Bersa Vs. Glock 26

G

Grapeshot

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Yes, I know the .380 is a step down from 9 mm - but that aside, what are the relative merits of each gun?

The Bersa Thunder Lite just seems like it was made for my small hand - but it has a crappy trigger pull which may offset it's handling characteristics. Also, will it kick more than the Glock? Will it be durable enough for lots of practice and use as a CCW/self-defense weapon? How accurate are these 2 guns?

The Glock feels "ok" but not great, a little better if one of those grip adapters is added. And it is a better, cheaper caliber. And all those sweet accessories out there to customize it. But it sure is expensive, and fat too. And reliable. I bet it's easy to hit with and accurate as well. Man am I torn ... any input guys?
 
I have both. The Glock is chambered for a more powerful cartridge, as you mentioned, and it carries 10+1 vs. 7+1 in the Bersa. Both can be easily concealed, but the Bersa is narrower, which you may prefer. The Glock is simple, with the same trigger pull each time, and no external levers, etc. I have achieved good accuracy with both, but I am continually amazed at the accuracy of the Glock 26...a subcompact just shouldn't be so accurate according to conventional wisdom. Glock wins in durability too. As for reliability, I am pleased with them both. I haven't had any failures in either so far, but I would expect the Glock to come out on top if I were to run side by side tests until one of them failed. The recoil of the Bersa is pretty sharp in comparison (direct blow back), so that is something else to consider.

In summary, why don't you just get both? :). Seriously, if you want to use one as a primary carry pistol I would recommend the Glock, but the Bersa does easily exceed your expectations for a sub $200 pistol.
 
What Andabeer was trying to say was :) ... Be SURE to take a look at the Kahr P9 9mm pistol. It weighs less than the Bersa, is almost EXACTLY the same size, and fits small hands well. where it has the advantage(s):
7+1 rounds of 9mm instead of .380
"Elite" trigger, which is much like a well tuned DA revolver.

Try it, you'll like it! I had a Walther PPK/S, and LOVED it, but the Kahr is 10x better for me personally, and probably will be for you too. For personal defense and CCW stuff, there's no contest between Bersa and Kahr. Now, when it comes to the Glock or the Kahr, things get fuzzier.
 
No more Kahrs for me thanks ...

Had a K9; too finicky to run my reloads and too big and heavy. Mostly though I just didn't like the trigger.
As for the P9, I don't think they've got all the bugs worked out of it yet. And Kahr resale value here is non-existant, though everyone seems to like Glocks and Bersas (cheap).
Thanks anyway!
 
Bersa's do not verse Glocks, they are simply inferior. Sigs, Berettas, H&K's, S&W's, Colt, Kimber, even Kahrs may verse Glocks. Anyone who doesn't accept this, just report back after your Bersa cranks out 170,000 rounds without a failure. Cheap guns normally equal low quality, with the exception of used S&W wheelguns. How much is your life worth? Here is a simple check, look for aftermarket sights for the Bersa, or mags, or holsters, or any part.... Go to any search engine, and type in Glock, see how many hits you get! Why? because Glocks represent about 45% plus of all competitive forums,IPSC, IDPA, Steel Challenge, GSSF, Guns that work are Guns that work, and sell...... and more than 70% of LEO sales. How many cops carry Bersa's?
 
First, let me lay it out on the line: I DON'T LIKE GLOCKS FOR CIVILIAN CARRY. Most civilians simply do not have and never will have the training necessary to carry cocked and unlocked. In civilian hands, they are tragedies waiting to happen. There, got that off my chest.

By all accounts, Bersas are great guns, especially for the dinero. As for the caliber thing, I carry either a sig or a ppk each chambered in .380. For civilian use, this is fine.

BUT, with all that said I just have to agree with 9x45: bersas to not verse glocks. You are comparing a Toyota RAV4 with a Hummer. Just no comparison to make. No flame intended.
 
9x45, so you're saying I should get the Bersa ...

Geesh.
You'da thought I asked about a Jennings.

"Bersa's do not verse Glocks, they are simply
inferior. Sigs, Berettas, H&K's, S&W's, Colt,
Kimber, even Kahrs may verse Glocks."

Uh huh, I'm aware that Bersa's are not military/police sidearms, and not in the same tier as Glock. But let's face it, most autos can't compare with a Glock. I don't think that makes them utter crap, though.

