G19 or Bersa

[bookman]

Ok for ccw what would you carry?. G19 or Bersa/Firestorm
I have been thinking about the Firestorm ever since I held one,
it just felt right...:banghead:

 

[Karate]

G19...It is far more dependable than a Bersa....and the 9mm is more potent than a 380...plus with a G19 you can get Hicap mags.

 

[David Roberson]

My admittedly limited experience with the Bersa has not made me wish for more. If for some reason these are the only two guns you're considering, go with the Glock.

 

[38snapcaps]

I did just such a comparison back in December and have been carrying a Bersa ever since.

The Bersa is half the price, excellent reputation for reliability and function, and is smaller for concealment. You have a decocker to safely lower the hammer, which is also a real visible safety. The double action first shot is smooth and just hard enough and the subsequent single action shots are very nice.

The thing about the Glock is that TRIGGER is real scary!! No way am I going to go around with gun having a >six pound trigger pull, no way to tell its cocked or not, and no way to render it locked up in a safe mode. I carry my Bersa in a waist band holster which you sure wouldn't dare do with a Glock. I also have a Fobus but I wouldn't feel comfortable even with that holding a Glock. And those stupid trigger plugs, you gotta be kidding!

And please let's not get hung up on the old argument about .380 vs. 9mm. .380 is plenty good enough for personal self defense.

 

[MrAcheson]

If don't have any issues with glocks (and there are many you can have), get the glock. Otherwise the Bersa is a fine gun too and probably more accurate thanks to the fixed barrel. 9mm is always better than .380 if you can use it.

BTW the Berse has a decocker/safety, not just a decocker.

 

[Onslaught]

I don't like Glocks... (grip angle/finger grooves ) I've also owned a PPK/S (what the Bersa's a copy of) and I vote Glock 19...

I'll admit that I like the heavier trigger pull options available for the Glock (NY#1 Spring with 3.5# Connector) but the concept is little different from a revolver with a good trigger. It ain't gonna pull itself, and if you keep the trigger covered (in a holster) then it's completely safe. The trigger pull is longer than a SA trigger, but shorter than most DA triggers... It won't discharge if the trigger moves 1/4".

And there's certainly a way to tell if the Glock is "cocked". If there's a bullet in the chamber, it's cocked . They come with a loaded chamber indicator now, so even that's easy to tell.

I apologize in advance for saying this... but somebody always does when these types of threads come up... Have you checked out the Kahrs yet? They're like a PPK/S and a Glock 19 had a kid! They're all steel (or half and half) with a long but light DA trigger pull for each shot. They're about the same size as a Bersa, if not smaller. There's no safety, but again, that trigger pull is MUCH longer than a Glock's. They've got a more traditional grip angle (like the Bersa) and the all-steel ones have REALLY nice rubber grips on them.

 

[Felonious Monk]

And please let's not get hung up on the old argument about .380 vs. 9mm. .380 is plenty good enough for personal self defense.

<a quick aside>
...which is why I am SO excited about Kel-Tec's new P-3AT!

 

[10-Ring]

I prefer the 9mm over the 380, plust the 19 holds more rounds. I voted for the 19.

 

[Schuey2002]

If you don't like the finger grooves of the 3rd. gen. guns, then buy a used 2nd. gen. gun without them..Or, just take some emery cloth and smooth them down.

As a devote Glock-o-phile, I gotta' go with the G19..

Hey, I own 2 of them.. Hmmm.

It must be a conspiracy.

 

[firestar]

You really owe it to yourself to check out a Kahr. No one should be stuck with a Glock when there are much better choices for concealed carry out there. Check out the Kahr P-9 (plastic frame) and the K-9 (steel frame). Both are nice and fit my hand like a glove.

If for some reason the Glock and the Bersa are your only choices than here are some pros and cons which might help you decide.

Glock 19,

Cons:
Big and fat for a CCW. You don't seem to like the way it fits your hand. Trigger may not be safe if you don't use a holster everytime. Hi-cap are very expensive for it. The gun is expensive compared to the Bersa.

Pros:
Higher capacity. More powerful. Ammo is much less expensive in 9mm than .380 which will allow you to shoot more and get better. Simple design allows you to focus on threat not the controls of the gun.

Bersa,

Cons:
Ammo is pricey. Not as powerful as 9mm. Small capacity.

Pros:
You seem to like the way it fits your hand which is very important. Gun is much less expensive than Glock you could buy a Bersa and several cases of ammo for the price of a Glock without a hi-cap. Very accurate. Good deal. Grips can be changed to fit your hand.

 

[Bob Locke]

it just felt right...

Well, there you go. Fit and feel in your hand is more important than just about any other consideration. I say that because if you were talking about a .25 ACP or .32 ACP I'd try to talk you up in caliber. But you're looking at a .380 versus a 9mm, so the difference in power isn't as significant.

I like the Bersa's. They're well-made, which shows up in how they function, and they are inexpensive without being cheap. I'd say you've just about made up your mind already, and are sort of looking for "permission".

