New Guns: Beretta’s APX Compact And APX Centurion

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New Guns: Beretta’s APX Compact And APX Centurion

Beretta aims its modular pistol line at the concealed market with the introduction of the APX Compact and APX Centurion.

What the compact and mid-sized pistols bring to the table:

  • The new pistols are the compact and mid-sized variations of duty-sized APX.
  • Both pistols have 3.7-inch barrels and are available in 9mm and .40 S&W.
  • The difference between the APX Compact and Centurion is height and capacity.
  • The Centurion measures around .20 inches in height over the Compact.
  • It also has two more rounds of capacity in 9mm and three more in .40 S&W.
  • Both pistols have an MSRP of $575.

A few years back, Beretta broke with tradition to create its first full-sized striker-fired pistol. The Italian gunmaker had good reason to turn its attention to the dominant firing system of modern handguns with the creation of the APX — the U.S. Military. The polymer-framed semi-automatic was an entry in the U.S. Army’s Modular Handgun System trials and the company’s bid to continue producing the military’s service pistol, a role it’s filled since the early 1980s.

APX-Compact-Second
APX Compact

Fast-forward to today, Beretta is not in the Army’s holsters. That honor was filled by SIG Sauer’s P320, champion of the trials. Despite finishing in the field, the APX has still been a winner for Beretta. The well-thought-out pistol has curried favor in the civilian market and is likely to continue capturing hearts and minds with the introduction of two new models — the APX Compact and APX Centurion.

The compact and mid-sized variants both come in with an MSRP of $575 with the Compact presently available and the Centurion due for sale late in June. Plain as day, this is Beretta’s play at the striker-fired carry market with 3.7-inch barreled pistols better proportioned for concealment than the duty-sized APX. And while the APX Compact and Centurion appear to be dead ringers for each other, they have a notable and important difference in both height and capacity. With a flush-fit magazine, the 4.8-inch APX Compact holds 13+1 9mm or 10+1 .40 S&W. On the other hand, the 5.19-inch Centurion has a bit more capacity with a flush-fit, 15+1 9mm or 13+1 .40 S&W.

APX-Centurion-First
APX Centurion

These facets are certain to play a role in many shooter's decision-making process, particularly those whose carry profile demands the utmost concealment considerations. But Beretta has made it fairly easy from there since the modular handguns are twins in function.

The new pistols both boast the features that made the APX popular in the first place, including aggressive cocking serrations across the length of the slide, 6-pound trigger with tactile and audible reset, removable serialize chassis (grip-frame housing is replaceable), ambidextrous slide catch and reversible mag release. Beretta offers a number of color options on the replaceable APX grip-frame housing, including Flat Dark Earth, Wolf Grey, Black, and Olive Drab.

For more information on the APX Compact and APX Centurion, please visit: www.beretta.com

APX Compact Specs
Barrel Length: 3.7 inches
Calibers: 9mm, .40 S&W
Capacity: 9mm 13+1, .40 S&W 10+1
Height: 4.8 inches
Lenght: 6.97 inches
Width: 1.3 inches
Sight Radius: 5.7 inches
Weight: 26.4 ounces

APX Centurion Specs
Barrel Length: 3.7 inches
Calibers: 9mm, .40 S&W
Capacity: 9mm 15+1, .40 S&W 13+1
Height: 5.19 inches
Lenght: 6.97 inches
Width: 1.3 inches
Sight Radius: 5.7 inches
Weight: 27.7 ounces

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Elwood Shelton is the Digital Editor for Gun Digest. He lives in Colorado and has provided coverage on a vast spectrum of topics for GD for more than a decade. Before that, he was an award-winning sports and outdoors reporter for a number of newspapers across the Rocky Mountains. His experience has consisted of covering the spread of chronic wasting disease into the Western Slope of Colorado to the state’s ranching for wildlife programs. His passion for shooting began at a young age, fostered on pheasant hunts with his father. Since then, he has become an accomplished handloader, long-range shooter and avid hunter—particularly mule deer and any low-down, dirty varmint that comes into his crosshairs. He is a regular contributor to Gun Digest Magazine and has contributed to various books on guns and shooting, most recently Lever-Actions: A Tribute to the All-American Rifle.

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