Bersa? Walther? Nope - Cheetah

sks · April 14, 2012, 01:06 AM

Well my wife was in the market for another carry gun and was strongly leaning toward the Walther PPK. She has been wanting one for the past few months and as tomorrow is her birthday I figured it was time to get her a new gun.

So we went to the store and she began to hold the Walther and glance at the Bersa. She had a Bersa before and loved the feel of it but the gun malfunctioned before we ever fired it; she traded that for a Taurus PT709. Didn't like the way that one shot and sold it.

While deciding between the Walther and Bersa she sees the Beretta Cheetah and asks to see that one. Wow! She couldn't get away from that gun after holding it and 30 minutes later she walked out with it.

She likes my 92 and knows the quality of Beretta which I think was the ultimate deciding factor. She balked a little at the price but in my opinion it won't matter if you like the gun and 20 years from now she won't remember it at all. Now she has to put in some range time and I need some .380 dies! Maybe I'll buy her some of that Zombie ammo!

PSP · April 14, 2012, 05:33 AM

A world class pistol. Which model did she choose, the 84 or 85? My Berettas have never given me a malfunction. I carried a 84 for many years. It's an easy gun to shoot well... good choice.

Pilot · April 14, 2012, 08:13 AM

I have been carrying my M85FS Cheetah a lot lately. It is a great pistol, and conceals easily.

Lee McNelly · April 14, 2012, 08:19 AM

to none of your choices

wnycollector · April 14, 2012, 09:11 AM

I'm not shocked that your wife loved the Cheetah. The Beretta 84B is the only pistol that my wife will shoot. She says it feels like it was made specifically for her hand. She also likes the light weight of a pistol that holds 14 rounds!

sks · April 14, 2012, 06:33 PM

We got the 84FS and will take it to the range tomorrow. Hope to put 200-300 rounds to start it off.

She carries in her purse so the size is not really an issue for her as far as concealability. In the past she has carried the S&W airweight .38, Taurus titanium .38 and Taurus PT709 9mm. She just likes the "balance" she gets with the 84 and yes the 14 rounds are nice!

BConklin · April 14, 2012, 07:02 PM

I'd like to get an 86 Cheetah myself. Flip up barrel in a .380

aarondhgraham · April 14, 2012, 09:00 PM

The beretta Cheetah is the pistol that successfully blends elegance and practicality.

I absolutely love my cheetahs,,,

have an 85BB in .380 and an 87FS in .22 LR.

Aarond

.

ShipWreck · April 14, 2012, 09:03 PM

Berettas rock!

PSP · April 15, 2012, 07:04 AM

Several grips are available. Beretta makes two styles of wood- checkered or smooth, as well as the plastic panels. Pachmyer makes a two piece, full wrap-around soft rubber grip, but it feels larger in circumference. They grip your hand like super glue though.

I think CDNN has the wood grips for only $20. I have an older 84 that has two panels of soft polymer (feels like rubber), made by a now defunct business named Farrer, that are the best grips I've ever touched. Too bad they're all but impossible to find.

Rogervzv · April 15, 2012, 10:54 AM

I have a Model 84 Beretta that I picked up in 1982 or thereabouts. Good gun. I never found any grips as good as the smooth Beretta ones that it came with. Tried the Bianchi rubber grips but hated them; too fat.

wnycollector · April 15, 2012, 12:27 PM

Quote:

the smooth Beretta ones

+1 on that. I have smooth Beretta grips on both my 92F and 84B. I find they are easier on my strong hand during extended range sessions.

arentol · April 15, 2012, 12:42 PM

Can't go wrong on longevity with Beretta. I have a couple 60-year-old Berettas that run like champs. As a matter of fact my .22lr 948 cycles everything you throw at it, from the hottest .22lr loads around, to the cheapest stuff you can find. Doesn't matter what it is, that thing eats it like cake. The same can't be said about any newer .22lr's I have used. They all run into issue with one brand of ammo or another eventually.

labhound · April 15, 2012, 01:29 PM

My wife has a Beretta Cheetah model 85. She loves it and shoots it very accurately! Great gun!

sks · April 15, 2012, 03:01 PM

Well the range trip is delayed but I've got 250 rounds ready to go and will reload another 250 tonight and tomorrow. So she'll be good to go later this week.

She has the smooth plastic grips and likes them now. Not sure if she'll stick with that after shooting it.

Will give a range report when we're back. Looking forward to shooting this Beretta.

Fargazer · April 15, 2012, 06:41 PM

I don't know why, but when people ask me about a .380, I never think of the Beretta Cheetah. I should - I've not heard anyone complain about their fit, finish, ergonomics, or accuracy. I'll have to make sure I include it as a gun to look at when people ask.

Rogervzv · April 16, 2012, 12:21 AM

My venerable (but like-new condition) Model 84 is startlingly accurate. Nice tight groups at 33 feet at the range, and I am no great shooter.

