An author did an excellent review of the Berreta Storm Carbine, He stated that it was not a good weapon to purchase and I agree. His description of the weapon was accurate and he explained the function very well. He didn't recommend the weapon because it was semi automatic and was designed for killing. While I agree with his final conclusion, I think we have reached it for very different reasons. Here is my review on the weapon.
I would encourage people to steer clear of the Berreta Cx4 Storm as well. The primary issue with this weapon in my opinion is the calibers it is dealing with. While the 9mm, 40sw, and .45acp are excellent rounds for the pistol, I would argue they have minimal use in a carbine/rifle. To understand this point of view one must think of a weapon as a tool. Each tool is designed to do a different job. You wouldn't use a screw driver to drive a nail just as you wouldn't use a hammer to turn a bolt. The primary issue is that the Storm is trying to be a multi-tool. To begin, as a rifle, its ammo capacity is only 11 rounds. This is less than almost any standard pistol. The pro to the Storm over a pistol is indeed increased accuracy at range. This is a carbine/rifle, by definition it is going to be more accurate than a pistol. Again, firearms are tools. Pistols are designed to stop a threat at close range. The Pro to the pistol is that it can be concealed and/or easily carried anywhere. The down side to the pistol is the bullets it fires. Any standard pistol caliber(9mm, .40, .45acp) is grossly inadequate for stopping a threat. From a surgeon in baltimore who deals with gunshot wounds, 2 center of mass pistol caliber wounds result in fatality only 10% of the time if the individual shot is in the operating room within 45 minutes of being shot. Generally, after being shot twice, many individuals are able to run or fight back for some time untill blood loss becomes sufficient to "take the wind out of them". The exception to this is when a round strikes a critical structure such as a main artery, in which case the individual shot can be down and out within seconds. A rifle round from an AR-15 chambered in the standard 5.56NATO/.223 on the other hand, while much smaller in diameter is nearly 80% effective on the first hit and a center of mass shot usually ends in the person being shot dead on arrival at the hospital. The rifle round is smaller in diameter than the pistol round but the rounds work on two very different principles. This is something I learned in the military. Each type of bullet kills you differently. A .45acp pistol round is traveling out of the muzzel of a weapon at roughly 900 feet per second (Depending on whos ammo you use). The hole that the round puts in the target is known as a wound channel. Assuming the round does not expand or fragment, which is rare in such a slow moving round, you are left with a .45 caliber hole through the body. If this .45 caliber hole does not pass through a critcal structure, the threat is often able to shrug it off and suffers only from blood loss and pain. Because blood loss takes time with such a relatively small hole, the effects of the hit may not be immediatley seen. A rifle caliber, say the AR-15's 5.56/.223 is smaller and lighter, but is cooking at a breath taking 3300 feet per second. While the wound channel is much smaller (.22 caliber vs .45 caliber) the sheer speed at which it impacts creates whats known as cavitation. To keep it simple, this is a shockwave that displaces tissue around the wound channel. The shockwave is so fierce that it devistates anything it touches. For example, a shot that misses the heart by 3 inches, may still pulverize the heart with the shockwave and yield immediate results to the threat.
This is why the Storm is probably not the best carbine. You are taking away the best aspects of the pistol (Easily Concealed, Easy to Carry) and taking away the best aspects of the rifle (Extremely powerfull rounds) and combining them for a weapon that is difficult to conceal and reasonably weak .
If you want to get a rifle, grab an AR-15 and a standard capacity magazine (30 rounds). High capacity magazines (75-150 round drums) often jam and I do not recommend them. The AR-15 weapon system will stop a threat in it's tracks. This mentality is, if you gotta defend yourself against a jerk with a stick, bring the bigger stick.
Alternatively, if you are okay with the pistol calibers, get a pistol. If you go this route do not shoot the threat once and stop to see if it worked. Do as we were trained, continue shooting center of mass until the threat goes to the ground.
These two options are far superior to the Berreta Cx4 Storm.