Selected Handgun Detail

Manufacturer
	Fabbrica D' Armi Pietro Beretta SpA More Info

About the Gun

Compact single-stack DA/SA blowback pistol with an alloy frame and an open-top slide. Slim grip. The 86 uses a tip-up barrel that hinges at the muzzle so a round can be loaded straight into the chamber. Ambidextrous frame-mounted safety. Checkered wood grips and fixed three-dot sights. Hard-chromed barrel.

Production

Production ran from 1991 through 2004.

Market value

MSRP at production was around $600. Current used market value for examples in good to very good condition ranges $900–$1,400.

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

Analysis

Beretta introduced the Model 86 in the late 1980s and cataloged it for the U.S. market from 1991. It is the tip-up .380 Auto pistol in the Series 81 line: same slim-grip envelope as the 85, with a barrel that hinges at the muzzle so a round can be loaded at the breech. That layout was meant for users who did not want to rack the slide. Letter marks on the 86 did not follow the 81/84/85 sequence. Early boxes often read 86B; later slides and boxes read Cheetah or 86FS Cheetah. The frame lever stays a manual safety on those guns and does not decock. Regular production ended in 2004. Used 86s are scarce next to 84FS and 85FS pistols, so boxed examples with original magazines sit well above those models in value.