Beretta is increasingly a left field choice in a sea of polymer monotony. But Beretta still makes some of the world’s best pistols, if you know where to look.
The company’s recent foray into striker-fired pistols laid its strengths and weaknesses bare for all to see and the Italian company is struggling to compete with the plastic fantastics in most sizes.
Dig past that, though, and you’ll see some really stellar pistols that deserve a place in your gun safe.
So what are the best Beretta pistols for sale in 2023?
1. Beretta 92x RDO
- Price: $737.99
- Barrel Length: 4.7 inch
- Weight: 2lb
- Capacity: 18+1
Released in 2021, the 92x RDO is the latest evolution of the classic 92 frame. Inevitably, then, it’s a step forward in several key areas and really is the best pistol here if value for money is even a thing.
But it’s a major departure from the classic profile and that means it is taking time to get traction. Some folks just prefer the old gun. And that’s fine too.
The new gun comes with a reprofiled grip module with a checkered straight backstrap and flat Vertec-style thin grips. 1911 style checkered front checkering is next level for this price range, although the final collection of curves and grips don’t quite fit together as comfortably as they could visually.
Other performance features on these new 9mm Beretta pistols include the accessory rail underneath and an increasingly flared magwell for fast reloads. The capacity has increased by one round to 18 as well.
Open Slide is Still the Signature
The classic open slide design that basically eliminated stovepiping is present and correct and a Featherweight trigger with a 3lb single break and 6lb double.
A clean break and a the 1mm short reset, a 40% improvement over the old 92A1, are there. There’s a slide mounted safety and none of the trigger safety shenanigans.
This is a classic DA/SA with some nice modern touches. The Beretta 92 has come bang up to date, and it’s a better gun because of it.
We love them and think you will too.
2. Beretta PX4 Storm
- Price: $655.99
- Caliber: 9mm/40 Smith and Wesson
- Barrel Length: 4 inch
- Weight: 1.73lb
- Capacity: 18+1
This is the next generation Double Action/Single Action and they have divided the firearms press.
Some love it, lots don’t. But there’s no doubt this is a genuine rival for the likes of the Glock 19, HK VP9, Smith and Wesson and more.
Originally designed as a service pistol for Military and Law Enforcement, it now comes as a full size and PX4 Compact option, which is really the best 9mm subcompact handgun for concealed carry.
This 4 inch barrel version is the full size compact. Yeah…
One of the unique selling points on these semi automatic compact pistols is the rotating barrel system, rather than a short-recoil tilt barrel system. This semi-auto pistol has a lug on the underside of the barrel that keeps it locked to the slide just long enough for the magic to happen.
Separating from the slide, allowing it to eject the cartridge and self-load, by twisting the rotating barrel. This eliminates tilt and feels like precision engineering. It’s certainly more elegant than a short-recoil tilting barrel.
3. Beretta 92FS
- Price: $689.99
- Caliber: 9mm Luger
- Barrel: 4.9 inch
- Weight: 2.1lb
- Capacity: 15+1
The Beretta 92FS Fixed Slide is the classic civilian version of the Beretta 92 and it is the best seller that you should be able to score the best deal on.
You won’t get an accessory rail and you get the old world engineering and trigger on the Beretta 92FS semi automatic handgun with its 4.7 inches long barrel. But you also get the battle proven version of these Beretta handguns with all the development and reliability work that went into them.
In many ways the Beretta 92FS is the purest example of this service handgun.
The short recoil delayed blowback system on the Beretta 92FS has become the stuff of legend and even the sights are built for racking the slide one handed. So if your other hand has been blown off, or is just otherwise engaged, you can use the rear sight against a hard surface like a table. That’s kinda cool.
Of course the Beretta 92FS slide is the stuff of legend, the barrel bore is hard chrome coated the Slide is Bruniton coated and there are lots of other performance features.
If you want the absolute best version of this Beretta gun and you’re prepared to pay then the 92A1 and Beretta M9A1 are the updated, stronger versions than the Beretta 92FS.
The Beretta 92FS, though, is the iconic Beretta pistol that you all know, love and almost certainly want.
