SierraPapa trigger upgrad for CX4 Storm

[Schwing]

I have seen a couple of threads where this has been mentioned but I want to throw the question out there again. Has anyone had ACTUAL experience with the SierraPapa trigger VS. the stock trigger?

I love everything about my 9mm CX4 except the trigger. It is, seriously, the heaviest and spongiest trigger I have ever seen. The SierraPapa upgrade for $180 looks like the best option but I am hoping that some folks have experience with this. Currently, you remove the entire trigger assembly housing and ship it to them. They perform the upgrade and ship it back. Anyone have good or bad comments about this company?

I am also curious what folks think about the aluminum trigger housing option. My inclination is that it is a waste of money but are there any reasons to have this upgrade as well?

 

[DPris]

I sent my Beretta to them for parts upgrades, largely to replace plastic.
The trigger does not have a crisp break, but it does have a smooth & light travel before let-off.

I consider any metal part that replaces a plastic part inside the gun to be money well spent.
Denis

 

[Ks5shooter]

lurk

 

[Phaedrus/69]

I visited a buddy this summer that had the SP upgrade done to his Storm Carbine. We had a lot of guns to shoot and not a lot of daylight left so I only dry fired it, didn't live fire. But I had my own Storm Carbine along and his trigger was vastly better than my stock one. There's no doubt at all that it's a big improvement. So am I planning on doing it to mine? Probably not.

Back when I got my Storm it was one of the few 9mm carbines that fit the criteria I had in mind. And while I like the carbine a lot it's not perfect. For mostly political/legal reasons there are some design quirks and they made a few design choices that baffle me. First off, for 922 r reasons it lacks "evil" features like a pistol grip. I actually like the stock reasonably well. But I'm not crazy about the control layout. The crossbolt safety is counterintuitive to me. Also, there are very few rail options. There's a slide-out section at the front that's not all that stable, and if you want tri-rails you basically need to buy the Beretta one that includes all three. I'd rather have the option to just add the parts I need. Also I really wish the gun would have been made with a full length flat top rail. As it it there's a rail section but the sights are pretty poor yet non-removable. The front post is basically invisible and the rear peep is hard to use unless you hog out the hole a bit with a drill bit.

The trigger really is atrocious. If you haven't shot one it's hard to appreciate how terrible it is. I imagine triggers vary from unit to unit but I have never heard of a great one.

The Sierra Papa mods are great! But the issue is that the gun is possibly discontinued already. Beretta seems to intermittently make a batch here and there but even their dealers can't say if there will be more. Spare parts are a bit hard to find and there's almost no aftermarket outside of SP. To fix the things that I think should be changed (eg SP trigger, buffer, trigger housing and flat top rail) would cost more than the MSRP of the carbine. One of those- the trigger housing- is a replacement part for a factory part that seems to be substandard/defective in a lot of new guns.

A few years after I got my Storm, CZ released their Scorpion EVO3 S1, which I purchased. Mine wears a folding brace. Recently they added a full-on carbine version to their lineup. The Scorpion is a much better gun that the Storm, IMO, and addresses almost everything I didn't like about the Beretta. The trigger, while not great, is still much better than the Storm. Mags are proprietary but cheap, reliable and easy to find. The rail runs the length of the firearm and the removable sights are actually pretty good. Controls are very similar to an MSR and the gun will be very familiar to fans of the HK MP5 (right down to the 'HK slap'). The only advantage the Storm has, IMO, is a shorter OAL if carbine versions are compared.

If you're really committed to the Storm Carbine I think the SP trigger upgrade is well worth the price. But it's hard for me to recommend dumping a lot of money into my Storm since there are ot her better options (for me at least).

 

[DPris]

The Storm was chosen here for specific reasons that include weight prominently among them.
It's light, relatively compact, light, reliable, light, can be upgraded, light, takes a mini red dot easily, light, decently accurate, light, can be fired like a pistol in either hand if one's injured, penetrates well with 147 bullet weights, holds together well with 147s, and it's light.

I paid about $700 for the upgrades.
With a double buttstock mag pouch, that's 52 rounds on board good for engagements to 50 yards easily, farther if necessary.

