lee n. field
New member
Well, sir. Welcome to the Internet.
(It's not just your countrymen. )
Your experiences with Bersa
- Thread starter BOOGIE the oily
- Start date
Well, sir. Welcome to the Internet.
(It's not just your countrymen. )
PlatinumCore16
New member
Yea that really stinks. I take it they basically just took all the negatives and pointed out why Bersa is awful and ignored all of the positives?
I suppose they get shipments from Bersa every now and then so parts are easier to come by. 3 years ago they sent me a brand new pistol because they had no parts in the USA (this is after waiting 4 months for their authorized warranty center, Reynersons in LA to advise them the gun was in fact broken and needed parts to fix it).
dakota.potts
New member
I don't trust mine for concealed carry. It first had issues with the safety locking up and not disengaging which required a full disassembly, and later had an astounding number of failures to fire. It turns out that the aftermarket wood grips I put on it had contributed to the FTF but I still remain cautious of it until I have more failure free rounds through it.
Bersa, in my experience with only one pistol I would equate mine to the Yugo my BIL bought his daughter. Neither have a very high rating with me, the pistol is in a drawer the Yugo is probably a Chinese made monkey wrench by now.
My pistol could not get through an entire mag, it visited the repair facility where it was proclaimed cured of it's maladies---- now it occasionally will feed a whole one----just occasionally.
Bersa is no longer on my shopping list.
My pistol could not get through an entire mag, it visited the repair facility where it was proclaimed cured of it's maladies---- now it occasionally will feed a whole one----just occasionally.
Bersa is no longer on my shopping list.
BOOGIE the oily
New member
Yeah, I know.
I've been a member on probably 20 or so forums over the years, in many different disciplines, from software (I'm a Linux user) to soapmaking. And yes, I've seen my share of a-holes in them.
But, believe me, Argentinians are way worse...
Yep. Among other things.
Of course, they didn't count with my short fuse. Now, that thread, which I was hoping would end up with hundreds of your experiences, is dead with just 12 of them.
So who loses? I'm here, and I can learn from all of you. Meanwhile, they're stuck with themselves, always revolving around the same ignorant BS.
And Bersa keeps on going, and it's one of very few Argentinian companies that's actually growing, while most others are going bankrupt left and right.
Pukindog12
New member
1. Do you (or did you) own a Bersa pistol? Which one?
I own two Bersa Thunder UC9 Pros.
2. What do (did) you use it for?
I use them both for home defense and range. Occasionally they will get carried.
3. What's your opinion of it? Pros and cons?
My opinion of them are that they are great pistols. Of all my 9mms they'd be the last to go alongside my FNS 9c.
Pros: Very reliable. Mine have been flawless. Very accurate. Best SA/DA trigger I ever pulled. Good size/weight to capacity ratio. Easiest semi-auto I have encountered to break down and clean. Very easy to rack. Priced very reasonably.
Cons: Although I don't have a problem with this, the grips seem kind of fat/thick for smaller hands. I am not a big fan of the keyed trigger/slide lock.
4. Have you had any issues with it?
Nope. Never. One of the reasons I love these pistols.
5. Would you trust your life to it?
Yes. I do every day.
6. Would you buy Bersa again?
Yes.
And could you please rate it (1 to 10) on:
Reliability 10
Accuracy 9
Overall 10
Quality/Value 10+
If if comes across that I am a Bersa fanboy, it is because I am. My pistols haven't given me a reason not to be while having many positive things going for them. Seems like most of the negative things I hear/read about Bersa revolves around their .380s. Although I consider Bersa .380s to be fine pistols they aren't, IMO, in the same league as their bigger bore relatives. On www.Bersachat.com it is generally considered that the Bersa Thunder UC9 Pro is the best Bersa makes. Another good thing about the UC9 Pro and the UC40 Pro is that slides, barrels, mags, and recoil rods and springs are interchangable. Although Bersa and Eagle Imports strongly discourages this.
I own two Bersa Thunder UC9 Pros.
2. What do (did) you use it for?
I use them both for home defense and range. Occasionally they will get carried.
3. What's your opinion of it? Pros and cons?
My opinion of them are that they are great pistols. Of all my 9mms they'd be the last to go alongside my FNS 9c.
