Beretta 85FS Cheetah for my wife

[hAkron]

My wife has been to the range with me more than a few times over the last few years. She's happily fired everything I've put in her hands from my dad's old Colt Woodsman .22, to my AK-47, to rapid fire strings from my Glock 17. A little over a year ago I bought a Walther PPK/s thinking it would be a good gun for her, long story short - it wasn't and I finally got around to selling it a few weeks ago. I took my wife to a bunch of different gun stores and had her hold a bunch of different guns. I was really trying to urge her toward a single stack 9mm like an EMP or a Colt Defender or a Sig 239. When she saw the Cheetah though it was done, I couldn't get her to even consider anything else.

My wife absolutely loves the gun and she is remarkably accurate with it. More importantly she's finally found a gun she feels comfortable with.

 

[sgtstryker]

These are great pistols. I had an 84B for years, lost it in a trade. They are very accurate shooting handguns. Good for y'all..

 

[Shipwreck]

Berettas rock!

And, the Cheetahs are fantastic guns!

 

[Jeb21]

Nice find! and good on you for waiting for your wife to choose her own gun rather than having to live with won you chose for her.

 

[M2 Carbine]

Great guns. I was shooting my 84 today.

Just loaded another thousand rounds for it.

 

[labhound]

My wife has a Cheetah 85FS. It fits her hand perfectly and she's a great shot with it.

 

[bannockburn]

hAkron

Great choice! I had both a Model 84 and Model 85 and would love to have either one of them back again.

 

[usp9]

Best .380 made, good choice. Hope your wife enjoys it.

 

[hAkron]

Nice find! and good on you for waiting for your wife to choose her own gun rather than having to live with won you chose for her.

That is exactly what it came down to. I realized I was trying to impose the gun I thought would be ideal for her. I would never spend that kind of money on a .380...for me, but then it hit me, it's NOT for me, it's for her, and I wouldn't want somebody to offer to buy something for me with the stipulation that they got to pick it out. I really like shooting it as well, though it's not as soft on my hand as any of my favorite guns, you can't beat the accuracy.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

Those are well made, accurate and fun guns. I had (until forced to sell it) a Model 86 myself. While I think the .380 is minimal for self defense, if it is something she will use and, more importantly, is good with, that is fine with me.

 

[Pilot]

I have a Beretta M85FS, and it is indeed a great pistol. I carry mine sometimes, and feel well armed. Due to the blowback design, the recoil spring is relatively stiff, so I am glad your wife can rack the slide. Some can't.

 

[Shipwreck]

Cool Atari game background

 

[Shawn Dodson]

The Beretta 85 is my wife's favorite pistol too! She's had hers for 20 years.

 

[wnycollector]

The ONLY one of my centerfire pistols that my wife will shoot is my Beretta 84B. I worry that if she gets to much range time with it, I may end up loosing it to her like my 2 3/4" Ruger Security Six!

 

[wheelyfun66]

Back in the late 80s and early 90s...
I carried a Beretta 85f, and loved it!

Quality, good looks, accurate, reliable....
.380 isn't my top choice anymore, and there are much more efficient size-to-power ratio guns available...

but if your wife practices with it, and is proficient....Good for her!

The 85F is top of the heap for .380

 

[hAkron]

I have a Beretta M85FS, and it is indeed a great pistol. I carry mine sometimes, and feel well armed. Due to the blowback design, the recoil spring is relatively stiff, so I am glad your wife can rack the slide. Some can't.

I don't think it's blow back, I think it's locked breech...I'm no expert, but I understand blowback to be fixed barrel with the recoil spring on the barrel, like a PPK, this is a floating barrel with a guide rod held to the bottom of the barrel with spring tention holding it in place, like a Glock or a CZ or a Sig. Either way, it is very accurate!

Cool Atari game background

Thanks! I was digging around my basement trying to find a suitable background. The people we bought our house from left a bunch of crap and that pong box (sadly filled with Christmas decorations, and not pong) is something I can't bring myself to throw away.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

The "Cheetah" family are all blowback operation. In fact, there is no extractor. The gases simply blow the case back out of the chamber. (pun intended)

 

[hAkron]

Ah, I did some reading and you guys are right, it is a blowback. I always learn something new when I come here.

 

[CAR-AR]

I almost sold my 84F a while back but I think I'll keep it, 13 rounds might come in handy sometime.

 

[surfinUSA]

The "Cheetah" family are all blowback operation. In fact, there is no extractor. The gases simply blow the case back out of the chamber

I don't believe this is true. They are blow back operated but all have extractors except for the guns with tip up barrels (the model 86 and the .22 and .25s).

The 84, 85 and browning DBA (made by Beretta) all have extractors. If you look at the pic in the first post you can see the extractor behind the chamber.

 

[Pilot]

Yes the Beretta 84/85 have extractors. The one on my 85FS even acts as a loaded chamber indicator.

The little .22 LR M21a's do not have an extractor.

 

[surfinUSA]

Pilot, which is exactly why I dumped my Beretta 21a. I origionally bought it as a back up gun, and I knew it didn't have an extractor, but I thought its size and reputation for reliability (like other Beretta products) would be ok. It wasn't. Although it was reasonably reliable with CCI stingers, I found I could never get past the lack of and extractor. And at the end of the day I finally got to the point that I just couldn't trust a gun w/o an extractor and had to get rid of it.

 

[DROCK]

Nice find! I will be inheriting my dads 85FS when I get my permit in a few months. It hasn't been shot in years I'm anxious to try it out!