Beretta vs Sig opinions

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Benny74

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So I purchased a PX4 Storm compact 40, which I had researched and read good things about how the revolutionary rotating barrel made the 40 handle like a 9 (almost), and how accurate it is, etc.... But my buddy, ex-marine and shooter, convinced me Beretta is not that great for self defense, not a reliable gun, etc.... So now I am trading it in for a full-size Sig P320 45. I know everyone has preferences, but on-line I really can't find anything bad about Beretta supporting his argument. I like the Sig, but I don't like giving up the Beretta without finding out for myself how I like it. However he has much more experience than I do with shooting and carrying.
So, is it really just an objective statement to say a Sig is better than a Beretta? Not getting into decockers, DA/SA, and safeties, or hammer vs striker-fired, I mean, is it just not as reliable a weapon?
 
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I'll play...

As one who's sold dozens of both, or more accurately scores of Sigs and HUNDREDS of Berettas let me say that it is really a weak argument to which is a better arms maker. Ford vs Chevy at worst, Mercedes vs Audi at best...

I'll say my personal preference leans me more towards Sig Sauer as they are German and cooler guns. The M9 turned out ok after 30 years and the PX4 Storm (which sells quite briskly) has never been returned at my shop due to mfg problems or lack of quality control. Only time one was brought in was a Left eye dominant, Right handed shooter having issues getting on target and blaming the gun. After 10 minutes of intensive coaching he was shooting minute of torso at 15 yds and paper plate groups at 7yds.

I don't have a dog in the fight, but I do keep a G19 Glock :D beside me for nighttime comfort. Good luck with your decision... YMMV
 
I wouldn't trust the advice of a serviceman on handguns any more than a civilian. They get that little training with them ( typically no training) and the typical M9 is beat to hell.

The Beretta 92 is a solid and reliable gun, and I say that with my primary CCW being a P226. I've carried both overseas.
 
Bama Drifter said:
As one who's sold dozens of both, or more accurately scores of Sigs and HUNDREDS of Berettas let me say that it is really a weak argument to which is a better arms maker. Ford vs Chevy at worst, Mercedes vs Audi at best...

I'll say my personal preference leans me more towards Sig Sauer as they are German and cooler guns. The M9 turned out ok after 30 years and the PX4 Storm (which sells quite briskly) has never been returned at my shop due to mfg problems or lack of quality control. Only time one was brought in was a Left eye dominant, Right handed shooter having issues getting on target and blaming the gun. After 10 minutes of intensive coaching he was shooting minute of torso at 15 yds and paper plate groups at 7yds.

I don't have a dog in the fight, but I do keep a G19 Glock :D beside me for nighttime comfort. Good luck with your decision... YMMV
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thats because the beretta 92 owes its ancestry to the walther P38.. a german gun ;-)
 
the type of guns i like for accuracy arent even made anymore.. when you have a barrel fixed into a slide with a moving bolt in which your sights and barrel can remain in perfect alignment at all times.. then you get considerable accuracy.. and blowbacks as well in which the barrel remains fixed to the frame at all time, not rotating (or worse, tilting) in the process of firing

as for reliability, the Px4 is based on their 8000 cougar, basically just a polymer modernized version of that.. in my experience both are pretty reliable, your friend just sounds like a sig fanboy
 
I have both a 9mm Cougar and a 9mm PX4. Both are excellent guns, have been totally reliable and very accurate. I personally wouldn't trade either for a SIG unless you have a burning desire to own a SIG.
 
Benny74

Who cares what your buddy thinks is the better gun; more importantly WHAT DO YOU THINK about the Beretta PX4? You must have had some positive feelings about it before you bought it and I trust you have at least taken it to the range a few times to form some sort of opinion about how reliable it is, what kind of accuracy you're getting, how does it feel and balance in your hand, etc.

It's kind of like you just bought a new car and you neighbor comes along and says that's not the right car for you, you need a pick-up truck or a minivan instead. All I'm saying is give the Beretta a chance and after trying it out for awhile, if it still doesn't fit your needs, then maybe consider trading it in or selling it for something else.
 
To me it isn't a question of Beretta or Sig, it's Beretta AND Sig. I like both. I had a Cougar in 40 S&W that I sold because I realized I didn't care for the cartridge. If It had been a 9mm or 45 I probably would have kept it. It was accurate and utterly reliable. As far as I've read, the PX4's are in general, just as reliable and accurate.

