While they look kind of funky, they are actually quite comfortable to hold/grip. The frame actually feels more comfortable in my hand then a Glock full size frame. The slide is a bit wider than a Glock and now they have a rail you can put on the top of the slide by removing the rear sight, if you want an optic, if you can't find an optic ready model.
Just fyi, Bass Pro has them for $379 in both full size and compact version, so you can get a hold of one and feel what they are like.
I had one in 40s&w. I liked the pistol and thought Beretta did a great job with their chassis design. The trigger is also nice right out of the box. Physically, it has a flatter face than a Glock &, if I remember correctly, the dingus on the trigger was flush with the trigger face when pulled—unlike a Glock. My only complaint is how the slide sits so far back on the frame. I prefer more weight out front. For me, it just felt different in the hand. Same with the recoil impulse. Your mileage may vary. Another aspect of the pistol I really liked which I wish they would do as an upgrade to their PX4 line is the grip texture. I found it to be very grippy even with sweaty hands. To my knowledge they have also been very reliable.
I think they are excellent pistols especially for the price I see them going for today. I have a full size and a Centurion, both in 9mm. Both of mine have the best out of the box factory trigger of any polymer gun I own. I’m not a fan of flat triggers so it took me a bit to get used to that (it’s not completely flat but flatter than what I am used to). I also found that although the medium grip felt the best, I shot the best with the large grip. I was pulling to the left which I think was a combination of the trigger and the grip. Perfect now. My only gripe is the width of the slide. If it was just a little slimmer I think it would be perfect. Both of my pistols have been perfectly reliable.
Here is the full slide slide on the Centurion frame (not sure why I did this, but here is the pic lol).
Muzzle end; Left to right: Centurion, M&P 2.0, G19
And here is my full size, dutifully protecting my Thanksgiving Day dinner a few years ago. Turkey SPAM on the grill, box stuffing, cranberry sauce from the can, gravy from a jar. Washed down with a can of High Life I put on the OD frame without the finger grooves and I prefer it to the stock one.
I've got a Centurion and some sort of tactical optics ready one. They're both good. Really dig the size of the Centurion. Glad to see them back in stock cheap.
Posts: 5169 | Location: Iowa | Registered: February 24, 2011
I had a full size and a centurion. They had great grip feel, were 100% reliable and accurate. The ridged slide look even grew on me and I really got to like it. I only traded them because they really didn't do anything better than a lot of stuff I already had, and for which i already had mags, holsters etc.. And for me, they were a little to bulky to carry. Enter the APX Carry. Bought one, loved the way it looked, felt , the size , trigger, full length internal rails, and the sights. It was a little smaller but more chunky than my G43, and I shot it really well. The long trigger pull actually gave me a little added comfort over the G43 in terms of safety and was still for me not a hindrance in terms of accurate shooting. Some dont like it but i did. It was well built. Here is the "but", but after about 200 rounds it started failing to extract. Bad jams, like I almost had to disassemble it to get things unstuck. I really wanted to like it, but couldn't really have confidence in it. Many have reported no issues (some have had my issue) and if they ever clear it up I will get another.
My best guess is to accommodate and somewhat tame .40 S&W and I only speculate that that's it because Glock has done the same on the Gen 5 .40 pistols.
Posts: 5169 | Location: Iowa | Registered: February 24, 2011
I bought a full size RDO model as an inexpensive way to try red dots and because I didn't have any polymer-framed pistols at the time. I don't really care for the slide serrations but they are very stout and well built and have some nice features like an overtravel stop built-in to the frame.
With the dual recoil spring assembly they are very 'oversprung' from the factory for the ammunition I use (99% reloads) but it works in well after a few hundred rounds. I added the 'heavy' recoil spring assembly (same spring, guide rod is 0.5 ounces heavier than the factory one) and the 'green' competition striker spring and after about 1000 rounds the trigger is very good.
The RDO model includes all the plates and screws needed to mount any one of several optics which is a bonus.
Posts: 4080 | Location: NC | Registered: December 20, 2004
One thing I thought was cool were the proof marks. Didn't even notice them until I had cleaned it a few times.
The recoil spring on the full size seemed 'normal' to be, but the one on the Centurion? Wow. It was STIFF. It took me two tries to lock it back by hand the first time, I was not expecting that. No problems shooting though, it started off with Lawman 124gr and IMI 115gr and there were no issues. I have read on other forums of people saying the compact had a very stiff recoil spring and the Centurion uses the same upper so maybe there is something to that.
The Centurion is hands down my favorite striker pistol now. Great size and totally reliable. As an aside, police departments are now taking notice of the pricing and reliability the APX offers. Hopefully, the aftermarket picks up with it now. The APX Carry, however, is a revamped Nano. I am not a fan of the trigger though. If it says APX, it should have the same trigger! It is a damn comfortable gun though after the revamp.
Posts: 798 | Location: Chicago area | Registered: November 10, 2003
I had a regular APX I sold to a friend this time last year and also an APX Combat. I sold it to get the Centurion Combat and APX Target, figuring one for suppressed use (no need for long barrel + suppressor) and the other for target use.
And the Centurion Combat and APX Target have been out of stock ever since due to the pandemic.
I've got a stack of mags and even the frame safety grip module sitting here, if/when.
I do like how the APX shoots. They have an 'okay' trigger and I'm not a fan of the 'buttress'-style serrations but the gun still works satisfyingly well. I sold my full size 9mm off but I sometimes wish I had hung on to it. But with Caniks and VP9s and P320s and PPQs and of course (for me) Glocks (plus two or three other makes), I already have an overload of strikers so the APX was the odd one out.
APXs were virtually impossible to find last year. Beretta USA had none to ship for virtually the entire year. Our orders placed in early 2020 only started to show up a couple of months ago, but it was great to see that the price reductions that Beretta implemented back in 2018 and 2019 were still in effect. A real bargain at their regular/normal street price points. Even with a little bit of pandemic price gouging I think they still offer a ton of performance and value.
-MG
Posts: 2018 | Location: The commie, rainy side of WA | Registered: April 19, 2020
I put on the OD frame without the finger grooves and I prefer it to the stock one.
