DA/SA Pistol in 40 S&W

[TunnelRat]

Hi all,
I am considering the following three pistols in 40 S&W:

Sig SP2022
Beretta PX4
FN FNX

I've read some of the threads on them. I like the capacity of the PX4 and FNX but I have no experience with them while I have owned numerous SIGs. I like the ambidextrous nature of the FNX and that it is US made and FN seems like a solid company with their military contracts. The cocked and locked feature is also neat. The rotating barrel of the PX4 is interesting and I'd be curious if it actually reduced felt recoil. And from all accounts the SP2022 is a great deal.

Would love to hear other thoughts. So many good options out there .
-TR

 

[BerettaTN]

I really like my PX-4. Only other .40 I own is a Sig P226. I honestly can't tell much difference in the recoil between the two. I like the kick of the .40 and I am much more accurate with it than I am with the 9mm. I let a friend shoot the PX-4 here a few weeks ago. He had never shot a .40 in anything before and said he did not notice a tremendous difference between his 9mm's (Glock and Walther) and my PX-4 in the .40 S&W.

 

[TunnelRat]

@Beretta
Have you had any issues with the sights? Seems like the biggest complaint I find is that the paint comes off.

 

[RC20]

I am a serious admirer of the SP2022 (and bought one but sight unseen which is a leap of faith based on handling an P220 and the reviews that convinced me it was close to as good).

In reality I think the SP2022 is a hit out of the park, its as good as the German made P220 in my opinion (maybe a bit better, maybe not quite as good but in the neighborhood dependinbg on how sensitive you are to the feel of things).

I tried the safety model stuff and just don't get it. I carried DA in revolvers for many years, the 11 lb pull works just fine.

The Sig is as clean a gun as you will find with two levers. The rest is as good as HK except maybe the grip (the SP2022 is good, the HK is simply the best).

I have handled the FN, I think its a decent gun, but I don't think its as good as the Sig. Frankly I would say the FN is what I expect at the price they sell it for (good but not great) and the Sig would be great at $700.

Price wise the SP2022 is impossible to beat in quality. You get a gun that would not only normally sell in the 700-900 range, it has that same quality you find in that area for $400 with night sights.

Reliability in mine has been 100% and the vast majority of owners report the same.

 

[TunnelRat]

@RC20
What caliber do you have yours in? How do you find the quality? I had a few bad run ins with new SIGs as of late. Do you carry yours?

 

[Mosin44az]

I would pick the FNX because it fits my not-large hand better. Also, with the ones I have rented, I have found them comfortable on recoil, with a nice trigger, accurate, no malfs. Also like the 3-way frame-mounted safety, a nice system, like the one Taurus uses on its Beretta 92 clones, an improvement on the original.

But my Px4 .40 was superb, no problems whatsoever and very comfortable to shoot. That DA pull was just a bit too long and heavy and it bothered me. I am also not a fan of the Beretta slide-mounted, up-to-fire safety/decocker, though supposedly it is relatively easy to make it decocker only if you are handy with gunsmithing.

No experience with the SIG, but those I've tried also have long, heavy triggers, at least in the DA/SA version.

 

[TunnelRat]

Does anyone know if you can rack the slide on the PX4 with the safety engaged?

 

[dsk]

While not on your list, also consider a used Smith 4006 or something similar. They're built like tanks, reliable, and have a manual safety/decocker.

 

[TunnelRat]

@dsk
It's funny you say that as I just picked up a used 5903 and I love it.

Why I am not looking at a similar 4003 is I just find the capacity for them to be a bit low. Whereas I can get 17 rd MecGars for the 9mm 3rd gen Smiths, most you can get in a 40 cal ver is 11. Now I would agree that it is likely plenty, but it annoys me as I know the size of the magazine could/should accommodate more.

 

[pgdion]

I voted for the PX4 as it's close to the Cougar which is my first choice (and the next in line on my wish list).

 

[pgdion]

Does anyone know if you can rack the slide on the PX4 with the safety engaged?

Yes you can. If you do, the gun will automatically decock the hammer though. So you will load a round but then return to DA mode (with safety still on).

 

[TunnelRat]

I think at this point i am leaning towards the PX4. I do think the SP2022 is a nice gun at a good price, but idk. Like I said I have personally seen issues, granted more cosmetic than anything else, with $900 SIGs so it makes me wonder about the quality control on the less expensive ones.

 

[dsk]

@dsk
It's funny you say that as I just picked up a used 5903 and I love it.

Why I am not looking at a similar 4003 is I just find the capacity for them to be a bit low. Whereas I can get 17 rd MecGars for the 9mm 3rd gen Smiths, most you can get in a 40 cal ver is 11. Now I would agree that it is likely plenty, but it annoys me as I know the size of the magazine could/should accommodate more.

I know what you're saying, but speaking as somebody who never had a problem with an 8+1 1911 a 12-shot .40 is still plenty of firepower.

