Walther PPK .380 or Bersa .380?

[Rod Farva]

Hi guys, just looking for a small CCW piece and it seems like a .380 is not too shabby based on the Marshall?Sanow stopping power statistics.

Anyway, the smallest guns I've found are the Walther and the Bersa, but on another post someone was having some reliability problems with his Bersa. Now I am leaning toward the PPK/s based on this negative firsthand account.

The Walther has a good name behind it, and I bet it would be more reliable.

Thoughts?

 

[SouthpawShootr]

Search around on both. You'll find the positive comments about the Bersa far outweigh the relatively few complaints.

Walther PPK/S guns, particularly stainless American made ones, have a well known reputation for being finicky with spotty reliability. Now I've heard that S&W improved reliability (along with a few other things) of the PPK/s since they started making them under license. Also, you can expect the PPK/s to need significant break-in before becoming reliable. My own Interarms manufactured gun didn't become reliable until after the 500 round mark. I wouldn't hesitate to get a S&W made PPK/S, b/c I've had excellent experiences with S&W customer service. You have a problem with the gun, they'll fix it.

 

[Rod Farva]

Thanks Soutpawshooter for not making me do a search. Frankly, I have better things to do than sit on here all day, and besides, I was hoping for the most up-to-date thinking on the matter, which you provided.

About 15 ears ago I had a Bersa .380 which I got rid of due to occasional jamming, which was sad since it was a nice gun. I didn't know if the new ones were any different after that other guy's post.

I wouldn't worry about it, but I seem to attract the few "exceptions to the rule" guns. Didn't want to take any chances.

Think I'll go with the Walther PPK/S made by Smith and Wesson, as I too have had great customer service from them. I hear they don't kick as much due to the steel frame.

 

[dasmi]

Bersa.

 

[birddog]

Love my Bersa. Never had a PPK.

 

[Gunnutz13]

My choice...

would be the Walther PPK/s. I own a blued German Walther made in Ulm in 1972. Since it's a blowback design, the spring was really stiff and it took a lot of rounds down range to loosen it up to a point where I didn't get stovepipes. But now that's it broken in...I've used it as a CCW when I needed to conceal under light clothing. I have no experience with a Bersa...

 

[Rod Farva]

Just curious,

How many rounds through your Bersa's?

How many rounds do you guys think the Bersa will last?

How's Bersa customer service?

 

[birddog]

I quit counting around 2000 rounds with my Bersa. Probably another 1000 since then.

To answer the "how long will it last"... Forever, I hope.

And customer service? Never had to deal with them. The gun has been flawless.

 

[Kramer Krazy]

My wife and I both have the new Bersa Thunder 380s in Duotone finish. They haven't has a single issue with feeding or extracting and they shoot quite accurately. Each gun has about 700 rounds through each, both FMJ and HP and brass and steel cases. They seem to eat anything we give them, but....we did start seeing problems around round #350 in one gun and round #400 in the other (consecutive serial numbers)

Both of our guns are having problems with the slide catch. Sometimes they will hold open on the last round, sometimes they won't. Sometimes they will close with the mag out with the slightest bump to the gun or when you slide a magazine into it. At first it looked like the one magazine had the slide catch notch cut too deeply in the follower, not allowing the follower to push the slide catch up far enough (a free replacement follower arrived in three days, from me just emailing the distributor). Now, it looks like that is compounded with a rounding of the edge on the slide and a rounding of the slide catch itself allowing this to happen a little more readily. The slide notch is also cut at a slight angle, so this ramping of the notch and catch can also be a slight cause of the slide not staying open. I've been tempted on taking a file to the slide catch and slide to make a straight 90-degree notch in them. One guy at www.bersatalk.com is on his second slide catch. I haven't checked to see if this second slide catch repaired his problem.

I also have noticed that the decock/safety lever appears to be mushrooming part of the slide where the lever snaps into the "fire" mode. I believe the slide is a fairly soft steel.

Other than this issue with the slide catch, the gun is very reliable, accurate, and fun to shoot.

 

[Spot77]

Rented both, bought the BERSA.


Never regretted it.

