Seeking Input Beretta m.84 ...

Several of my friends have then and live them. They are easily the sweetest and most accurate shooting and recoiling 380s I have shot. I prefer the Taurus version though but do plan on getting one soon.

Wonderful handling firearm,large grip fits my hand like it was made for it. Accurate, points well. Mine will cycle and fire any 380 ammo. Never a failure. It is a large 380. You have to manually lower the hammer but it can be carried cocked and locked. Quality built like you don't see anymore.

The only firearm I ever sold, that I wish I hadn't. I would love to find another one or possibly an 85 {the single stack version).

jimbo555 said:

Wonderful handling firearm,large grip fits my hand like it was made for it. Accurate, points well. Mine will cycle and fire any 380 ammo. Never a failure. It is a large 380. You have to manually lower the hammer but it can be carried cocked and locked. Quality built like you don't see anymore.

Click to expand...

I agree with jimbo. The 84/85 is the finest .380 platform ever produced, in my opinion. I just wanted to mention that C&L carry is only possible with the pre-F models (like my 84BB below). The safety on the later models (F and FS) decocks the pistol.

By far, my favorite .380. Handles great. Great accuracy....capacity.... I own many .380s for comparison...Sig 232, PPK, Bodyguard, CZ83.... Get the 84!

The Best of the Best. Bought mine in 1981. It is by far the most reliable and comfortable shooting .380 in my opinion. It will gobble-up just about anything you feed it, even too heavy for cartridge 121gr LRN handloads. Far more fun to shoot than the PPKs or any other comparable .380s.

I say, get it.

Given that all the CZ 82/83s are spoken for, for me, the Beretta 84 is the next logical choice.

I, for no particular tangible reasons, simply prefer the CZs but the 84 is more than the next obvious numerical alternative - It's a damn fine pistol in its own right and arguably the best hi-cap .380 made.

Well supported in the industry, inexpensive mags and parts, very forgiving of ammo choices, durable and extremely accurate.

One downside - you're gonna have to listen to fellas tell you how it's not a "9". Keep in mind though, the same fellas would go on about how your "9" isn't a .40 or .40 is't a "10".....

13+ rounds of .380, hits where its pointed, never jams - I've never felt lacking.

Looks good too.

The Beretta Model 84 is a fine gun. Reliable, rigged, and accurate. A bit large for concealed carry for some, though. The Model 85 is a slightly slimmer version, with a single-stack magazine. There was also a Model 86 that had the flip-up barrel like the Model 21, making it easier for those with weak or disabled grip to make function.

At one point ATI was selling a clone of the Model 84, without the decocker feature. It is also a nice gun. I like the Taurus PT58, especially the later ones with the decocker feature. It gives you the option of cocked-and-locked, or decock and carry hammer down on a live round.

IIRC, the Indiana State Police issued the Model 84 at one point as an off-duty carry piece.

Had both a Model 84 and Model 85 (single stack magazine). Great ergonomics on both though the Model 84 is a bit of a handful if you have smaller size hands. Extremely reliable with just about anything i ran through them, decent enough accuracy, and very comfortable to shoot. Easy to acquire sights and a very nicer one trigger in both DA/SA (frame mounted manual safety but no decocker). Overall a very well designed and built .380 pistol.

The safety on the later models (F and FS) decocks the pistol.

Click to expand...

I thought it had a 3 position safety, with the upper position decocking the pistol, while the middle position disconnected the trigger while leaving the hammer cocked.

I thought it had a 3 position safety, with the upper position decocking the pistol, while the middle position disconnected the trigger while leaving the hammer cocked.

Click to expand...

There appears to be a positive middle position "click" on the F version, but this position does not disconnect the trigger. One of the upgrades of the FS version was a safety/decocker that corrected this rather serious flaw in the safety/decocker design.

Pretty sure it's an 85 with the single stack. Same gun, same great reviews. They also made an 85 with a tip up barrel.

ApacheCoTodd said:

Given that all the CZ 82/83s are spoken for, for me, the Beretta 84 is the next logical choice.

I, for no particular tangible reasons, simply prefer the CZs but the 84 is more than the next obvious numerical alternative - It's a damn fine pistol in its own right and arguably the best hi-cap .380 made.

Well supported in the industry, inexpensive mags and parts, very forgiving of ammo choices, durable and extremely accurate.

