Beretta unveiled their striker-fired APX pistol today at the IDEX defense exhibition in Abu Dahbi. They've proclaimed it their entry in the Army's Modular Handgun System, the program that will find a replacement for the M9 9mm pistol.
Specs are barely available, but as far as we can tell, the pistol has ambidetrous controls, slide serrations, a reversible magazine release, three sizes of grip panels, oversized magazine plate and a flat-faced trigger guard for flush fitting rail mounted accessories.
We'll be getting our hands on the APX next month and will have a more to report on its capabilities and how it compares to the field of other MHS hopefuls.
From Beretta's announcement:
The introduction of the APX model completes the company's full size pistol portfolio and positions Beretta as the world's premier small arms manufacturer. Beretta has manufactured semi-automatic pistols since 1915 and is now one of the very few manufacturers to offer full size polymer and metallic framed handguns in both hammer and striker fired operating systems. Beretta elected to debut its new APX striker fired pistol at the upcoming IDEX Show (International Defence Exhibition & Conference) in Abu Dhabi because it is one of the most important shows for the international defense sector. "With the show opening February 22, IDEX is one of the first venues where defense contractors present their wares to worldwide military customers and Beretta felt this was the ideal environment to present the international offering of its APX pistol," stated Carlo Ferlito, General Manager of Beretta and Beretta Defense Technologies (BDT) Vice President. Designed specifically for military and law enforcement operators, the APX has been put through extensive testing and evaluation at the professional end-user level. Carlo Ferlito explained that Beretta places paramount importance on performance and wanted to ensure they built a product to meet the operator's specific needs. "Beretta waited to enter the striker fired market until we had a pistol we knew would meet the needs of the operator. The APX has been more than three years in development. We tested it extensively with professional end users and incorporated that feedback at every opportunity. The result is a pistol platform that delivers superior performance in durability, reliability, accuracy and ergonomics." Beretta intends to submit a variant of the APX shown at IDEX to the upcoming US Army Modular Handgun System. "Of course we will continue to develop the APX to take into consideration the final specifications of the MHS as they become known," stated Gabriele De Plano, Vice President of Beretta Defense Technologies (BDT) USA Marketing and Operations. The APX striker fired pistol has been developed to match military and law enforcement needs but is not just for these customers, Beretta intends to market a variant for the commercial market later this year. This addition to Beretta's pistol line will further cement the company's position as one of the world's leading small arms manufacturers.