Pilot · April 16, 2012, 05:42 AM

I've been carrying my M85FS a lot lately, especially as the weather gets warmer. Great pistol.

bitttorrrent · April 16, 2012, 08:55 AM

Just held one for the first time at Berreta's booth at NRA show. I have a Px4 and pt etc.. but this little cheetah was very nice. Out of all the guns at the show (1000s) i do remember this one as a quality gun with a nice feel.

May have to add one. I actually have an old .22 Tangfolio that is a knockoff of this gun and I even like that even though quality is lacking.

btw, my Beretta has never manlfunctioned and is an excellent gun.

Andrewh · April 16, 2012, 03:28 PM

the wife's 86 actually carries in my 1911 holsters quite nicely.

but the recoil makes me want to pick up that p238 from sig.

sks · April 16, 2012, 08:11 PM

Bitttorrent: The NRA show was spectacular and from their recent tweet it was a record breaking crowd. Took the family for a couple of days and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The Cheetah feels good in my hand as well. I've never shot it but the thing just feels right. We'll see about that after a range trip.

Andrewh: Are you saying the recoil of the Cheetah is severe? Ut feels too heavy to be severe.

Now the LCP is one gun I do not want to shoot again. Can't see how anyone would practice enough with that to get any good.

Andrewh · April 17, 2012, 09:27 AM

yeah, felt recoil seems very harsh compared to even my full size 1911.

ranks right up with say an officers.

the p238 was like a 22, but the wife loves it so can't get rid of it for the other.

tip up because she can't rack the slide on a lot of guns, so she was happier with that feature.

April 14, 2012, 01:06 AM	#1
sks Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2000 Location: St. Charles, MO Posts: 921	Bersa? Walther? Nope - Cheetah Well my wife was in the market for another carry gun and was strongly leaning toward the Walther PPK. She has been wanting one for the past few months and as tomorrow is her birthday I figured it was time to get her a new gun. So we went to the store and she began to hold the Walther and glance at the Bersa. She had a Bersa before and loved the feel of it but the gun malfunctioned before we ever fired it; she traded that for a Taurus PT709. Didn't like the way that one shot and sold it. While deciding between the Walther and Bersa she sees the Beretta Cheetah and asks to see that one. Wow! She couldn't get away from that gun after holding it and 30 minutes later she walked out with it. She likes my 92 and knows the quality of Beretta which I think was the ultimate deciding factor. She balked a little at the price but in my opinion it won't matter if you like the gun and 20 years from now she won't remember it at all. Now she has to put in some range time and I need some .380 dies! Maybe I'll buy her some of that Zombie ammo! __________________ Guns don't kill people; bullets kill people!

April 14, 2012, 08:13 AM	#3
Pilot Senior Member Join Date: December 21, 2000 Posts: 3,160	I have been carrying my M85FS Cheetah a lot lately. It is a great pistol, and conceals easily. __________________ Pilot

April 14, 2012, 08:19 AM	#4
Lee McNelly Junior member Join Date: June 9, 2011 Posts: 325	nope to none of your choices

April 14, 2012, 06:33 PM	#6
sks Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2000 Location: St. Charles, MO Posts: 921	We got the 84FS and will take it to the range tomorrow. Hope to put 200-300 rounds to start it off. She carries in her purse so the size is not really an issue for her as far as concealability. In the past she has carried the S&W airweight .38, Taurus titanium .38 and Taurus PT709 9mm. She just likes the "balance" she gets with the 84 and yes the 14 rounds are nice! __________________ Guns don't kill people; bullets kill people!

April 14, 2012, 09:00 PM	#8
aarondhgraham Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2009 Location: Stillwater, OKlahoma Posts: 6,358	Nice choice,,, The beretta Cheetah is the pistol that successfully blends elegance and practicality. I absolutely love my cheetahs,,, have an 85BB in .380 and an 87FS in .22 LR. Aarond . __________________ Caje: The coward dies a thousand times, the brave only once. Kirby: That's about all it takes, ain't it? Combat: "A Silent Cry" Aarond is good,,, Aarond is wise,,, Always trust Aarond! (most of the time)

April 14, 2012, 05:33 AM	#2
PSP Senior Member Join Date: June 2, 2006 Location: N. Virginia Posts: 3,590	A world class pistol. Which model did she choose, the 84 or 85? My Berettas have never given me a malfunction. I carried a 84 for many years. It's an easy gun to shoot well... good choice.

April 14, 2012, 09:11 AM	#5
wnycollector Senior Member Join Date: April 22, 2007 Posts: 1,740	I'm not shocked that your wife loved the Cheetah. The Beretta 84B is the only pistol that my wife will shoot. She says it feels like it was made specifically for her hand. She also likes the light weight of a pistol that holds 14 rounds!

April 14, 2012, 07:02 PM	#7
BConklin Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 2010 Posts: 135	I'd like to get an 86 Cheetah myself. Flip up barrel in a .380

April 14, 2012, 09:03 PM	#9
ShipWreck Senior Member Join Date: November 9, 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 1,600	Berettas rock! __________________ - Visit: Texas Gun Forum!!!!

