In 2023, Beretta reintroduced the Cheetah after a half-decade of hibernation. Redressed and re-engineered for the modern pistolero, the new gun includes an upgraded trigger action, an optics-ready slide, and a light rail, making it adaptable to just about any mission a .380 ACP pistol is appropriate for. Possessing typical Beretta styling, reliability, and accuracy, the new 80X Cheetah Tactical Urban provides concealed carriers with a small gun that handles like a full-size duty pistol.
History of the Beretta 80X Cheetah Tactical Urban
Beretta first introduced the Models 81 and 82 in 1976. Originally built as a .32 ACP (Model 81) and .380 ACP (Model 82), the Model 81 possessed a double-column magazine and a 12 + 1 capacity, while the Model 82 had a single stack magazine that held nine rounds.
Models 83, 84, and 85 are all chambered for the .380 ACP cartridge. Likewise, they vary in barrel/slide length and cartridge capacity. Beretta introduced the Model 86 with a tip-up barrel so it could be loaded without having to rack the slide. It was a boon for those with diminished hand strength.
Models 87 and 89 are rimfire versions of the Beretta pistol. The one thing all of these pistols, collectively known as Beretta’s 80 Series, share in common is the nickname—Cheetah.
These guns shared a beautifully arched backstrap and grip angle that felt comfortable to all hand sizes and pointed naturally. Regardless of the caliber or capacity, the Cheetah pistols were extremely flat and comfortable to carry. They could easily slip into an overcoat or trouser pocket.
These guns were not only popular with European police but, due to their enhanced capacity, became popular backup guns with American narcs during the Cocaine wars.
A new generation of polymer micro-compact pistols undoubtedly impacted Cheetah sales, and Beretta paused the 80 series guns in 2017. The subject of this piece, 80X, revives the Cheetah marquee. It provides a new generation of shooters with a little gun that punches way above its weight!
The Beretta 80X Cheetah Tactical Urban
Like its predecessor, the 80X Cheetah is a semi-auto, blowback-operated pistol. It also uses an alloy frame for weight savings and an open-top slide for reliability. The new gun, however, possesses new lockwork designed to give the gun a very light double-action pull while maintaining a crisp single-action pull for precision work. It also possesses bi-lateral, frame-mounted extended thumb safeties/decockers.
There’s an extended tang on the frame to prevent the user from being bitten by the reciprocating slide. Similarly, the gracefully arched backstrap has been replaced with a straight, Vertec-style grip to give the gun a very 1911-style feel. Beretta textures the front and rear straps with grenade-style checkering.
In addition, the dust cover has a Picatinny rail for mounting light/lasers. Beretta also equips the 80X Cheetah Tactical Urban with a 4.4-inch threaded barrel. Using the fixed barrel 80X with a suppressor makes a lot of sense compared to a tilting barrel, which might require the use of a suppressor equipped with a booster. It uses the common ½ x 28 thread pitch, and the gun comes with a thread protector cap.
The front sight is drift adjustable for windage correction. Correspondingly, the rear sight is part of the optics plate, which can be removed to add a micro-red dot. I added a Shield RMSc micro dot using a Beretta mounting plate. It took just a few minutes to install, and I found the optic and plate to be rock-solid once mounted.
The addition of the red dot would help me more fully realize the 80x’s accuracy potential.
An Improved Trigger
I mentioned earlier the 80x’s improved lockwork for reduced trigger pull. Beretta actually DLC coats the internal lockwork to reduce friction and make the parts corrosion resistant. The result is a silky-smooth double-action trigger pull.
Using my Lyman digital trigger pull gauge, I found the pistol’s double-action pull to be an unbelievably light 3.25 pounds! Traditional double-action pulls for semi-auto pistols normally register over 10 pounds.
So, the 80X’s pull, which is less than one-third, makes it remarkable and extremely controllable. That’s light enough for the shooter to easily maintain a solid sight picture while pulling the trigger through its long, first-shot, double-action pull.
Beretta equips the 80X Cheetah with ambidextrous, extended thumb safeties, which are frame-mounted. When they are in the down or “off” position, the gun can be fired either double action with each subsequent shot in single-action, or the hammer can be manually cocked for single-action fire.
If the hammer is cocked and the thumb safety applied, the hammer will de-cock and rest on the hammer stop. It also locks the slide in the closed position and disconnects the trigger bar. It is not possible to carry the 80X cocked and locked, like a 1911 pistol.
