Beretta Rx4 Storm
Encyclopedia
The Beretta Rx4 is a rifle developed and manufactured by the Beretta Holding of Italy.
, using the Auto-Regulated Gas-Operated system patented by Benelli
. The rifle uses STANAG magazines and can feature either a fixed stock or an adjustable stock. The rifle is in the same "family" as the Beretta Px4 Storm
pistol and the Cx4 Storm Carbine, but doesn't share working systems or parts with any of the above. This weapon operates only in semi-automatic mode, and no selective-fire or otherwise full-automatic version of the Rx4 carbine is planned. Beretta is already developing a completely different new-generation assault rifle
called the ARX-160. The Rx4 Storm is thus not currently in any military use, as it has not been intended to be, albeit one of its variants (the 12,5-inch barrel "Tactical" version with pistol grip and 5-positions telescopic stock) has been intended primarily as a "patrol carbine" for Police organizations and private security operators.
carbine in Beretta's Storm-family. It is entirely and solely manufactured in the Benelli Armi
plant in Urbino
, and marked "Beretta" as Benelli is part of the Beretta Holding and owned by Beretta since 1983; nonetheless, in Italy, the Rx4 Storm carbine is inscribed on the National Catalogue of Firearms (the list of firearms approved for civilian ownership by the Italian Ministry of Interior) as the Benelli Mr1. The samples sold in the United States are assembled at the Beretta-USA plant in Accokeek, Maryland
with imported parts of Italian manufacture.
” top rail, with side and bottom and fore-end rails optional.
The gas port is located just forward of the chamber where the gases are hotter and cleaner.
The Rx4 Storm has nine attachment points for slings to accommodate multiple carry options. The Rx4 does not require tools for disassembly. When the last round fires, the bolt locks to the rear. The rifle is available with a pistol and a rifle grip. Combat ghost ring sight, adjustable for windage and elevation are standard.
like all the other variants, while in the United States
it is not yet available (December, 2007) in any model to civilians. The 12.5 inch model may be sold by Beretta-USA only as a "Law Enforcement weapon", and all NFA
rules apply to it, as its short barrel length restricts its civilian availability as a "Short Barreled Rifle" (any rifle with a barrel length less than 16 inches as described in the NFA Title 2), a category of firearms which is forbidden to own in certain States and that requires a BATFE Form 4 to be filed and a payment of $200.00. The strict regulations of the National Firearms Act are compounded by the Gun Control Act of 1968
, which prohibits the importation of such firearms, on the auspicies that they are not particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes.
Details
The action is a Gas-operated, rotating boltRotating bolt
Rotating bolt is a method of locking originally developed by Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher and found in his Steyr-Mannlicher M1895 straight-pull bolt-action rifle designed for and issued to the Austro-Hungarian Army...
, using the Auto-Regulated Gas-Operated system patented by Benelli
Benelli (firearms)
Benelli Armi SpA is an Italian firearm manufacturer founded in 1967, located in Urbino, Italy, best known for high quality shotguns used by military, law enforcement and civilians all over the world. Particularly famous is the Benelli M3 12 gauge, used extensively by American SWAT teams...
. The rifle uses STANAG magazines and can feature either a fixed stock or an adjustable stock. The rifle is in the same "family" as the Beretta Px4 Storm
Beretta Px4 Storm
The Beretta Px4 Storm is a semi-automatic pistol manufactured by Beretta of Italy and intended for personal defense and law enforcement use. The Px4 uses the same short-recoil, rotating barrel lock as the Beretta 8000 Models and uses the same operating system as the M9/92/96 series, while being...
pistol and the Cx4 Storm Carbine, but doesn't share working systems or parts with any of the above. This weapon operates only in semi-automatic mode, and no selective-fire or otherwise full-automatic version of the Rx4 carbine is planned. Beretta is already developing a completely different new-generation assault rifle
Assault rifle
An assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles are the standard infantry weapons in most modern armies...
called the ARX-160. The Rx4 Storm is thus not currently in any military use, as it has not been intended to be, albeit one of its variants (the 12,5-inch barrel "Tactical" version with pistol grip and 5-positions telescopic stock) has been intended primarily as a "patrol carbine" for Police organizations and private security operators.