April 15, 2012, 07:04 AM	#10
PSP Senior Member Join Date: June 2, 2006 Location: N. Virginia Posts: 3,590	Several grips are available. Beretta makes two styles of wood- checkered or smooth, as well as the plastic panels. Pachmyer makes a two piece, full wrap-around soft rubber grip, but it feels larger in circumference. They grip your hand like super glue though. I think CDNN has the wood grips for only $20. I have an older 84 that has two panels of soft polymer (feels like rubber), made by a now defunct business named Farrer, that are the best grips I've ever touched. Too bad they're all but impossible to find. Last edited by PSP; April 15, 2012 at 08:35 PM.

April 15, 2012, 10:54 AM	#11
Rogervzv Senior Member Join Date: February 5, 2011 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 453	I have a Model 84 Beretta that I picked up in 1982 or thereabouts. Good gun. I never found any grips as good as the smooth Beretta ones that it came with. Tried the Bianchi rubber grips but hated them; too fat. __________________ The difference between a citizen and a civilian is that the citizen makes the safety of the body politic his personal responsibility. The civilian does not.

April 15, 2012, 12:42 PM	#13
arentol Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2011 Posts: 230	Can't go wrong on longevity with Beretta. I have a couple 60-year-old Berettas that run like champs. As a matter of fact my .22lr 948 cycles everything you throw at it, from the hottest .22lr loads around, to the cheapest stuff you can find. Doesn't matter what it is, that thing eats it like cake. The same can't be said about any newer .22lr's I have used. They all run into issue with one brand of ammo or another eventually.

April 15, 2012, 01:29 PM	#14
labhound Senior Member Join Date: August 24, 2010 Posts: 289	My wife has a Beretta Cheetah model 85. She loves it and shoots it very accurately! Great gun!

April 15, 2012, 03:01 PM	#15
sks Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2000 Location: St. Charles, MO Posts: 921	Well the range trip is delayed but I've got 250 rounds ready to go and will reload another 250 tonight and tomorrow. So she'll be good to go later this week. She has the smooth plastic grips and likes them now. Not sure if she'll stick with that after shooting it. Will give a range report when we're back. Looking forward to shooting this Beretta. __________________ Guns don't kill people; bullets kill people!

April 15, 2012, 06:41 PM	#16
Fargazer Senior Member Join Date: October 4, 2010 Location: Chattanooga, TN Posts: 420	I don't know why, but when people ask me about a .380, I never think of the Beretta Cheetah. I should - I've not heard anyone complain about their fit, finish, ergonomics, or accuracy. I'll have to make sure I include it as a gun to look at when people ask. __________________ NRA Life Member

April 16, 2012, 12:21 AM	#17
Rogervzv Senior Member Join Date: February 5, 2011 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 453	My venerable (but like-new condition) Model 84 is startlingly accurate. Nice tight groups at 33 feet at the range, and I am no great shooter. __________________ The difference between a citizen and a civilian is that the citizen makes the safety of the body politic his personal responsibility. The civilian does not.

April 16, 2012, 05:42 AM	#18
Pilot Senior Member Join Date: December 21, 2000 Posts: 3,160	I've been carrying my M85FS a lot lately, especially as the weather gets warmer. Great pistol. __________________ Pilot

April 16, 2012, 08:55 AM	#19
bitttorrrent Senior Member Join Date: April 21, 2011 Location: Chicago Posts: 589	Just held one for the first time at Berreta's booth at NRA show. I have a Px4 and pt etc.. but this little cheetah was very nice. Out of all the guns at the show (1000s) i do remember this one as a quality gun with a nice feel. May have to add one. I actually have an old .22 Tangfolio that is a knockoff of this gun and I even like that even though quality is lacking. btw, my Beretta has never manlfunctioned and is an excellent gun.

April 16, 2012, 03:28 PM	#20
Andrewh Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 1999 Posts: 897	the wife's 86 actually carries in my 1911 holsters quite nicely. but the recoil makes me want to pick up that p238 from sig.

April 16, 2012, 08:11 PM	#21
sks Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2000 Location: St. Charles, MO Posts: 921	Bitttorrent: The NRA show was spectacular and from their recent tweet it was a record breaking crowd. Took the family for a couple of days and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The Cheetah feels good in my hand as well. I've never shot it but the thing just feels right. We'll see about that after a range trip. Andrewh: Are you saying the recoil of the Cheetah is severe? Ut feels too heavy to be severe. Now the LCP is one gun I do not want to shoot again. Can't see how anyone would practice enough with that to get any good. __________________ Guns don't kill people; bullets kill people!

April 17, 2012, 09:27 AM	#22
Andrewh Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 1999 Posts: 897	yeah, felt recoil seems very harsh compared to even my full size 1911. ranks right up with say an officers. the p238 was like a 22, but the wife loves it so can't get rid of it for the other. tip up because she can't rack the slide on a lot of guns, so she was happier with that feature.