So the g29 in 10mm is as close as I can get to a g19 in pics. I don't like the grip on the glocks and they always point low for me so that's why I don't own them, but glocks in 10mm really have no competition so that's why I have 2 a 29 and 40. Glock knuckle is a thing for me also, I broke the first 3 fingers on my right hand before and my middle finger on my right hand gets chewed up when shooting glocks. Most solve that my undercutting the trigger guard and stippling etc. the apx is already undercut very nicely from the factory and it doesn't put any pressure on my fingers. i said the trigger is lighter on the glock 40 but IMO I still like the apx better so far.

Here's the side by side of the gen4 g29. Notice how small the trigger guard opening is on the glock compared to the apx. Good or bad remains to be seen, but if you have fat fingers and wear gloves it should be welcomed. The slide widths are almost the same between the 10mm and apx, but the apx has some weight reduction with the slide serrations and it gets thinner at the top.



Trigger shape comparison apx is on top


Slide comparison. The apx on the left very beefy around the ejection port area about as thick as the 10mm slide. The little black oval on the left side of the stricken channel is the firing pin block that is one issue most have with this new apx because it protrudes through the top of the slide when pulling the trigger that will not allow simple milling and red dot mounting. Not that I wanted to mount a red dot anyways but it's an issue. Possibly you can just file off the part the sticks out of the slide and it should still work but I'm not willing to try it yet.

Other impressions of the apx so far.

The swapping of grip frames is the future, I see great aftermarket potential is new slides and frames for these guns, caliber swaps etc. Nothing is stopping the aftermarket right now from designing a compact grip and shorter mags to go with it, you don't want finger grooves? Sand them off, go to far just buy a new grip. Or just buy one already worked over by your favorite vender no ffl needed. Love glocks? Maybe someone will build a whole new grip frame that mimics a glocks grip. Maybe some guy will design parts for it to take glock mags. The sky is the limit with new pistols like the apx and p320.

Beretta already lists a threaded barrel on their website, 21rd mags are ready to go too, even with the proprietary dovetail sights beretta already has night sights and adjustable sights for sale. It seems beretta is wanting this pistol to work and are going to stand behind it and offer up stuff owners want.

The owners manual shows the thumb safety version and a long slide version too. Hopefully soon a compact.

Can't wait to get to the range

I believe but not sure,that the thumb safety can be added on with the different grip frame. it replaces the rear takedown pin in the pictures in the manual. Here a few pics of the thumb safety takedown procedure and specific parts. and the long slide parts.

I forgot the picture of the case. Very nice compared to the junk blue ones. Sturdy latches that require a push in the center and pull on the top simultaneously to open, took me a few seconds to figure out the first time.

Included a couple brushes and cleaning rod which is a nice touch. Only a 1 year warranty but with an extra 2 years if you register it with beretta. Came with a cheap mag loader.

One thing I noticed with the loader- it won't push the follower down without wedging it sideways on an empty mag, maybe with a few rounds in the mag it will work better, or maybe after the first couple times loaded the mags springs will settle a bit and it will work better, I haven't even loaded a mag yet so I'll update this later.

Nice looking guns, and feel great in the hand!

Made it to the range today, just shot 175rds through the apx. Flawless function. Shot blazer brass 115, fiocchi 115, federal 147, and a box of 25 Hornady critical duty 135 flex lock. I wish I would have brought more ammo just for the apx, but it was an all beretta day besides a few mags through my kahr cw9 edc which I need to get more practice on regularly. Main issue I was having was my glasses were non stop fogging up since the humidity is unreal today for Phoenix, so every few rounds I was taking them off to clear up so I could see.



Brought out the 85f .380, first time shooting that pistol today too. Functioned great, great little mini 92.

The px4 I was shooting the best, hands down I was getting the tightest groups with this pistol, the beretta 92 compact was close but Ive never liked the red dot sights it has, need to paint them white, and I was shooting with 15rd standard mags instead of the flush 13rd mags.

