History
The grandfather of the PMXs is the Intratec TEC-9 designed by KelTec founder George Kellgren. The TEC-9 was a popular 9mm pistol in the 1980s and ’90s that gained notoriety for its use by U.S. gangs and then became known for its TV and movie appearances.
The TEC-9’s success was due to being an inexpensive, lightweight weapon with a simple direct-blowback operating system. Direct-blowback guns are known for being reliable because there are few moving parts – the action works simply by the weight of the heavy bolt. When the cartridge goes off, the explosion is contained by the solid steel bolt for a fraction of a second before the recoil cycles the action and loads another round. Because of all this mass moving back and forth, direct blowback guns are also prone to more felt recoil than other designs.
The TEC-9 was banned in the U.S. in 1994 with the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, but Swiss manufacturer B&T resurrected the design in 2014 with the P26 submachine gun. It was, in essence, an upgraded TEC-9 built with modern manufacturing techniques. Beretta bought this design and produced the PMX in 2017.
Like the original TEC-9, the PMX is a tubular straight-blowback gun that fires on a closed bolt. There is still a big, heavy bolt, but the PMX is highly refined. This PMXs is a pleasure to shoot. It is not jolting at all. There is more recoil than on a gas-operated or delayed blowback PCC, but it’s just a little more. It is much softer shooting than many of the popular straight-blowback PCCs on the market.
Features
It’s a 5.5-pound gun without the brace, with a 6.9-inch cold hammer-forged barrel that has 1/2x28 threading. I’ve attached a Dead Air Odessa-9 suppressor in its short configuration.
There are four Picatinny rails all the way around the handguard for all sorts of accessories, and a hand stop is included. On the full-length top rail, I’ve mounted one of my favorite Holosun SCRS solar-powered green dot sights. There are four ring sling attachment points for HK-style snap hooks: two in the front and two at the rear. The exterior is all polymer with a steel internal receiver.
The controls are mostly ambidextrous, including a bolt handle that can be quickly changed from the right side to the left. The only control that is on the left side is the bolt lock. The grip is molded into the chassis, but it is very comfortable and has a modern vertical grip angle.
The 30-round polymer stick magazines work great, but they are proprietary. The only other magazines that will function are the B&T P26 mags.
Trigger
The trigger is one of the best parts of this gun. PCC triggers, especially ones designed for police and military, can be hit or miss. This single-stage trigger is superb. It’s smooth, crisp, and breaks at just under 4 pounds. The reset is short and audible. It’s easy to shoot this gun very fast.
My version came with an integrated SteadyBrace pistol brace, but there are also variants with just a Pic rail on the back so you can use whichever brace you want. The folding mechanism locks up tight, but there is only friction tension in the folded position. The gun can be shot with the brace folded.
Takedown for cleaning is very easy and requires punching out only one pin.
Shooting Impressions
As for the shooting experience, I loved it. It was soft shooting, accurate, and reliable. The ergonomics are excellent, and the controls are exactly where you want them to be. This makes for a very intuitive gun to shoot. I wanted to shoot it all day.
I was surprised by the recoil impulse. I was also testing an HK MP5, which is known for being one of the softest shooting sub-guns in history. I expected this Beretta PMXs to be considerably more jarring, but it was not. It did have more movement when shooting, but not significantly.
The reliable nature of direct blowback mechanism, combined with the soft shooting feel, the great egos, and excellent trigger are what make me consider the PMXs one of the best straight-blowback pistol caliber carbines on the market.
My only gripe is the price, which is on the high end – but you are getting a lot of quality and features for the money.
Conclusion
Personally, I think this is an ideal backpack gun. Even with a suppressor attached, it fits perfectly into this Mission First Tactical Achro 30L Backpack. This pack is my go-to travel bag, because it is slick and doesn’t scream tactical.
If I ever want to supplement my EDC pistol, this would be one of the setups I would grab. You can’t go wrong with the Beretta quality, reliability, or design, and this gun’s good looks just top it off.
