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I’m afraid we might be seeing the end of the Beretta ARX100. I hope I’m wrong, but its price has hit rock bottom, with sellers offering the rifle for as low as 50% off MSRP. But why? The ultra reliable ARX100 sports an impressive list of standard features.

It has a folding and collapsible stock. Its monolithic top rail includes flip up iron (poylmer) sights. The cold hammer forged barrel with two-position gas block regulates the short stroke gas piston and is designed to cycle even the lowest power 223 ammo.

According to Beretta the barrel can even be changed in seconds, I couldn’t confirm if they meant metric or US seconds, but it’s easy.

Weighing in at only 6.8 pounds the ARX100 is on the lighter side of modern carbines. All controls are ambidextrous including the charging handle, which is reversible. The user can even select which side the spent casing eject from.

So why hasn’t this feature-packed rifle seen much success on the US market? Well its MSRP is a whopping $1,950. That’s getting into SCAR and ACR range. But even then the ARX does things the SCAR and ACR can’t.

The ARX even has been well reviewed and people who shoot it love it. It may look all little odd, but is that a real problem?

I know, I know it’s a tool and looks shouldn’t matter, but I don’t buy that. Looks do matter to a lot of buyers.

If you can get past aesthetics, this is a great time to pick up an ARX100. At $899, I’m tempted to buy one, but probably won’t. And I don’t know why. I’m a Beretta fan and have more affection towards my 92FS than any other gun I own. But the ARX100 doesn’t do it for me…for some reason. You?

 

If you’re a fan, here is a list of retailers offering some great (and some not so great) deals.

Classic Firearms is asking only $899.

Sportsman’s Outdoor Superstore has them for $919.

Tombstone is sold out but has them listed for $1,064.

At the high end of the market Buds Gun Shop still has them listed for $1,658.

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62 COMMENTS

  1. “Et luk lak a fesh” tards are why it’s doing poorly. Same thing killed the F2000

    Oh, and “how dare a non-AR not take AR15 parts & grips”

    • And that’s it right there: it doesn’t take AR parts, except the mags.
      The versatility of the AR platform is a massive draw, especially for new customers who may be looking for a rifle they can adapt to many different configurations.
      The more I play with that Beretta, though, the more I like it… particularly since I’m left handed.
      I have sold a few to a certain type of customer: the guy who wants an MSR to take to the range with his buddies but doesn’t want just another clone of the rifles they all have.
      Damn, now I’m depressed I’m too broke to take a new Beretta home…
      🤠

    • The F/FS2000 failed because it was jam-packed full of stupid features, like the rubber sleeve in the mag well which prevented the mag from falling free unless you tugged on it, the stupid plastic door to look inside the action (which allows gas to blow in your face with a can on it), and the unusually loud action, where the bolt rode on rails that were part of the frame structure that your skull pressed against; one of the loudest bullpups I have fired. The AUG is much better, and (god help me) so are the Kel-Tec bullpups. Curiously, I have no experience with the Tavor, other than watching one jam several times at a 3-gun match (I have no idea why, so no judgement).

      The ARX isn’t merely ugly; it’s HIDEOUS. If you gave me one, I would be inclined to sell it; it’s just that ugly. Aesthetics count, especially when you are talking about something that most of us already have several, arguably better examples of.

      • The Kel-Tec RDB definitely has your face riding on the same part as the bolt rails (the steel cheek piece) yet the cycle is not particularly loud (now, the giant hammer dropping by itself will ring your ears, but that’s a different issue). The F2000 predated the modern obsession with ‘modularity’ as well as silencers. While FNH did improve the modularity with a top rail & new handguards, it remains fundamentally different from AR15s so stuff doesn’t interchange; folks who cannot imagine that other folks exist who don’t particularly care for the AR15 simply will never understand. The gas-venting issues are hardly unique to the F2000, e.g. “Tavor-face”

        Now, the Tavor; there’s an ugly gun if ever there was one (X95 especially so), yet it has hordes of fan boys hailing it like Kind David. The F2000 has smooth, flowing lines, ‘high speed low drag’ if you will; the Tavor is big, boxy, (heavy), and angular, with random speed holes drilled through it all over, and that dumb trigger guard. Yet it has hordes of fans.

