I really should stay away from my LGS, especially on payday! I was TRYING to be responsible and went in to buy some 5.56 NATO ammo that was on sale, just in case things continue to decline in this country. It wasn't a lot of ammo, and the price was well under $100.00 even with tax, so I should have just walked straight to the register and checked out. But no.... dumbass me has time to kill so I walked past the used gun counter first! Yuuuge mistake!!!

My eyes quickly were drawn to a pretty little pistol in the .380 section (yeah, I know... I know!). For a moment I assumed it was a Taurus knock-off of a Beretta Cheetah, but a closer look revealed the Beretta name! Damn! I CANNOT afford a pistol, so just walk away, Bill, just walk away!!!

"Umm, Mr. Salesman, could I please look at the Beretta Cheetah?"

Him: "Why yes sir, we just put it out yesterday."

One quick look from me and, "And I believe it'll be leaving soon! Please hold this for me and I'll be back!"

I put the ammo that I was going to buy back on the display and walked out. Now what??? Since the gun store is also a music/jewelry store and pawn shop on the other end, I had an idea. I went home and got one of my two bass guitars since I had quit playing due to health reasons, and figured I'd see what I could do in making a trade.

Mission accomplished! They were happy with the bass I never play any more, I still have a bass for when I want one, and I left with a beautiful condition Mod. 84 Beretta Cheetah! Blued slide, black alloy frame, and cocobolo wood grips, with one 13-round mag. Yes, it's BIG for a .380, but I don't care! Field stripping showed the internals to be near perfect, and since this is an early pre-F model, it's obviously been well taken care of and used extremely little.

I will post pictures as soon as the wife returns with my digital camera (or I can find one of the 3 others we supposedly have around here but nobody will put where they belong). She is visiting the daughter-child at college this weekend and took my Nikon kit to make fall foliage photos, and she won't be home until late tonight, so will post photos tomorrow sometime. Until then, here is a photo of an identical pistol I found on Guns America, and the condition is practically identical too!

Sweet find - congrats!

a nice addition, congratulations.

I couldn't be more sympathetic, although in my case it's neat little ex-Commie pistols for some reason. And that's the part that drives me crazy - I have no idea why I find the little buggers fascinating; my only saving grace is that I hate pistols that are too small for me to shoot a couple of boxes of ammo through comfortably.

quote:

Originally posted by Il Cattivo:
I couldn't be more sympathetic, although in my case it's neat little ex-Commie pistols for some reason. And that's the part that drives me crazy - I have no idea why I find the little buggers fascinating; my only saving grace is that I hate pistols that are too small for me to shoot a couple of boxes of ammo through comfortably.

LOL.... I'm that way with ex-Commie rifles! That's why I just HAD to trade for a Romanian M69 .22 bolt-action military training rifle about a year ago when I stumbled upon one! Ugly duckling rifle that'll outshoot modern rifles costing 3X the price... yes, it's a total tack-driver with subsonic ammo. Best thing yet, so far it doesn't seem to have an ammo preference like most .22 rifles do either; it shoots equally well whether I feed it Aguila, CCI, or Federal, as long as it's standard velocity stuff!

I better not find anything else though as I'm out of stuff to barter with...

Edit to add: Pic of Romanian M69 since I figure somebody will say "Pics or it didn't happen!" I have since added a Simmons 3-9x32 scope on top since the iron sights are a bit coarse for anything beyond 50 meters...

So, when are you going to trade it in?

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:
So, when are you going to trade it in?

LOL.... gimme a few days, will ya?!? I haven't even got to shoot it yet!!!

I'm glad I fell for this same trap, but it was a Beretta 87 (22LR) on GunsAmerica years ago.

I was working out of state and had to go to 2 ATMS to withdraw the $700 then to USPS to get a Postal Money order in the middle of nowhere to make it all happen!

Still have it and shoot it often.

Very cool bronciabill! I especially love your creativity in trading something you're not using for something else you will use!

quote:

Originally posted by remsig:
Very cool bronciabill! I especially love your creativity in trading something you're not using for something else you will use!

It's more a matter of necessity since I can't afford crap right now (STILL waiting on the gov't to start my disability/medical retirement which is now several months overdue), so I've learned how to maximize what I do have and leverage it into something else I want when needed.

Unfortunately, as mentioned above, I'm out of things to barter with now so this will be my last "trade" for a while!

Brother of the Browning BDA, 0.380, nickel plated. 10% useless, 90% purdy.

You're gonna like that pistol.

I kept putting off getting an 84 when they were easily available, until they weren't.

Congrats on finding one. Definitely one of my Grail Guns, now!

nice pick up...centerfire systems has them for $349 https://www.centerfiresystems....-good-condition.aspx

Quite pretty it is. Years ago I thought that model was one I MUST have. Good for moi that it's a .380, the one sticking point that will keep the charge card safely buried in my wallet. At least I think that's a good enough reason...oh, bother...

Congratulations on your foray into uselessness.

+3 on the berettas-I have picked up an 87, 84fs in nickel, and an 85FS with wood grips in the past year or so. didn't need any of them but the 85 is in my carry rotation. I wouldn't call them almost useless, even if their main purpose is just so I can say i have them.

We should all be so lucky to walk into the local crack dealer and find one of these under the glass; I imagine that recoil must be barely heavier than a small framed .22. The Cheetah would make for an excellent trainer for new shooters of semi-autos.

Congratulations on a nice find.

I just bought a couple magazines for my 84B. I like it. Got the surplus Israeli 84 before CDI Sales lost their inventory.

quote:

Originally posted by gearhounds:
<<snip>> I imagine that recoil must be barely heavier than a small framed .22. The Cheetah would make for an excellent trainer for new shooters of semi-autos.

Will be testing out that issue in just a few hours here as I plan on making my way to the indoor range to run some ammo through it. The LGS that I got it from gives you a free range pass anytime you buy a gun from them, so I will be exercising that option shortly!

Oh, and I did a bit of research on my specific pistol, and based on the proof mark, it was made in 1979, so it's one year shy of 40. Considering it looks to be in exceptional cosmetic condition for that age, unlike the ones pictured in the CenterfireSystems link above that look pretty beat-up, I'd say I got lucky for sure!

your piece is definitely in great condition..CS has has the 'excellent' condition ones for $50 more but id prefer to handpick my own