Here's the comparison groups between the 3
Px4 top left and bottom right, 92 compact top right, apx bottom left. The large sights on the apx do not really help accuracy. This was at 7yds. All shooting 115 blazer brass.


Here's just some 5yd groups from the apx. Full 17rd mag groups. Top left was small back strap, top right was medium, bottom left was large. Then I went back to the small for bottom right. Small still fit best for me, but I did manage the best group with the large, but it was hurting the web if my hand between thumb and trigger finger.


I shot the apx with and without the tlr1 Mounted, no issues or poi change. But it shot low consistently with all ammo which most reviewers seem to say the same thing. still had no issues hitting center mass out to 20yds but it was more of a pattern than group. I really need more practice. The trigger was great just so different the the hammer fired berettas I'm used too, but I have no complaints at all. Felt good on my finger, does not feel heavy at all, I didn't even notice the blade safety not being flush when pulled like another reviewer complained about. Overall a good day with the apx.

Beretta has just shipped my grey frame and 21rd mags today, so next range session will just be the apx and probably 3-400 rounds to give it a real workout.

Edit - I like the apx so much I just bought a second one today, along with 3 more 17rd mags with red follower, and 2 more 21rd mags. Beretta is giving away free tshirts with 2mags purchased so I couldn't help myself.

So all total next trip I will have 9 17rd mags and 4 21rd mags

Today beretta released the threaded barrels so I have one of those coming. I don't own a suppressor yet but I think berettas look good with the barrel sticking past the slide anyways.

I also ordered a competition striker spring for it direct from Italy. So that will lighten up the trigger pull a little bit.

Definitely interested in how the competition striker spring works out.

I'm going to pic up a trigger pull gauge to measure the difference too. The competition spring is now listed on berettas website should be in stock in the USA soon, hopefully the ones I ordered Get here from Italy quickly.

I picked up my second apx from my ffl tonight and went straight to the range. 300 rounds without an issues.



Both apx together


Looks like Wednesday is the day my other 21rd and extra 17rd mags are showing up along with the threaded barrel.

My only complaint is the mags are super hard to load, almost impossible without the supplied mag loader. The first couple rounds get screwy when loading and sometimes kind of jam up but have no issues when shooting them.

Thanks for the range report!

21rd mag, threaded barrel, and grey grip frame showed up.

Wow, I like the gray grip.  Looks great.

I really like the way the 21rd magazine blends into the frame, nice touch to it.

My main complaint with the APX, and the ARX as well, is that everything is stiff. Taking it apart is a pain the first time, until you work it in some. Magazines also a pain, will probably break in some. Trigger real stiff, breaks in fine. ARX same thing, bottom mag release real stiff until I worked it in, safety, trigger, every control on the gun needs to be worked 100 times before it's broken in.

I think I would have liked them better if I'd gotten the ARX in FDE and the APX frame to match, but oh well, black is the new brown!

An arx in fde is on my list to get.

Botach had it listed in FDE for $1150 I think, so I ordered it but it was out of stock. When I called up they'd gotten the regular ones in for $899, so I got one of them.

I'm excited to try mine, bought it "used" but unfired from consignment of LGS.  Somehow the prior owner got conned into it being a Sig at a pawn shop, I dunno but tag on box from pawnshop is dated less than two weeks ago.

Only came with 2 mags, don't if that is legit or if one got lost or more likely the pawn shop snagged it and put it out for sale at $40 or something.

Anyway, just me or is the locking tabs for the case on the wrong lid?   I swapped mine around.  Seems the tabs should lift up with the lid instead of staying on the side that lays on the table.

Nice find, most apx are shipping with 2 mags, the law enforcement versions come with the 3 mags. Mags aren't too bad from beretta, most were buy 2 get a free t shirt so I bought a bunch.

The case lock tabs didn't bother me though

So I got the green competition striker spring finally, installed that Saturday morning and went to the range with 3 17rd mags and 3 21rd mags.

So this is the first range trip with the grey grip frame installed, threaded barrel, 21rd mags, and green striker spring. Everything was cleaned and oiled before the range trip.