Dotting the Cheetah
To test the 80X Cheetah Tactical Urban for accuracy I set my target stand out at 15-yards. I fired 3, 5-shot groups with each ammunition. The most accurate group is reflected in the accuracy chart (below). I fired all of the groups in the single-action mode, which breaks at 2.8 pounds.
I used a Ransom Rest Multi Cal Steady Rest to rest the 80X’s dust cover while I centered the RMSc’s dot on the center of the bullseye while adding pressure to the trigger. The crisp and light trigger, coupled with the red dot optic, made shooting the pistol accurately an easy matter.
Three of the five loads tested produced sub-one-inch groups at 15 yards. In fact, the average group size for all five loads was exactly one inch.
If I were going to carry the Cheetah 80X, I would load it with Federal’s Premium 99-grain HST JHP ammunition. It produced 289 foot-pounds of energy, which is almost 9mm level of energy! Hornady’s 90-grain XTP American Gunner ammunition produced the single best group, measuring just .82 inch.
While shooting from the rest, I noticed there really wasn’t a good place for my support hand. My thumb rested naturally on the spring-loaded take-down lever pin, which has a sharp edge, as does the bottom of the slide and Picatinny rail.
The original Cheetahs were small and streamlined, which made pocket carry possible. However, the new 80X is a gun that should be carried in a belt holster. The extended barrel, optic, and 15-round extended magazine push the gun out of the compact size. Likewise, the addition of a tactical light would exacerbate its lack of pocket concealability.
Big Gun, Small Caliber
But there are advantages to big guns firing small calibers. Most notably, the recoil of the 80X was very controllable, and I could fire some very fast doubletaps with it. I started from the low ready position with the hammer down for a double-action first shot. I was able to connect 100% of the time with my steel target at 15-yards.
The long—but light—double-action trigger proved to be no hindrance to making solid hits. Subsequent shots in single-action mode, with its short reset, were very quick.
Shield’s Reflex Mini Sight Compact proved to be the perfect complement to the 80X. The 4MOA dot was easy to pick up on presentation. Shooting with both eyes open allows the shooter to fire faster and more accurately, and the RMSc’s lightweight doesn’t interfere with the slide’s ability to cycle.
Unfortunately, shooters in my age range (mid-60s) are slower to embrace new technology. That’s unfortunate because these optics will keep us shooting longer as our ability to focus on the front sight diminishes.
Parting Shots
Throughout my evaluation, the 80X chugged right along. It digested ball ammo, hot defense rounds, and even the lightweight Black Hills 60-grain Honey Badger rounds without any problems. It possesses the accuracy and reliability we’ve come to expect from Beretta for confident self-protection carry.
While it doesn’t have the sleek profile of Cheetahs of yesteryear, the new 80X Cheetah is destined to build a legacy all of its own.
For more information, please visit Beretta.com.
Beretta 80X Cheetah Tactical Urban Specs
| Action | Semi-Auto, Blowback Operated, DA/SA |
| Caliber/Capacity | .380 ACP, 15 + 1 |
| Overall Length | 7.3 inches |
| Height | 4.9 inches |
| Weight | 25-Ounces Unloaded |
| Width | At Widest 1.4”, Grip Width 1.06 inches |
| Frame | Aluminum, Vertec Style, Picatinny Rail |
| Barrel | 4.4” Barrel, Muzzle Threaded ½ x 28 |
| Sights | 3-Dot, Drift Adjustable For Windage |
| Optic Compatible | Yes |
| Grips | Black Polymer |
| Safeties | Ambidextrous Frame Mounted Safety/Decockers |
| Accessories | Polymer Hard Case, Cable Lock, and Two 15-round magazines |
| MSRP | $749 |
Performance
| Aguila 95-grain FMJ | |
| Velocity | 984 |
| Energy | 204 |
| Group | 1.17” |
| American Eagle 95-grain FMJ | |
| Velocity | 1020 |
| Energy | 219 |
| Group | .98” |
| Black Hills 60-grain HoneyBadger | |
| Velocity | 1208 |
| Energy | 194 |
| Group | 1.10” |
| Federal Premium 99-grain HST JHP | |
| Velocity | 1147 |
| Energy | 289 |
| Group | .92” |
| Hornady American Gunner 90-grain XTP | |
| Velocity | 1035 |
| Energy | 214 |
| Group | .82” |
| Average | 1.00” |
