I ran across someone interested in selling a .380 Beretta 86 Cheetah with a 4.25"+ tip-up barrel. The exterior's a little dinged up, but (from what I, in my ignorance, can tell) the interior seems fine.

What can you tell me about picking up a used version of this pistol? Are there still magazines around? If you bought one used, is there anything you'd automatically replace (springs, etc.) if only on general principles?

I'd grab it. They are well sought after. I believe they use the same magazines as the 85. The few I have seen on the auction site go for high dollar (like 6-800). When they are there.

As far as used guns go I like to replace the recoil and hammer springs, just because. And magazine springs if I can find them.

They are a neat, unique single stack Beretta. They're especially good if someone has weak hands (elderly, arthritis, etc.), as you can load the first round in the tilt up barrel without having to rack the slide. I picked one up not long ago. Although it was NIB, I've shot it and found it to be a great .380. 'mbinky' is correct, it uses the same magazines as the 85.

Here's mine:

quote:

Originally posted by mbinky:
The few I have seen on the auction site go for high dollar (like 6-800).

Mine just sold for $1550/shipped on Gunbroker earlier this month. I did a penny start.

Thank you, gentlemen. How hard is it to take apart for a thorough cleaning and lubrication and then reassemble? I wouldn't necessarily want to reduce it to component pieces, but I did see a little gunk down in a couple of nooks and crannies.

I had one for a few years. The usual Beretta reliability and I liked the tip up feature. As accurate a gun as I can shoot. My only complaint was an absolute lack of holsters for it.
Great pistol!

Cleaning is easy. I’d tip
Up the barrel, hit it with Gun Scrubber, and give it a light
Brushing. Swab the bore, spray with a dry lube.

Manual of arms is a little strange, it is NOT like the .22s and .25s.

The opening lever is on the right and must be swung 180 deg to open, then manually swung back while holding the barrel down to close. Not like the snap action of the smallbores.

If you want to get to a DA start, load the chamber with the hammer down, it has a safety, not a decocker.

One of the prettiest pistols ever built IMO. Funky cool too.

Traded a like-new Sig 245 for one in excellent condition after looking for two years. Rather hard to find them these days....especially in great condition. Beautiful, well made gun IMO. Fredward has the right technique regarding cleaning. Q-tips will aid in getting into the crevices.

Cool - I just happened to get in a selection of pointy ones from Brownells'.

I could swear a small batch of these came into the country from Beretta a year or two ago. I saw several new production 80 series pistols at a local shop around the time I stumbled across the P7 PSP that I bought. The counter guy said that these came direct from Beretta, which our rep at the time never told US any of this so we were oblivious to them when we ordered our Berettas for the year. I thought one of those was the 86; I was intrigued by all of them but damned if I was going to buy yet another .380 that would inevitably wind up a safe queen gathering dust.

Yeah, I like them but with the street price don't need to be buying one right now. For the size & weight one can get onto a 9mm if any type of CC is involved.

I'll keep my eye out for one at a good price.

Well, I've got to admit I was thinking of an elderly relative.

soggy_spinout, did the pistols you saw come with the tip-up barrels?

Thanks for the information, folks. I went ahead and picked it up. I'd put up a pic but I still haven't gotten a photo hosting arrangement set up.

quote:

I thought one of those was the 86; I was intrigued by all of them but damned if I was going to buy yet another .380 that would inevitably wind up a safe queen gathering dust.

Yup. It's the reason Beretta makes the 87 (22LR) version.

Mine went to an elderly relative, and after her death to her thieving relatives.

Great pistol for the old or less that strong as the hardest action required is to load the magazine. My old fart gun. Only disadvantage is that it can;t be field stripped with out the special tool and extra pins that rarely accompany the used gun. But you can still clean it acceptably well without removing the slide.

Sweet shooters, and they bring crazy money compared to the other tip up models when new in box, even in shooter grade to a lesser extent.

I've seem a grand total of 2 in person in twenty years, bought them both.

I’ve got the double stack as I’ve got bigger mitts...but they are cool pistols. James Bond cool. Recoil is a little harsher than you might expect if you are used to another system...but that’s hardly worth mentioning. Mine is perfectly accurate...and damned sexy in the hand.