Your experiences with Bersa

B

BOOGIE the oily

New member
Ok, let me 'splain.

I know there are many threads about Bersas, and many posts with members' experiences with the brand. The reason I'm opening this new thread is because I need some specifics.

Like I said before, I'm from Argentina. Now, incredibly enough, there's a lot of controversy in my country about Bersas. A lot of Bersa lovers, but also a lot of haters, and no real honest data to rely on.
So in a Argentinean gun forum I belong to, a group of members have decided to start testing our Bersas, and documenting everything, so as to start a database about the brand.
And then it occurred to me: Americans are widely regarded as experts when it comes to weapons, and I lived in the US for more than a decade, so I know you're an honest bunch. So I could ask you for your thoughts, and then translate it to Spanish, and make it available over there.

And that's why.

So what I need from you (if youŕe ok with it), is:


1. Do you (or did you) own a Bersa pistol? Which one?
2. What do (did) you use it for?
3. What's your opinion of it? Pros and cons?
4. Have you had any issues with it?
5. Would you trust your life to it?
6. Would you buy Bersa again?

And could you please rate it (1 to 10) on:
  • Reliability
  • Accuracy
  • Overall quality
  • Value

And finally, anything you want to add, that you feel may be useful, is appreciated.

Just remember, your comments will be posted (and translated to Spanish) on this board:

http://www.foro.fullaventura.com/viewforum.php?f=1

I will post the thread's link here, once I open it.

Thank you all very much!

EDIT: Ok, here's the link, if you guys wanna go taka a peep.:)

http://http://www.foro.fullaventura.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=155226
 
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Bersa Thunder 380 CC

I specifically bought a Bersa Thunder 380 CC. It had everything I wanted in a CC gun, most specifically DA/SA and a decocker, but size was very important to me as well.

I like the gun and have carried it often. SA I'm pretty accurate with it, but DA I am still learning to hit what I aim at. In the first 800 or so rounds I had two stove pipes, so that's not horrible, but . . . .

The gun is in the shop now because the slide got to the point where it would not stay back. And the decocker/safety has always been very stiff.

I wish the sights were larger, as I've been spoiled in that regard by my Sig P238.

Overall, for the $ I paid ($280) I think it is a good gun and will if they get the issues mentions above addressed well at the repair shot I'm sure I'll continue to carry it.

Life is good.

Prof Young
 
I had an older Berra Md#83A if I remember correctly. I didn't buy it New but it was all but new. Very nice handgun and well built I thought. Shot very well and never had a problem.
Used it for a CCW for awhile.
I sold it though to someone in need of a good inexpensive handgun for his wife.
Kinda sorry I sold it but it helped someone out!
Would I buy another one not really but because I don't have the need.but not because it wasn't good enough!:cool:
 
I bought a brand new Bersa Thunder 380 three years ago. Fired 60 rounds of factory .380 ball and the slide lock sheared in two halves locking up the pistol. Sure glad I tested it before carrying because it could have gotten me killed. The part appeared to be made of some kind of low quality, possibly sintered porous metal. I was totally turned off and sold the gun. I will not own a Bersa pistol when other higher quality and proven weapons are available for the same or less cost, such as a Makarov pistol which I find to be excellent, or the Ruger LCP.

That is just my experience. I understand it could have been a freak accident but doing a bit of research shows others have had similar parts failures on Bersa pistols. I think they are well made and attractive handguns but I just don't think the materials used are ideal for making guns. 60 rounds in a brand new gun with a catastrophic failure that rendered the gun inoperable soured me to the Bersa name.
 
My Personal Bersa experience is not extensive but quite positive. I don't own a Bersa at the moment but have been considering buying another Thunder380CC. Or maybe a plain Thunder 380. Am mostly ambivalent about the internal lock and magazine disconnect but would rather they were not there. I do have some long term misgivings about an aluminum feed ramp and would prefer that were steel but the Bersa has such a straight in feed angle that it probably matters little. The CC model is still just a bit larger than a PPK/S (surprisingly) but probably about 5 ounces lighter with its alloy frame. I'm talking myself into one.
 
I own and have owned the BT380, 380 Plus, BT22, and HC9.

The BT380 was my first firearms purchase, I bought it used at a gunshow for $200 right before my concealed carry class. Not sure on the round count, more than 500 probably less than 1000, perfect reliability during that time. Fits my hand perfectly, has a nice trigger, and is plenty accurate. Still have it.

I bought the .380 Plus because it was a good deal, and I had such a good experience with the single stack, but I haven't shot it much, probably about 100 rounds worth, no issues however. I much prefer the single stack for carry, I'd just as soon step up to a 9mm as carry the Plus. Still have it.

The BT22 is a fun little pistol, but magazines are a bit spotty in quality. I bought a spare which feeds most of the ammo I've tried fine, but the original only fed HV ammo. But its not too uncommon for .22 pistols to be picky, so I don't really mind. Still have it.

