Beretta has made my dreams come true by creating a .32 ACP 80X. I like the 80X. I have one in .380 ACP, and it’s a soft shooter that’s accurate, modern, and super ergonomic. The 80X comes from the Cheetah series, which existed since the 1970s. The Cheetah series came in various calibers, including the .32 ACP. The original was the 81BB, which I own and love, but the 80X in .32 ACP promises to be one helluva handgun.
The 80X is a modernized Cheetah and comes with all the features you expect from a modern handgun. The 80X series comes optics-ready and uses a plate system to accommodate different optics. We have a rail for a light, a safety that doubles as a decocker, and some truly awesome ergonomics. These guns have always just fit me so well.
The .380 ACP version has fairly light recoil, so I imagine the .32 ACP will feel like a purring kitten. The 80X series uses a direct blowback system, so the jump from .380 ACP to .32 ACP reduces the recoil energy by about 50%. If the .380 ACP feels soft, the .32 ACP will feel like a rimfire gun or pretty close.
The .32 ACP 80X Cheetah – Why
A lot of people consider .380 to be useless and to lack ‘stopping power.’ In reality, a handgun really just needs to penetrate deep enough to matter. The .380 and .32 ACP penetrate nicely, especially from the 80X barrel. Sure, it doesn’t have the same potential as 9mm, but what if you can’t handle a 9mm?
In that case, the .32 ACP provides a very light recoiling gun without dealing with rimfire reliability issues. This gun will hold 13 rounds of .32 ACP and accommodate a light and optic. You can get the low recoil design with all the modern features. You might hear 13 and wonder why not more. The .380 magazine holds 13 rounds, the .32 is smaller and should hold more.
Sadly, the .32 ACP is a semi-rimmed cartridge. The folks at the Beretta booth told me that beyond that capacity, you start to run into rimlock issues, which shut the gun down. If you are like me and already own an 80X, the folks at Beretta told me they will be selling the barrels and magazines, and that’s all you need to swap to convert the gun to .32 ACP.
As a Beretta 80X owner, I appreciate the ability to save money and just convert what I already own. As you’d imagine, the 80X has an excellent trigger, matched by a fantastic grip and well-placed controls. Sadly I haven’t shot it, but I’m ridiculously excited to get the opportunity to do so.
For more information, please visit Beretta.com.