        • the desert tech mdr is much better then the tavor and kel tec bullpups (still haven’t figured out why people hate kel tec so much, never had an issue with them). i do not own an mdr (something im hoping to change soon), but from looking at reviews its the best bullpup out there

        • I still haven’t figured out why *everyone* doesn’t hate Desert Tech at this point. No, it’s not been a standout success apart from the competition (which is really just the RFB, for now). Sounds like it’s got at least as many functional issues as any Kel Tec roll-out model, just produced with nicer materials & finishes. I can attest the trigger is nothing remarkable (besides creepy, I guess), and the gun is rather dense, which I suppose some people like. Despite the promised reputation, actual accuracy reports seem few & far between, and aren’t particularly impressive compared to other >2500$ autoloaders. Damaged & ripped rims, along with excessive recoil seem to be recurring threads. In short, not the thing folks misleadingly stalled for over two years after pre-ordering were promised, or interested in originally.

          They do look cool, however

  2. i like mine a lot actually, i turned mine into an SBR with the 10″ barrel and the government approval stamp and its probably the absolute most handiest thing to take with my hiking bag.

    Not a single problem ever, and I’m about 2500 rounds into it now.

  3. meh.

    A lot of guns have a lot of cool features these days. The key question unanswered: How is the trigger, how does it shoot.

    Plus I agree about the looks thing. An Italian gun should look, well… fine. This looks like an abomination.

  4. The stock should have had a cheek riser from the factory but for whatever reason Beretta choose not to include one. The first time you pick it up and shoulder it with the irons up and a normal cheek weld, your eyeline is so low you end up looking down the top of the picatinny rail, nowhere near the sights.

    It might be light, high tech, and reliable but if Beretta can’t make a stock that works with iron sights why should anyone buy it?

    And lastly, although it was reasonably priced, any rifle, ARX included, is going to have to compete against $500 ARs.

    • Bingo. I shouldered one (at the time I was really interested in buying one)…& immediately put it down. Damn thing doesn’t fit me at all (I’m 6’2 and 190lbs).

      I try one on every time I go to the Fun Show, but just can’t seem to like the way it fits. YMMV

    • Hi, agree on cheek riser, guy on ebay makes them, search for ARX cheek riser.
      I have on on my ARX-100 and the 160.

    • Just purchased the ARX from Academy Sports. 799$. I have ARs as well. I wanted something I consider more reliable in that its piston driven. Aesthetics can be changed. Cheek risers are now readily available for 25$ on Ebay and if you remove the factory installed AFG on it and add the riser its actually an extremely good looking gun imo especially given the price difference to a SCAR. I LOVE FN but the SCAR simply doesn’t deserve the 2500$ price tag hanging on it. I also own an ACR and would put it up against a SCAR any day. That being said I got mine for a steal of a deal at 1200$. All around I think the ARX is a damn good gun for the money and def worth the 200$ more than an AR.

  5. “But the ARX100 doesn’t do it for me…for some reason. You?”
    1) It was really damned expensive for the longest time.
    2) It DOES look a little funny.
    3) I could buy a decent AR-15 for the same (new) price and play barbie/lego with the parts.
    4) None of the extra features screamed “MUST HAVE” over its competitors at either price point.

    Also, Picture #2 looks like the .22lr model.

  6. I think the article answered the questions…
    Costs too much.
    Not an AR.

    I want a 5lb carbine, please. For $600.

  7. When I was at my local fun shop last week, the guy behind the counter was thinking about one “because it’s not an AR-15”. I couldn’t throw stones, because I was picking up a Beretta APX “because it’s not a Glock-brand Glock”! (and also 5 free mags from Beretta).

