7th May : Beretta CX4 Storm

Name     :     Beretta CX4 Storm


AKA       :     The Storm, The sci-fi blaster

Caliber     :     9x19mm Parabellum, 9x21mm IMI, .40 S&W, .45 ACP


Capacity   :     8 to 32 Rounds


Weight     :     5.75lbs or 2.6kg


Length     :     29.7in or 754mm


Action      :     Closed bolt, Blowback operated, semi automatic carbine


Origin       :     Italy


Introduced in 2003 as part of the "X4 Storm" family this small pistol caliber carbine looks somewhat futuristic and employs a great deal versatility in its design.  Within the "X4 Storm" family of firearms there is the PX4 pistol (the magazines of which are usable in CX4), the CX4 carbine and the RX4 5.56mm Assault Rifle.  All of the firearms in this family make large use of polymer in their construction, with a focus on ergonomics, modularity and reliability.  The CX4 as of 2012 is largely a sports shooter / plinking firearm, with the exception of one U.S. Law Enforcement Agency in Alabama County, New York, currently using it.  Venezuela and India have employed it for special duties within their respective armed forces, with the later having the full automatic version.  


The modularity aspect of this firearm is one of its best features, capable of having four picatinny rails for the mounting of optics and accessories.  Beretta also market a suppressor for the CX4 carbine with the model number EU00029.  Spacers are supplied with the carbine to aid the length of stock to suit the different needs of users, though only one .5in spacer is included.  The CX4 9mm will accept any Beretta PX4 or 92 series magazine, a great feature as the price and availability of these magazines is good.  The .40 Smith and Wesson magazines that can be used are of PX4 .40 type and the .45 ACP compatible magazines are from the .45 caliber single stack Beretta Cougar pistols.  


Reversible controls are by no means new, but it never ceases to a great selling point on any firearm, and the CX4 is no exception.  Safety button, magazine release and cocking handle are all reversible on the CX4 for a left handed shooter and interestingly Beretta have also included the option of switching the ejector to extract and release empty shell cases on either side too.  Disassembly on the CX4 is also a breeze, after a safety check is done and the magazine has been removed, one simply pushes the disassembly pin all the way through the carbine, and the upper and lower receiver separate, the bolt handle is pulled out and the whole bolt carrier group out.  Access to the barrel is now available and to inspect the bolt a U clam is slid off and the guide rod is removed, exposing the ejector and extractor.


INTERESTING FACT :  The CX4 may become a lot more common, several major Law Enforcement Agencies are currently evaluating the CX4 for a spot in the armory. 


PRO's   :   Great Accuracy, Lightweight, Handy size, ambidextrous controls


CON's   :   Common complaints : Magazine seating, squishy button like triggers


COOL FACTOR :  6/10

30th April : Heckler & Koch G36

Name     :     Heckler & Koch G36


AKA       :     The Bundeswehr Rifle

Caliber     :     5.56x45mm NATO


Capacity   :     30 Rounds or 100 round Beta C Magazine  


Weight     :     7.94lbs or 3.6kg (Standard Model)


Length     :     39.3in or 998mm (Standard Model)


Action      :     Gas operated rotating bolt locking, semi, burst or Fully Automatic


Origin      :     Germany


Since the late 1960's the West German Army looked to replace the G3 from standard service for a easier to handle weapon which could maximize the accuracy potential of its troops.  Heckler and Koch through a long and extensive development period produced the G11 caseless ammunition rifle, a rifle that performed very well through testing, that 1000 prototypes were manufactured.  The Germans were however well aware that the financial implications if they decided to arm everyone with the G11, thus consideration was given to procuring a 5.56mm standard type rifle for second-line or rear echelon troops in the form of the Heckler and Koch G41 Rifle.  Unfortunately for the Germans NATO standardization and the economic situation at the time called the end of the G11 rifle, but the need to replace the G3 was ever present.


The G36 was born out of the HK-50 project of the 1990's, this project moved away from the roller locking mechanism of Heckler and Koch fame toward the popular piston based, rotating bolt gas system.  This project was met with high praise from the German Military after testing had proved the rifle very handy and modular and an order was placed for the new Rifle to placed into service as the G36 in 1997, followed later by the Spanish Armed Forces in 1999.


The Standard G36 rifle has a steel reinforced polymer receiver, and makes extensive use of polymer throughout the rest of the rifle.  As standard the German Army rifle comes fitted with with an 3x optical sight.  The magazine is of interest as it is semi transparent allowing the user to inspect at a glance how many rounds are remaining in the magazine, also the magazine has clips on the side of it that allow other magazines to be connected to it to allow fast magazine changes should it be required.  The stock is of a folding type which also has small holes in it that allow the insertion of the disassembly pins so they are somewhere safe when dismantling the rifle.


