Beretta's New 80X Cheetah at the BUG Match (feat. Symtac)
Semiauto Pistols
•
14m
Back in 1975, Beretta introduced a line of mid-size semiauto pistols. The Model 81 was in .32 ACP (intended for the European market) and the Model 84 was chambered for .380 ACP for Americans. These both used double-stack magazines, and single-stack versions followed a few years later (the 82 and 85). Additional models were also available with a variety of safety and control configurations.
Well, at SHOT Show this year Beretta introduced its reboot of the Cheetah, now called the Model 80X. It now uses an aluminum frame, slim grips, ambi controls that allow carry either cocked-and-locked or decocked, and an optics mounting cut. It is only available in .380, and uses a 13-round magazine. The DA trigger in particular is fantastically good.
I'm joined today by Matt Haught of Symtac Consulting, who has been shooting Model 81 Berettas for a long time, and who is excited to get a chance to try out the new 80X on the clock. Much to his chagrin, I did manage to beat him - but only by a single point. The match was a lot of fun, and it's hard to complain about a pistol that we were able to take 2nd and 3rd place overall with...
Disclosure: Beretta did not pay us for this, but did send the gun for free.
Up Next in Semiauto Pistols
-
.30 Super Carry: My 7.65 French Long ...
When Federal announced their new .30 Super Carry cartridge, I was really excited to see the rebirth of the 7.65mm French Long caliber. That round was originally developed for the Pedersen Device in late WW1, and then adopted by the French military for its 1935 pistols and MAS38 submachine gun. It...
-
Armatix iP1 Smart Gun at the BackUp G...
Yesterday we looked at the history and the functioning of the Armatix iP1 "smart gun", and today I'm taking it out to a BackUp Gun Match. How will it perform? Will it cycle reliably? Will I time out before I can actually get it authorized to fire? Let's find out!
-
Armatix iP1: The Infamous German "Sma...
The Armatix iP1 is a pistol created by former H&K designer Ernst Mauch that was released - or almost released - in the US in late 2013 and early 2014. It is a .22LR caliber semiauto pistol that incorporates an RFID-connected authentication link between a watch and this pistol, so that the pistol ...
