It is likely the blowback design of the Beretta.

 

The main reason for the test was to get a pistol for my wife, currently I am leaning towards the P365 .380..
I've never shot a "blowback" pistol and I thought the 80X would be a good sample.. I do like my Berettas.. 😎..
I'm still leaning towards the Sig P365 .380 for her though.

 

That beretta is a “good” looking pistol In my opinion. Don’t own any 380’s so it’s tough to commit to one for the price and ammo. I’d like to know how the second time goes.

 

Probably Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.. 👍

 

I assure you the Sig in 380 is by far the better choice. It is lighter, smaller, and much easier to manipulate.
Compare the two on Handgun Hero..........

Sig Sauer P365-380 vs Beretta 80X Cheetah size comparison | Handgun Hero

Compare the dimensions and specs of Sig Sauer P365-380 and Beretta 80X Cheetah

www.handgunhero.com

 

Yes, I agree with you, I'm mainly getting it for wife's bedside when I'm gone, but mainly for her to just learn to shoot at the range. I will be putting on the "X" grip from my XL.
The main reason I got the 80X, was because I wanted to try a "blowback" style pistol to compare with my 9mm XL..and I wanted a "made in Italy" Beretta! 😉
I like I said the recoil is about the same but still different. Thanks for your response, I will probably just get the .380 version and if she starts using it I'll be happy, and maybe she will shoot more! Thanks again!

 

The 80X is sexy but it's just too big. I have an 84FS that is about a year older than I am and it's been a great pistol but it's just too harsh compared to modern non-blowback guns.

I thought about the P365 in 380 but .380 ammo is more expensive than 9mm so I'll just stick to the 9mm.

 

My experience with the Sig P365 380 was significantly different than @higgybaby. I bought one for my wife and it was a POS. It was unreliable, difficult (for her) to work the slide and dang near impossible to fully load the mag without an Uplula. When it did shoot it wasn’t anything special. The handling and recoil was about what you’d expect from a lightweight 380.

I also own a P365XL and an 80X. Both are great pistols but I prefer the 80X because it’s a DA/SA hammer fired pistol. My wife can carry it with the safety/decocker off and not have to worry about the safety under duress. I will say that the P365XL is the best subcompact striker pistol I've owned and I’ve owned a few.

 

I have been thinking about the "safety" issue quite a bit, I don't think she's the type to practice "turning it off during draw" that's a concern I have. She probably won't get a "cpl" but I want her to be able to grab it and "go to work" so to speak. 👍
Sorry about your experience with the .380 Sig. I'll probably end up just buying one and go from there.

 

The 80X is a stunningly beautiful gun, and feels more "organic" than mechanical in my hand. The trigger is the same design the 92X Performance, and is a pure delight. The whole gun just drips with the mastery that went into designing and crafting it.

All that said, mine is not a "working" gun, because it's the limited edition. (Which reminds me, I really need to get a standard one to put through its paces.) On the other hand, my 9mm P365XL with a dot absolutely IS a working gun and it sees many carry days a month. And I believe I would still prefer it for EDC over the 80X if I had a standard model just based on caliber and capacity alone. Add to that the neverending availability of holsters, accessories, etc. for the Sig, plus it's slimmer and easier to conceal.

 

The 80X is a stunningly beautiful gun, and feels more "organic" than mechanical in my hand. The trigger is the same design the 92X Performance, and is a pure delight. The whole gun just drips with the mastery that went into designing and crafting it.
View attachment 640415

All that said, mine is not a "working" gun, because it's the limited edition. (Which reminds me, I really need to get a standard one to put through its paces.) On the other hand, my 9mm P365XL with a dot absolutely IS a working gun and it sees many carry days a month. And I believe I would still prefer it for EDC over the 80X if I had a standard model just based on caliber and capacity alone. Add to that the neverending availability of holsters, accessories, etc. for the Sig, plus it's slimmer and easier to conceal.

It does feel really good in my hand and looks great. I may try to find a used .380 version and have Sig replace the springs.

 

I fired my 365 in 380 and my Italian police turn-in Cheetah together a couple of weeks ago. The Cheetah is blowback and that generates a bit more snap than Sig's design.

The Sig was more comfortable to shoot.

Additionally, the Cheetah has more protrusions on the left side that dug into my thumb after a lot of rounds (50+). That said, the pistol is for defense so the limited number of rounds fired in an encounter should not make that an issue.

The new 80X seems larger than the older versions so may be equal in recoil inpulse to the 365. My local range has one for rent and I will do another side by side soon.

 

I have both and IMHO there is no question that the P365-380 has less felt recoil, has a smaller footprint, and is a better choice for a woman. I am a firearms instructor and almost half of my private lesson clients are women interested in a pistol for carry and home protection. I have them try several pistols and most end up with P365, S&W 442, Shield Plus or Shield EZ.

