Beretta 85F .380 Opinions

[SeanMTX]

I recently picked up a gem of one of these in exchange for doing some work for a little old lady.

Her now passed husband was a Dallas cop and had a Beretta 85F .380 unfired and new in the box, with three mags in his office. She passed it on to me at a ridiculous price.

I have been looking for a small pistol for CCW carry, but the .380 wasn't necessarily at the top of my list, mostly because of lack of power in the caliber. Am I logical here, or is a .380 suitable for me to carry? If not, it might just be my wife's new pistol.

I have yet to fire this, but it's not going to take long before I will.

 

[Cougfan2]

I carry a Sig 232 .380 most of the time because it's light and easy to conceal. The Beretta is actually one of the larger .380 autos out there, but no reason you shouldn't carry it.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

I have its brother, a Model 86 (tipup barrel). It is very accurate and fun to shoot. I don't carry it, however, not when a Glock 19 is the same height and length yet holds 16 full-power 9mm Luger cartridges. Still, a .380 ACP with JHP bullets is nothing you would want to stand in front of. It is really all about shot placement, and if the low recoil of the cartridge and the other shooting qualities of the gun help in this, I would not argue with that.

 

[bannockburn]

I had one years ago, as well as a Model 84. Beautiful guns, well made and just great shooters. Only problem; they were just too big for practical carry when any small 9 could the job as well. But could be a great gun for your wife or anyone concerned about recoil, etc.

 

[usp9]

The Beretta 84/85 model is one of the world class best in catagory guns. With the large choice of high quality defensive ammo available today, there is no cause to doubt the lethality of the .380. The Beretta 85 has everything one wants in a CCW...it is light, accurate, dependable and made to be safe. It can be carried decocked in DA mode or Cocked and Locked like a 1911, (ready for a first shot in SA mode).

FWIW, I retired an old Beretta 84 as my CCW last year. It carried Speer Gold Dots, which always delivered good results. If I still carried it, I'd be tempted to look for Win. Ranger .380 rounds to try.

 

[Pilot]

My summer carry is a Beretta 85FS. Great gun.