I currently own a Wilson/Beretta 92 Brig Tac, and it's a keeper. That doesn't mean I don't want a Sig 226, 227, and 220 in 10mm.

Forget what your buddy says. If the PX4 works for you, and you are happy with it, keep it. If you want to try something else, buy another gun. No one besides a spouse or significant other ever said you can only own one handgun.
 
Thanks all for the responses, and tho I appreciate the car analogies, the reason I am willing to defer is not that I don't have an opinion, but we're talking about ccw and self defense. He has a lot of experience and training, and I do not, tho I've carried my G19 for 5 years and trust it. I like how the PX4 shoots on a flat target. But, I've never had to defend my life or been in a gun battle, thank God.
I like the Langdon Tactical review... that supports my initial conclusions. So no one else in the self defense world agrees with my friend that it is not a gun to trust your life with?
 
So no one else in the self defense world agrees with my friend that it is not a gun to trust your life with?
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From the same forum the Ernest Langdon review came from, Todd Green, who created that forum, doesn't care for them. I posted in that thread and referenced ToddG's dislike for the PX4. I think a lot of folks, with no PX4 experience, took ToddG's word for it since he is a respected gun industry guy. However, Ernest Langdon is also a respected gun industry guy and his opinion is different. I don't think either is lying, or even bending the truth, just a difference of opinion. You get to take in all the information and decide for yourself.
 
I am a huge Sig fan but there is nothing wrong with your Beretta.

In fact, I will bet it can out shoot you and your buddy.

The military has a bad view of Beretta's because of the track record with the M9. A good number of military vets I talk to don't care for the M9 and that crosses over to other Beretta designs as well.

I say keep it, learn it, shoot it.
 
Benny74 said:
Thanks all for the responses, and tho I appreciate the car analogies, the reason I am willing to defer is not that I don't have an opinion, but we're talking about ccw and self defense. He has a lot of experience and training, and I do not, tho I've carried my G19 for 5 years and trust it. I like how the PX4 shoots on a flat target. But, I've never had to defend my life or been in a gun battle, thank God.
I like the Langdon Tactical review... that supports my initial conclusions. So no one else in the self defense world agrees with my friend that it is not a gun to trust your life with?
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For every loud person on the internet, or "professional" with a positive opinion about a gun, you will find a negative opinion about the same gun if you look long enough.

The bottom line is if the gun shoots alright for you, and YOU are comfortable with it, it doesn't matter one bit what your friend, or any of us think. This is a question we really can't answer.

The one and only complaint I've ever heard about the PX4 guns is that they are a little chunky for comfortable carry, but that is dictated completely by your physical dimensions, and style of dress.

If you are concerned about the reliability of the gun, then you simply have to shoot it more frequently to ensure it is reliable. Changing guns because one or two folks tell you they have heard about issues is really putting the cart before the horse.

If you want to try other options to see if a different gun works better for YOU, then renting guns can help with that. I have a rotating attitude on many of my guns. I designate dollars for a gun, and if I decide it isn't for me, I trade or sell it to fund the next experiment. It's a matter of what level of experimentation your wallet can tolerate. If the answer is zero, then shoot your PX4 more, replace recoil and magazine springs as needs, and carry on man.

And don't put too much stock in what "respected individuals" in the defense world think. There reviews are always tainted by personal preference. They can't answer those questions for you.

A reverse example: I can't stand Larry Vickers or anything he writes. He is an advocate of the HK45 as it's development involved his input. But if I'd based my purchase on my dislike for the man, I never would have bought an HK45. I put his opinion aside, and bought one, and it is one of the best guns I've ever owned.

Reading reviews and input from friends is fine, but you have to make your own decision here.
 
I am collecting information precisely so I can make my own informed decision. If I were just listening to my friend, I would not be asking. However, I also realize other people know more than I do, and that there are facts out there. If I'm going to trust my life with a piece of equipment, I just want to make sure it is one that has proven as reliable as possible through rigorous testing.
It seems the major negatives have to do with the original springs that Beretta then corrected, maybe eliminating the need to fix them with "hammer mechanics." Others are guide rods breaking, finish wearing off, mags rusting, safety pin backing out. One guy says when run hard, the metal gets hot, lube wears off, and also makes the barrel sieze. So I'm trying to figure out, from those who may have carried this gun for a while, and run it hard, are these negatives enough to make you not trust your life to this gun?
 
You must be doing an internet search for "problems with Beretta PX4" to have found all those complaints.

