Former PX4 owner here. I didn’t have any problems with mine. Others have though. What got me away from the PX4 was the gritty trigger (no trigger sting issues for me) and most importantly the manual safety. Its a PITA to use. Since I was carrying mine for SD, my choices were carry it with the safety off or pray like hell I could actuate when called for. I am now a very happy owner of an M&P.
I’m shooting a Beretta 92FS myself and i’m very exited about the Beretta PX4 Storm SD .45ACP (SD: Special Duty). This is the result of a project started by Beretta, designed to meet the rigorous specifications of S.O.C.O.M. Disadvantage: It is a special version with a ‘special’ price. 
It may be a great firearms for all I know, but to be fair “built to SOCOM’s specifications” doesn’t mean much. SOCOM didn’t adopt that pistol, did they? Every time I open a magazine or catolog I see a bunch of shit with “SOCOM” and “Special Forces” written all over it that real BTDT’s would laugh at. Those “Black Ops” watches and godawful TOPS knives come immediately to mind. It pisses me off when these companies cash in on the reputations of servicemembers to sell their janky products.
edit: Sorry, just saw the TOPS knives ad again and had to vent.
S.O.C.O.M. doesn’t say all, true. But Beretta had to meet several specifications to get that big order from the US Army and Police forces. So it isn’t only the name in this specific case.
What big order? I’m in the Army and haven’t heard of or seen any PX-4’s. I have no doubt that some police use PX-4’s but they don’t seem to be widely issued. I’m not trying to yuck your yum, I’ve never even seen the pistol you mentioned, but it’s not used by SOCOM or any other unit that I’m aware of. If you think the PX4 SD will work for you go ahead and buy one and let us know how it does.
I went ahead and bought one, because a friend of mine wanted familiarization with the M9 system, and the PX4 was instantly available and had similar controls. We put a couple hundred rounds through it, and it shoots well.
The ergos are typical Beretta awful, it’s system is “cute” and it has that nasty bad repuation.
In addition, I learned that an attractive woman can talk me into just about anything, including buying a PX4 so I can spend the afternoon shooting with her.
YMMV.
True. The order did not come that far, the ‘possible’ order of 649.000 pistols is cancelled last year. To the great disappointment of manufacturers like Sig Arms, Taurus, S&W, FNH USA, Para USA, Springfield, Glock, HK and… Beretta USA.
So it’s possible that you knew nothing from this at all.
If you think the PX4 SD will work for you go ahead and buy one and let us know how it does.
I’ve tested several PX4 Storm variants like type F and G in 9x19mm (capacity: 17rnds) .40S&W (capacity: 14rnds) and the .45ACP (capacity: 8-9rnds). Accuracy: very nice for a service pistol. I shoot it better than a brand new Glock 17 out of the box. And finally, the PX4 Storm comes with three sizes of (back) grips: S-M-L. I had no problems with my big hands.
So this is what i can tell you guys about the PX4…
And why is safe handing of firearms, in your view, dependent on the type of firearm being handled? There is more to do, and more to forget to do, with a DA/SA handgun that has to be decocked for admin handling.
Which implies that those who choose differently are irresponsible?
PS, you do realize that DA/SA pistols can be carried off-safe without a problem, right?
What “big order”?
There have been several attempts within the military to buy a new pistol for various units. (JCP, anyone?) The gun companies, as defense contractors are want to do, developed guns that met the requirements for these proposals. Ultimately the military dropped the issue leaving the gun companies with guns they’d put some time and money into with no buyer.
So what are they to do?
Slap a sexy label on it like “SOCOM PISTOL!!!”, put big sexy writeups on it in gun magazines, and hope people will buy it, hence the proliferation of .45 caliber polymer handguns lately with tan frames and extended barrels.
The PX4 hasn’t been adopted by any branch or unit of the US military for anything as far as I know.
The gun you are talking about has nothing to do with SOCOM whatsoever or with the US military. It’s a gun Beretta cobbled together to meet some requirements in an RFP laid out by somebody in the military. Simply building a gun that meets the minimum specs laid out in an RFP (must have adjustable grips, must be in caliber X, etc) does not mean that the gun would have done well in trials or gone on to be adopted, so put absolutely zero stock in advertising or labeling implying otherwise.
Given the PX4’s record in police hands so far, it is highly unlikely that the weapon would have done well in military testing. Rotary-barrel handguns just don’t work well. There’s a reason why the overwhelming majority of the market uses the Browning style camming barrel locking system…it works. When gun companies make bad decisions (like producing a rotary-barreled gun that sucks) it’s tempting for them to view the effort and expense they “invested” into that bad decision as salvageable, and to then make more bad decisions (like “perfecting” the rotary barreled gun that sucks) to keep from “losing” what they put into chasing the original bad idea. They often fail to heed the advice of that old Kenny Roger song…you got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em.
And that’s why I love this place. Carry on.
My point here. Enough about SOCOM kay? We are talking about the PX4 for a guy who want to buy a handgun for his brother. 
Buy him a Glock.
I would ask him the question: “What discipline are going to shoot with it?”
Cowboy Action Shooting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TubCWCETyWQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnu4P0Y-JAk&feature=related
The increased magazine capacity of a modern semi-auto negates the need for a New York reload.