Beretta PX4 Compact Carry 2 Pistol Review [2025]

Several years ago I owned an original Beretta PX4 Compact. I wanted something slightly smaller than my Glock 19, and had been turned onto the gun by the folks at Lucky Gunner. Unfortunately I had some misunderstandings about concealment principles, and never quite got comfortable with the gun. For years I joined the crowd in disparaging the polymer pasta pistol, but then something interesting happened.

I started seeing people I trusted speak positively about the PX4, to include Ernest Langdon and his 50,000 round review of the gun. This once again piqued my interest. During Beretta’s range day prior to SHOT Show 2025 I had the chance to try some Beretta pistols worked over by Langdon Tactical, including the PX4 series. I was immediately impressed, and quickly reached out to my contacts at Beretta to have one sent out on loan for a review.

Design of the Beretta PX4 Compact Carry 2

The Beretta PX4 Compact Carry 2 is a polymer frame, hammer fired pistol chambered for 9mm. Unlike the standard PX4, the CC2 features a factory bobbed hammer, smoothing out the hammer to be flush with the rear of the slide. This is an excellent change which significantly improves comfort without impacting reliability or administrative function of the gun.

Our polymer frame is fairly smooth when it comes to grip texture. Ideally I’d like to see more aggressive texturing, but this isn’t bad overall. Some slightly checkering on the front and back straps help to keep the gun secure in the hand. Additionally, Talon Grips are available to help add a little more grip to the gun for those who don’t want to permanently modify their frame.

The dustcover features a short accessory rail with a single slot for mounting. This rail is compatible with TLR-7 and TLR-7 Sub weapon lights, which should be flush with the muzzle.

Trigger

As is tradition, the Beretta PX4 Compact Carry 2 is a Double-Single Action, or DA/SA pistol. For those unfamiliar, the first trigger press is long and heavy, as it both cocks and releases the hammer (double-action). Subsequent trigger presses are short and light, only releasing the hammer (single-action).

The DA trigger is really nice on this pistol. It’s very smooth, and not particularly heavy. Unlike some DA/SA guns, there isn’t much in the way of stacking or staging with the trigger, making for a much more consistent press than some other offerings. Similarly, the SA break is short and crisp, as I would expect from previous Beretta experiences. According to Langdon Tactical, the DA press weighs approximately 5.3-6 pounds, and the SA comes in a 3.5-4 pounds.

Controls on the Beretta PX4 Compact Carry 2

Outside of the slide-mounted decockers, controls are fairly conventional on the PX4. Unlike the traditional PX4, the Compact Carry 2 deletes and plugs the right-side slide stop lever. As a righty, this doesn’t bother me, and lefties can simply rack the slide. The magazine release is swappable for different sizes and for southpaw shooters. Overall I think controls strike a nice balance between being low profile and being useful. Interestingly, I can reach all of the controls without breaking my firing grip.

Decocking Levers on the Beretta PX4 Compact Carry 2

If you’ve interacted with a DA/SA Beretta or S&W pistol, then the PX4 will be familiar to you. The most iconic control here will be the slide-mounted decocking levers. Lowering these will safely drop the hammer, bringing the gun back into double-action. This should be done every time before holstering the pistol, as it is unsafe to carry a hammer-fired gun with the safety off and the hammer cocked. Unlike most pistols, the PX4 Compact Carry 2 features a “G-Conversion”, which makes the gun decock-only, removing the safety position from the gun. This is my preferred configuration, as the levers immediately return to “fire” after manipulation. That means you’ll never accidentally leave your gun on safety when manipulating the slide.

Another change here are the low profile decocking levers. These are an excellent upgrade, and I wish I had them on my original PX4 a decade ago. I can easily reach the levers on-handed, but these are far more comfortable to wear, and slightly more concealable.

Sights

Sights on the PX4 Compact Carry 2 are simple but effective. It’s a clean sight picture with a black rear sight, which is nicely rounded for comfort. The front sight features a brightly painted orange dot, and is just under what I’d consider average in width. While I’d love to have night sights, these are solid for basic irons.

Range Time with the Beretta PX4 Compact Carry 2

Initially I wanted to use this gun in some classes I’d signed up for in the Spring and early Summer. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to make this happen. The PX4 Compact Carry 2 only arrived with two magazines, as a previous reviewer failed to return the typically included third. Due to some supply shortages, I was unable to source additional 15-round magazines, which made classes a non-option. This issue ended up relegating the gun to my personal practice. Below is the breakdown of rounds fired throughout the review process.

Rounds fired

• 45x Remington UMC 115gr FMJ
  • 20x Fail to Feed
  • 6x Fail to Eject
• 100x Magtech 115gr FMJ
  • 1x Fail to Feed
• 150x Winchester White Box 115gr FMJ
• 100x Super Vel 124gr FMJ
  • 2x Fail to Feed
• 25x Federal HST 124gr JHP
• 25x Speer Gold Dot 124gr +P JHP
• 10x Hornady Critical Duty 135gr +P JHP

Interestingly, the PX4CC2 did not like Remington UMC FMJ loads. I experienced significant feeding issues here, with no readily apparent compatibility issues. Luckily the problems seemed isolated to this one loading, which I opted to avoid moving forward.

Lubrication is Your Friend

This gun likes to be run wet. Any time I had a stoppage or a slight slow down, a little bit of oil remedied the situation. Torture tests are cool for some people, but preventative maintenance is really where it’s at.

Treat her right and she’ll treat you right. So be a gentleman. Throw a little bit of lube in there before you start going to town.

Skills and Drills

The PX4 Compact Carry 2 paired with a JM Custom Kydex AIWB holster. This is likely one of the most comfortable and snag-free semiautomatic pistols I’ve had the pleasure of putting into my waistband. The rounded rear of the slide paired with the bobbed hammer, low profile sights and controls, and minimalist holster is a match made in heaven. I’d love to see this form factor explored in upcoming generations of pistols. In my mind, it’s reminiscent of the Colt 1903 with its rounded back and low profile controls.

Initially I was surprised by the unusual recoil impulse, which is likely a result of the rotating barrel and slightly higher bore axis. Recoil isn’t bad however, it’s a 9mm pistol. Those with less experience with Browning style guns almost certainly wouldn’t notice anything unusual about the gun. Others may need a little time to adapt, but don’t consider it a limiting factor.

During the review I fired a few of my standard drills. The DA trigger took some getting used to compared to my recent time with striker fired guns, but my revolver experience quickly helped smooth things over. The nice SA trigger make follow-up shots easy, helping to balance things out. Luckily the PX4 Compact Carry 2 has a solid DA trigger which should shorten the learning curve.

Closing Thoughts on the Beretta PX4 Compact Carry 2

While I won’t be tossing my 30SC Shield Plus anytime soon, I’m really glad that I got the opportunity to reevaluate my thoughts on the Beretta PX4. It’s a far better pistol than I remembered, and it deserves more credit than it gets. Langdon does just about every modification I’d want to make in-house, which allows for a stellar gun without the need to ship your own piece for tuning. For those looking for something a little off the beaten path, or who are interesting in exploring the DA/SA world, the PX4 is well worth the price of admission.

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