Contact forum member Vodoun da Vinci who owns either a subcompact or compact (I can't remember), or forum member Lonestar49 who has a full size in .40S&W with 10,000 plus trouble free rounds through it to see how they like their PX4's.

Here's a review, or two from the late Stephen A. Camp

Shooting the Beretta PX4 http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/shooting_the_beretta_px4_storm_9.htm

Beretta PX4 update http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/shooting_the_9mm_beretta_px4_storm Updated.htm

Is it possible your PX4 will jam, sure. Is it likely there is some flawed design feature in the gun that will cause repeated failures with your gun, not likely.
 
Another point to ponder is quality control. I'm not sure it is mentioned in the thread from the other forum sigarms228 linked, but think of all the major players in the 9MM duty gun business, and most all, save for Beretta have gone through a period of questionable quality control. S&W has been battling accuracy issues with their 9MM M&P's, SIG has had problems since Cohen took over, Glock had problems with the introduction of their Gen 4 line. Beretta, not so much.
 
I wouldn't even consider the purchase of a modern Sig Sauer pistol, QC is largely nonexistent, the Beretta Px4 I have zero time in with, so I cannot advise one way or the other, however the 92FS/92A1/M9A1 I do have considerable time in with, and all are in my opinion superior to the junk being passed off as Sig's these days. I've always felt the Sig Sauer to be overrated and just as overly large as the Beretta absent its silky smooth mechanism, the Beretta is also a tack driver compared to the P226 for what its worth to you.
 
Benny74 said:
Thanks all for the responses, and tho I appreciate the car analogies, the reason I am willing to defer is not that I don't have an opinion, but we're talking about ccw and self defense. He has a lot of experience and training, and I do not, tho I've carried my G19 for 5 years and trust it. I like how the PX4 shoots on a flat target. But, I've never had to defend my life or been in a gun battle, thank God.
I like the Langdon Tactical review... that supports my initial conclusions. So no one else in the self defense world agrees with my friend that it is not a gun to trust your life with?
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^ !!!:cuss: Dang it man, you've carried a G19 5yrs w/o I assume, a hiccup in reliability... and now you are wanting our opinion on a PX4 Storm?!?!?! :banghead: The Glock you just swapped out of rotation is without a doubt one of THE MOST reliable sidearms currently extant, and fielded by numerous security forces worldwide. Don't buy into the "Need to spend more on fancy Brand X" to feel safe... plz read below link about the Glock you are ditching:

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/sto...stols-approved-for-marsoc-operators/23548847/

and further to make any 1911 fan's head explode:

http://www.military.com/daily-news/...perators-to-choose-glocks-over-marsoc-45.html :neener:
 
Use your Glock...

the best upgrade I can recommend is trade in your Beretta for a pile of 9mm ammo (hollow point & range use) and spend a couple hundred bucks on a quality defensive pistol course near you. Thanks for trusting us internet gurus w/ your personal defense needs :)
 
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I wouldn't even consider the purchase of a modern Sig Sauer pistol, QC is largely nonexistent, the Beretta Px4 I have zero time in with, so I cannot advise one way or the other, however the 92FS/92A1/M9A1 I do have considerable time in with, and all are in my opinion superior to the junk being passed off as Sig's these days. I've always felt the Sig Sauer to be overrated and just as overly large as the Beretta absent its silky smooth mechanism, the Beretta is also a tack driver compared to the P226 for what its worth to you.
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My M11-A1 and I really beg to differ with this statement. IMHO, A Wilson Brigadier Tactical 92G is worthy competition to the Sig P226 TacOps model in 9mm. And then there is the P226 TacOps chambered in .357 Sig, if you shoot one of these, you would want one!

And please recall that the Army earlier this year told Beretta to get lost with the M9A3 proposed by Beretta in an effort to stave off the XM-17 MHS trials which are underway, and the Army plans to replace the M9 entirely by 2018. Wouldn't it be ironic if the Sig P320, which is a true "modular handgun system" ends up replacing the M9, giving Sig a bit of revenge when by many accounts, the Sig P226 unfairly lost the M9 competition trials to the Beretta 92, back in 1985?
 
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You cannot go wrong with either pistol. I have had both and only prefer the Sig because I like the ergonomics better. Great guns, both.
 
HKGuns, my wallet thinks you're a jerk for posting those pics!

Beautiful pistols, both of them. I'd love to start wearing the finish off that P226 Navy putting rounds downrange.
 
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