  8. What killed the ARX:

    – 2 years from time of announcement until it was available to buy
    – Promises of “multiple calibers”… which never happened
    – Promises of multiple barrel options… sort-of happened
    – Not compatible with the most popular magazine manufacture (Magpul Gen 3)
    – Not really customizable (the lower should have had and AR-style grip system and compatibility with AR grips)
    – Polymer lower was a good idea… but a metal one would have been better
    – Charging handle – great ideas but it was too small to use reliably
    – Lack of ability to use AR rear stocks and the rear stock being kind of meh generally
    – So-so looks
    – Lack of rails everywhere
    – That stupid foregrip being “proprietary” and not a full rail
    – Lack of availability in many places
    – THE FACT THAT BERETTA IS ALWAYS A DAY LATE AND DOLLAR SHORT WITH MANY OF ITS NON PREMIUM PRODUCTS

    • Magazine compatibility is more of a magpul issue than Beratta’s. PMAGS are known to not work in a lot of guns where as mil-spec and lancer mags have no issues.

    • Wait, so an inferior buffer spring system or useless empty buffer tube would have made it a superior product?

      Also, a metallic lower would have made the gun heavier, which is apparently something people beef about already with the ARX.

      It’s not an AR. It’s probably too clever by half, but it’s not an AR.

    • Agreed. But Im about to trade two safe queen pistols for one. now the question, dump 300-1000 into it ( trigger upgrade+ 10″ barrel) or make it the new queen of the safe?

  9. never seen a Beretta I liked, this one isn’t off that list, I just don’t like Beretta designs, has nothing to do with functionality. I’ll just build 2-3 ar15’s for that pricerange, and set them up in different configurations, and like what I have.

  10. I put 500+/- rounds through a friend’s. I had zero reliability issues. I didn’t put it in my shooting sled, but had no problem keeping 2-3″ groups (100 yards with a scope) off of a front sandbag….and after I figured out when the trigger was going to break (hint, it was inconsistent). It is very maneuverable and quick on target which are clearly attributes. The flip up sights were nothing special but were adequate. I didn’t have any issues with the short distance between the sights. I ran through a “two gun” style match with it and appreciated the weight and the easy of moving from target to target.

    All that said, I didn’t like it! The trigger was spongy and it wasn’t until I put 100+ rounds through it that I felt like I had a clue when the trigger was going to break. The stock, especially the check weld, was beyond bad. I put a leather riser on it and it still wasn’t enough, so I built it up more with hard foam. For north of $1,600 (that’s what he paid) the trigger and the stock should work. After market solutions are kind of expensive, and not heavily supported. I don’t have the need to “play legos” with guns, but I am willing to pay for upgrades. At $1600+, I shouldn’t have to buy many upgrades!

    I like the “concept” of it, but they just didn’t pull it off very well.

  11. I’m left-handed…I bought a Stag Arms and never looked back. Everything a lefty could ask for and then some. Oh, and it cost me less than half what the msrp on the Beretta is and I got some custom stuff done factory ordered with less than a two-week ship time. Their “menu” for add ons is incredible…and fairly priced too. 1000+ rounds and NO issues.

  12. Academy has had them at that price for at least 2 years. Everyone that has fired mine loves it. The ARX 160(.22 cal) is insane fun.

  13. If only they offered one with bull barrel it would be high on my shopping list.
    Pencil thin barrels make me lose any respect for the firearm…

  14. Quick change barrels were a gimmick and most manufacturers never came out with the alternative barrels.

    What killed the ARX is the same thing that killed a number of other Baretta products; they brought a sample to Shot Show and waited four or five years to bring it to a store (not near you).i had never seen one in person until about a year ago at a local Academy.

    In this case they expected people to spend twice what a BCM would cost to buy something that doesn’t do anything that the BCM doesn’t already do.

    And you know what? Looks do count. I don’t care how nice the ARX’s personality was cause it is not ascetically pleasing to me. The 80& 90 series of pistolsmust have been a fluke because most of Baretta small arms have not been attractive to me (expensive over/under shotguns being an exception to this statement).

