A Tale of Two Bersas

[modifiedbrowning]

I recently picked a Bersa Thunder 9 Ultra Compact and I was so impressed that I ordered a Thunder 9 High capacity as well. All I can say is wow!
I am completely impressed with these pistols, that only cost $350 each. Basically they are Walther P88 copies, but at a third to a fourth of the cost.

I have shot them side by side with my P88 Compact and they held their own.
Obviously the fit and finish is not as nice as the Walther, but they have both
been completely reliable with close to 1K through the UC and about 500 rnds through the HC. I would say that the Bersa trigger is as good as if not better than the Walther. The SA pull is very light and short with a very short reset. It does have a little of take up, though.
I haven't put them on paper but, I have had no problems making cans dance at 7-10 yds slow and rapid fire.
If anyone is loking for an inexpensive well made pistol I would highly recommend the Bersa line.
www.bersafirearmsusa.com

 

[Nathanael_Greene]

I've been a Bersa fan for years. They're really a good value. The Mini-Firestorm in .40S&W is an impressive package.

 

[MICHAEL T]

Come join http://bersatalk.com

 

[Norton]

I love my Thunder .380. It's my favorite "working on the cabin and don't even know it's there" gun.

 

[modifiedbrowning]

MichaelT, I'm already there my friend.

 

[PX15]

My Bersa Thunder 9 (UC) has been 100% reliable and is as accurate as my Sig P239.

I forgot what I paid for the Sig 10 years ago, but last year I paid $305 for the Bersa (+7% tax).

The Bersa came with a single ten rd. mag, but I ordered a 13rd (factory) mag. and I'm good to go.

With the Sig I have 8+1, with the Bersa it's 13+1...

Mo is better..

J. Pomeroy

 

[jeffcooperarg]

im argentinian(sorry about my english), the bersa pistols have warranty for life,i use a thunder 9 mm in ipsc.in ,y country a glock cost 900 u$s, bersa 9 mm thunder cost 274 u$s.good pistol the bersa, i have also a 380, 7+1.

 

[otomik]

in ,y country a glock cost 900 u$s

I knew a girl from Argentina, I think what you mean to say is the Glock costs 300 plus 600 in yacht payments to corrupt politicians and IMF bankers

When you buy a Bersa you get a keychain with mini-argentine Flag (sans soleil)

 

[PX15]

jeffcooperarg:

Welcome to HR.. Don't worry about your English.. You are much better at English than most of us are in Spanish, (or whatever the language of Argentina is called.)

You need to understand that Glock has done a tremendous job of salesmanship in the U.S. Glock first targeted the various law enforcement agencies with excellent pricing, ACCEPTing TRADE IN's, and being very good at backing their products.

IMO Glocks are excellent firearms for professional leo's (excluding the DEA agent who shot himself in the thigh with his 40cal while demonstrating to a school room of small kids firearm safety) and others in associated fields. IMO the always light trigger action of the Glocks are NOT the best choice for the average, NON-PROFESSIONAL firearms owner.

I'll take a lot of heat for that opinion, but I honestly think for folks who for whatever reason do not, or can not, practice and train to become proficient with the Glock (and it's light trigger setup) then the Glock is an accidental discharge looking to happen.

I purchased two Glock 26's when they were first released to the public. I found FOR ME the always light trigger was simply not suitable for concealed carry. The Glocks were not as accurate as my Sig P239, felt like a small brick, and after comparing the advantages of both sold the Glocks. I still have the Sig, and in over ten years it has always been 100% reliable and extremely accurate. The 1st rd. da trigger pull for me is desirable as a safety factor and I never have to give a thought to an AD.

The Bersa/Firestorm has basically been ignored by the America firearms buying public. I think there are several reasons for this. One is that Bersa/Firestorm has made virtually no effort to advertise their fine pistols nationwide. You NEVER see advertisements for Bersa/Firestorms so whoever is in charge of the public relations/advertising position is asleep at the wheel.

I kept reading on various firearm forums about how good B/F were, and that's how I wound up owning a BT9/UC and a Firestorm FS22. Both of my pistols are excellent and I think tremendous values.