It’s not perfect, but the idiosyncracies give the gun its personality and charm. The Beretta 92FS is a Hall of Famer, and it deserves to be.
4. Beretta 92x Compact
- Price: $785.99
- Caliber: 9mm Luger
- Barrel: 4.25 inch
- Weight: 1.7lb
- Capacity: 15+1
This is the concealed carry version of the 92x and the Beretta 92x Compact is an absolute revelation.
This all-metal pistol weighs the same as a Glock 19 and yet comes packed with performance features that include a proper Picatinny rail underneath and an optics ready slide.
It’s a small enough pistol that it comes with a pinky extension magazine for added real estate, and yet it packs in pretty much the whole feature list of the bigger 92x.
5. Beretta M9A4 Centurion
- Price: $1,109.99
- Caliber: 9mm Luger
- Barrel: 5.1 inch
- Weight: 2.08lb
- Capacity: 15+1
The 9mm Beretta M9 is the military version of the 92 civilian pistol and the differences are so slight that you might never notice if you owned both.
Now the M9A4 Centurion is the dressed up civilian version of the 92x RDO. And a minor revision of the Beretta M9A3 with an optic ready slide, co witness sights and tritium fiber optic front sights.
The Vertec thin grips are all present and correct, and the front and back strap checkering that brings a 1911 flavor to these Beretta handguns.
A slide mounted safety/decocker works, even though it looks relatively flimsy next to previous generations. Still, any manual safety/decocker is a luxury these days and this set-up right next to the bobbed hammer does work, really fast.
Reloads are nice, too, thanks to the internal beveled magazine well that is really like a guiding hand for every high capacity magazine.
That’s good when you’re working in the dark with home defense weapons, just like the fiber optic front sight. This is the next gen Beretta pistol, and we do like it, but it depends on the gun deals if you buy one of these Beretta premium guns or one of the others.
6. Beretta APX-A1 Carry
- Price: $402.99
- Caliber: 9mm Luger
- Barrel: 3 inch
- Inches Tall: 4.17
- Inches Wide: 1.4
- Weight: 1.2lb
- Capacity: 8+1
Beretta has struggled in the striker fired pistol market, but the latest version of the polymer frame Beretta APX Carry is a solid pistol at the right price.
This micro-compact 9mm Beretta APX 9mm goes head to head with the likes of the Sig P365, Taurus GX4 and more. For one reason or another the first pistol just didn’t sell, but it’s much better now.
A complete redesign means the Beretta APX Carry is now much sharper, from the slide serrations through to the molded grip with an 8 round magazine capacity.
Before the Beretta APX Centurion kind of looked like a first attempt at a 3D printing project. Now that clunky Beretta APX Centurion slide is a distant memory, it looks sharp, major snag free and the changes are much more than skin deep.
It comes with an optic ready slide that’s ready for red dot sights and the trigger pull is much lighter and shorter on this version.
Lightweight Micro is Our Favorite
The micro-compact is our favorite and weighs just 19.8 ounces unloaded, but there’s a full size 4.25 inch version, too, which most people call a compact pistol.
So really there’s a compact and sub-compact 9mm pistol. Beretta 9mm sizes are just weird, we’re over that now.
We’re also over the original Beretta APX Carry and we’re happy to go with the A1. This is the best carry gun in the Beretta 9mm line-up now, and a real challenger for the top guns in the category. It’s easily the top Beretta 9mm for conceal carry.
Aggressive pricing has been a masterstroke and has made the Beretta APX 9mm compact pistols relevant again. These Beretta premium guns are now just a cut above a Taurus in terms of the RRP. It’s a single stack subcompact, too, which is good for deep concealment and daily carry personal defense.
The Beretta APX 9mm now sits in that budget range with Ruger and Smith and Wesson, which is making people take another look. This A1 refit is more of a complete redesign, and we think there might be a place in this world for the single stack subcompact Beretta APX 9mm now.
You can buy the grip housing separately, too, if you ant all the updates then just get the grip housing and switch your Fire Control Unit over.
If this is the future for polymer Berettas, it’s looking good, or at least a lot better.