Everything was going fine through the first 200 rounds. 1 stove pipe failure but I was shooting single hand weak side so that was most likely why that happened.

Last 100 rounds of fiochi 115grn ammo first 2 17rd mags go just fine, 3rd up is the 21rd couple shots go fine then trigger is dead. Rack the slide, fresh round pops out of the chamber no primer dimple. Shoot the next round, dead trigger again, just tap the slide and it goes last 1/8" into battery and fires fine when trigger is pulled. It continued to malfunction this way almost every round of the 21rd mag. Next up back to a 17rd mag and no issues. Last 2 mags were 21rd and both had the same failures.

So I'm thinking it's an issue with the 21rd mags mostly. A member on the beretta forum is having issues with 21rd mags not locking the slide back, some testing with my slide off the 21rd mags don't have enough spring pressure to keep the slide lock up reliably.

I did also order a Galloway precision apx stainless striker spring to try out vs the beretta green spring. And I ordered a new recoil spring assemble from Galloway. Stock is 18lb I ordered a 20lb to try if I keep having return to battery issues, it's also a flat wire spring not that it should matter.


Stock apx trigger - 5.75lb
Green spring - 5.25lb
Galloway - tbd

Interesting. This is why I always tell people that are new to shooting or carrying to fully test their guns. Sometimes it takes a few hundred rounds before problems start popping up.

Update 9/25

Took apx 2 to the range again, didn't touch it since last time out. Same threaded barrel, grey grip frame, green competition striker, stock recoil spring. didn't clean or oil pistol. 350rds mostly using the 21rd mags and not a single failure. No issues at all returning to battery. I didn't try out the Galloway 20lb recoil spring since I had no failures.

Total round count through apx 2 is right around 950rds

I did install the Galloway striker spring after the range, immediately removed it. The spring is lighter than the factory black or comp green strikers, which gives it a noticeably lighter pull, but when it gets to the break point it takes excessive effort to break and gives off a super weird springy vibration through the whole pistol. The wheeler trigger pull guage reads up to 8lbs and it was way higher than that. I think the factory strikers are plastic to "give" a little and the stainless Galloway doesn't and causes the heavy trigger pull.

I measured the weight to compress the strikers
Stock - 4lb
Green - 3.5lb
Galloway - 2.5lb

Trigger pull weight
Apx 1 stock - 4.75lb
Apx 2 stock - 5.75lb
Apx 3 stock - 5.25lb

Apx 2 green - 5.25lb
Apx 3 green - 4.75lb

Apx 2 Galloway - +8lb weird vibration
Apx 3 Galloway - +8lb weird vibration

I contacted Beretta asking them about the frame safety and they said they have no plans to pursue this as they didn't win the Army's handgun program. I bought the APX because of the optional frame safety so I'm pretty bummed about this.

That sucks, I wish they would release it. The Modularity is pointless without the options to change things up

Re-reading the email I got from them I was incorrect. Apparently they may still be considering them. Seem email below.

Hello Bryan:

Thank you for contacting Beretta Firearms Technical Support.

Unfortunately, the manuals as originally written had taken into account various features that would have been available on the Army submission version of the APX. However, some of these features did not make it to full completion as the APX was not selected for the MHS program. At this time, there are no thumb safety or adjustable sight options as the manual may mention, however, they are still being considered by our product design team as a possible future upgrade. There is no time frame as to when this might occur.

Thank you for your inquiry.

Best regards,

Beretta Customer Support

Decided to mod my factory sights. Painted the front sight fluorescent orange and blacked out the rear. The front dot is quite large on the apx and filled nicely with the paint and is very visible the picture doesn't do it justice. $10 versus the $150 or so for Trijicon hd sights. Hopefully I will have time to go shooting this weekend.

Hate finger grooves? No problem. I will be getting a no finger grip as soon as they are in stock.

http://www.berettausa.com/en-us/beretta-grip-no-fingers-with-3-backstraps-for-apx/

Looks like they're going all-out with the modular thing. I think that's great.

They need to add an extended slide release to the list.