The Centurion has a lot of potential and is a great option for an all-around gun. I don’t think the question is why this size, I think the question is what took them so long. In other platforms, it has proven to be incredibly popular, often eclipsing the full-size version. The Centurion size is a great compromise on a lot of fronts, and there is nothing wrong with going to G-19 size. That is a pretty simple way of summing it up, but don’t think for a second I am talking smack. The Compact is basically Glock 26 or M&P 9C size, with a capacity of 13+1, while retaining the same 3.7-inch barrel length. It has a capacity of 15+1, compared to the APX full size 17+1. It is an APX with a slightly shortened slide and grip. The Centurion is basically Glock 19 or M&P2.0 Compact size. So, with all that said, what exactly are the Centurion and Compact version? Well, as I said in the video, we did these guns together for a reason. There was some gunfighter input into the APX design, which is obvious here. It is much later, probably in some bad weather, when you are trying to rip a magazine out to correct a double feed while taking incoming. The beauty of this isn’t on the range when the gun is new. This gives you a lot of purchase on the magazine, easily half a thumb pad. Instead of a flat based magazine, the APX features a triangular cut out in the frame, with a large triangle on the magazine that fills it. The last really distinctive feature of the APX series I was happy to see also retained by the Centurion and Compact. We haven’t really seen Beretta move that direction yet, but the options do exist. It would make sense that we see conversion kits to Centurion and Compact size, to save the APX owners some coins on a new gun. When the APX first arrived, you had the option to buy different colored grips for $50. For ATF purposes, that makes it the gun, and the rest of the APX parts. The trigger group is one big piece and is the serialized part. It is a bit more involved than the SIG P320 family for removal, but it functions the same. The third thing that really makes the APX stand out is its chassis system. Again, both new models share this feature. As fans of the Colt Gold Cup know, it really does work. The width actually does help the trigger feel lighter since your leverage is higher. And is another feature people pay to upgrade on other guns. While I won’t say a flat face is any better than a curved for performance, it does look cool. It has a safety in the middle similar to other polymer guns, with the flat face many prefer. The second distinctive feature is the flat-faced, and wide trigger. While the slide has been shortened for the Centurion and Compact to 3.7 inches, from 4.25 on the full-size model. The overall effect is something you would pay a lot to have done to your Glock, but ready out of the box. The points aren’t sharp, but they are certainly grippy. Designed with the worst-case scenario in mind, the geometry does make the slide hard to miss when you try to rack it. The most distinctive feature of the APX family is the slide serrations, dubbed by my friend Eric Poole as the “Toblerone slide.” With its jagged edges, it does resemble the legendary Swiss chocolate bar. It has become something of a dark horse contender, but one that is still worthy of your attention. That was a lot of polymer for one year to handle, and the APX kind of got lost in the mix. Two months after the M&P 2.0, one month after the SIG P320 won the Army contract and just a few months before the SIG X5 and Glock Generation 5 release. So for whatever reason, the APX was unveiled in February of 2017. After all, they had attempted to submit the M9A3 into the MHS trials, as well as the Joint Pistol Solicitation before that. While the APX was not Beretta’s first foray into the polymer market, it was the first serious change-up in quite some time.
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