A Bigger Beretta APX 9mm?
The compact gun is a massive step forward and you should definitely take a look at the bigger Beretta APX 9mm handguns, too. The Beretta APX A1 Tactical with a threaded barrel is kinda sexy and the compact Beretta APX A1 FS is a brilliant effort too.
You can buy a grip frame separately to update your old sucky Beretta APX 9mm as well.
7. Beretta 92x Performance
- Price: $1,544.99
- Caliber: 9mm Luger
- Barrel: 4.9 inch
- Weight: 3lb
- Capacity: 10+1
The 9mm Beretta 92x Performance is a custom gun with a heavier all steel frame and Brigadier slide.
Designed for USPSA or IPSC competition without any mods, this is a high quality race gun with a shiny Nistan finish and 4.9 inch barrel.
This is seriously heavy and this is no CCW. But it does come with a full rail underneath and a weighted dust cover to combat muzzle rise. The full length steel guide rod helps load up the front of the gun, too, which again combats recoil, and the open slide design aids reliability.
There’s a long sight picture, fiber optic front sights and horizontally serrated rear LPA sight. The takedown lever on the left comes with a ledge, too, or a gas pedal if you will. Really it’s just an extra rest for your thumb and a better grip.
The 92x gets the X-Treme S Trigger kit, which is 40% better than the old Beretta pistol Double Action/Single Action. Naturally it’s a fully ambidextrous slide release and reversible magazine release button too.
Home Defense Weapons and Competition
It’s arguably the best 9mm competition pistol that you can use for home defense and lots of people do. With a light on the picatinny rail, it is almost the definition of a competitive advantage.
Both the double and single action trigger pull are smoother than the standard 92x and you get a Beretta Elite 2 skeletonized hammer and Beretta 92 Billenium reversible magazine release.
This Beretta 9mm is an increasingly popular competition pistol and although it’s seriously expensive, recreational shooters are adopting this en masse too.
Of course it has to go head to head with the new breed of double stack 1911s chambered in 9mm. But this might be the best 9mm pistol for home defense, especially with an extended magazine to even the odds.
8. Beretta PX4 Storm Compact
- Price: $675.99
- Caliber: 9mm Luger
- Barrel: 3.27 inch
- Inches Tall: 5
- Inches Wide: 1.4
- Weight: 1.2lb
- Capacity: 10+1
The PX4 Storm Compact handgun is actually a sub-compact 9mm pistol with that 3.27 inches long barrel, which is kind of confusing.
At some point, Beretta will have to get with the program on names and sizes with their compact and sub-compact offers. But not today, not with the polymer frame PX4 Storm Compact carry gun chambered in 9mm.
A sub compact with a hammer fired action and manual safety is a rare treat these days, though, and the PX4 Storm is a cool gun compared to more sterile opposition in the personal defense market.
It weighs basically the same, too, with a 27.3 ounces unloaded weight more or less on a par with the hammerless herd.
With some aggressive marketing, this could still be a star in the sub-compact sector. There it faces the technically perfect Glock 43x and Sig Sauer P365 XL. But the PX4 Compact Beretta 9mm brings a unique look and no shortage of personality to that battle.
9. Beretta 21A Bobcat Covert
- Price: $599.99
- Caliber: 22LR
- Barrel: 2.9 inch
- Inches Tall: 3.7
- Inches Wide: 1.1
- Weight: 0.74lb
- Capacity: 7+1
This 22LR pistol is an intriguing back-up gun and it takes deep concealment to a new level.
The tip up barrel, which is 2.9 inches long, is a unique design feature that means you can load the chamber directly, as well as switching single stack magazines.
It’s a snag free design with an oversized trigger guard and this is a great compact and pocket pistol if you simply want a backup gun, a truly unique snake gun or something to have fun with at the range. Even the trigger pull is unique and man size target at defensive distances are surprisingly easy to hit.
It is suppressor ready, too, with a threaded barrel and weighs just 11.8 ounces unloaded. It’s an insane feature list for a gun this small. This is a compact and pocket pistol delight you need in your life and it’s for sale online.
