I see the Beretta 84FS Cheetah on GB a lot and I think they average around $800 new! What's the fascination with this particular .380?

Thanks
CS45Fan

I got my Beretta 84FS on GB at the end of last year. It is ex Israeli Police issue. They are a great .380 auto! It is one of my regular carry pieces! Paid about $315 for it. It is a great shooter!



It is quite a bit smaller the my G19 & G23

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Life NRA, Life TSRA, C&R FFL

Shootability for lack of a better term. The Cheetah I owned from 1992 - 2002 was a joy to shoot. Great balance, shot to point of aim, minimal recoil. My guess is that many others have had similar experiences with it -- thus the popularity.

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Life's not fair. But I am.

Here's an 84F I bought used on Gunbroker. For a .380, it's kind of large by today's standard. Still, it is a wonderfully built firearm that we enjoy shooting at the range.

I shot one my buddy owned and came away thinking "Meh". I don't know if his recoil spring was toast, but it seemed to recoil as much if not more than my 9mm. Maybe it's the blowback action, but I didn't see any advantage over a 9mm with a locked breech action.

These days there are a few 380s using the locked breech design that are very tame to shoot. The P290RS I own is very easy on the hand and I suspect the Sig P250C and P250SC are even better as they have a bit more weight and bigger grips.

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Release the Kraken

Beretta...so is an Italian made pistol better than USA? I'm a buy USA guy and have seen "better" in certain things mde in Italy rather than USA...

Please advise.

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S&W SS Revolvers

It's not so much a case of what is better, rather what is available if you don't want a polymer gun. The Colt Mustang is the only thing available from an American maker in steel or alloy I can recall. Sig make the P238 in the US if that counts for you.

After that you are into the S&W Bodyguard 380, Kel Tec P3AT or Diamondback DB380 polymer pistols. Nothing wrong with them IMHO, but then I'm cool with any material so long as the gun works.

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Release the Kraken

I do not think that the 84 was ever made in the US. I have a Beretta FS92 that is US made and is the same as Italian ones that I have held and shot. I have an Italian made Beretta CX4 carbine that is very nice and a half dozen Uberti Colt SAA, Winchester 73 and Henry clones and they all are very well made and finished.

The 84 is a bit large for today's .380 pistol standards but for me it fits a carry purpose. They shoot very well, the recoil spring is very stiff making the slide a challenge to pull back for some. Recoil is a little lighter then a 9mm. It is a heavier pistol than the current crop of .380's so it does not recoil as much as some of the light weight .380's. I take it to the range and really enjoy shooting it on the steel plate range, the 84 is an easy gun to shoot well.

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Life NRA, Life TSRA, C&R FFL

I owned an 84FS in nickel - a thing of beauty and a good shooter - but too big for my taste considering it's only a .380 pistol. That said, they're definitely worth the money being spent on them IMO.


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I made some assumptions based on my memory and I was
mistaken. I recall the Cheetah as being the single stack
85FS only but apparently the Cheetah name has been used
with other models also. I took a look on GB and saw some
NIB 84s for around $650 or so. As to any fascination, I don't
know except that many Beretta fans think that Italian made
is better than US made. I probably think so too.

I shot my uncle's and came away thinking the same thing. His is like new. He's owned it since late 80s or early 90s but only shot it maybe 3 or 4 times. It is a nice gun, definitely not some second rate junk but there was nothing about it that I liked. Sights strsigh up sucked for anything more than slow deliberate fire, grip was too small/narrow, trigger was heavy and inconsistent throughout the pull.....although that could just be from lack of shooting. It was accurate but not something I'd be interested in paying money to own

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The Cheetah was a Beretta Series 80 pistol line. Both my 84FS (.380) and my 87 (.22LR) are Cheetahs.

alwslate, Cheetahs come in both double and single stack. If it is an 84 model it has a double stack magazine, the 83 and 85 models are single stack. Neither have the pop-up barrel. I have had a Beretta 84 since the 80s and it is a joy to shoot. Since it is made out of metal, with its weight there is very little recoil, way less than my 9mm Shield. Back then there were very few handguns with 13 round magazines so it was great to have the larger capacity in a small weapon. I have large hands and the larger grip fit me perfectly. Mine is blued and has great polished wooden grips. It is one of my favorite handguns and I only shoot it occasionly since I want to keep it nice. It is very accurate with its 3.81" barrel despite what some have indicated. The design was good enough for Browning to also make a copy of this model for years. It's design is kind of like a smaller version of the Beretta 92 which has been in military service for years. Bottom line, it's a great gun, try one and you might love it. Regards, Elliot45

I had an opportunity to choose between the 84 and 85 models, and chose the 85SF. It's a rugged, well-built pistol. It's not a pocket pistol by any stretch, and the recoil is higher than my Colt Government .380, since the Beretta is a straight blow back model, like my CZ83. I do carry it on occasion, and it's a really fun pistol to take to the range. It's accuracy comes from the fixed barrel; no toggles, no movement.

