Rifleman Review: Beretta APX

by
posted on October 14, 2020
Having built firearms and firearm components since at least 1526, Beretta is the oldest continuously operating firearm company in the world today. Since the beginning of this long, storied history, Beretta has produced military arms. When the U.S. Army announced that it would be conducting testing for a new standard issue sidearm to replace the Beretta M9 handgun, Beretta entered once again with a new model handgun.


The handgun that Beretta submitted for evaluation in the Army's XM17 Modular Handgun competition is the APX. The APX is a semi-automatic, polymer-frame, striker-fired handgun. This was a new flavor for Beretta, as it had previously preferred hammer-fired single- and double-action handguns for its fullsize, center-fired offerings like the Model 92, 96 and PX4.

A disassembled view of the Beretta APX.
A disassembled view of the Beretta APX.

The APX, along with being striker-fired, uses a double-action-only trigger, which makes it different from previous Beretta fullsize handguns. It comes chambered in either 9 mm or .40 S&W, with a 17-round magazine capacity for the 9 mm version and 15 rounds in the .40 S&W version. The overall length of both versions are 7.5" with a 4.25" barrel. The 9 mm version of the APX has an empty weight just beneath 28 oz.

The large and spaced out slide serrations on the Beretta APX.
The large and spaced out slide serrations on the Beretta APX.

One of the most notable features on the APX are the rather large and wide slide serrations that nearly run the entire length of the slide front to back. The slide also has a set of drift-adjustable three-dot sights. The dot on the front sight is larger than the two on the rear sight. This makes the front dot appear similar in size to the dots on the rear sight when the pistol is aimed at arm's length.

Firing the APX, with the three-dot sights visible.
Firing the APX, with the three-dot sights visible.

Inside the polymer frame, and a feature that resulted from the modular requirements in the Army's XM17 competition, the APX has a removable, stainless-steel chassis that contains the fire-control group and the rails on which the slide rides. This chassis is the serialized part of the handgun, allowing the APX to have the polymer lower frame swapped with a different size. 

The stainless-steel chassis that serves as the APX's serialized part.
The stainless-steel chassis that serves as the APX's serialized part.

While the APX is currently only offered in two fullsize models, potential does exist for the line to expand into different series of sizes while all being compatible with the same serialized chassis. The frame features a Picatinny rail system on the dustcover for lights or accessories. It also features an adjustable back-strap system that allows the grip size to be altered by the user to better fit their hands.

the back strap of the Beretta APX can be swapped out to better fit the user's hands.
the back strap of the Beretta APX can be swapped out to better fit the user's hands.

The APX can be configured for right or left handed use with the design's use of bilateral slide locks and reversible magazine release. With a fairly low bore-axis, the APX is fairly controllable and has mild recoil for a fullsize handgun. While the APX was not selected by the U.S. Army to replace the M9 service pistol, it is available to the market for purchase by civilians and professionals alike today. For more information on the Beretta APX, visit beretta.com

To watch complete segments of past episodes of American Rifleman TV, go to
americanrifleman.org/artv. For all-new episodes of ARTV, tune in Wednesday nights to Outdoor Channel 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. EST.

Latest

Rossi Rio Bravo Tactical lever-action rifle left-side view shown with bipod in brown grass outdoors with Leupold riflescope attached.
Rossi Rio Bravo Tactical lever-action rifle left-side view shown with bipod in brown grass outdoors with Leupold riflescope attached.

Rossi Rio Bravo Tactical: A Tactically Practical Rimfire

Announced during "The Year Of The Lever-Action," Rossi's latest tactically themed lever-action rimfire rilfe does not disappoint, offering up a practicality fore and aft, a nod toward modern plinkers, trainers and hunters.

Online Safety Resources On Water & Fire Damage Released By SAAMI

“These important documents add to SAAMI’s technical library of firearm safety resources that provide guidance to both industry professionals and the firearm-owning community.”

Rifleman Review: Taurus TX22 Compact

A downsized version of Taurus USA's TX22 is available, giving folks a smaller, handier version of the full-size TX22 rimfire pistol that's become one of the company's most popular offerings.

New For 2025: Springfield Armory Saint Victor 9 mm Pistol

Recently, Springfield Armory added a large-format pistol variant of its Saint Victor 9 mm carbine, giving enthusiasts a compact PCC that feeds from Colt-pattern magazines.

The Rifleman Report: New Developments

Our official coverage of new products for the current year is set for next month, but we included two substantial new developments in this issue that have the potential to make significant ripples in the firearm business even before then.

Arkansas To Begin Mandatory Gun Safety Lessons In Schools

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed into law requiring public and open enrollment public charter schools to provide age-appropriate firearm safety instruction beginning during the 2025-2026 school year.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.