kannonfyre
Member
I bought a model 84 beretta cheetah .380 pistol about 3 weeks ago. Today was the day that I finally put it through it's paces. Range fodder was CCI blazer 95gr TMJ and 95gr Fiocchi FMJ.
First off, lets talk about general impressions....
The gun is well made and finished. In comparison to the CZ-83 that the store was trying to sell me, it projects the same toughness while exhuding italian suave and sophistication. Apart from the fixed sights which cannot be adjusted even with a dowel and small hammer, I have no complaints about the outward appearance of this pistol.
Next, mechanical operation....
It takes effort (more effort than its larger cousin, the model 92) to rack the slide. Also, if the slide is closed, inserting a loaded magazine in needs a little strength. Also, engaging the decocker/safety is NOT effortless. Additionally, the rear sight is FIXED which brings us to shooting performance.
Shooting this "full sized compact" .380 has made me realise that.....
1) This sights are fixed causing rounds to land to the left of POA. Thus, to hit the bullseye on ISSF pistol targets, I have to aim off to the right. This is no problem for targets at 15 meters or less but is a serious accuracy handicap when shooting at ranges of 25 meters and above.
2) The recoil is snappy! It kicks harder than the Walther P88 that I used to own or even the full sized 9mm model 92.
3) Magazine springs are tough. Inserting the last 3 rounds is harder to do. This is in comparison to other guns like the Glock, CZs....etc.
Lastly, strange ammo performance....
I have attached scanned target sheets of 40 shot groups. The one shot by the CCI blazer rounds is from the beginning of the range session when I was still fresh. The one with 40 rounds of Fiocchi was shot toward the end of my range time (I was tired). Both groupings shot at 15 meters. My findings are that:
Even though CCI is loaded to milder American standards, it still kicked harder than the Fiocchi rounds. The recoil of the italian ammo was manageable compared to the CCI rounds which was robust. This is despite the fact that on paper, the fiocchi load was supposed to be about 80ft/s faster.
Lastly, this gun has a strange quirk when it comes to field stripping it for cleaning:
When the gun is clean, it can be easily stripped. However, after a 200 round shooting session, the takedown lever for the removal of the entire upper receiver is stubborn and gritty. It takes some effort to fully push the lever down so that the pistol can be dissassembled.
Hence, my two questions for Model 84 Cheetah owners out there is:
a) Have you experienced difficulty in moving the "stripping switch" when your pistol is dirty?
b) Is is possible for higher speed ammo is actually have LESS felt recoil than similarly weighted ammo with less muzzle velocity?
Thanks,
KF
Note: The CCI rounds were actually 95gr projectiles even though it says 98grs on the target sheet.
First off, lets talk about general impressions....
The gun is well made and finished. In comparison to the CZ-83 that the store was trying to sell me, it projects the same toughness while exhuding italian suave and sophistication. Apart from the fixed sights which cannot be adjusted even with a dowel and small hammer, I have no complaints about the outward appearance of this pistol.
Next, mechanical operation....
It takes effort (more effort than its larger cousin, the model 92) to rack the slide. Also, if the slide is closed, inserting a loaded magazine in needs a little strength. Also, engaging the decocker/safety is NOT effortless. Additionally, the rear sight is FIXED which brings us to shooting performance.
Shooting this "full sized compact" .380 has made me realise that.....
1) This sights are fixed causing rounds to land to the left of POA. Thus, to hit the bullseye on ISSF pistol targets, I have to aim off to the right. This is no problem for targets at 15 meters or less but is a serious accuracy handicap when shooting at ranges of 25 meters and above.
2) The recoil is snappy! It kicks harder than the Walther P88 that I used to own or even the full sized 9mm model 92.
3) Magazine springs are tough. Inserting the last 3 rounds is harder to do. This is in comparison to other guns like the Glock, CZs....etc.
Lastly, strange ammo performance....
I have attached scanned target sheets of 40 shot groups. The one shot by the CCI blazer rounds is from the beginning of the range session when I was still fresh. The one with 40 rounds of Fiocchi was shot toward the end of my range time (I was tired). Both groupings shot at 15 meters. My findings are that:
Even though CCI is loaded to milder American standards, it still kicked harder than the Fiocchi rounds. The recoil of the italian ammo was manageable compared to the CCI rounds which was robust. This is despite the fact that on paper, the fiocchi load was supposed to be about 80ft/s faster.
Lastly, this gun has a strange quirk when it comes to field stripping it for cleaning:
When the gun is clean, it can be easily stripped. However, after a 200 round shooting session, the takedown lever for the removal of the entire upper receiver is stubborn and gritty. It takes some effort to fully push the lever down so that the pistol can be dissassembled.
Hence, my two questions for Model 84 Cheetah owners out there is:
a) Have you experienced difficulty in moving the "stripping switch" when your pistol is dirty?
b) Is is possible for higher speed ammo is actually have LESS felt recoil than similarly weighted ammo with less muzzle velocity?
Thanks,
KF
Note: The CCI rounds were actually 95gr projectiles even though it says 98grs on the target sheet.
Given all else as equal, the Fiocchi should deliver more recoil. Maybe it was psychological and you just gripped tighter in expectation...who knows.
