Here, we test the EAA (European American Armory) Girsan MC14 BDA. The names get a bit confusing, so bear with me for a moment. Back in the 1980s, Beretta introduced a line known variously as the 80- and 81-series. The Girsan is cloned from the Model 84 with a double-stack magazine and chambered for .380. Now, some model name curiosities. Our pistol is stamped “MC14 BDA” on the slide. Interestingly, back in the day, Beretta produced a variation of this pistol for Browning that was also a BDA, which stood in that case for “Browning Double Action.” The .380 branded for Browning had a slide-mounted safety/decock lever similar to those of Smith & Wesson and Walther autos of the time, while the Beretta 80-series guns had frame-mounted safety levers that worked like a 1911 or a Browning Hi-Power.

Once we’re past the interesting factoids of yesteryear, let’s avoid another mistake: don’t confuse this MC14 with another Girsan pistol that closely resembles it and is getting more attention from the gun press, the MC14T. The “T” apparently stands for “Tip-Up,” describing the barrel operation of the gun that model is cloned from, the Beretta 86. Long touted by many, including me, as an answer for those with weak or crippled hands who couldn’t reliably rack an auto’s slide, it popped the back of the barrel up with a push on a lever on the frame so a cartridge could be hand-fed into the chamber — no slide racking required.