New Beretta 80X Cheetah

[MattyD380]

As fate would have it, I grabbed an 85FS yesterday.

I can confirm that there's no ability to carry cocked and locked--at least in the original FS. As you can see in the video, the lever will slip into a notch before it goes all the way up and decocks. But you can still pull the trigger at that point:

https://youtube.com/shorts/oK6JFsMbtE0?feature=share

Sounds like they may have added an SA safety function into the new ones--which is cool. Personally, I'm happy with just a decocker. But options are always good.

I put ~200ish rounds through it today. Literally the first shot I fired precipitated a FTFeed. No issues after that. I used round-nose Ammo, flatpoints, a few random hollowpoints and some old reman ammo I had laying around from previously owned .380s. All ran fine. After that first shot.



Accurate little _ucker, too. And really fun to shoot. Honestly, I think it's most mild of all the blowback pistols I've owned, except for .32s. MUCH better than a .380 PPK or a Sig P230. And I'd say it's slightly more comfortable than a Makarov PM. It still delivers a bit more pop to the web of the hand than all but the tiniest locked breech 9mms... but it's not unpleasant. At least to me.

If the new ones shoot as well as this one, I think it'll be successful. Personally, I like the sleeker, lower-profile lines on the originals. If they ever offered a non-X version (especially in nickel!) I might be convinced to get a new one.

[zaitcev]

I'm just trying to point out (and keep track of) why there has been so much confusion about this; especially for those of us who have experience with previous Cheetah pistols.

I don't think there's much confusion. As LHS points out, a position of a safety lever exists where the safety (possibly barely) prevents the hammer from falling, but the decocker is not yet tripped. Beretta published a manual for the 80X, where they state that using this middle possition is not permissible. I quoted from it. These are basic facts and there's no confusion.

The disagreement is only in the opinion if anyone who moves the thumb safety up a little bit, in a direct contradiction of the manual, is setting himself up for an ND -- of if the gun was designed that way and the manual is just CYA paper written by Beretta lawyers, and thus fails to explain basic function of the gun.

The experience with previous Cheetah pistols is sadly not a guide. We're seeing the situation with 84F playing out to a tee. But what does it mean? One may think that surely Beretta could not forget that story, and therefore if they issued a gun with the same problem (or same feature, if you will), they meant to do that. But someone else may conclude that such things are nothing new and it absolutely can happen.

I think an honest word by a senior engineer at Beretta might resolve this. But if I were working at Beretta, I would not tell. I'd say "follow the manual".

[Joe Mac]

The disagreement is only in the opinion if anyone who moves the thumb safety up a little bit, in a direct contradiction of the manual, is setting himself up for an ND -- of if the gun was designed that way and the manual is just CYA paper written by Beretta lawyers, and thus fails to explain basic function of the gun.

I think the latter is quite likely. I've seen all sorts of knee-slappers in pistol manuals in recent years, like "never carry the pistol with a round in the chamber", or an unconditional "never point the pistol at anyone"... Well, WTF did I buy this thing for, then?!

[MattyD380]

Also…

Anybody watching “The Last of Us?” Now I need a 70S…

[Joe Mac]

As an aside, around '94-95 I fired a squad mate's new off duty pistol, whichever 85 variant was current then (she'd just bought it new). It was easy and immensely fun to shoot. I recall thinking, even then, that it didn't "make sense" when G19s and 3913s were available, but I could absolutely fight effectively with it -- and it was dead sexy to look at.

[AdioSS]

Of the people who have handled this already, is there anybody who is familiar with the 84 enough to be able to make a comparison? Is the slide the same size?

[Trooper224]

Also…

Anybody watching “The Last of Us?” Now I need a 70S…

Mhm........

[Ben_G]

As a TDA shooter and a Beretta employee talking about an Italian product (aka the European team wrote the manual with their legal counsel, and they are very safety-minded), I must insist on the decocked position for carry.

That said, technically speaking, the safety has been redesigned from the old gun, and that middle position is an intentional step with an active trigger disconnect, and this gun does have a firing pin block... Do with that information what you will...

Now, I'd really truly strongly recommend each shooter evaluate the safety detent strength and holster coverage before making any CCW decisions, and note our DA pull on that gun is easily in the 5.5# range. That extra length/trigger feedback in the first pull as a 'are you sure you want to put a hole in this?' is a major benefit of the TDA systems for bump in the night, while the modern lightweight pull isn't hurting your accuracy or slowing you down if you're positive that trigger needs to get pulled.

Personally, when I get mine, I'll be carrying mine in the same condition as I carry my PX4 Compact Carry.

[MattyD380]

Mhm........

Nice! Is that yours? Sexy little gun.

I saw one at a gun show a few weeks ago for a decent price. Only one I've ever seen. I kinda wish I'd bought it... but, at about the same price as the Cheetah, I suppose I'd pick the Cheetah every time.

Still wouldn't mind having a 70S.

And maybe a 418.

And an 8000 Cougar.

Hell, I even kinda want a 9000S.

[Trooper224]

Nice! Is that yours? Sexy little gun.

I saw one at a gun show a few weeks ago for a decent price. Only one I've ever seen. I kinda wish I'd bought it... but, at about the same price as the Cheetah, I suppose I'd pick the Cheetah every time.

Still wouldn't mind having a 70S.

And maybe a 418.

And an 8000 Cougar.

Hell, I even kinda want a 9000S.

Yes indeed, it's mine. Always thought it was one of the sexiest guns ever made, so I snagged it at a gunshow a few years ago. Honestly, I might choose it over an 84. I also have a Browning BDA, essentially an 84 with a closed slide. It's something of a chunky monkey and doesn't conceal any better than larger handguns. The 70's a lot slimmer.