As to the multiple posts about "Glocks this" and Glock's that": if ya don't like 'em, then leave 'em alone. If they don't work for you, fine, but that doesn't mean they aren't quality firearms that are well-suited to many of us, including myself. And anyone who thinks that Glocks are less safe than any other firearm doesn't understand that the only safety on ANY firearm lies between the ears of the person holding it.

And I own and carry a G19, so I can hardly be called "biased", because here I am telling bookman that I think the right choice in this instance would be the Bersa.

 

[isaidme]

G19

 

[Tecolote]

Neither

Do yourself a favor and look into a Glock 26, 27 or 33. You get a much smaller and lighter package than a Bersa or a Glock 19. If you don't think there's any difference between 9 and 380 that's fine, but it's pretty hard to make the case that 380 is the same as .40 or 357SIG.

 

[Akurat]

FireStorm without a doubt. Smaller, ambidextrious controls for CCW is a definite +, reliable, and just plain good looking. Outstanding value and great all around weapon.

 

[emann]

David Roberson and Karate, Let me guess, you fellows limited experience with a Bersa is exactly none. For the money the Bersa is defineitely the better deal. Reliability is even and accuracy pretty close too. Price on the other hand goes to the Bersa hands down. The Bersa would be much better for CCW as it is much smaller. Now I must ask where do any of you see bookman saying that the Bersa/Firestorm that he's interested in is a .380? They make more then just a .380 you know. Kind of silly for some of you to be giving out advise when you're not even educated on the weapon's you speak of. Now to answer the question. Get both. The Glock for home defense and the Bersa for CCW. You're really comparing two totally different kind of gun's here.

 

[Tecolote]

.380 you know. Kind of silly for some of you to be giving out advise when you're not even educated on the weapon's you speak of.

Just curious, since you seem to have so much experience with Bersas, when did you try one in 9mm or .40? Do they handle any differently than the 380? How does the recoil compare to that of a Glock 19 or a Glock 26,27, 33? I've had occasion to try a 9mm Bersa and I was far from impressed. The DA pull was long and SA was gritty. But that's just me. I have no education about Bersas.

 

[emann]

I've owned and shot the .380 many times. Shot the 9 enough to know it shot well and never had any malfunction's with either. As far as recoil goes there is no such thing with a .380 or a 9 with any gun. I regret badly selling my Bersa and will aquire one again soon. As far as the educated statement goes it was made because many of you obviously think that Bersa/Firestorm only make .380's.

 

[Lennyjoe]

G19 for me.

Bersa Thunder for the wife.

 

[PCRCCW]

Both guns have their merit....Glocks are really good guns..despite the Glock haters club's motto...the Bersa/FS are also great guns...
Ive shot a Thunder 9, the original copy of the Walther, fullsize 9 mm for years...my dad's had one for a long time. Its been flawless and shoots as well as most guns...Glocks and otherwise.
The .380's and Mini FS's (mini thunders) are great...have a history thats very good.....
I respect Bersa alot..they made the Mini 9/40 because they didnt want to send a neutered version of the fullsized gun to the states just because of the ban......thus they made the gun just for us in the states. I gotta respect that.
Either way you go...just get a dependable shooter and enjoy it.
Shoot well

 

[David Roberson]

Emann, I'm not sure why you think you have any insight into my experience with the Bersa, but since you raised the question, I'll elaborate: An acquaintance of mine -- a novice handgunner -- purchased a Bersa .380 and was having trouble with it, and since it was his first handgun he asked me to check it out and see if he was doing something wrong. He wasn't -- the gun was a jammomatic that would not reliably feed all the rounds in a magazine. We were using factory ammo (Remington, IIRC, but I won't attest to that). I advised him to return it to the place of purchase and have it repaired or replaced.

To me, that qualifies as "limited experience" with the Bersa, which is exactly what I claimed to have.

Your comments about recoil are amusing. I don't know you, but I think you or one of your clones hangs around the counter at most of the gun shops I've visited.

 

[New_comer]

Here, a Bersa Thunder 380 costs $250, while the G19 is tagged at $850.

For CCW, I'd pick the Bersa, even if only for the price difference...

Looks a lot better, too!

Much, much better!

 

[emann]

Seem's to me from the replies on this board and a few other's I frequent that your trouble was either user induced or just a rare faulty Bersa. Sorry but the actual user's have spoken and spoken well I must say.

 

[David Roberson]

Emann, read my last post again, slowly this time. Ask for help with the big words. Now, the reason you don't see any statement about .380s and 9mms having significant recoil is because I of course said no such thing. I was, however, amused by your comment that such guns have no recoil "unless maybe you're a women," which is fairly similar to things I hear locally from ignorant gun-shop blowhards with little knowledge but big mouths. Understand now?

But hey, your BB gun crack was funny in a third-grade kind of way.

 

[Tecolote]

As far as recoil goes there is no such thing with a .380 or a 9 with any gun (unless maybe you're a women).

Does your mother know you're playing with the computer again? Shoo little one.

 

[firestar]

the G19 is tagged at $850.

I just can't believe that anyone would pay that kind of green for a G-19! And I thought $500 was a rip.