Pros: Very reliable. Mine have been flawless. Very accurate. Best SA/DA trigger I ever pulled. Good size/weight to capacity ratio. Easiest semi-auto I have encountered to break down and clean. Very easy to rack. Priced very reasonably.
Cons: Although I don't have a problem with this, the grips seem kind of fat/thick for smaller hands. I am not a big fan of the keyed trigger/slide lock.
4. Have you had any issues with it?
Nope. Never. One of the reasons I love these pistols.
5. Would you trust your life to it?
Yes. I do every day.
6. Would you buy Bersa again?
Yes.
And could you please rate it (1 to 10) on:
Reliability 10
Accuracy 9
Overall 10
Quality/Value 10+
If if comes across that I am a Bersa fanboy, it is because I am. My pistols haven't given me a reason not to be while having many positive things going for them. Seems like most of the negative things I hear/read about Bersa revolves around their .380s. Although I consider Bersa .380s to be fine pistols they aren't, IMO, in the same league as their bigger bore relatives. On www.Bersachat.com it is generally considered that the Bersa Thunder UC9 Pro is the best Bersa makes. Another good thing about the UC9 Pro and the UC40 Pro is that slides, barrels, mags, and recoil rods and springs are interchangable. Although Bersa and Eagle Imports strongly discourages this.
PlatinumCore16
New member
Now THAT is interesting. The internet is truly a wonderful place. Don't tell me there were stuck up people on that forum?
Model12Win
Moderator
OP I just want you to know that you can post here! We are pretty friendly and I know what you mean about jerks on the forums. Thankfully that is kept to a minimum here. Maybe some lighthearted trolling from time to time (guilty as charged 
) but we treat each other pretty good here, and there is a lot of knowledge here. 
) but we treat each other pretty good here, and there is a lot of knowledge here. 1. Do you (or did you) own a Bersa pistol? Which one?
I'v had two BP9cc 9mm pistols, I still have the second one. I sold the first one as it was a duplicate to another pistol.
2. What do (did) you use it for? Occasionally carry
3. What's your opinion of it? Pros and cons? Very compact pistols, accurate, I like polygonal rifling. The only con would be the very light trigger for a carry gun. I bought both of them used so they may have been modified at some point.
4. Have you had any issues with it? Don't ever remove the extractor, it's even harder to reinstall. I had to send mine in to get it replaced, a great experience with Eagle customer service and the company they use to do repairs.
5. Would you trust your life to it? Yes, it was very reliable and easy to shoot for a small9mm pistol.
6. Would you buy Bersa again? Yes
And could you please rate it (1 to 10) on:
Reliability 10
Accuracy 9
Overall quality 9
Value 10
I'v had two BP9cc 9mm pistols, I still have the second one. I sold the first one as it was a duplicate to another pistol.
2. What do (did) you use it for? Occasionally carry
3. What's your opinion of it? Pros and cons? Very compact pistols, accurate, I like polygonal rifling. The only con would be the very light trigger for a carry gun. I bought both of them used so they may have been modified at some point.
4. Have you had any issues with it? Don't ever remove the extractor, it's even harder to reinstall. I had to send mine in to get it replaced, a great experience with Eagle customer service and the company they use to do repairs.
5. Would you trust your life to it? Yes, it was very reliable and easy to shoot for a small9mm pistol.
6. Would you buy Bersa again? Yes
And could you please rate it (1 to 10) on:
Reliability 10
Accuracy 9
Overall quality 9
Value 10
BOOGIE the oily
New member
You could say that.
Fact is, I've been making soap with biodiesel glycerine for about 3 1/5 years, when I was in the U.S.
Here's a pic of my last batch.
And I've also made whisky...
... among other things.
So, yeah, I'm weird...
Yeah, I'm seeing that. And I thank you all for it.
1. Do you (or did you) own a Bersa pistol? Which one?
I own a Bersa 23 in .22LR
2. What do (did) you use it for?
Plinking, teaching, & self-defense
3. What's your opinion of it? Pros and cons?
It will be the last gun I will ever sell and if I can I will have it buried with me, Viking style (not really, it'll probably go with my wife who loves it, too). Pros are reliability and quality construction, cons are slide-mounted safety (who ever though that was good idea?) and razor-sharp edges.
4. Have you had any issues with it?
No. It prefers CCI Mini-Mag; never a problem with that cartridge.
