i was lurking around the local gun store and saw what looked like a beretta in the used cabinet for $125. knowing that it too good to be true i asked about it and was told it was a Maadi Cadet 9mm--a beretta clone with single stack mags. they didn't pay a lot for it so they weren't asking a lot for it. can anyone tell me about this gun? are they any good, or do you get what you pay for? are mags hard to find? i love berettas but can't afford one.

If I were you, I would save a bit more money, and hunt for a used beretta, or better yet, a police trade in.

If you really like the beretta, nothing but a beretta will satisfy that urge.

I have one and love it.  Keep saving, you wont regret it.

I too almost bought one once because of the low price. My gunsmith told me to pass & later I bought a used 92FS.

Check out Ky Imports web site. Lots of good used buys there.

Actually they're Helwan Brigadier's, not Cadets. Maadi is a seperate entity entirely and how the Brigadier got that name is beyond me.

The Israelis had been carrying the Beretta M.951 for years, and the Egyptians got ahold of some of them one way or another and fell in love with the gun. The Brigadier/Cadet is the result. License made by the Helwan Arms Co for the Egyptian Army, I believe the Brigadiers were SA/DA and the Cadets were DAO.

My first carry gun, and the only weapon I ever fired in anger. Nice piece, rugged, reliable, pretty simple, and dirt cheap. By no means a true Beretta, more like Beretta by Kalashnikov in terms of quality. Decent gun, am looking at another for the wife for her carry piece.