Conceal Carry options. Bersa .380 CC . . . or wait for 9mm XDs?

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Orion8472

Orion8472

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Here's the issue. Go cheap and less powerful, . . . Bersa .380 CC @ $330, or wait out the 9mm XDs @ $560ish?

I know "you get what you pay for", . . . and that 9mm has superior ballistics. Odds of using a gun in a SD role is very low, so cheaper "just in case" could be good enough.

I have much more practice rounds and defense rounds for the 9mm, but have . . . enough for a 380acp round.

Comments?
 
Do you currently have a carry gun?

If so, wait for what you want. No sense in buying something you're not going to like as much.
 
MUST Shoot what you carry! And on a regular basis... Never become complacent with that.... My Opinion!

.380 exspensive to feed when considering the above parameter.

I carry the XDs .45 and if the XDs 9 is as sweet as the .45 it will be an awesome carry gun.

Bersa makes a good little .380 however patience is a virtue and savings is not always savings! :scrutiny:
 
I have the Bersa .380 and a few 9mm polymer pistols.

For me, the 9mm has overwhelmingly been the better gun because it allowed participation in IDPA and Steel Challenge which significantly improved my shooting as compared to target practice at the range.

My 9mm are all M&P. One is the M&Pc which carry about like the Bersa size-wise, but has more fire power in caliber and capacity. So, the Bersa never is my CC weapon. However, the Bersa is a very sweet shooting gun for anyone that is recoil sensitive and could be a good CC choice.

Regarding price, I buy used and picked up another M&P about this time last year for $425 LNIB.

If you practice much, the cost difference of 9mm versus .380 will pay for another gun in short order. If you shoot much .380 you will just keep paying and paying.

If you don't shoot much, better hope that bill don't come due.
 
Aren't we taking two different systems here; that is blowback vs locked breech. I've had a Bersa .380 and I have an Xd9 (yes the one with the HIGH bore axis), and there is no comparison in my mind between the two. I'll take locked breech any time. Try out different ones and good luck.
 
I currently have a 380acp carry gun, but it is older and I am wanting to replace it. The only reason I brought up the Bersa CC .380acp is because it seems like it would be a very concealable pistol. But then, so will the XDs be. Just that the Bersa would be about $230 less. Having said that, I think I would rather have something in 9mm in order to use the Federal HST rounds I got for it. Again, I have much more practice ammo in 9mm, . . . only a couple hundred for the .380acp, . . . so that, along with having something that has been working for conceal carry, . . . maybe I should just wait for the 9mm XDs.

I HAVE heard about some issues with the Bersas in general. My brother had to have his worked on. I've not seen much on how well they do, or their quality. I know Springfield Armory does it pretty well.
 
I'm curious how you ended up with those 2 guns as your only options.

Maybe S&W Shield or Kahr CM9, Walther PPS, to name a few...
 
An excellent question, actually. I started up a "is there a DA/SA THIN 9mm pistol", . . . of course, there really wasn't, . . . so I like that characteristic in the Bersa. I also like the way the feel, and the design which would allow for really easy concealment. The price is also tempting. I don't like the magazine disconnect, and am still a bit leary of the quality/reliability.

The XDs is just what I had decided on going with. I like the feel and look over the Shield. The Kahr triggers are not to my liking. I like the PPS, but like the added safety of the XDs grip safety.

That's it in a nutshell.
 
Hi,

I've got a Bersa 380 CC and I like it. I find it pretty easy to put in a pocket.

As far as 380 vs. 9mm that is up to you. I will point out that good old Federal Hydra-Shok gets to or exceeds 12 inches of penetration in ballistic gel according to www.brassfetcher.com. Also check out www.goldenloki.com and check his gel test. There are plenty of other resources, check 'em out and decide for yourself.

We can all dream up scenarios in which a 454 Casull won't be enough or where a 25 ACP will work just fine. You have to draw the line somewhere. Get some information and decide for yourself. I feel comfortable with my Bersa so I consider it money well spent.

Good Luck.

Dan
 
I carried a Bersa Thunder .380 (not the CC version) for about two years, and never felt underprotected. I still own it, and enjoy shooting it. I switched to the Kel-Tec PF9 only because I found one for a really good price while ammo-shopping one day. The KT is easier to carry and conceal, but far less pleasant to shoot.

If I had not already owned either and was checking out both, I would likely have gone with the nine because of the ammo-availability/affordability issue. Ballistics would have played a part, but a small one. I have no issues with the .380ACP round in a capable platform (which includes the shooter.)
 
If you are going to carry an XDs, "as I do" then carry the 45. The hole is larger and the recoil isn't much different
 
I really don't want to get into a new caliber [aka 45acp]. Besides, that round has been rather hard to find around my neck of the woods. I'll stick with 9mm . . . and run Federal HST 147gr rounds in it.
 
orin8472 If you wait for the xd9s you will end up with a pistols that's NOT a pocket sized pistol except with cargo pockets. It is also a heavier pistol for its size. You may want to do a size comparison to other compact handguns. I CC kahrs and pulled out my pocket pistol , a CM9 and my small IWB , CW9 to measure for comparison and found the XD9s is slightly longer and the same height as my CW9 with the metal mag base on my mags. The CW9 a bit lighter by a couple oz. Also the shield is close to the xd-s9 in size and weight. There not pocket pistols.

The Bersa CC is a great little pistol. My wife and one of my daughter carry one as part of there CC choices. Heavy DA first trigger pull but very nice SA trigger pull for the rest.

Don't thing you can buy any pistol makes today that does not sell some turds with production as high as it is too. They all make a few.
 
I prefer the grip safety of the XDs design. The Bersa 9mm CC makes me nervous with the way it is. I would only carry it without one in the chamber on it. Same way I feel about Kahr pistols, but the Bersa 9mm CC has an even shorter trigger pull. Just my own personal feeling about them.

The M&P compact is still too thick. I want to stay under and inch mark. Beretta Nano felt uncertain when holding it.
 
Perhaps I just can't find it on the Springfield Armory web site....what is the link to the 9mm XD-S page?

I haven't seen the specs on the 9mm XD-S. Aside from the caliber, are they the same as the .45ACP XD-S? Has the 9mm version already been released for retail sale?
 
Nothing has been released yet. They are SUPPOSED to be shipped out in June [I wouldn't hedge my bet on that, though]. But yeah, it is pretty much the same as the .45acp but just a bit thicker barrel [for the smaller 9mm hole].
 
Compared to the XDs, a G26 would be the same length, height, have 2x the capacity, weighs 1oz less, and is only a tenth of an inch wider. It's also available today in just about any gun store.

Whether a 9mm XDs would be any different, I don't know.
 
Does anyone have both a G26 and an XDs and could take a "width" pick from the back slide/grip of the guns?
 
That's the thing. I may get a few more rounds, but being thinner is more important, . . . and even a little bit makes a big difference, especially in the summer.

Even still, . . . though the XDs will be quite thin, . . . one thing I DO like about the Bersa CC .380acp . . . is the curved design of the slide and grip, rather than the more boxy design of the XDs [or Shield, Nano, PPS]. It makes the Bersa tempting. That is its strong point. Does its week points [Bersa quality/reliability/functioning, "stopping potential" of the best self defense .380asp rounds] overpower the concealing ease of the Bersa? That is the question at hand.
 
Have you looked at the Taurus 709? I picked one up a couple of months ago after getting sick of waiting for a Shield. MSRP is only $349, I got mine for $300 out the door. 7+1 rounds of 9mm, DA/SA trigger with restrike capability, multiple safeties, lifetime warranty, small enough for everyday carry, what's not to like? Heck, you even get a free NRA membership.
 
Honestly, I've looked at the Taurus and liked the way it felt, and thought the trigger was . . . meh, . . . decent enough. But I hear people talk about "Taurus quality" and it makes me not want one. . . even though the one I got wouldn't give me any issues at all. But yeah, the Taurus is thin enough and seems like it would conceal well.
 
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