# Beretta 81 upgrade to .380?



## gaul warrior (Feb 10, 2020)

I have a beretta 81 in .32 ACP. I have read elsewhere that you can switch out a beretta 84's barrel and magazine with a .32 barrel/magazine and it can fire .32 with no issues because the cheetah series share all of the same parts except barrel and magazine. Is this true in reverse? Can you put a .380 barrel/magazine in a beretta 81 and convert it to .380 or take a beretta 85 slide assembly and put it on a beretta 81 frame to basically have a beretta 84.


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## Army1961 (Apr 1, 2020)

I recently purchase a 81BB and then ordered and received an 84 380 barrel and 380 magazine from Numrich Gun Parts Corp. They fit the 81 frame and slide and functioned well at the range. The 380 barrel in the 81 was more accurate than the 32 barrel. Both had some play where the barrel goes through the front of the slide with the 32 barrel having more. It also measured some .008 smaller in diameter than the 380, this probably accounts for the slightly less accuracy. The 1911 addicts forum has a thread on this subject also.


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## Army1961 (Apr 1, 2020)

These are more details about parts interchangeability in the 80 series:

https://berettaforum.net/vb/showpost.php?p=873336&postcount=6 https://berettaforum.net/vb/showthread.php?t=86229


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## berettatoter (Sep 1, 2011)

Army1961 said:


> These are more details about parts interchangeability in the 80 series:
> 
> https://berettaforum.net/vb/showpost.php?p=873336&postcount=6 https://berettaforum.net/vb/showthread.php?t=86229


Hey, I did not know this! Great information. Here's my 81BB, and it will soon be a 84 "hybrid"! 








Cheers!


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