New Beretta 80X Cheetah

[zaitcev]

I can confirm you can carry it cocked-and-locked if you so choose. The safety levers' position is down=fire, up=safe, up further=decock. There is a definite increase in pressure needed to push the levers beyond safe and into decock.

The official product manual that I downloaded from Beretta website a minute ago says:

"IF YOU ARE NOT READY TO FIRE
Engage the thumb safety by rotating the safety lever with a fully upward thumb pressure, so as to cover the red warning dot (the red dot is visible when the thumb safety is disengaged), causing the hammer to decock and rest on the hammer stop."

And in red font:

"WARNING: Always ensure that the safety is fully engaged until ready to fire. A safety is fully engaged only when the safety can move no further into the safe position. A safety which is not fully engaged will not prevent weapon discharge."

I seem to recall that some other guns had additional behaviors when users tried to lifehack their safeties by placing them into unintended positions (IIRC Ruger Mark IV was one). If these overly smart shooters were successful, it usually ended in a recall.

[LHS]

The official product manual that I downloaded from Beretta website a minute ago says:

"IF YOU ARE NOT READY TO FIRE
Engage the thumb safety by rotating the safety lever with a fully upward thumb pressure, so as to cover the red warning dot (the red dot is visible when the thumb safety is disengaged), causing the hammer to decock and rest on the hammer stop."

And in red font:

"WARNING: Always ensure that the safety is fully engaged until ready to fire. A safety is fully engaged only when the safety can move no further into the safe position. A safety which is not fully engaged will not prevent weapon discharge."

I seem to recall that some other guns had additional behaviors when users tried to lifehack their safeties by placing them into unintended positions (IIRC Ruger Mark IV was one). If these overly smart shooters were successful, it usually ended in a recall.

That sounds kind of boilerplate-y, and the folks at the range day were explicit that it was designed to be carried cocked and locked as well as decocked. But who knows, maybe they were misinformed (wouldn't be the first time something like that had happened).

[BCG]

I can confirm you can carry it cocked-and-locked if you so choose. The safety levers' position is down=fire, up=safe, up further=decock. There is a definite increase in pressure needed to push the levers beyond safe and into decock.

"WARNING: Always ensure that the safety is fully engaged until ready to fire. A safety is fully engaged only when the safety can move no further into the safe position. A safety which is not fully engaged will not prevent weapon discharge."

That sounds kind of boilerplate-y, and the folks at the range day were explicit that it was designed to be carried cocked and locked as well as decocked. But who knows, maybe they were misinformed (wouldn't be the first time something like that had happened).

Did you test this yourself? Or are you taking the word of "the folks at the range day"?

I had a Beretta 84F, where if you pushed the safety lever up from the fire position, it would stop with a distinctive * click * sound. It seemed like it should have been safe in the cock-and-locked position, but it was not. And at first I just assumed it was. * But from that point, it required - as you put it - a "definite increase in pressure" upward to de-cock and make the pistol safe.

So I can understand the confusion, because it's an easy mistake to make. Of course, it's also possible that Beretta did change how the safety functions, and added cocked-and-locked in the middle position.

* I bought the 84F used, and it didn't come with a manual, so I just assumed that the middle position of the safety lever was cocked-and-locked. I don't remember what eventually prompted me to go back and verify the function of the safety lever. Fortunately, it was only used as a range toy and not a carry or nightstand piece, so I never had an accident with it. But it was an important lesson about knowing your gun.

PS - If I recall correctly, the Beretta 84BB safety lever was not a de-cocker. It was a double-action pistol meant to be carried cocked-and-locked. Like the CZ-75. Which may have been a contributing factor to my erroneous thinking about the 84F.

[Welder]

The 80 series F models had safeties that would click into a position that wasn't "on safe." This position was prior to the actual "on safe" position, which also decocked the gun. The FS models had revised safeties that pretty much eliminated that "false safe" position that was unique to the F models.

Aside from the tip-up barrel 86 models, the last 80 series guns that could be carried cocked and locked were the BB models. The 86F and 86FS, for whatever reason, remained cocked and locked-capable with no decockers right up until they were discontinued.

If the X series can be carried cocked and locked *and* can be decocked, that's big news and a departure from the previous system.

[LHS]

Yes, I did. The 80X safety works when it's up but not decocked. There will be video with it up soon.

Did you test this yourself? Or are you taking the word of "the folks at the range day"?

I had a Beretta 84F, where if you pushed the safety lever up from the fire position, it would stop with a distinctive * click * sound. It seemed like it should have been safe in the cock-and-locked position, but it was not. And at first I just assumed it was. * But from that point, it required - as you put it - a "definite increase in pressure" upward to de-cock and make the pistol safe.

So I can understand the confusion, because it's an easy mistake to make. Of course, it's also possible that Beretta did change how the safety functions, and added cocked-and-locked in the middle position.

* I bought the 84F used, and it didn't come with a manual, so I just assumed that the middle position of the safety lever was cocked-and-locked. I don't remember what eventually prompted me to go back and verify the function of the safety lever. Fortunately, it was only used as a range toy and not a carry or nightstand piece, so I never had an accident with it. But it was an important lesson about knowing your gun.

PS - If I recall correctly, the Beretta 84BB safety lever was not a de-cocker. It was a double-action pistol meant to be carried cocked-and-locked. Like the CZ-75. Which may have been a contributing factor to my erroneous thinking about the 84F.

[LHS]

To elaborate, I just finished shooting the local monthly BUG match with an 80X. There was also an 82BB and an 85F there. As you mentioned, the F models have that false not-actually-safe position (interesting since this was the first time I'd gotten hands on an F variant), and the BBs are purely a safety with no decock capability (which is what I'm used to since my primary shooting Cheetah is an 81BB), but the 80X has both. You can carry it cocked and locked, decocked and unlocked, or decocked and locked.

[Gater]

Some interesting comments on safety function starting at around 1:55

[BCG]

Some interesting comments on safety function starting at around 1:55

@ 1:25 : You can carry cocked, you cannot carry it locked though.

@ 1:55 : So when you load this gun, right, if I were to load the gun

@ 2:00 : I don't want to carry it in condition zero, so when I frame mounted de-cocker [sic], when I de-cock this guy, it de-cocks down into a half-cock position.

[LHS]

@ 1:25 : You can carry cocked, you cannot carry it locked though.

@ 1:55 : So when you load this gun, right, if I were to load the gun

@ 2:00 : I don't want to carry it in condition zero, so when I frame mounted de-cocker [sic], when I de-cock this guy, it de-cocks down into a half-cock position.

He's right about the half cock position post decocking. He's wrong about not being able to carry cocked and locked. Seriously guys, I literally JUST SHOT A MATCH WITH ONE THIS MORNING, and it wouldn't fire with the hammer cocked and safety engaged. I don't know what else I can say.

[BCG]

He's wrong about not being able to carry cocked and locked. Seriously guys, I literally JUST SHOT A MATCH WITH ONE THIS MORNING, and it wouldn't fire with the hammer cocked and safety engaged. I don't know what else I can say.

Apologies if I came across as casting doubt your observations. That was not my intention.

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.

As Welder said

If the X series can be carried cocked and locked *and* can be decocked, that's big news and a departure from the previous system.