Manufactory
The Rx4 is the first .223 caliber.223 Remington
The .223 Remington is a sporting cartridge with almost the same external dimensions as the 5.56×45mm NATO military cartridge. The name is commonly pronounced either two-two-three or two-twenty-three. It is loaded with a diameter, jacketed bullet, with weights ranging from , though the most common...
carbine in Beretta's Storm-family. It is entirely and solely manufactured in the Benelli Armi
Benelli (firearms)
Benelli Armi SpA is an Italian firearm manufacturer founded in 1967, located in Urbino, Italy, best known for high quality shotguns used by military, law enforcement and civilians all over the world. Particularly famous is the Benelli M3 12 gauge, used extensively by American SWAT teams...
plant in Urbino
Urbino
Urbino is a walled city in the Marche region of Italy, south-west of Pesaro, a World Heritage Site notable for a remarkable historical legacy of independent Renaissance culture, especially under the patronage of Federico da Montefeltro, duke of Urbino from 1444 to 1482...
, and marked "Beretta" as Benelli is part of the Beretta Holding and owned by Beretta since 1983; nonetheless, in Italy, the Rx4 Storm carbine is inscribed on the National Catalogue of Firearms (the list of firearms approved for civilian ownership by the Italian Ministry of Interior) as the Benelli Mr1. The samples sold in the United States are assembled at the Beretta-USA plant in Accokeek, Maryland
Accokeek, Maryland
Accokeek is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, located about 8.5 miles southwest of Washington, D.C. The population was 7,349 at the 2000 census. It is home to Piscataway Park....
with imported parts of Italian manufacture.
Variants
As for the year 2007, the weapon is available in a wide array of variants; available barrel lengths are 12.5” and 16 inches, with three different stocks available: standard hunting rifle stock, sporting stock with fixed buttstock and pistol grip, and tactical stock with pistol grip and 5-positions telescoping buttstock. The 12.5 inch barrel is threaded and features a removable muzzle brake. The Rx4 has a MIL-STD-1913 “PicatinnyPicatinny rail
The Picatinny rail or MIL-STD-1913 rail or STANAG 2324 rail or a "Tactical Rail" is a bracket used on some firearms in order to provide a standardized mounting platform. A similar system is the Weaver rail mount.-Description:...
” top rail, with side and bottom and fore-end rails optional.
The gas port is located just forward of the chamber where the gases are hotter and cleaner.
The Rx4 Storm has nine attachment points for slings to accommodate multiple carry options. The Rx4 does not require tools for disassembly. When the last round fires, the bolt locks to the rear. The rifle is available with a pistol and a rifle grip. Combat ghost ring sight, adjustable for windage and elevation are standard.
Availability
The market availability of the different models of the Rx4 Storm carbine differ from country to country. The 12.5 inch variant with removable muzzle brake, which has been primarily intended as a Police patrol carbine, is normally on sale in ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
like all the other variants, while in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
it is not yet available (December, 2007) in any model to civilians. The 12.5 inch model may be sold by Beretta-USA only as a "Law Enforcement weapon", and all NFA
National Firearms Act
The National Firearms Act , 73rd Congress, Sess. 2, ch. 757, , enacted on June 26, 1934, currently codified as amended as , is an Act of Congress that, in general, imposes a statutory excise tax on the manufacture and transfer of certain firearms and mandates the registration of those firearms. The...
rules apply to it, as its short barrel length restricts its civilian availability as a "Short Barreled Rifle" (any rifle with a barrel length less than 16 inches as described in the NFA Title 2), a category of firearms which is forbidden to own in certain States and that requires a BATFE Form 4 to be filed and a payment of $200.00. The strict regulations of the National Firearms Act are compounded by the Gun Control Act of 1968
Gun Control Act of 1968
The Gun Control Act of 1968 , by president Lyndon Johnson, is a federal law in the United States that broadly regulates the firearms industry and firearms owners...
, which prohibits the importation of such firearms, on the auspicies that they are not particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes.