Anyone own a Bersa Thunder 9mm Ultra Compact?

[dcook22]

I really like the feel of the Bersas, and I like the .380 a lot, but I want to carry the 9mm. They're a bit bigger than some other small 9's, but I want to be happy with the gun.

I'm hearing mixed things about the Taurus 709. It looks good, and some
folks love it, but the general reputation I hear about Taurus is not great. And I don't want to buy a gun just to have it repaired a lot.

I hear good things about the Kel Tec PF-9 and P-11, but I also hear they're rather uncomfortable to shoot. That's not such a big deal, I'm not getting a carry-gun for it's comfort and for plinking. But I don't want it to be so annoying that I don't want to practice with it.

I don't want a G26. The PT111 and XD9 SC are still a bit too thick.

Any comments are welcome, but if someone has the Bersa 9mm UC can you let me know what you think of it? I'm having trouble finding one to try out.

Dan

 

[m2steven]

I have a friend who owns one and he says it's been flawless with an ok trigger. I have a 709 which did have to go back to Taurus for light strikes. They adjusted the trigger bar and it's been perfect now thru about 7 or 800 rounds. It's a great little pistol. I'd buy another but i'll probably get taurus' new 380. If I have to get it fixed, I'll do it. The design of both weapons is excellent.

 

[rustygray]

Bersa

I have a Bersa Thunder 380 that has been 100% reliable for years.

It is my secondary and deep cover gun.

I wish I had bought several before prices went up.

In its custom green iwb deep tuck holster, it disappears.

 

[ccsniper]

I am also very interested in the compacts, I love the way the controls are ambidextrous.

 

[gator1gear]

I have a couple of Bersas. I once had a Thunder9UC that ran GREAT! I really wish I had kept it, but I got to be a bit of a gun snob and let it go. I bought a Thunder40UC for my girlfriend, and after who knows how many rounds, it has yet to have a single malfunction of any kind. I know there are some people that disagree, but I believe Bersas to be the most under-rated guns out there. I'm glad I was smart enough to keep my Bersa .45

 

[atomd]

rustygray, check that your holster isn't chrome-tanned leather. I'm no expert but when I see colorful leather that looks fairly pliable, it sometimes is chrome-tanned. Chrome-tenned has salts and chemicals that can mess up the finish of a gun if it's in contact with the metal for long enough.

 

[tekarra]

I have had a Thunder 9 for some years now and it has never given a problem. Thinking about buying a UC to keep it company. May I suggest you visit www.bersatalk.com for imformation on the UC.

 

[MICHAEL T]

Buy it the 9mm is very relieable and accurate Ask the owners

http://bersatalk.com/forum/index.php

 

[Snowdog]

The Bersa UC9 has an excellent track record for reliability. It also has quite a few features that aren't usually found on economy pistols. I carry mine almost as much as my K9, my primary EDC.

The UC9 is an excellent pistol for an excellent price which makes it one sweet deal.

 

[PX15]

FWIW:

I had a Bersa Thunder 9 and it was a very, very good pistol. It was absolutely reliable, and amazingly accurate.

The downsides for me were that it's a bit too large for comfortable carry (I'm 5'9"/155) but it might be fine for a larger person. The 2nd complaint is that the finish is simply not top notch, but if you'll take care of it it's fine.

The finish is certainly fine considering the reasonable price the pistol sells for.

Best Wishes,

Jesse

 

[iafirebuff]

My local Gander Mountain wants $450 bucks for one! OUCH! Good guns though. Ihad a THunder 380 and a 45UC. Never one problem with them

 

[John Wayne]

My girlfriend recently bought a Bersa Thunder UC9 Pro. She likes it and has had no problems with it after 250 rounds...and that's taking it out of the box and shooting it (it has yet to be cleaned or oiled).

I have shot it a little, and it is an accurate gun. My only complaints are the ergonomics (but if it fits your hand, go for it!).

+ SA trigger is decent and has smoothed out a little
+ Best value on the market (she paid $330)
+ Accurate, reliable, low recoil
+ Ambidextrous controls and reversable mag release
+ Good size, conceals well for me
+ Does not have mag safety like .380 version

_ Edges are a little rough, especially around tac rail
_ Accessories are hard to find for this model (leather G36 holsters may fit)
_ Internal lock
_ Safety and Slide Release stick out a bit for my liking, and dig into my hand
_ Brass tends to hit the shooter in the face somewhat often
_ Finish is neither pretty, nor durable (blue/black). SS or nickel may be better.

 

[modifiedbrowning]

I have two Ultracompacts and one Fullsize Bersa. The Fullsize has over 5K rnds through it with no malfs (1K of that over the course of a summer with no cleaning or lube). The UCs both have over 1K throough them with no problems.
The triggers on the Bersas smooth out very nicely, in fact they are probably the best triggers of all my Da/Sa pistols. Bersa makes a great pistol at a great price, a very underrated pistol IMO.

 

[Snowdog]

John Wayne, I've got to agree with most of the cons you listed. IWB carry does exacerbate the issue with the controls projecting out a bit, especially when carried small of the back. OWB carry eliminates this issue, thankfully. I use a holster made for my Glock 19 and it works wonderfully.

However, the brass-in-the-face issue might be correctable by adjusting the extractor or sometimes, though rarely, the ejector. My UC9 ejects properly to the side and no where near the face. I did have a Llama Minimax years ago that would maliciously eject to the face (with those .45acp cases always raising a welt and sometimes a dab of blood). I didn't shoot it for that reason alone. Being such and inexpensive and relatively low quality firearm, I didn't particularly want to invest the time or money to have it corrected.

The fellow I sold it to (who was informed of this issue before sale, of course) had the extractor adjusted and never again did it eject towards the face. He was happy with the purchase and I'm happy it's doing what it should. The UC9 is way too nice of a firearm to allow it to misbehave like that; I'd have it fixed. From experience, I can attest to the loss of accuracy simply from the anticipation of being smacked in the head by a shell casing.

 

[John Wayne]

Snowdog, I agree that brass shouldn't be hitting the shooter. This is a rather frequent problem for her, but I do not experience it often when shooting the UC9 (different stance? or tighter grip lets the gun throw it farther?).

Is that a problem the factory would fix? It has definately contributed to flinching on her part.

 

[thunder173]

I have the Firestorm version of UC in.45 ACP, and their versions of the Thunder .380 and .22LR as well. The UC has been absolutely flawless since day one. Like Snowdog, I use a DeSantis rig that's built for the Glock 19 and it works like a champ. Don't let the "snob's" disuade you. It's a very good gun, albeit not necesarily as pretty as some.

 

[Snowdog]

My wife sometimes limp-wrists but hasn't experienced this problem. I would consider giving Bersa a call (732-493-0302) to have it squared away. In their literature, they claim to have a lifetime warranty against malfunction, among other things. I would hold them to it.

On the bright side, I've heard good things of Bersa's warranty work.

 

[Shpadoinkel]

I actually like the way the safety and slide release stick out just a tad more than more others in its price range. Easy one handed operation.
Every Kel-Tec, Taurus or Ruger I try to release the slide on usually takes two thumbs and a whole lot of effort. It's one of the reasons I'm buying a BT9UC (or its Firestorm twin) in the next week or so. The slide release, mag release and safety are all bonus reasons I'm getting it.
Though as I don't have it, the comment about being a little more uncomfortable to IWB carry in the small of the back makes sense, I'll have to watch out for that. Thanks.

Side note: Where are people picking these up for $330? Lowest I can get is $380 and that's with haggling. I can find one every once in a while online for $445-ish but after shipping and FFL, I'm at or above $380.

 

[butters]

I have a Bersa Firestorm Mini 9mm (almost identical to the Bersa UC) and I love it. 13 rounds, handles well and has been absolutely dependable.
I see one at Impactguns for ~$330 but it is out of stock. You could check your local dealers and see if they can order one for you. They have been quite popular at my dealer and have been OOS for months. They are just now starting to trickle back in.

On a side note Bersa is making a single stack polymer concealed carry model that should be on the shelves in the near future. If the initial reports are positive and the prices are right I will be buying one for sure.

 

[John Wayne]

$330 came as a result of knowing the owner of the gun shop and South Carolina's tax free weekend I don't think the shop actually made any money on that sale. Academy Sports sells them for $369, which seems to be a pretty good price compared to most.

 

[BmBersa]

FireStorm 9MM Mini DT

I was in the market for a 9mm and did detailed research on multiple weapons. As anyone would be, I was skeptical of purchasing a "budget" firearm. I shopped and shopped some more, reading many reviews, glocks, Beretta, CZ, Springfield, Sigs, Taurus. I knew many people with a few of these weapons so I know owing a quality firearm is a must if your life is depending on it and was also fortunate to shoot a few of these guns as well.

I was seriously considering a Glock 26, but being a first time owner I really wanted a manual safety dual action pistol. So I put aside that choice and came across Bersa and was hardpressed to find anything bad about this weapon or finding anyone WITH anything bad to say about it. I bit the bullet (no pun of course) and purchased this "budget" gun, a Bersa FireStorm 9MM Mini DT locally for $389.

I would most certainly recommend Bersa to anyone, budget or not! I have about 1000 rounds through this thing not ONE misfire or jam-up. The FireStorm 9MM Mini DT is light and accurate for such a short barrel compact gun, not to mention 13 rounds! Recoil is very manageable and the single action trigger is short and smooth! Easy to clean and conceal. This gun is staying with me! From what I understand Bersa is police issue in Argentina, also these guns aren't to hard to find when browsing the gun autions on the web but aren't easy for me when shopping local. They sold out QUICK everywhere I looked, even at a couple guns shows here in Az.

 

[SOCO]

I bought a matte BT9UC yesterday at a gun show for my wife. It was $350+ tax. Overall, I'm very impressed with the quality of the gun considering how much I paid for it. She loved the finger-grooved grips on the BT380, but I convinced her to go for the 9mm instead. (She can easily handle my Beretta 92 and her S&W .45, so I know this will be a good fit for her on the range). I've heard they're great to shoot, and if so, I might have to pick one up for myself and ditch my Glock 27. Maybe.

 

[BmBersa]

I know what you are feeling Dan. When I shopped this gun it was so hard to find. Nobody ever knew when they'd get more or when more would be available. I just kept calling all the local shops day after day and finally Cabelas received 4. I would confidently recommend this gun. Some say it's ergonomics arent "great" and compared to some other similar 9mm's that are slimmer (with smaller compacity mags) this is true. That being said, mine has a 13 round clip so its slightly "thicker", and for me it compliments my hand well. I am being completely unbiased in my opinion, I like my bros Glock 27 and my other bros XD9. I'm not saying this gun is better than this one or better than "yours", I'm simply stating the facts on my purchase. I dig my Firestorm Mini 9 it works well for me and feel very confident that this weapon will defend my life if the situation should arise.

 

[Nasty]

It's big Brother...the 45UC in discontinued stainless.

 

[harmon rabb]

the PF-9 is not uncomfortable to shoot. i thought it would be, but it's actually not bad at all. it also has real sights and is pretty accurate for an almost pocket sized gun.