 

[Rob1035]

my dad has a Interarms PPK/S and the DA pull is atrocious. Go for the bersa, a better gun to shoot, for half the money

 

[REDCELL]

Niether, The Walther always has problems feeding, search other forums for more on this. Plus the trigger has to be broken in. The Bersa is much better and cheaper. But Go with the CZ83. Its built nicer than both in my opinion, no problems in over 700 rounds, great bluing job. Serious make a good investment

 

[ChuckB]

My Bersa has settled in as a reliable shooter. It wasn't at first, jamming a lot with some ammo and not others. It shoots FMJ and HP well now. I'm on my second slide latch, and I took a file to it so it would work. I cut a small ledge for the spring to rest in. I'm not real unhappy about it not staying open on an empty mag, though. My revolvers also let me know they're empty. They say "click".

Chuck

 

[outofbattery]

Have you considered a used SIG P230 or 232 ? IME they're a nicer pistol than the Walther or Bersa , easier to shoot as well . It's the most natural pointing pistol I've ever had and is tremendously accurate for its size and purpose and thought it's a little snappy , it doesn't tend to punish the hand like the PPK .

 

[bad LT]

Get the PPK (it attracts the ladies).

 

[Combat-wombat]

Of these options, I'd say the PPK is much cooler, and coolness just can't be beat.

However, I would recommend the Sig Sauer P232 over either of these options if that's a choice you have. I have one and it balances and feels perfect in the hand, is reliable (not one jam yet- and it was bought used), and relatively accurate.

 

[Onmilo]

When you look at both guns you will see that the Bersa is something of a ripoff of the Walther without the pull down triggerguard takedown.

The Bersa is less expensive and showing themselves to be fairly excellent weapons for the money involved.

I have shot Walther PP guns for years and have always felt the .380 caliber pistols were far less reliable than the .32 acp or .22 LR caliber versions.

The Bersa seems to have worked out the functional reliability issue with this design in he .380 acp caliber.

For the money it can be a serious contender to any .380 caliber Walther, however, with lots of used .32 acp caliber Walther and Manhurin PP guns on the market for less than $400.00, if you don't have a caliber fetish, these are a serious pistol to look at compared to the Bersa.

 

[The Drew]

Bersa Duotone... $189@gander mountain... reliable with anything I've put through it... HP's and almost all manner of cheap range ammo...

The Bersa is a copy on another .380 a browning I think... but it is also similar to the walther...

BTW the magazine safety can be disabled by the simple removal of a spring...

 

[HighVelocity]

I'm going with the Sig crowd on this one. A 230 or 232 beats both the Bersa and the Walther hands down imho.

 

[gbelleh]

I've owned a PPK/S and a Bersa .380. The PPK does look cool, but based on my personal experience, I wouldn't trust the PPK for carry. I do trust the Bersa. It has been 100% reliable.

 

[wasrjoe]

Uncle has a Bersa. Seems like a fine little gun. He shoots it well, I shot it well, appears to be reliable. Not my cup of tea, but a good gun. No experience with a PPK.

 

[MICHAEL T]

Both my Bersa and PPK/s have been trouble free. For the price of a new PPK you can get 2 Bersa's . I would go with the Bersa.

 

[Brian41]

I have a bersa as does my father, mine was used-i've put 350+ rnds through it, and dad has probably put close to 500 through his (purchased new). Both of us have fired a friends PPK/S and both of us prefered the bersa. The beaver tail on the bersa protects agains hammer bite.. which was an issue for both of us as we have larger hands. I also like that the bersa has a slide that can be manually locked back, not only after the final round is fired as with the walther i fired.

As per bersa customer service... EXCELENT!!! my second hand series 95 recently had the trigger spring break, and despite the fact that i was the second owner, bersa completely refurbished the gun.... all new springs, completely new trigger assembly, etc..

not to mention the fact that you could by 2 bersas for the price of one walther....

this guy says go for the bersa

 

[Zeke Menuar]

Between the two choices, Bersa.

If weight isn't an issue, look up the CZ-83. 13+1 capacity, accurate and has a real good trigger.

ZM

 

[Vernal45]

Both will serve you well. The Bersa is half the price, so if you want a good gun, for not a lot of money, Go Bersa. If you want a Walther, get the PPK.