Читать книгу Gun Digest Book of Beretta Pistols. Function | Accuracy | Performance онлайн

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Though the Model 86 looks bulkier than the 85, it is not really so in any given dimension, and its added weight is but a single ounce. A Beretta 86 tips the scales at 23 ounces unloaded, an 85, at 22 ounces.

… the 1934/35 style fit solidly in the hand, and established a reputation as a .380 unbeatable for reliability and accuracy.

For much of the 20th century this was the defining shape of Beretta pistols. The author’s first centerfire handgun, a Model 1934 .380 …

… had a patina from WWII combat use, and the manual safety was removed …

Author’s favorite .380 is the Model 86. It is the most powerful tip-up barrel design. This is a feature that enables use by those with crippled or weakened hands.

I’m partial to the Beretta 86 for the same reason a lot of firearms instructors are: it serves as a special-purpose “orthopedic gun” for a certain type of student. This is the individual who, for reasons of illness, injury, age, or whatever does not have the strength to operate the slide of a semiautomatic pistol.