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Bryant Ridge's AnalysisBeretta of Italy designed and manufactured the Beretta Cheetah, a series of compact blowback-operated semi-automatic pistols introduced in 1976. The series includes models in .32 ACP (Models 81 and 82), .380 ACP (9 mm Short) (Models 80X, 83, 84, 85, and 86), and .22 LR (Models 87, 87 Target, and 89). The 80X is an updated version of the 84, which was revived by Beretta in 2023 after production was paused in 2017. The .380 ACP (9 mm Short) cartridge is chambered in three mo …

Bryant Ridge's AnalysisThe 1911 and 1911-A1 pistols served the military of the United States from 1911 to 1985, through two World Wars and the Korean and Vietnam wars. They gained a reputation as a reliable handgun with plenty of stopping power, and are held in high regard by those who have used them. Early in WWII, Colt couldn’t produce enough pistols for the military, and in 1942, contracts were let to Remington Rand, Ithaca, and the Union Switch and Signal Company to produce pistols. Ithaca d …

Bryant Ridge's AnalysisThe Beretta M1951 is a significant milestone in the evolution of semi-automatic pistols, developed by Pietro Beretta S.p.A. in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Chambered in 9mm Parabellum, the M1951 represents Beretta's first foray into locked-breech pistol designs, a departure from its earlier blowback-operated models. This design innovation was crucial for handling the more powerful 9mm Parabellum cartridge, and it marked a key advancement in Beretta's pistol development. …