 

I like my 80X - it runs great suppressed as well. But there is another option for your lady - consider the Ruger Sec 380 - very easy to rack - inexpensive - pretty accurate - light weight.

 

I like my 80X - it runs great suppressed as well. But there is another option for your lady - consider the Ruger Sec 380 - very easy to rack - inexpensive - pretty accurate - light weight.
View attachment 640424

Thanks I'll look for one near me. I think I remember seeing that Ruger locally, it might be a good choice. Also I went with the regular 80X because I wanted the overall smaller size (I already have a 92X RDO Compact) and I can get a threaded barrel later if I want 😉

 

As long as we're "at it" I must be missing something because I don't see a difference between these pistols, what makes the 80X a blowback and the 92X Not a blowback?

 

They're both blowback, but your 92 is "delayed" and your 80X is "straight." There's lots of discussion out there of the mechanics behind both systems for you to to go as deep as anyone could want to. Amazing little machines, they are.

 

I should probably apologize for so many Beretta mentions (thanks guys, good info) in the p365 thread but I was hoping to see more P365 .380 comments, so far I gather the Sig has less recoil...

 

You should really shoot the P365 .380 to do a comparison. The .380 P365 shoots way softer than the 9mm version. It also shoots softer than my P238, is more reliable and more comfortable. I’m actually looking to get rid of my P238 because I keep getting intermittent hiccups that I’m tired of trying to sort.

 

The 80X is a great looking gun, but given its weight it did not shoot as softly as I was expecting. Not a lot of range time with it, but I shoot the P365 better. I also have the a P365 in 380 that I bought for my wife and not as a carry gun so it does not get shot much. I seem to remember the P365 380 shooting softer than the 80X, but I would really need to shoot them side by side to confirm this.

 

Thanks, I was also expecting it to shoot softer that my 9mm P365xl.. But it didn't seem to on the first range trip last Saturday. I'll probably keep it for myself 😁👍 and just get a P365 .380. For her..
If she doesn't like the .380 either it will get sold or traded..

 

FWIW on the P365 .380 a lot of the initial issues were due to faulty recoil spring assemblies. There were a lot of them including mine. Sig became aware of this and has fixed those issues. Also, I buy my .380 range fodder from LAX Ammo or Freedom Munitions, they have a decent 100g RNFP that they sell for around 12 a box of 50. They’re currently sold out but when they do a run I buy a case or two so I can shoot .380 at 9mm prices.

 

I LOVE LAX/Freedom. I've bought a ton of ammo from them (9mm, 380, 45, .223/5.56, .300BO, .308. Only had one issue with them over the years (with some .38 special that wouldn't run right in a lever action, and they offered (without me asking for a refund) to take it back and refund me for it - GREAT customer service!
And the LAX/Freedom (along with WWB) was some of the only ammo that ran without issue in the P365-380 before Sig fixed it.

 

Well, I have a 1994 version of the Beretta 84F and love this little gun. I did send it out to MidWest Gun Works and had it completely gone through and all new springs. Such a great little shooter and accurate. In a couple weeks I'll pick up their new 80x Cheetah. I'm attracted to the "Gray model", but will probably go with the standard black duty version. Great little guns! I also have the SIG P365 X-Macro TacOps, my carry gun!

 

OP - I had an 85F and an 84F a ways back, and sold both maybe 5 yrs ago. They are classic Italian guns, but not really all that suitable for carry, nor are they competitive with other guns for home defense/nightstand (non-carry) role. I have P365s/XLs in 9mm and a P365 .380 (and other brands). The P365 .380 does rack easier than the 365 9mm, and the recoil impulse is slightly, but noticeably, less. The berettas I had were snappy, and stiffer to rack and bigger (and my wife has very small hands). From personal ownership / experience (including working with students) here's comments on some other guns mentioned here:

• G43/42 9mm not competitive with the P365 (9mm or .380)
• we use some Rugers in class with some students trying them - ok gun, no distinguishing characteristics
• shield EZ I do not recommend for a typical female shooter (smaller, weaker hands) - or a male with hand limitations. Reason is they struggle to stay high and tight enough on the grip to dis-engage the grip safety - I see this often

Whether or not you get the P365 .380, any new gun needs to be thoroughly tested and fired before using it for personal protection (including your carry ammo).

 

Thanks for your info, good to get multiple opinions in one reply 👍

 

I shot both 80X Cheetah and my 92X RDO Compact yesterday, I have to say it was hard to tell the difference between the two as far as felt recoil. Personally I think they should have updated the Cheetah with the same system as the 92X, it would have been much better imho, I'll keep it, and probably get the P365 .380 or the Security .380 for my wife. 😎👍