  15. The three things that kept me from ever picking one up were all ergonomic issues.
    1) The charging handle, while easy enough to switch from side to side, is fairly finicky to do and not something you can readily do on the fly. At least, not as quickly as often advertised without having to brace the gun in uncomfortable positions that would likely get you thrown off the range. Additionally, it’s just too darn small. I don’t have to fumble around to find the charging handle on an AR or AK, but the ARX is always a search and slippery sort of affair.
    2) It feels big. Bulky, even. Despite the light size (or perhaps even because of it; the ARX is an easy swinging gun), it feels big in the hands and I never really felt like I had as secure control over one as I do an AR. Maybe that’s the fishy front-end (and attendant difficulty replacing it with a different front grip), maybe it was the stock being so low to the picatinny. But definitely the biggest part is
    3) The pistol grip. Dear God, the pistol grip. I can understand not wanting to be beholden to the million different AR grips out there. I can understand why they didn’t make it modular since that would require a threaded insert to be molded into the plastic lower. But why in the seven hells did they decide to make the only grip option anyone can have be the A2 grip? The most universally maligned AR pistol grip, the one everyone gets for free with a lower parts kit and chucks out the nearest window, and that’s what they decide?

  16. The bummer thing is that I think Beretta was so close to having something really formidable here. The things that kept people away were easy fixes. They couldn’t have ditched the grenade launcher mount for an actual usable rail at the 6:00 position? They couldn’t have tweaked the shape of the buttstock to accommodate a reasonable cheek weld with even their own sights, let alone AR height optics? They couldn’t have cleaned up the trigger just a little? Smh. This could have been a real SCAR 16 competitor with some minor fixes. Can’t say I’m surprised, but it’s still a bummer.

    • They are ALWAYS so close. The chetta 85 should have been 9mm, the apx should have had a thinner slide, the 92 sould have had a front removable sight the nanno sould have been the apxcarry. Its like they take market clues but never shot a gun themselves. CZ and SIG got them beet 1000times

  17. with that pencil barrel and fat midsection it looks gay

    only slightly less gay in fact than a roni or a kel tec or a high point

    that is to say it looks pretty gay

    AND…its too expensive

    for the same money or even a little less i can build ANOTHER ar WITH optic AND weapon light AND custom furniture AND upgraded trigger AND a buncha pmags that shoots sub moa out to at least 300 yards

    AND it looks COOL…

    AND i can get parts for it and fix it

    no thanks beretta

    stick to what you do best

    the 92

  18. I have been a little concerned that the APX may also be discontinued. One local gun shop has stopped carrying them because of poor sales, Beretta has a promotional for five free magazines and a number of online dealers are selling them very cheaply.

    I have been lusting for one but I don’t want to wind up with an “orphan” for which it is had to get parts and magazines. Of course it probably makes more sense to spend ones “gun money” on a carbine and magazines right now than on a pistol.

    • Well, maybe if it hadn’t be “ribbed for his/her pleasure” the APX would be selling better as well (who seriously thought that slide was a good look? This from the company that made the PX4, too)

  19. I don’t know if Beretta, USA having its headquarters in a state which bans the rifle as a “copycat” weapon has anything to do with it but …..

  20. I like my ARX-100 and the 160 (.22lr) as well as my X95 Tavor.
    Run my SilencerCo Omega and the Sparrow on the ARX-160.

  21. I bought one a couple months ago and I just love it. I own a couple of AR’s neither was over $500. I’m shoot left handed the mostly ambidextrous controls and I also prefer my Beretta 92 over any other pistol I own. I’m 5’9″, 140lbs., and love the way it fits me. It just edges out my Mini 14 as what I reach for when I go shooting. I do wish the different barrel options would become available at the right price. I’m patiently anticipating the arrival of my CX4 Storm, which may be what I reach for first. I enjoy my AR’s, but why limit yourself. If I could afford it I’d love to one of them all! Life is Good!!!

  22. I just bought my sixth ARX 100 two days ago. I love this gun !!! I have acquired all of my ARXs in the last 3 to 4 months and paid $849.00 for 2 of them and $799.00 for the other 4 ( from Academy Sports). I value reliability above everything else. Looks are of little importance to me, although the gun looks different, it is not ugly to me. I don’t understand the magazine argument, due to the fact that the gun works great with all G.I. mags, gen 1 and 2 P-mags and all but a couple of brands. You can order all you want from Mag Warehouse, I did. I sold my Rock River and Colt after having extraction/jamming problems with certain ammo. The ARX eats it all (approximately 2500 rds) and I can get 2 inch groups all day long at 100 yds (Nikon P-223 scope).
    I am happy that so many AR biased individuals feel this way, because that made it easy for me to buy all I would ever need at $799.00 instead of $1950.00.
    These arguments remind of some of the arguments I heard while attending Law School (University of Tennessee), which dealt with the Glock (1986). The Glock was made of unproven plastic, not American made, looks ugly, ect… Well, we know how Glock has struggled for a market share.

