| |
Umarex Beretta Px4 Storm Recon
|
The Px4 Storm Recon CO2 Pistol.
|
by: Dennis Brooks
I recently had the distinct pleasure of shooting a Beretta Px4 Storm Recon CO2 pistol (pull down menu on right) from Umarex USA. In the realm of CO2 replicas, this example of a Beretta Px4 Storm variant with Walther Xenon Tactical Light and Walther Green Shot Dot holographic sight is well worth shooting and/or collecting. The Px4 Storm has a very similar weight and balance to the actual Beretta Px4 Storm firearm. The addition of the four point Picatinny rail system allows a variety of options to be added which drastically enhance the look and operation of the pistol. To test the unit, I received a refurbished unit with minimal blemishes. The Umarex Beretta Px4 Storm Recon comes in a plastic clam shell package with mounted screw-on compensator simulated silencer, mounted picatinny four point rail system, Walther Xenon Tactical Light and Beretta green dot Shot Dot holographic optical sight.
I tested the Umarex Px4 Storm Recon with the recommended RWS pellets, BB's and Walther 12 gram Co2 capsules. Walther CO2 capsules are always recommended for any type of CO2 air gun because they are “food” grade, and are a cleaner CO2 source. A variety of RWS alloy and lead pellets as well as RWS BB's were provided for testing. Longer pellets do not fit in the magazine. Target, field and other short pellets work well in the Px4 Storm dual ended magazine. If you shoot a lot I suggest buying extra magazines. All Umarex and RWS products produced consistent results without jams or failures. I recommend using these products. I also like the RWS cleaning kit which comes with bottles of cleaner and oil combined with a cleaning rod, pellets, and other supplies sold in a single kit.
The Shot Dot easily mounts to the top of the Px4 Storm Recon pistol.
|
It was easy to assemble the air pistol with the enclosed accessories. You must remove the plastic thread protector and screw on the simulated silencer. The four point picatinny rail system is pre-mounted in both cases. You mount the Xenon light as you choose with the remote switch in a comfortable position then mount the Shot Dot sight. I chose to mount the dot sight back with my eyesight. You keep both eyes open when using a holographic sight. This is a much safer way to shoot, it allows you better visibility of the target, and the area behind and around the target. The green dot is readily visible in daylight conditions on the high setting. The low setting is bright in twilight conditions, and works well when a safe level of illumination is on the target.
The Walther Xenon Tactical is mounted on the bottom, left or right side of the four point picatinny mount. I mounted it on the left side with the remote switch as shown above. The Umarex Shot Dot holographic sight has a green dot with two levels of illumination controlled by the three position switch (off, low, high) on the left side of the sight.
This is a metal and plastic air pistol with a blow back slide that adds realism to the operation of the pistol. Shots
are double or single action determined by pulling the trigger, or by pre-cocking the hammer. This means rapid fire is possible by simple pulls of the trigger with the air pistol pre-cocked or cocked by the blow back action. I found the Px4 very accurate in slow fire and reasonably accurate in rapid fire. Velocity falls off as the valve cools down with rapid fire, leading to changes in where the pellet strikes.
The Umarex system of mounting CO2 capsules is one of my favorites. You remove the back strap cover, lower the mounting screw, twist the piercer knob base clockwise to the lower position, insert a capsule, adjust the mount screw up until the capsule just touches the piercer, twist the base counterclockwise to the normal position to pierce the capsule then replace the back strap cover.
|
Safety switched to safe.
|
|
Safety switched to fire.
|
The CO2 capsule is screwed up to the contact piercer, which pierces the capsule.
|
The Px4 Storm has a very positive safety. You can flick the safety on just by pushing down on the right side mounted lever. However, to remove the safety you must pull back on the saw tooth switch in the lever as you move it upward. This is a very nice system to insure safe shooting and prevent accidental discharges. You should never point the air gun in an unsafe direction or at any person or pet. Mechanical parts fail and air gun safety should never be forgotten or ignored.
The Px4 Storm comes with a metal magazine that has an eight shot plastic rotary clip mounted on each end. Pellets are loaded from the back into the magazine as shown on the side, before it is mounted in the air pistol. You rotate each clip as you load the pellets or BB's. When inserted in the air pistol the lever below the clip is pushed down and the clip rotates with each shot or when the hammer is pulled back to full cock. With over 500 alloy or lead pellets and steel BB's through the Px4 Storm Recon I received, I have found no excessive wear, problems or failures. If you continue to fire after the CO2 pressure decreases (indicated by decreased sound and the pellets hitting lower on the target) you can get jams when the pellet does not clear the clip or barrel. DO NOT fire the air gun until any jammed pellets are removed! I use a wooden skewer inserted down the compensator and barrel to push any jammed pellets or BB's out.
If the magazine will not eject after firing, check for a jammed pellet. If you do not see a new hole in the target or hear the pellet/BB hit, remove the magazine and check the barrel by moving the slide to the rear. It is best to remove the CO2 capsule and pull the trigger with the air gun pointed in a safe direction prior to check for obstructions. I would also recommend removing the simulated silencer for better visibility and easier access to clear jams. After the first eight shots, release the magazine, flip it end for end and insert for another eight shots. I expect no more than 64 full power shots per 12 gram capsule. This is four fully loaded double ended magazines. Vent any remaining CO2 by rotating the piercing knob on the butt. On cold days or during rapid shooting, you would do best to replace the capsule after three clips to be safe. The colder the day (or valve) the less the CO2 expands, the more you use per shot and the lower the expected velocity. This is common to all CO2 air guns and is a function of Co2 expansion rates versus temperature. The hotter you keep the valve system the more the CO2 expands. However, leaving a Co2 air gun in the sun while under pressure can cause the CO2 source (capsule in this case) or a part of the gun to fail in an explosive manner. Follow the directions and warnings in the manual.
| Trigger pull from Lyman Trigger Gauge: |
4.5 lb average |
| Decibel Levels per Environmental Gauge: |
Ambient - 47 dB (with wind) Px4 - 95 dB Avg. |
Rapid Fire Dropped Velocities as low as 273 FPS
I would not hesitate to recommend this air pistol. The Px4 Storm Recon (right side pull down menu) is extremely well made of durable materials and quite accurate. This is a quality piece for collectors and casual shooters alike. The accessories do add a lot to the base Px4 Storm. The Picatinny rail system is very flexible, but you can add too much weight. The Shot Dot system works well, but I prefer more levels of illumination to match target conditions. The Walther Xenon Light system mounts firmly and provides adequate illumination for up to 30 meter use.
Additional Information:
The Picatinny four point mount system requires an Allen wrench allowing you to remove either or both side pieces, or the entire system. The system is friction mounted to the front frame below the receiver in the groove seen in the photographs. To use the mechanical sights shown in the manual you must remove the Shot Dot optics, Xenon light, Picatinny rail system and simulated silencer.
Umarex warns on the included card and in the manual not to brandish or show this air pistol in a public place. It is easily mistaken for the real thing. This is not a toy! Be very careful where and how you use this air pistol!
This is a very accurate copy of the real Beretta Px4. The only visible differences between this and the firearm version are the red dot for the safety and the magazine extension to the rear of the air pistol. None of the very minor visible differences will protect you if you brandish this replica in public. It looks and feels like the real Px4. The blow back action of the slide gives you rapid fire of eight rounds with another eight when you flip the clip.
Buy the Beretta Px4 Today!
|