5. Would you trust your life to it?
Yes and I often do; I trust my wife's life to it as well.
6. Would you buy Bersa again?
I'm presently looking for a reasonably-priced Bersa in .32acp; the wife doesn't much care for recoil and I'd like her to pack something more powerful than the .22LR. Sadly, Eagle Imports says no more .32 for the USA.
I own a Bersa 23 in .22LR
2. What do (did) you use it for?
Plinking, teaching, & self-defense
3. What's your opinion of it? Pros and cons?
It will be the last gun I will ever sell and if I can I will have it buried with me, Viking style (not really, it'll probably go with my wife who loves it, too). Pros are reliability and quality construction, cons are slide-mounted safety (who ever though that was good idea?) and razor-sharp edges.
4. Have you had any issues with it?
No. It prefers CCI Mini-Mag; never a problem with that cartridge.
5. Would you trust your life to it?
Yes and I often do; I trust my wife's life to it as well.
6. Would you buy Bersa again?
I'm presently looking for a reasonably-priced Bersa in .32acp; the wife doesn't much care for recoil and I'd like her to pack something more powerful than the .22LR. Sadly, Eagle Imports says no more .32 for the USA.
larryf1952
New member
I bought a Bersa 383A way back in 1992 or '93. It has the wooden grip panels, and is the predecessor to the Thunder 380. I used to shoot it quite often. But, as my collection grew, I shot it less and less frequently.
My impressions of the gun were very positive. It was accurate for a small pistol. It was also very reliable. I shoot reloaded ammo, and it functioned well with the rounds that I made. I have always thought that the quality of the gun far exceeded the price that I paid for it.
I still own the Bersa. It is one of 2 .380's in my safe. The other is a Walther PPK/s. I hesitate to shoot the old Bersa these days, because I know that parts are no longer available for it. But, I would have no reason to believe that it would not be reliable should I have to depend on it for self defense.
Of all of the guns that I have ever bought, it is probably one of the very best values for the dollar that I have ever had. Here's a pic...
My impressions of the gun were very positive. It was accurate for a small pistol. It was also very reliable. I shoot reloaded ammo, and it functioned well with the rounds that I made. I have always thought that the quality of the gun far exceeded the price that I paid for it.
I still own the Bersa. It is one of 2 .380's in my safe. The other is a Walther PPK/s. I hesitate to shoot the old Bersa these days, because I know that parts are no longer available for it. But, I would have no reason to believe that it would not be reliable should I have to depend on it for self defense.
Of all of the guns that I have ever bought, it is probably one of the very best values for the dollar that I have ever had. Here's a pic...
BOOGIE the oily
New member
Thank you all.
@Svaz: as far as I know, Bersa doesn't have a .32 acp in its current lineup. At least not here, in Argentina.
You could, however, try a Thunder 380, or a BP9CC, if you like polymer, striker fired. For what I can see, they both have gotten pretty nice reviews...
@Svaz: as far as I know, Bersa doesn't have a .32 acp in its current lineup. At least not here, in Argentina.
You could, however, try a Thunder 380, or a BP9CC, if you like polymer, striker fired. For what I can see, they both have gotten pretty nice reviews...
brian33x51
New member
Nickel finish bersa 380 thunder from a while back, probably 2004 or 2005 timeframe with the intention that my wife would at some point carry it.
The fixed barrel mount is one indicator of where they cut corners on cost. But the bersa operates well, my wife and kids all have shot it.
Even though I have quite a large hand I really like the feel of this gun in my hand.
I have 4 stainless aftermarket mags, 3 of them jam pretty regularly.
The factory mag is great. Just picked up a promag at cabelas which has been good too.
The fixed barrel mount is one indicator of where they cut corners on cost. But the bersa operates well, my wife and kids all have shot it.
Even though I have quite a large hand I really like the feel of this gun in my hand.
I have 4 stainless aftermarket mags, 3 of them jam pretty regularly.
The factory mag is great. Just picked up a promag at cabelas which has been good too.
1. Do you (or did you) own a Bersa pistol? Which one?
Yes. Thunder .380, Thunder 9 (the full sized one)
2. What do (did) you use it for?
Concealed carry, home defense
3. What's your opinion of it? Pros and cons?
I tried hard to like them. But they were both jam-o-matics.