One downside - you're gonna have to listen to fellas tell you how it's not a "9". Keep in mind though, the same fellas would go on about how your "9" isn't a .40 or .40 is't a "10".....

13+ rounds of .380, hits where its pointed, never jams - I've never felt lacking.

Looks good too.

Click to expand...

^ He summed up my thoughts better than I could have.

The Beretta 84 is a handsome, reliable, very accurate pistol. I bought a well used Model 84 (no suffix) from Cole's Distributing and the only negative issued I ever had was difficulty field stripping it. The rear end of the guide rod had peened the metal where it fit in the back after who knows how many rounds and the slide would not come off the receiver easily - a little time with a round file made things work much better.

I really liked the 84, but the original thick wooden stocks made for an unwieldy fit in my hand and I sold it to a good friend for what I had paid for it. I am sure that newer and thinner plastic stocks would have made for more comfortable shooting in my small-to-average sized hands, but I sent it on its way when I bought my CZ83.

I took so long to type up my post that I missed Waveski's last one. If my 84 had been a single stack Model 85 I would most likely still have it.

Good luck, and happy shooting!

I have a satin nickel Beretta 85 and it's the most accurate and comfortable .380 to fire. Got it precisely because the 84 I owned in the 80s was too bulky for carry and did not feel that natural in my hand. The one drawback is that it needs its own manual of arms subchapter for racking the slide. That sucker is hard to pull back when using the generic pull motion!

I went looking for a used 84(owning both a 92 & 96) and found quite a few with Cole's on GunBroker. I picked one up and after a couple weeks, I ordered a second. The finish was fine but more importantly it fit like it was made for me and put rounds down range at what ever I aimed at. I had both refinished(purely a personal choice) and now it's even smoother to fire. Never looked for an 85 but I'm sure that they would not be any different in quality or performance. Later I picked up a pair of Browning BDA's (Beretta 84 clones made for Browning).

jimbo555 said:

Wonderful handling firearm,large grip fits my hand like it was made for it. Accurate, points well. Mine will cycle and fire any 380 ammo. Never a failure. It is a large 380. You have to manually lower the hammer but it can be carried cocked and locked. Quality built like you don't see anymore.

Click to expand...

[emoji106]

Buy it.
Load it with Buffalo Bore or Underwood .380 HP ammo.
Good to go.

What do you want the beretta 84 for?

WAVESKI,

In my experience, the BERETTA CHEETAH or 80 series are the most reliable guns in their caliber ever made, bar none! I have shot the BERETTA 82 and 84 primarily. THEY NEVER JAMMED. I know that they should once in a while, but they have fed every ammo that other makes of guns choke on.

In the BERETTA 82 and 84, I use FEDERAL Hydra Shok ammo for self defense. It is the only.32ACP and .380ACP I have tried that is 100% with this ammo.

Beyond that, the strong points for the BERETTA 80 series are a good to very good trigger. large enough grip to hold onto, very good sights compared to some of the small pocket guns and older designs.
I have found the BERETTA easy to shoot and quite accurate, obtaining a level of accuracy equal to most 9m.m. pistols.
Additionally, recoil is light and recovery time very quick.

Also, the safety on the newer model 84s, the F and FS series, BERETTA have been modified with the safety allowing cocked and locked carry, which they have always had and NOW, A HAMMER DROPPING FEATURE. As I only carry with the hammer down for a first shot using double action, this is a nice feature that adds to the safety of this gun.

The sole negative on the BERETTA 80 series is that they are bulky. You can hide a SPRINGFIELD ARMORY XD Sub Compact or WALTHER P99 just as easily.

That said, I would consider the BERETTA 84 loaded with premium ammo, a very good choice for a home or car gun. It also makes a good training gun for new shooter.
For concealed carry, I would look for something smaller, unless recoil is really an issue.

Jim

I've owned a lot of .380s, and by far the best I've ever had were the Beretta 84, and it's closed slide littermate, the Browning BDA 380. The rest of them, including 2 Walther PPKs, were just inferior. On top of it being a great gun, it's a great looking gun too!

was the trigger. I have never experienced such a light , smooth , double action trigger with an auto loader before. My take is that there is no disadvantage to discharging the first round in double action with the 85 as the trigger is so sweet.

Click to expand...

Yeah the DA trigger on my BDA was the reason I sent my Sig p-232 packing.