10. Beretta 92A1
- Price: $816.99
- Caliber: 9mm Luger
- Barrel: 4.9 inch
- Weight: 2lb
- Capacity: 17+1
The Beretta 92A1 is a refresh and series of improvements to the iconic Beretta 92FS and M9 after requests from the military and law enforcement that produced an A1 version of both.
Now the technical highlights are pretty small. But you do get an accessory rail for a weapons light, reprofiled trigger guard. a slide mounted safety that flicks off with a thumb twitch and a great defensive pistol.
This isn’t the latest model, or the original. So there’s no massive USP to the A1 these days. If you find the right gun deals and it’s cheap then go for it, but often the rarity factor means it’s more expensive and only collectors care about those things.
You might want dot sights front and rear, though, I guess…
If your gun is for home defense, choose the best gun deals you can find with the Beretta M9A3 or A4 and you’ll probably be happier.
But for some of you, the Beretta 92A1 is still the best.
11. Beretta 92G LTT
- Price: $1,250.99
- Caliber: 9mm Luger
- Barrel: 4.25 inch
- Inches Tall:
- Weight: 1.7lb
- Capacity: 15+1
This custom pistol is a result of a collaboration with Langdon Tactical Technology and is billed as the ultimate competition 92. Others might disagree, of course.
The M9A3 slide is hand fit to the M9A1 frame before every edge and surface is polished and smoothed. Sharp edges have all been beveled, the slide is accentuated with contrasting finishes and there’s an insane amount of attention to detail on these 9mm pistols.
In competition, an easy draw is crucial. It sets you up, so it’s important that the draw is as smooth as possible. All the man hours that go in to smoothing out this gun pay off in almost invisible measures at the gun range.
Everything here from the magazine release button to the safety has been reworked to turn the popular Beretta 92 Series into a winner.
Has the Beretta 92G LTT been made redundant by the 92x Performance Beretta premium guns on the market? Well kind of. But not for the very select few who prefer the feel of the old frame, and that’s really all guns like this need to succeed.
So yes, in many ways, but not quite.
Where to Buy 9mm Ammo
If you are investing heavily in popular Beretta handgun choices, chances are you will need some 9mm ammunition for your Beretta pistol. But where is the best ammo?
Our current favorites to bulk buy high quality ammunition are Sportsman’s Guide, Palmetto State Armory and Lucky Gunner. Firearms Depot has really marked itself apart lately with the best ammo deals.
- Firearms Depot – Best ammo deals on the best 9mm ammo, 45 ACP and more handgun ammo, rifle ammo.
- Palmetto State Armory – Best 9mm ammo in bulk. Daily deals. Gun deals, carry ammo bargains.
- Lucky Gunner – Best 9mm ammo prices, buy in bulk. Hollow points or 115gr FMJ range ammo for your Beretta.
And 45 ACP Ammo, While We’re Here
Most of these guns fire the traditional best 9mm ammo and handgun ammo, like 115gr FMJ for target shooting, rounds of 124gr hollow points, the best fluid monolithic transfer bullets and all that.
But don’t forget 45 ACP ammo too. That’s good handgun ammo as well.
The classic 230gr hollow point remains a United States institution for a reason and the 45 ACP Beretta PX4 Storm might be the best gun for pure defensive work. Not so much for target practise and target shooting sports, but for self defense? yeah.
How’s About Concealed Carry Holsters?
The smaller Berettas can easily slip into IWB Concealed carry holsters and you’ve got a choice from the likes of Alien Gear and Crossbreed Holsters for your carry holster.
You can opt for a simple carry holster, or something a little more advanced with separate mag carriers etc.
Belly Band holsters, mag carriers and gun belts and clips have come a long way and it’s pretty easy to find the right gun holsters and mag carriers for you these days.
The bigger Beretta is a military sidearm, so you get a lot of choices for OWB gun holsters too. You don’t have to go with the obvious carry holster. IWB holsters, OWB holsters, gun cleaning kits, you can get them all.
If you’re not sure about the right holsters, gun belts, mag carriers, just try a few at your local gun store before you buy online with your pistols, shotguns and rifles.
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