Manual

It is well known that pistols have the following advantages over
revolvers:
-
higher lightness and shorter trigger pull
-
higher precision
-
higher muzzle velocity
-
less maintenance needed
-
higher rate of fire in rapid fire
-
higher volume of fire
The Beretta pistols model 81 and 84 have also the following cha-
racteristics:
double action: which offers the advantages of the revolver. Further-
more, this system allows the possibility of a second quick strike
on the same ammun:tion in the rare instance of misfire which, in
view of the high level of quality reached in ammunition today, can
practically happen only because of the capsule. The repetition of
percussion is sufficient to fire the round (see drawings of function-
ing on page 20).
staggered magazine: holds 12 rounds for the model 81, 13 rounds
for the model 84. With the same length as a traditional magazine,
it almost doubles the capacity of fire (see detail on page 5).
chamber-loaded indicator: when there is a round in the barrel the
extractor protrudes laterally showing red. It is therefore possible
to check visually (and, at night, to feel) whether there is a round in
the barrel without having to retract the slide.
disassembling device: extremely quick and simple. It is designed in
such a way as to avoid casual or involuntary disassembly (see
detail on page 6).
reversible magazine release button: can easily be changed from the
left to the right side for use of left.handed persons (see detail
on page 6).
manual safety on both sides of the firearm: to be operated also by
left-handed shooters (see detail on page 6).
magazine safety (on request): prevents firing when the magazine is
removed, even if there is a cartridge in the chamber. The round in
the chamber can also be extracted, when the magazine is removed,
without any danger of accidental firing.
ballistics: although depending to a certain extent on the type and
the quality of the ammunition and local atmospheric conditions, they
are the optimum obtainable from firearms of this size.
in normal conditions of use, the average velocity and correspond-
ing kinetic energy of the ammunition fired from these firearms are
as follows:
mod. 81, cal. 7.65 mm.
V 0.5
=
985 ft/sec.
E 0.5
=
160 ft/lbs.
mod. 84, cal. 9 mm. short
V 0.5 - 918 ft/sec.
E 0.5
=
174 ft/lbs.