4. Have you had any issues with it?
You betcha. I had to send the .380 back to the shop because the bolt face on the slide peened so bad that it wouldn't feed. It ate slide locks. And there's this little washer in the trigger mechanism that breaks and bricks the weapon. The 9mm was a nickle plated model. The nickle plating started flaking off. Eventually, the extractor failed.
5. Would you trust your life to it?
Nope. Neither one of them. And I don't own either of them any more.
6. Would you buy Bersa again?
Nope.
Yes. Thunder .380, Thunder 9 (the full sized one)
2. What do (did) you use it for?
Concealed carry, home defense
3. What's your opinion of it? Pros and cons?
I tried hard to like them. But they were both jam-o-matics.
4. Have you had any issues with it?
You betcha. I had to send the .380 back to the shop because the bolt face on the slide peened so bad that it wouldn't feed. It ate slide locks. And there's this little washer in the trigger mechanism that breaks and bricks the weapon. The 9mm was a nickle plated model. The nickle plating started flaking off. Eventually, the extractor failed.
5. Would you trust your life to it?
Nope. Neither one of them. And I don't own either of them any more.
6. Would you buy Bersa again?
Nope.
Experiences with Bersa
I only own two pistols and one is my Bersa Thunder .32 acp. I luv this pistol, can shoot it well. Have over 750 flawless rounds through it. I also had a Bersa Thunder .380 which was dependable and accurate, but I sold it. I liked the .32 acp better because with little recoil I can put 2 or 3 fast shots in center mass. I use it mostly for home defense but carry it once in a while. I believe Bersa made a mistake by stopping shipments of the .32 acp to the US. .32 acp is an excellent gun for carry or home defense. I have never had a problem with mine. I know two other people who own Bersa's and really like them, one owns a 9mm the other a .380.
Reliability -- 10
Accuracy -- 9
Price -- 10
I do trust my life to it completely.
Use it for range and home defense.
Would not hesitate to buy another Bersa.
Never had a problem with it.
I only own two pistols and one is my Bersa Thunder .32 acp. I luv this pistol, can shoot it well. Have over 750 flawless rounds through it. I also had a Bersa Thunder .380 which was dependable and accurate, but I sold it. I liked the .32 acp better because with little recoil I can put 2 or 3 fast shots in center mass. I use it mostly for home defense but carry it once in a while. I believe Bersa made a mistake by stopping shipments of the .32 acp to the US. .32 acp is an excellent gun for carry or home defense. I have never had a problem with mine. I know two other people who own Bersa's and really like them, one owns a 9mm the other a .380.
Reliability -- 10
Accuracy -- 9
Price -- 10
I do trust my life to it completely.
Use it for range and home defense.
Would not hesitate to buy another Bersa.
Never had a problem with it.
I'm not gonna respond to all the questions, too much writing. I have the thunder 380, 380cc, and the thunder plus. I shoot and carry the standard 380 the most. All 3 have been very reliable, but I don't buy aftermarket magazines just to be sure. I have Exactly 1000 through it right now, 800 of it was Winchester white box. Had a few duds but they were just bad primers as multiple strikes didn't set them off. Their finish isn't very strong, and mine shows a good amount of wear now.
The 380 cc recoils a bit harder but it's just because it's thinner. Has a MUCH nicer trigger pull than the others, but I end up missing having real sights for practice and plinking.
Overall I'd recommend them, they are a great value, hard to beat. If you're looking for a super nice finish with no machine marks, look elsewhere, but they shoot good and are very reliable. Guess I did write a lot.
The 380 cc recoils a bit harder but it's just because it's thinner. Has a MUCH nicer trigger pull than the others, but I end up missing having real sights for practice and plinking.
Overall I'd recommend them, they are a great value, hard to beat. If you're looking for a super nice finish with no machine marks, look elsewhere, but they shoot good and are very reliable. Guess I did write a lot.
Pinky Carruthers
New member
I have 5 Bersas, 2 T9UCs, 1 T9FS, 1 T.22, and 1 Bp9cc. All have been 100% reliable and the FS has over 5K rnds through it. Great triggers on the Thunder 9s, the best of all my DA/SA guns.
100% satisfied with Bersa, great pistols and a good bargain.
100% satisfied with Bersa, great pistols and a good bargain.