I think that Browning "copy" you mean is the FN-Model 140, which was made for FN Browning by Beretta.

I went back and edited my earlier post. I had associated the Cheetah
name with the single stack mod 85 only. I should have known better
than to rely on my memory alone before posting. I have quite a few
Berettas but all of them are older models except for my three 92FS
9mms. The 80s series Berettas are excellent pistols also but I just
don't have any personal experience with them.

I'll break ranks here. I purchased a minty one last year with the intent of using it as a downsized, low recoil training pistol to help get a newbe female started in shooting. While it was a beautifully made handgun that felt great in the hand, it just couldn't get it to work for my needs. In particular, It just wouldn't group decently (enough to inspire confidence) with factory or handloaded ammo. I also felt it had more recoil than it should given it's small caliber. I actually found my M&P9c to be more controllable/likeable for the young lady. In the end, although it was a beautiful firearm, I decided to trade it off as I figured I had better choices for back up carry guns given it's weight, sized and minimalist caliber.

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Dave

I love my 87 .22LR

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Straight shootin'
SWCA#2439

For the record, the Beretta 86 came with a tip up barrel. It's a single stack 380, like the 85. In addition, the Browning BDA copy of these guns was designed and built by Beretta, as evidenced by the 'PB' stamp on the slide. I'm not sure if Browning requested the design, or Beretta offered to it to Browning, but they're Beretta made.

I've never shot one of these, but I have handled them and fell 8n love. The double stack 84 is a very comfortable gun to hold. It has a fairly wide grip and slim slide, so it sits low in your hands. I'd like to shoot one, but I don't own a 380 and don't have a need for one. I might track down a 22LR 87 one day, because I can talk myself into a 22LR pistol!

Yea, both the 84 and 85 are 'Cheetahs'. I've shot them and like them a lot.

THE issue many people have with the Cheetah is that the slide is REALLY hard to rack and it doesn't have the tip-up barrel of the smaller Berettas.

They're dead-on accurate with fairly light recoil compared to the larger 92FS of the same design.

I like them, but IMHO; they aren't worth the price (new).

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But then, what do I know?

The Beretta 84 is a very nice gun . Especially the older ones . They are becoming pretty collectible . The older ones have a much nicer blued finish ,with wood grips . It's a double stack 13 rd gun that has nice thick grips
and overall good weight , and just feels right in the hand .Its the kind of gun for those who take alot of pride in the things they own . Fine Italian craftsmanship at its best . Sure beats the plastic dildo guns that are flooding the market.

Lewis

My wife has a Beretta Model 84 double stack with the pop-up Barrel. She shoots it extremely well and has shot it for all her qualification runs for her CCW. She especially likes the pop-up barrel to load the first round since she's now in her 70s. One in the spout and 13 in the mag.....what's not to like? BTW they are making good PD ammo now.

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Bob.
SWCA 1821

The only "tip up" barrel "Cheetah" is the 86. The 86 is also a single stack, not a double stack. The 85 is a single stack, the 84 is a double stack. There are also 81's, 82,'s, 83's, 87's and 89's. The 81 and 82 is a .32ACP. 83, 84, 85 & 86 are .380ACP and the 87, 87 Target and 89 are .22 LR's.

The other "tip up" barrel Beretta guns are the Tomcat, Bobcat's, Minx, Jetfire and 950 guns. These are not Cheetah's and are much smaller guns.....usually referred to as "Mouse Guns".
Glenn

I think Beretta owns FN as well as other gun makers, inc . Sako ??

If so, is CZ the largest Euro manufacturer that they don't own?

FN owns Browning! Beretta made the BDA, under the Browning name, for FN which was the exact gun as the 84 but, it had a standard size ejection port as opposed to the open top slide of the Beretta. Beretta owns: Benelli, Franchi, Sako, Stoeger, Tikka, Uberti and Burris.

G

I used to conceal carry an 85f, back in 1988 or so...
Back then, the options for "smaller" pistols were limited.

You had the Colt Mustang (most unreliable "pocket" pistol I've ever owned) or a snub revolver.....
Or you could step up to the single stack S&W pistols of the day.
Colt Officer's model.

Anyhow, it suited my needs back then, but today.....MUCH better choices!
(unless you own one for pleasure/range purposes)

Too big {for a 380}, too expensive, and too much recoil. That said it is a pretty accurate, reliable gun. I never had a single jam or FTF with mine. The cold hard fact of the matter is that for it's size, weight thickness and caliber...you can carry a really nice 9mm/40mm/45 and have more power and money left over.