  23. I bought one at Academy. I have ARs and am a veteran, career military. I was interested in it and when the price showed up so low, I went to try one on. Boom, sold instantly. For me, it fits like a glove, just a natural fit. Don’t compare it to an AR – it’s not one. It’s light. The lower part of the forearm is ergonomically perfect for a grip. The quick change barrel lockup is rock solid and simple. The high rail fits my face without a comb added. Magpul gen 2’s fit fine, as do Lancers and good old GI’s. Sure, there are some things that could be slightly better, but only slightly. The side rails are in the precisely correct place. I’ve seen guys knot themselves up with their sling by having it connected in the wrong place and trying to switch on the fly. Won’t happen on this gun.

  24. The ARX 100 is a great rifle but Beretta straight up lied to it’s customers when they sold them a “multi-caliber” rifle that doesn’t come in any other calibers but 5.56 after 5 years on the market. A lot of us overpaid for a “pregnant plastic AR15” because of the other barrels. Looks like a class-action false advertising lawsuit is in order to persuade them to keep their promises? Their “projected release date” for the .300 blackout barrel has been “April of ’16″… then it was “early ’17″… then it was “2nd quarter of ’18″…now what? When? A definitive when? And what about the 7.62×39 and 6.8 SPC? Promises not kept = customers lost, plain and simple math.

    • I was willing to pay extra for the multi-caliber option. I am more than a little disappointed that the multi-caliber options are not available outside military sales. I have been waiting for several years and very unhappy to keep waiting.

    • Anyone thinking about going up against the oldest firearms manufacturer is gonna need some $$$! Any “well-to-do Patriots” looking to help “Make Beretta Great Again” and start a class-action suit? Seems pretty cut & dried to me, they falsely advertised it as multi-caliber and didn’t keep the promise. The verdict is in… Beretta needs to follow through!

  25. I also picked mine up for $799. Wanted to try an AR alternative without going broke. Beretta built in many very nice features, but put one of the worse triggers on this that I have ever encountered. You have to work extremely hard not to pull this off center every time you attempt to squeeze the trigger! [I don’t own a trigger pull gauge, but this surely must be in the double digits!] What enticed me to purchase it finally was the promise of interchangeable calibers (was hoping to add a .300 ACC). Beretta failed to deliver on this too!
    Hoping my local gun shop will allow me to trade it in!

  26. good rifle….big failure on Berretta’s part not coming up with a 10″ and a 16″ 300 BLK barrels….that was a buying point for me…waited patiently…they never came out…

  27. I know no one will see this……
    The trigger is shitty, yet breaks clean. It’s not a long range gun.

    If beretta would have released a pistol version,

    And provided after market support this rifle would have done well.

  28. I like the rifle a lot sick of cleaning AR-15 s. this is a great rifle. shoots great and cleans easily. price was too high at the beginning but once it came down I wish I d have bought 2 of them.

  29. i have had my ARX long enough now that i have fully seen its virtues and its defects. Trigger was bad. But a shootingsight trigger fixed that. cannot fault that when everyone wants a Geiselle for their AR. It is a 3 inch at 100 yrd rifle. nothing i have tried has made it better than that. but…..off hand i am NO better with any of my other rifles. you may be able to not sway on a bench rest…but off hand real world shooting it has been no better, no worse. The gun is light. its easy to clean. its comfortable to handle. the charging handle is light years ahead of an AR operation. I have a vector SDP-SB enhanced, a x95, a pair of sig 556’s and others. what i do NOT have anymore are any of my AR15s but on M4 variant. there was nothing wrong with them other than a dirty action…but they didnt do anything the ARX could do…they were boring in comparison.

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