One of the appeals of the G36 is its large assortment of variants and optional accessories, without a doubt this has greatly contributed to the large procurement of the rifle from the international law enforcement community. The models are as follows :

G36A1 - Standard German Service rifle
G36A2 - Updated A1, New scope, G36C Stock, 
G36K - Carbine version of the Standard G36 the barrel is 160mm shorter than standard.
G36V - Standard G36 with NATO bayonet fitting, Export model differing sight setup
G36KV - Carbine export model with NATO bayonet fitting, 
G36C - Compact commando model
MG36 - Heavy barreled light machinegun version.

G36C, Commando variant of the standard rifle.

INTERESTING FACT : The German military is investigating concerns regarding "wandering zero's" on the G36. After the rifle has fired enough rounds to get hot, soldiers are reporting difficulties attempting to hit targets beyond 200 meters.


PRO's : Great magazines, lots of accessories, easy to clean/maintain.


CON's : Possible wandering zero, 

COOL FACTOR : 7/10

27th April : Walther P99

Name     :     Walther P99


AKA       :     Walther's Tupperware Wonder

Caliber     :     9x19mm Parabellum, .40 Smith and Wesson


Capacity   :     16 Rounds (9mm) 12 (.40) 10 round magazines are common too.


Weight     :     22.5oz or 630g (9mm) 23.1oz or 655g (.40)


Length     :     7in or 180mm (9mm) 7.25in or 184mm


Action      :     Double Action Semi Automatic, Browning-Petter Locking Block


Origin      :     Germany


Horst Wesp started designing the P99 pistol for Walther in 1994, Wesp who had previously worked for the two largest firearms producers in his native land of Austria, namely Glock and Steyr, finished design and testing in 1996 when the P99 hit the market.  The P99 was primarily produced for the Law Enforcement community but has found widespread acceptance in sporting and personal protection circles, and the latter two are by far its largest consumers.  Some have speculated that the P99 came too late and at a too higher premium to compete with the likes of Glock, in spite of this some German Law Enforcement have chosen to adopt it.


As with all Walther products it is produced to a very high standard, incorporating some very desirable features into an aesthetically pleasing package.  The pistol is of double action design, where by the pistol can be de-cocked, removing spring tension on the firing pin, creating a long first shot trigger pull which cocks the firing pin, all subsequent shots are in a lighter trigger pull single action mode.  The decocker is nicely positioned on the top right hand side of the slide, all that is required is a reasonable pressure to depress the button.  The trigger pull on the P99 is 8.25 pounds in double action and 4.5 pounds in single action.  Locking on this pistol is an improved browning type where by the chamber port locks into the ejection cut out in the slide instead of lugs around the barrel.  The frame of the P99 is made from polymer which reduces weight and allow for very ergonomic designs, the grips were designed by Italian Cesare Morini who produced specialty grips for pistols used in the Olympic shooting section. These grips are very comfortable with three replaceable backstraps that come supplied with the pistol. The magazine release is of European type built into the trigger guard and is ambidextrous.   


Variants of the P99 are :


P99 Military    - Standard P99 with a green polymer frame 
P990             - Double Action Only
SW99            - As above but only the slide is made in the U.S. by Smith & Wesson
P99C             - Compact model with standard action
P99 Duder      - Standard P99, Engraved Slide, Wooden Backstrap
P99QA           - The firing is always half cocked, this would be the start point the PPQ
P99RAD         - Made by Radom in poland, as above with inner trigger safety


As with most pistols these days the P99 comes in "generations" of production evolution, of which the P99 has three.  The second generation had a revised trigger guard that became rounded at the front and removed the triangle protrusion from the bottom of the guard.  The original accessory rail in front of the trigger guard was of a type exclusive to Walther, in the second generation it was changed to be of a standard weaver type.  The third generation had minor internal changes to aid overall smoothness of the action and a squarer trigger guard, longer magazine release and revised slide serrations.


INTERESTING FACT :  Walther pistols are synonymous with Ian Flemmings character James Bond, in the 007 Movie "Tommorow Never Dies" James bond trades his Walther PPK for a P99 and continues to use it even with the change of the man playing Bond.  To celebrate this change to the P99 Walther produced a limited edition "M.I.6." version of this pistol with the Coat of Arms engraved on the slide.  However as of "Quantum of Solace" James Bond has gone back to his PPK. 