But yes, it'd be real cool if Mec-Gar could work their magic just like they did making reliable extra-capacity 9mm mags.

 

[RC20]

@RC20
What caliber do you have yours in? How do you find the quality? I had a few bad run ins with new SIGs as of late. Do you carry yours?

Mine is 9mm. I know the arguments rage, I am a real world rubber meets the road type as opposed to paper (and don't get me wrong, I think the gelatin tests are useful for comparing penetration and expansion and if you are getting to your goal, they just do not tell you what actually will occur in a fight.
The fight data says that there is no difference in 9mm, 357 Sig, 40 S&W or 45. They are all equally effective if you have good shot placement, they are all equally ineffective if you do not (a badly placed shot with a 45 is not going to work any better than a badly placed 9mm shot).
For me the 9mm was less expensive ammo , less costly to reload, I can practice more and target shoot more.

Yes I do carry it in a vest pocket (with a laser on it). My wife cannot see its there and she is a sharp eyed artist.

The SP2022 is not a cosmetically y pretty gun (its not shinny). I was not after pretty (like my revolvers were with that shiny finish and I like them, but fine with dull finish).

I see no manufacturing flaws or issues period (though if they were cosmetic I would not be concerned, if they were poor machining or the like then that would be a red flag).

Real world its been flawless in function which is my (and should be everyone's IMHO) single biggest criteria. Handling, accuracy, trigger are all useless if it does not shoot reliably.

So far, the only gun I have handled that I would be tempted by is the HK in various types (have shot the P30). The SP2022 grip is good, the HK grip is perfect. For the price I am fine with the Sigs good grip. In all other areas it is equal to the HK (accuracy and reliablility with a small nod to HK and the de-cocker location and a nod to Sig for the trigger.

I have handled and dry fired about all the offerings.

 

[TunnelRat]

@RC20
Don't get me wrong, I actually carry a 9mm. Mainly because it's what I am most comfortable with and I like the capacity and like you think the cartridge can be just as good as anything else out there. My motivation to get this in a 40 cal comes from simply I don't have a 40 cal right now and I get tired of going to the store and all the 9mm and 45 ammo is sold out.

I don't care if it's petty at $400 tbh. My issue with the SIGs I had bought was that at $900 I do care if it's pretty and more so I care if there are gaps in the finish inside the slide simply because they weren't spraying the insides again after taking them off the drying racks.

Final questions: is yours a completely Exeter built SP2022? How do you find the smoothness of the trigger in DA? Does it come stock with the stupid short trigger (not SRT I know what that is but they have a short "thin" trigger too)? I am confident I could replace it if it did, but just something I would make note of.

 

[SHNOMIDO]

FNP over FNX (IMO)

Out of the three there i voted sp2022.

Cant really go wrong with FNX, sp2022, PX4, or FNP. try all 3-4 and see what clicks.

I don't like backwards safeties, so Beretta is a no go for me.

And regarding carrying a FNP/FNX cocked and locked... Thats pretty much never going to happen. They (as in, everyone) don't make a retention holster for the FNP/FNX that allows you to have the weapon cocked. theres no 1911 style holsters for that piece.

So if your main consideration is cocked and locked, better to just go with the sp2022.

I love my FNP and would recommend it to anyone. But if i woke up and it was secretly replaced with a sp2022 i wouldn't be upset.

 

[RC20]

Just mouthing off on the caliber choice. Call it my personal rant.

Final questions: is yours a completely Exeter built SP2022? How do you find the smoothness of the trigger in DA? Does it come stock with the stupid short trigger (not SRT I know what that is but they have a short "thin" trigger too)? I am confident I could replace it if it did, but just something I would make note of.

Mine is a bit over 6 months old. Fully Exeter made. Handled and shot an old P220 and it feels as good as that gun.

While the trigger reset is short, the trigger itself is normal size. Very much like the HK I shot and the old P220 that I also shot.

I think the trigger is better than the HK (DA about the same, but the release is crisper and the reset is shorter)

So if your main consideration is cocked and locked, better to just go with the sp2022.

I would disagree that the Sig is cocked and locked as it is neither.

It is DA/SA, round in the chamber yes, but the hammer is not cocked and there is no safety, so its not locked (the safe nature is the heavy DA pull)

And I agree whole heatedly on reverse acting safeties. I am currently the custodian of a PPK, very nice gun mechanically, but that's a weird setup to operate and I would not want to remember UP is fire (not only 1911 memories but also counter intuitive though I suspects that was the only way the could get it to de-cock and be a safety too which means they should have just done a separate decock like Sig or HK!)

 

[OKNewshawk]

SHINOMEDO wrote:

I love my FNP and would recommend it to anyone. But if i woke up and it was secretly replaced with a sp2022 i wouldn't be upset.

Well, I would... unless it was replaced with a two-tone SP2022!