The HC9 didn't work out as well for me, after about 200 rounds it started to intermittently fail to extract the spent casing, ordered a new extractor, no improvement, so I ordered another, which fixed the issue. I got rid of the pistol shortly after though as the whole experience left a bad taste in my mouth. Kind of wish I had kept it and tested it longer, but have more expensive taste now. Worth noting, I don't have extensive experience with pistols or anything, but the trigger on that HC9 was the best DA/SA trigger I've ever felt by a long shot.
 
1. Do you (or did you) own a Bersa pistol? Which one?

Yes, A Bersa Thunder .380


2. What do (did) you use it for?

Bought it for defensive purposes and concealed carry.


3. What's your opinion of it? Pros and cons?

Poor quality and workmanship


4. Have you had any issues with it?

Had to send it in for warranty work within the first box of ammunition.


5. Would you trust your life to it?

No


6. Would you buy Bersa again?

No
 
Mi problema com Bersa es el arma de fuego es solo por los gente diestro. Soy para zurdo. La pistola parace esta in poce de debajo de metid calidad. Siento por me castellano.
 
1. Do you (or did you) own a Bersa pistol? Which one?
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Yes, an Ultra Carry .45. (Not the current "Pro" version.)

2. What do (did) you use it for?
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Mostly range shooting. Might have carried it, once our state finally got (legal) carry.

3. What's your opinion of it? Pros and cons?
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Pros: Comfortable in the hand, all parts available and relatively inexpensive from the US distributor, Controls easy to reach and operate. Ambidextrous controls with reversible magazine release, for those that need it.

Cons: Magazines relatively expensive. Said to be somewhat difficult to work on. Sights on the non-pro version were proprietary. Nickel finish flaked in spots (not uncommon, per Internet gunboard reports).

4. Have you had any issues with it?
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Multiple parts breakages during the 5 years or so I owned it. Sear/hammer, trigger return spring, firing pin tip, and something else in the slide I'm forgetting right now. Three of them I could deal with. The sear/hammer problem I left for a gunsmith to deal with.

5. Would you trust your life to it?
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Not that one.

6. Would you buy Bersa again?
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Maybe.
 
1. Do you (or did you) own a Bersa pistol? Which one?

Yes, A Bersa Thunder .380


2. What do (did) you use it for?

Bought it for defensive purposes and concealed carry.


3. What's your opinion of it? Pros and cons?

Poor quality and workmanship


4. Have you had any issues with it?

Had to send it in for warranty work within the first box of ammunition.


5. Would you trust your life to it?

No


6. Would you buy Bersa again?

No
Click to expand...

Pretty much exactly my experience.

"Bersa®: The Name You Don't Trust™"
 
1. Yup, a Thunder 380.
2. Concealed Carry/self defense (for my girlfriend, it's hers)
3. Pros: It fit her hand the best, was very usable for a smaller framed person with less strength. Cons: It's a bit of a stretch to reach all of the controls for someone with small hands. It's possible, just need practice.
4. None after a box and more of fmj. More data is needed for other ammo, will definitely update this post.
5. I certainly would, I believe the gf would as well.
6. Yup, thinking about a 380cc for myself.
 
1. Do you (or did you) own a Bersa pistol? Which one?
A. Thunder, .22LR

B. Series 95, .32ACP

C. Series 95, .380

D. BP9CC, 9mm

2. What do (did) you use it for?
A. Small game, plinking
B. Small game, plinking
C. Concealed carry
D. Concealed carry

3. What's your opinion of it? Pros and cons?
A. Best value DA .22,
B. Best when you want a bit more power than .22
C. Excellent slim minimum for self defense
D. Best value in a small 99mm, superb trigger - wish it used Glock front sight

4. Have you had any issues with it?
A - D. None

5. Would you trust your life to it?
A-D. Yes (9mm first, then the rest in descending caliber order)

6. Would you buy Bersa again?

Yes

And could you please rate it (1 to 10) on:

Reliability, A.9, B.9, C. 9, D. 10

Accuracy, A.9, B.9, C.9, D. 9

Overall quality, A.9, B.8 (matte finish), C.9 , D.9

Value, A.10, B.9, C.9, D.10
 
1. Do you (or did you) own a Bersa pistol? Which one?

Bersa BP9cc - still own

2. What do (did) you use it for?

Concealed Carry

3. What's your opinion of it? Pros and cons?

Pros: excellent trigger, very accurate for a short barreled auto; cons: frustrating to reassemble after cleaning, some have complained of a finger pinch between the trigger and the trigger guard but I have not experienced this

4. Have you had any issues with it?

It would not cycle hollow points at first. A trip to a warranty center solved the problem.

5. Would you trust your life to it?

Yes. It is my CC gun.

6. Would you buy Bersa again?

Yes

And could you please rate it (1 to 10) on:

Reliability: 9
Accuracy: 9
Overall quality: 9
Value: 10
 
1. Do you (or did you) own a Bersa pistol? Which one?

Purchased a Bersa Thunder 380 over a decade ago. Still in my possession.