I have owned most of the guns you mentioned, (and having traded them all off), I can tell you that there IS one catagory in which the Bersa's do compare - SIZE. They're extremely slim and trim. Too bad Colt discontinued their .380's.

"Anyone who doesn't accept this, just report
back after your Bersa cranks out 170,000
rounds without a failure."

Um, do you mean 17,000 maybe? I'd be lucky to put 1700 thru it.

Maybe someone who owns a Bersa will tell us how many rounds they have through it?


"Go to any search engine, and type
in Glock, see how many hits you get!"

Never had to, Glocktalk fulfills all my needs. Right now there is a virtual "love-fest" regarding the G26 going on. But again, the darn thing just doesn't fit my hand quite right.


"... because Glocks represent about 45% plus of
all competitive forums,IPSC, IDPA, Steel
Challenge, GSSF, Guns that work are Guns
that work, and sell...... and more than 70% of
LEO sales."

Since when does the average cop get to choose what he wants to carry?
I'm pretty sure that cops learn to accept whatever their administrators buy for them. If they could choose, you might be surprised how many DON'T want a Glock. They're good, but not a death ray.

As for what competitors favor, the fact that I even mentioned a Bersa should lead you to the conclusion that I'm not planning on competing in IPSC. That's pretty far removed from the reality of CCW. And plinking, which is probably what it will most be used for.


"How many cops carry Bersa's?"

How many cops carry handcuffs and a kubaton, and have a 12 guage in their trunk? Should I carry all that crap too? Hmmm, think I'll skip it since I'm just a plain ol' non-IPSC/IDPA/Bianchi competin' civilian looking for a reliable piece.

So, any LEO's out there carry a BERSA as a BACKUP?









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You might as well be comparing a Corvette to a convertible
Pinto.:D The Glock, by far and away supercedes the Bersa
Thunder; as a personal defense CCW. I prefer the 9m/m
Luger anyday, over the .380 auto.:) Now, with that said
let me state that the Bersa Thunder that I examined looked
really good, felt really good; but it was a bit large for
a .380. Range report's here at TFL have these weapons
firing literally hundreds of rounds without a malfunction.
If money is an object (which it is with me), then certainly
I would recommend the Bersa; but if the funds are available
I would opt for a Glock 26.:):D

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, Life Member N.R.A.
 
Thanks for the input, guys!

Well based on what you guys say, if I can sell one of my other guns, I'll go ahead and get the Glock. If I can't, it sounds like the world isn't going to end if I get a Bersa.

I too am a little skittish about civilians running around with Glocks, since I would think that weapon requires training. The only guy I ever heard of who carried one was stupid enough to carry it IWB (w/out holster) in the front, and when he went to draw it on some BG's, guess what he accidentally blew off ...

In short, the very thing I like about the Glock (the more-or-less cocked/unlocked trigger) does scare the heck out of me from a safety standpoint.

If I get the Glock, I'm gonna get some training based on what you guys have said.

Thanks again!
 
Just a little tidbit of info for you....I own both the Glock 26 and the firestorm which is for all acounts a Bersa. I like them both. I have never had a single malfunction with either. For the money, the Bersa is GREAT, for more money, the Glock is great, but you need to be very aware that it takes less with the glock to have an accident...be careful with it and my number one rule with a glock...USE A HOLSTER, don't just stick in in your pants....even if it does make a big bulge!!!

GregM
 
I have done a side by side of both

I have a G26, my sister has the Bersa 380.
Recently at the range I let her shoot my G26. She had been shooting her Bersa and the first thing she said was "Wow that dosen't kick that much"
She was impressed that a 9mm would kick less than a 380.
I shot them both and would say that the trigger is the lowest point for the Bersa, the capacity next.
But, that being said, if you can't crank out the bucks for the G26 a Bersa would be a fine compromise.

Have you made your pick yet?
 
Well...

In re: Seminole1986's comment
Most civilians simply do not have and never will have the training necessary to carry cocked and unlocked.
Click to expand...
Sorry, but I have to blow the whistle on that urban legend. I know lots and lots of officers from a bunch of PD's. Most own only the gun they were issued, and only shoot it when required. In the gun store I worked in, being a "police trade-in" was a good selling point, in that the bore was likely to be pristine, if cobwebby.

