It has been a while since the last Pawn Shop Finds, but COVID either cleared out my local shops or they shut down in the wake of the pandemic. Luckily, my local shops have been picking up inventory from people who are mostly selling guns to pay the bills. I had a few different store owners say the most common reason for people selling their firearms is to pay bills. The vast majority of guns in pawn shops around my area are double-barrel shotguns or old .22LR bolt guns for cheap. You guys know I’m all about shrewd negotiations and want to get decent guns for a crazy low price. This edition of Pawn Shop Finds is no different with the crazy story of an unloved Beretta CX4 Storm.

Price & Features

I saw the CX4 Storm chambered in 9mm up on the shelf and it piqued my interest. While sitting on the shelf, it had a Barska red dot on it as big as a beer can and I was immediately intrigued with its story. I asked how much they wanted for it just because if it was cheap enough, I would snatch it up to test it out. When the employee said it was $234.99, I tried not to laugh and immediately asked if he would take an even 200 for it. He ended up laughing as well and replied with a quick no. At first, I was going to throw another offer at him, but in reality, I knew I would never find another gun for that cheap, so I caved in and agreed on the price.

This was the first gun I ever bought with a barrel shroud which is a fun little fact for you guys! I think Beretta thought it looked sexier than just a long barrel sticking out the front of the gun, but it looks tacky by today’s standard. My glorious CX4 Storm came in a black garbage bag with one magazine, the amazingly terrible red dot, and 20 years of filth inside it. Now I will be honest, I was half tempted to just throw it on gun broker and make some easy cash, but I’ve always been terrible at selling any gun I buy, so I quickly gave up on that idea.

Ergonomics

The CX4 Storm looks oddly like an FN FS2000 and Beretta’s AR160 rifle had a wild one-night stand and 9 months later the CX4 pops out.  It has a very smooth curved stock and frame that looks a bit off but feels great in your hand. The Iron sights are almost unusable for a 9mm carbine.  One of my favorite things about the CX4 Storm is the magazine interchangeability between the PX4 pistol magazines and 90-series magazines so there are a ton of surplus magazines on the market today. Another favorite feature of mine on the CX4 Storm is the bolt release right where your thumb rests so chambering a round is almost effortless and takes no adjusting.

Range Time

So far, I’ve taken this lead shooting beast out a total of four times and every time I am completely blown away by the trigger on this gun. This CX4 Storm has hands down the worst trigger I have ever felt on any pistol caliber carbine I have ever shot. I was in such disbelief that I had to throw a trigger pull scale on it to see just how heavy it is. The five or six times I tested the trigger weight, it averaged around 7.5 pounds and had virtually no wall and just broke after traveling all the way to the rear.

If there was a defined wall and then a heavy pull to fire the round, I would be more understanding but that’s simply not the case, it’s just long and heavy with no defined wall. The reset is a bit better with an audible click but overall the trigger is far from good. I have shot roughly around 550 rounds through the CX4 Storm and it has run flawlessly despite some of its quirks. I decided to take off the cheap red dot and install a Leupold LCO instead which is a favorite of mine.

Compared to modern PCCs, the CX4 Storm is a bit clunky and not as ergonomic but we all have to remember this is one of the first popular PCCs that came out when most companies weren’t making them. Even today, there are a ton of people who absolutely love the CX4 and keep it alive in aftermarket support and upgrades.

Overall Thoughts

I honestly can’t be upset with my Beretta CX4 Storm and how it functioned. It was 100% reliable and even if it had a pretty rough trigger, if I had to go back and change anything about my CX4 Storm purchase, I honestly wouldn’t because it’s really a great value for money. I still don’t quite understand why it was so cheap but I’m happy it’s sitting in my safe now. Even with COVID and political threats, it’s still possible to find a good deal on various used guns. Don’t get me wrong, it’s much harder to find deals but they are still definitely out there.

Let me know what you guys think about my Beretta CX4 Storm and if you think it was worth the $235 price tag I picked it up for. Before having one, I was not a fan of this particular firearm model but honestly, now I am fairly fond of this fun carbine. I’d love to hear your guy’s experience with the CX4 Storm both good and bad so leave a comment below telling me your stories. If you guys have questions, feel free to shoot me a message on Instagram @fridgeoperator. Stay safe out there!