Beretta 84F and +P ammo.

[DavidMS]

I have a Beretta 84F. Its lightweight, accurate and fits my hands well. I checked the manual and it says nothing about running it with .380ACP +P ammo. I emailed Beretta but unfortunately heard nothing back. Does anyone have documentation from Beretta on this?

 

[DavidMS]

Beretta finally responded. I found out that while the 84F is safe for use with .380+P, I should not feed the gun a regular diet of +P and reserve it for determining which type of defensive ammo the gun likes and then validating that this ammunition properly functions in the gun.

 

[pointblank4445]

Beretta finally responded. I found out that while the 84F is safe for use with .380+P, I should not feed the gun a regular diet of +P and reserve it for determining which type of defensive ammo the gun likes and then validating that this ammunition properly functions in the gun.

While I'm a relative "newb" to the .380 but not ballistic performance, from what I can tell the defensive ammo options hinge upon bullet construction to achieve consistency in being in the 12-18" penetration window. Even with standard pressure some over-penetrate, others don't penetrate enough. Especially with a more full-bodied .380, I'm not sure the +P is necessary.

I also finally picked up an 84FS after years of kinda wanting one. It's a REALLY cool little gun; I look forward to adding it to the mix of carry options