I shoot every chance I get. I seek training, voluntarily, whenever I have the money and the vacation time. Some LEO's I knew were like that. Most weren't.

The average "civilian" hit-ratio in gunfights was higher than the average police officer's, last data I saw. "Civvie" CCW holders own and carry guns because they want to and deliberately sought one out. LEO's carry one because they have to. Yes, there are untrained CCW holders out there, but there are also a lot of LEO's who can't hit the side of a barn from the inside and discharge their Glocks while tying their shoes. Oh, and LEO's are civilians. Despite the current fascination with BDU's, jump boots and "patrol rifles", they're not in the military, hence they are civilians.

This "Us trained experts, you simple peasants" attitude gets annoying at times.
 
Tamara, funny you should mention that ...

Tamara, I just had to respond to your post.
Yesterday, I sold a pistol to a retired LEO who had exactly the attitude you described. Only we weren't talking about Glocks - we were talking about concealed carry. I was foolish enough to ask him his opinion of it.

He responded with, "That CCW will just get you in trouble."
"Huh?"
He then went on to explain that pulling my gun would only result in assault and battery or brandishing charges, and that I could not even pull it if somebody threatened and then commenced thrashing me, and said most CCW holders don't realize this.

What really irked me though was when he told me that his wife WANTED HER CCW AND HE WOULDN'T LET HER CARRY A GUN!!

And the really funny part was that he sure wasn't interestd in filling out any paperwork to get the Beretta, being the second LEO I've talked to who wanted to avoid a paper trail to their personal weapon ...

Do LEO's know something we don't about future confiscation?

And BTW, thanks for all the informative responses. I haven't made my decision yet ... I'm taking the future Mrs. to look at both the guns to see what she thinks (ok ok I just wanna touch that Glock again!). I figure I will end up buying both, since she wants the Bersa.

Now, if only I could decide between the 19 and the 26 ... any input?
 
Between the two the Glock is the far nicer gun, but if you only have so much money the Bersa may be the way to go.

I do have one thing to say though:

170,000 rounds of ammunition, figure 20 cents a round.

Thats $34,000 worth of shooting.

How many people are going to buy a $180 Bersa because it is affordable, and then shoot Thirty Four Thousand dollars worth of ammo through it?

Don't get me wrong, between the two I would get the Glock in a heartbeat. This is not meant as an insult to the Church of Glock, I say that before somebody flames me for daring to question such things as Glock doctrine. But how many of us fire 170,000 rounds of ammo through a single gun in our life? If he wants the Bersa as an economy gun, figure it will get shot maybe a couple of thousand times and then something new would be purchased. For $34,000 you could buy a custom SVI and still have 150,000 rounds to shoot through it. ;)
 
cost

what you spend extra on the Glock will be paid for over time from the fact that 9mm ammo is cheaper than .380 ammo, at least in my limited experience,

or the fact that the ammo is cheaper will make you shoot more, in either case ammo cost should figure in to the 9mm advantage
 
I shot my buddy's new 19 side by side with my P9 the other day.... WOW did I ever like that 19!!!

Thing is... what kind of carry do you want to do with it. I owned a 27, and I didn't like the way it fit in my hand at all. But I liked it! It was too fat to carry in my pocket, or IWB, but I liked it!!! It wasn't practical for me to carry, but it was a heckuva gun! I'm still going to own a 23 someday soon.

If the 19 isn't too big for you to carry EVERY DAY, I'd say go for the extra finger's worth of grip. If not, do the 26.

I bought a Walther PPK/S to carry once, and STILL have a scar on the web of my hand from shooting it :o Recoil was kinda stiff for such a small caliber. Not too hot to handle, but more than I expected from that little pistol. My wife didn't like it either. She's a bit recoil sensitive, and didn't like my 27, nor will she shoot my USP45 anymore, but has no problems shooting her MK9, my P9, or my buddy's 19.

Heck, get the 26. If you can't afford it, get it anyway :D
Then, later, get the 19... then you've got magazine swappability, identical action, and a REALLY cool pair of pistols!
 
Correia -

"170,000 rounds of ammunition, figure 20 cents a round."

"Thats $34,000 worth of shooting."

Take some of that money and get a Dillon 650 and knock it down to about 6 cents a round. d8-) (You don't actually save money; you just shoot a lot more for the same amount.)
 
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