Selected Handgun Detail

Manufacturer
	Fabbrica D' Armi Pietro Beretta SpA More Info

About the Gun

Beretta's medium frame 8X series (models 81 through 87) feature an open-top slide similar to the larger 9mm 92 models, but utilize a fixed barrel blowback action due to the lower power calibers employed. The various models are chambered for either .22LR, .32 or .380 Auto. These alloy frame double-action pistols feature an exposed hammer and a frame mounted ambi safety with no decocking capability. Early variants employ a curved trigger guard while later variants employ a squared and serrated trigger guard. There are both walnut and plastic grip variants, and various capacities depending on caliber, and whether a variant employs a single-stack or double-stack magazine. Models produced starting in the early 1990s were presented as the "Cheetah" series, still using the 8x model designation such as the "Model 84 Cheetah".

Production

Production ran from 1990 through 2012.

Market value

MSRP at production was around $800. Current used market value for examples in good to very good condition ranges $800–$1,200.

Cartridge Specifications
Cartridge:	.380 Automatic
Alias:	9mm Browning Short
More Info

Analysis

The 85FS is the last letter gun on the slim-grip .380 Auto line. The F update kept the ambidextrous lever on the frame and added a decocker; the FS corrected that lever so it would not hang in a half-safe position. The slide is notched where the lever drops in and locks the slide. Cheetah went on the slide and the box in the mid-1990s. Italian production continued in small lots into the mid-2010s and stopped in 2017, when the series paused. Nickel was a catalog option with wood grips. Used Bruniton 85FS pistols are the common slim Cheetah on the market. Nickel examples with original wood grips and the box sit well above them in value.