PRO's   :   Accuracy, Reliability, Quality Manufacturer, High Capacity, Best Grips
CON's   :   Some magazines were dubious, 


COOL FACTOR : 9/10

10th April : Glock 34

Name     :   Glock Model 34


AKA       :   Practical / Tactical,  The 34, The long Glock

Caliber   :   9x19mm Parabellum


Capacity :   17 Rounds


Weight   :   22.92oz or 650g


Length   :   8.15in or 207mm


Locking  :   Browning Type (non-link)


Origin    :   Austria


With the success of the Glock model 17, the sports shooter became a priority thus in 1988 Glock brought the model 17L into the market. This pistol had a longer barrel of 6.02in with a longer slide compared with the 4.49in barrel of the standard service model 17, also it was supplied with a lighter trigger pull, namely a 3.5 pound trigger connector.  The top of the slide had a rectangle section cut out of it to reduce weight, with barrel porting where it was exposed due to the slide cut out to reduce recoil.  The overall length of the 17L is 8.85in or 225mm.  To complement their range Glock also bought out a .40 Smith and Wesson caliber version called the model 24.


The model 17L was dropped from the line of pistols with a new model in 1998,  the replacement was motivated by several factors one of the most important being that the dimensions of the 17L were such that because of its long sight radius it was not able to be used in some popular shooting sport competitions.  Thus the model 34 came along, with its barrel shortened to 5.31in, small weight and overall length reduction.  The pistol was immediately popular with even the Malaysian Armed Forces purchasing some of this specific model.


Furnished much the same as all other Glock models the 34 has a tenifer surface treatment on the outer metal components to resist corrosion, a polymer frame and magazine, and Glock's famous 3 point safety system.  
The pistol comes standard with an accessory rail in front of the trigger guard and other frame color schemes.  As with all of Glock's competition guns it has a different style of trigger pull to that of a service model and an elongated slide release lever.  


Though not a common choice for the "on the beat" police officer, the model 34 is sometimes found on the list of approved pistols for carry, though it is widely known that some Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) teams in the U.S. have opted to use this pistol.


INTERESTING FACT :  Some of the popularity around the model 34 for both law enforcement and civilian shooter is the high muzzle velocity that can be obtained by the 34's longer barrel.


PRO's   :   Reliability, Corrosion Resistance, Accuracy, beautiful trigger pull


CON's   :   You got me stumped on this one ?


COOL FACTOR :  8/10

1st of April : Kel Tec PMR-30

Name     :   Kel Tec PMR-30


AKA       :   The FlameThrower

.22 Magnum Ammunition

Caliber   :   .22 Magnum Rimfire      


Weight   :   13.6lbs or 385.6g


Length    :   7.9in or 200.7mm


Capacity  :  30 Rounds


Locking   :   (Hybrid) Blowback / Locked Breech 


Action     :   Semi-Auto, Single Action


Origin     :   U.S.A.




In 2010 came the Kel Tec PMR-30, overnight public interest was high.  A new and rather space-age looking pistol, firing a cartridge usually found in bolt action varmit rifles.  The pistol's appearance is nothing short of 'out there', futuristic and cool the PMR-30 sports easily visible front and rear fibre optic inserts within the sights.  The front sight post is furnished with green, and the rear with orange helping make a good sight picture.  Along the top rear of the sight are four screws for mounting of a red dot optic.  Forward of the trigger guard is a picatinny rail for flashlights, pointing lasers and other accessories.  The grips of the PMR-30 have that classic Kel Tec large square cut outs, they are of course not replaceable as the are part of the frame.


In what would seem an unusual move Kel Tec's designers have opted to have the magazine release on the heal of the grip, a move that would make reloading a slightly more cumbersome task if one was using this pistol in a self defence situation.  Be that as it may, if the pistols large 30 round double stack magazine wasn't enough, perhaps a 12 gauge would be in order or a good escape plan.  On the left side of the frame towards the back a small rectangle slide lock sits almost flush with the frame, further behind the slide lock is the ambidextrous manual safety which operates in the standard 1911 fashion : Up for safe, Down for fire.  Interestingly the design of the slide is also worth a mention, for the slide operates by sliding on rails within the frame very similar to that of a CZ-75 or Sig P210.


The PMR-30 is constructed with a steel slide and barrel, while the frame is made from Aluminium. Internally the pistol has steel inserts within the frame for all necessary components that are under stress when firing.  The pistols action is something unique and interesting, with high pressure ammunition the case of the round will expand and 'grip' the inner walls of the chamber just long enough for pressure to drop to safe levels and then the rest of the cycle will continue in ordinary fashion.  It's a kind of delayed blowback using the rounds own pressure to lock the action temporarily.


The PMR-30 is a great pistol to shoot as it has light recoil and weight with a good crisp trigger.  Equally impressive is the considerable muzzle flash that this pistol produces, in itself a nifty feature for entertaining any onlookers at the range.  The PMR-30 makes a great addition to the rimfire market, for those interested in target shooting, pest control or just casual plinking the PMR-30 is certainly worth consideration.


INTERESTING FACT : During the production of the PMR-30 a fully automatic version was also developed.


PRO's :   Inexpensive, Magazine Capacity, light weight, fun to shoot,   


CON's :   Sensitivity to some ammo, Magazine catch position.


COOL FACTOR :  7/10