2. What do (did) you use it for?

Was my CCW piece up until recently. Currently in rotation as my bedside/home defense weapon.

3. What's your opinion of it? Pros and cons?

Pros:
  • Very ergonomic - fits my small hands well.
  • All metal construction.
  • Surprisingly accurate, especially with handloads (but see "Cons").
  • Easy to detail-strip and clean.
  • Aftermarket Mec-Gar magazines available and affordably priced.
  • The silly magazine safety was easy to remove.
Cons:
  • Rear sight adjustable only for windage but not elevation, which sucks because the gun shoots 3" low at 10 yards with factory ammo. I managed to "tune" one of my handloads to bring the POI up a bit, but it still shoots about 1" low at 10 yards.
  • The blued finish on the slide is somewhat fragile and requires constant touching up (yes, I'm OCD about these things!).

4. Have you had any issues with it?

See above.

5. Would you trust your life to it?

Well, I carried it for over a decade, and it's currently in the rotation as a home defense weapon, so yes.

6. Would you buy Bersa again?

Probably, if the feature set and price were right.

And could you please rate it (1 to 10) on:

Reliability - 10
Accuracy - 9
Overall quality - 7
Value - 9
 
Bersa's I have owned

I've owned three Bersa pistols over the years.
1) Bersa .380 Concealed Carry
2) Bersa .22
3) Bersa/Firestorm .45

I had ammo feeding problems with the Concealed Carry .380. Sent it back to the authorized Bersa repair center here in the United States. They just polished the feed ramp and sent it back. Didn't really fix the problem. Finally found some self defense ammunition that finally fed reliably - Corbon DX 80 grain hollow points. The disconnector bar also failed on the .380 and had to be once again sent to the repair center. They replaced the part and there was no repeat of the problem

At one time I did carry this pistol for self defense/concealed carry. Because of the ammo feeding and disconnector bar problems I lost confidence in it. I replaced it with a Sig P232. Bigger and heavier yes, but much more reliable.

The Bersa .22 is quite finicky about its ammo. It only reliably feeds CCI mini mags or Aguila high velocity bullets. It quite disdains regular velocity ammo. Won't feed any brand of hollow points either. Solid lead only for reliable feeding. Other than that, it is a fun target pistol to shoot.

Now for the exception: The Firestorm .45. In all honesty it is one of the best pistols I have ever owned. From the first round it fed any ammo reliably. No jams or feeding problems what so ever. Very accurate pistol also - I could actually hit what I was aiming at with reassuring consistency. I used it for home protection and kept it in a bedside drawer. I had every confidence in this particular pistol.

Over all my experience was a mixed bag. It depended on which model of Bersa I was shooting. Would I purchase another Bersa? Probably not. Even though they are more expensive, I would go with Sig, HK or even Glock for more reliability.

Now for the ratings. .380 Concealed Carry - Reliability: 4, accuracy: 7, overall quality: 5, Value: 7.
.22 - Reliability (only with high velocity ammo): 7, accuracy: 8, overall quality: 6, Value: 8.
Firestorm .45 - Reliability: 9, accuracy: 9, overall quality: 8, Value: 8.

Hope this evaluation helped.
 
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I have a BP9CC. Great trigger, smallish trigger guard. Fit and finish is good.
I killed mine after 3000 rounds or so. The trigger broke and Bersa sent me a brand new gun. This leads me to to their biggest con: parts availability is basically non-existent.
If something goes wrong Bersa wants you to use their warranty centers which are scattered throughout the USA. You have to pay the outbound freight too-they will not send you a shipping label.
I like mine but doubt it's long term reliability. Then again, lifetime warranty pretty much makes ownership risk free. ;)
 
Thank you all for the replies. :)

But I feel I must apologize to you all.

I stated what I intended to do at the beginning of this thread. Unfortunately, as the saying goes, "good intentions pave the way to hell", so my project has been sent (by my hand) straight to the crapper. To be honest, every day I'm a little more embarrassed to be Argentinian. And yes, that sounds bad, but it doesn't sound half as bad as it feels.

To make it short, my countrymen, instead of talking the information you guys provided as a means to learn a bit, decided to cherry pick and twist every word you said, to make them fit their agendas.

Now, that's not ok with me, so not only I won't be posting on that thread anymore, but that forum has seen the last of me. I have to deal with enough a-holes at work everyday, to be seeking them out online also.

So, again, thank you for helping me out. Sorry it didn't work out as expected. :mad:
 
I killed mine after 3000 rounds or so. The trigger broke and Bersa sent me a brand new gun. This leads me to to their biggest con: parts availability is basically non-existent. If something goes wrong Bersa wants you to use their warranty centers which are scattered throughout the USA. You have to pay the outbound freight too-they will not send you a shipping label.
Click to expand...

Huh? You have seen this page, right: https://bersa.eagleimportsinc.com/bersa/shop/bersa-parts?
 
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