No interest in a heavy & clunky Scorpion.
Denis

 

[Phaedrus/69]

The weight difference is about nine ounces.

 

[DPris]

9 ounces makes a difference.
Go with the Scorpion if you like it.
It's clunky & heavier & I don't.

This discussion isn't about other guns, anyway, it's about the Beretta.
Denis

 

[Ohen Cepel]

I did mine when they still sold the parts as I am a Beretta guy and will always have 92 mags around. So, it made some sense as I'm pretty sold on the platform. Upgrades like this you will never get your money back on so wouldn't do it unless you're committed to keeping it for a while. It did improve the trigger greatly, but it is still a short range carbine.

 

[Phaedrus/69]

9 ounces makes a difference.
Go with the Scorpion if you like it.
It's clunky & heavier & I don't.

This discussion isn't about other guns, anyway, it's about the Beretta.
Denis

I went with both; it's simply that the Scorpion is the superior firearm (at least IMO). This directly answers the OP so it's relevant. Stick with your Storm if you prefer, maybe the OP will too. But the question was whether or not the SP upgrades are worth it- the answer is "it's complicated".

I don't know what "clunky" means in the framework of this topic but I can definitely say the Storm is more awkward than the Scorpion.

 

[DPris]

For me, it's a package deal.
Short, light, decently ergonomic, accurate enough, and the ability to use the fixed stock to carry two more mags on board as a quick grab & go, with a very small red dot & integral backup sights.
Those extra mags are a major factor.

This is a dedicated short-range gun.
It extends a defensive capability at least double what my handgun does.
Around town, car gun.
Get me home gun.
Get me through a riot gun.
Use easily with either hand gun.
Not a combat arm, as such, but not a range toy.

Among all that, it was worth it to me to pay for the upgrades.
Just as a range plinker, it wouldn't be.

There are many alternative guns that could be suggested, but those would be in their own threads.
Denis

 

[Phaedrus/69]

To me the best attributes of the Storm are the very short OAL (around 31") and the ability to use 92 mags. I use a Holosun RDS on mine and it's a good shooter. Not a long range gun but good inside 50 meters or so. I don't have buttstock mag pouch but it's a neat idea.

I actually do think the Storm is a good HD firearm, and at various times I've kept mine as the primary HD weapon. Overall I think my AR is better but nothing wrong with a PCC. The 16" barrel should pump up the velocity by around 300 fps, more or less, adding a bit of oomph to the rounds.

I'm a little torn about the SP upgrades. At times I've considered the trigger, especially after trying the one that belongs to a friend, but I'm not sure it's worth it to me. Despite the trigger of my Storm being terrible it really doesn't impede my ability to get good hits with it.

 

[Phaedrus/69]

I am also curious what folks think about the aluminum trigger housing option. My inclination is that it is a waste of money but are there any reasons to have this upgrade as well?

Sorry, failed to address this part. If you do some reading at the Beretta forums you'll find that a lot of Storm carbines have trigger housings that were cracked right from the factory or cracked after just a few hundred rounds of factory ammo. A quick survey of owners revealed that about half of the carbines of certain production runs have this problem. Beretta will fix it under warranty and it's not clear whether any guns have failed to function because of the flaw (although it looks like maybe my buddy with the SP trigger work done has had the housing fail completely on his- he's still investigating as it just happened).

If Beretta fixes the issue, and if the replacement holds up, then the aluminum upgrade is perhaps not worth the money. On the other hand I expect it would last the life of the gun and beyond.

 

[DPris]

I went with the alloy part because of the cracked plastic versions.
As I said- I consider any money spent on replacing plastic internals with metal to be fully justified on that gun if you take it seriously.

Beretta cheaped out on several parts & the gun would have been a better product out of the box if they hadn't.
Denis

 

[Schwing]

After some consideration, I think I am going to do both. The paranoid part of me is worried about the "bumpstock" ban crossing some lines and making upgrades like this either impossible or VERY expensive.

As far as going with the CX4, it was simply the idea of having compatible magazines with my 92. I am also hoping to add a second 92 here in the near future. I also just like the look and ergonomics of the gun. The trigger is just... well it is a turd.

I appreciate all of the replies. Thanks!