The gun industry has embraced the idea that people with poor hand strength need firearms suited to them. Beretta, S&W, SIG, Walther, and others have released several designs that have embraced the low-recoil theme. The guns are new, but the idea is not, and the Beretta 81 is one of the best examples of a classic low-recoil option.
The Beretta 81 is part of the Cheetah family of Beretta pistols. Introduced in 1976, the Cheetah series features model numbers in the 80s and replaced the earlier 70 Series, also known as the Puma series.
We had a pile of Cheetahs in varying calibers, including .22LR, .380 ACP, and my favorite, the .32 ACP. The most popular of the Cheetah series was the .380 ACP design, but to me, the Beretta 81 and 82 were the real gems.
The 81 and 82 chambers are for the .32 ACP cartridges. The 81 has a double-stack 12-round magazine, and the 82 has a thinner single-stack nine-round magazine. I prefer the Model 81 with its round magazine and find it to be one of the best options ever created for shooters with poor hand strength.
The Beretta 81 Cheetah: Here and Now
Beretta killed the Cheetah series in 2017, but they produced tons of these guns, making most of the models widely available. Beretta revived the Cheetah as the 80X in 2023 as a .380; in 2025, they released an 80X in .32 ACP. The 80X series isn’t cheap, but the older Model 81s can be found for a fair price.
I paid a little over $300 for mine, which firmly puts the Model 81 in the budget category. If you want an optics- and light-ready gun, the 80X might be a better choice, but it’ll come at a premium.
The Model 80X might have more bells and whistles, but in terms of design, its roots are in guns like the 81. The 81 and 80X are both direct-blowback guns. Direct blowback is a simplistic way to make something as light as the .32 ACP function.
The Model 81 features a classic Beretta design with an open, exposed barrel and DA/SA hammer-fired design. The gun is all-metal and beefy, but that’s part of its low-recoil charm. We get a frame-mounted safety with two positions and no option to decock.
These guns are compact but not subcompact. They are roughly Glock 19-sized but more svelte, and honestly, the Cheetah name fits. When we see .380s and .32s these days, we expect them to be pocket-sized. That’s not the case here, but there is a reason for the size.
It’s Ergonomically Gifted
Everyone’s hands are different, so I can’t say the Cheetah series is perfect ergonomically, but it’s ideal for me. I’ve never had a small gun fit my hand this well. The grip’s length, width, and curves just fit my hand like two puzzle pieces.
You can choke up on the gun quite high. The gun has a beavertail on the back that allows you to choke up without worrying about slide bite chewing up your hand. The grip panels are cheap plastic, but they’re fine.
I can flick the ambidextrous safety on and off with a quick, almost mindless movement of my thumb. You can hear a satisfying click and know the safety is on or off.
If you despise the micro-sized slide locks and releases on modern handguns, you’ll love the slide release on the 81. It’s a little gun with a big slide release, with a massive shelf that makes it easy to push and drop the slide.
Finally, the magazine release is large, and you can easily press it with just a thumb shift. Hit it, and the magazine drops out freely every single time.
Model 81: The Big Guy With the Little Cartridge
I’m unsure if Beretta purposefully designed the Model 81 to be a fantastic low-recoil pistol for folks with poor hand strength, but they did. The features and design combine to make a super-light recoiling, very easy-handling pistol.
It starts with the gun’s weight. At 24.2 ounces, the 81 is not a lightweight gun. Another factor is grip width. The wider the grip, the more space you get to disperse recoil. Beretta’s slide design results in a lightweight slide with less weight reciprocating rearward. Less reciprocating weight means less recoil.
Combine all those factors with the little .32 ACP cartridge, and you get one of the flattest-shooting semi-auto centerfire pistols I’ve ever fired. Sights are supposed to move upward as the gun recoils, but that’s not a problem with the Model 81.
The gun doesn’t buck, kick, or jump. It remains flat shooting, and tracking the front sight is extremely easy. Low recoil turns into easy, fast shooting. I paired the Model 81 with a Bianchi 19L leather holster and ran some basic drills.
I ran my favorite, the Bill Drill, and scored size rounds into a USPSA A zone in 2.28 seconds from the 19L. My draw was 1.19 seconds, so that means I fired six rounds into a group the size of my palm in 1.10 seconds. That’s blazing fast.
Ringing Steel With the Beretta 81
The Beretta 81’s sights aren’t what I’d call big or dynamic. They are relatively small but still visible. We get a white dot on the front and a standard rear sight. They are usable, and I could readily engage a 10-inch gong at 25 yards.
As far back as 50 yards, I could hit a C-zone-sized steel target. Hearing the little ding after hitting the target with .32 ACP over and over was a charming experience. Hitting it quickly went from charming to seductive quite quickly.
At 15 yards, the Model 81 can create 3-inch groups offhand with the cheapest ammo I have. It’s perfectly suitable for defensive use. The Beretta Model 81 can deliver fast and accurate rounds on target, and that’s exactly what we want from a defensive pistol.
Best of all, it never has trouble doing so. As you’d expect from Beretta, the Model 81 is reliable, and the blowback action is well-tuned for the .32 ACP cartridge.
The Model 81: The Perfect Low Recoil Pistol
For someone with weak hands, this offers you the reliability of a centerfire design with the recoil of a rimfire round. It’s not quite as light as a .22LR, but it’s close enough. The .32 ACP offers more consistent penetration, and from the 81’s 3.8-inch barrel, the little .32 ACP is screaming fast.
Speed and velocity ensure adequate penetration, and with the right ammo, you can even get expansion. The .32 ACP isn’t the bee’s knees for defensive rounds. Still, it can stop the threat and reach penetration standards.
A gun like the Model 81 is affordable, low-recoiling, accurate, reliable, and capable. To me, it’s the perfect handgun for those with low hand strength. Pop it in a Bianchi 19L and get after your day.
