[SHOT 2025] Beretta Unveil the .32 ACP Beretta 80X Cheetah

In 1899, when FN introduced the John Browning-developed .32 ACP round, I bet people couldn’t have imagined that 125 years later it would still be around. The venerable round has had its highs and lows but the new Beretta 80X Cheetah in .32 ACP is definitely a high point.

Beretta have expanded the popular 80X Cheetah line with a new caliber offering that just makes sense. The classic Beretta Cheetah Model 81 and 82 were both chambered in .32 ACP so really the new pistol is a return to the Cheetah’s roots.

Externally, the new pistol is identical to its big brother, the .380 ACP, but for a smaller diameter barrel. In fact parts commonality means that if you already have the .380 all you need to do to shoot .32 ACP through it is get a conversion kit from Beretta (coming soon).

Check out James Reeves’ video on the new .32 Cheetah here:

The pistol has all the features and feel of Beretta’s classic compact Cheetah with the open top slide, compact form factor, slick aesthetics, excellent grip chequering texture, skeletonised hammer and safety-decocker. The pistol’s slide is also optics ready.

What the new pistol offers is softer recoil and smooth shooting characteristics. This is perfect for new shooters, recoil-sensitive shooters, and people with smaller hands or just anyone who wants a fast, flat-shooting, good looking compact pistol.

The new .32 ACP cartridge uses the same 12 round magazines as the original Beretta 81. It’s great to see Beretta resurrect the original Cheetah chambering at the time of writing Beretta don’t have a price point for the new pistol nor a solid release date but they have confirmed it will be some time in 2025.

Will you be picking up a new .32 ACP Cheetah when it arrives later this year? Let us know in the comments below!