When I wanted to buy a FS FS22 I had to get my gun dealer to special order one for me. Same with the BT9UC. The only Bersa models you generally see in American gun shops, if at all, is the Bersa Thunder 380.

American firearm magazines seldom mention Bersa/Firestorms or advertise them. There is very little aftermarket support for BT/F and the final kicker is that even to B/F owners the prices of additional magazines is wayyy to expensive.

I am very pleased with my two Bersa/Firestorms and I wish someone in Argentina would get off his/her butt and advertise the fine pistols a lot better in the U.S.

It seems the only folks who like and appreciate Bersa/Firestorms are actual Bersa/Firestorm owners... Those of us who own, and shoot our Bersa/Firestorms shake our heads at how little respect the fine pistols get in the U.S.

Bersa/Firestorms IMO are UNDER THE RADAR of American firearm buyers, UNDERPRICED, and UNDERVALUED. Thats a shame.. The pistols deserve better.

Best Wishes,

J. Pomeroy

 

[nvrquit]

Bersa Experiences

I hate to put a partial damper on the party, but I thought that I'd make a short post of my Bersa experiences.

I've owned four Bersa pistols. These being a model 85 13 rnd. capacity .380, a Thunder 22, a Thunder .380 Deluxe and lastly a Thunder 9 Full Size(aka High Capacity). Of these four, two have experienced metallurgical flaws. The first was the model 58, which suffered multiple frame fractures. This pistol was replaced under warranty with a Thunder .380 Deluxe. The other flaw/failure has been the T9FS(Thunder 9 Full Size), which has a portion of the rear wall behind the extractor pin location fail. Here is a link to a post over on the Bersa forum, which includes a pic of the flaw/failed area:

http://bersatalk.com/forums/thread/12635.aspx

While I appreciate all the Bersa pistols I've owned for what they are and offer, my opinion from experiences to date, is that QC could be a bit improved. Beyond that, I'll withhold any other views until the current warranty situation with the T9FS has been completed.

 

[modifiedbrowning]

Update

Well, another 200 rnds between the two and no malfs. I haven't cleaned either pistol for the last 400 rounds. I think I will continue with the function testing and see what happens. Saturday is supposedly going to be a nice day, thankfully tomorrow is payday.

 

[Trainman]

The Bersa UC 9mm is the most underrated handgun in it's class on the market.
Bar None!

 

[Hokkmike]

I am. so far, incredibly impressed with the .380 Thunder. In fact, from what I had heard and expected previously, the whole .380 experience has been great. What a powerful (for its size and recoil), inexpensive, and fun to shoot caliber. Both gun and caliber seem to be under rated.

I had a Springfield 1911 that was very magazine sensitive. This little guy doesn't seem to care what magazines I use.

 

[Plink]

I have a Bersa .45 Mini-Firestorm, which is the same as the Thunder U/C without the annoying "euro nipple" on the trigger guard. It's reliable, accurate and very ergonomic. The trigger is quite good for factory stock. I trust it enough to use it as my primary carry gun for all but the hottest months when I switch to the smaller Kel-Tec P-11. I like Bersa in general and intend to buy one of their .380's also.

 

[techcowboy]

Tale Of Two Bersas

Last Christmas Eve my Primary Keltec P-11 Jammed during cleaning. I purchased a Thunder .380 to have until my P-11 was fixed. I like the gun ,it is great at 15-25 yards On an outdoor range. It is smoother to carry concealed than my 9MM Keltecwith belt clip.Iuse it as a backup vehicle firearm.

Keltec P-11
Bersa Thunder .380
H&R 929 .22 LR 9-Shot Accurate Revolver
94 Camaro 3.4L 5 -Speed Manual :cool
Great Wife
Beautiful 9 Month son

 

[nvrquit]

Update On Bersa Thunder 9 Full Slide Failure

While tangentially related to this thread's start, here's a link to a post on Bersa Talk. It pertains to my experience with a Bersa Thunder 9 Full Size(T9FS), Eagle Imports the Bersa USA importer and what may be some startling information on how Bersa S.A. handles parts orders placed by Eagle Imports. Here's a link to the mentioned post:

http://bersatalk.com/forums/2/16072/ShowThread.aspx#16072


Enjoy the read.....