Handgun Forum banner

Why so much doubt with Bersa

52K views 140 replies 77 participants last post by  FrankBrady 
#1 ·
I have been looking for a CCW .45 for some time. I have looked (and shot) the glock, colt, ruger & S/W all great guns. However, I have not been able to fine a bersa thunder 45 to rent. All the ranges have stated they don't rent because of reliability. All the research I have done there is very little negative feedback on the Bersa irregardless of cal. My question is why is there so much bad talk about the Bersa? Most of the negative statments are mad from IMO are people who think they can shoot but really dont know how. I know I will catch crap for that but it is true. And for the record I am an ex-cop, ex-military, and was on the Air Force EST teams as a sniper. So I think I know how to shoot and shoot well. Your responses are welcomed
 
#103 ·
longest, most reliable,error proof...why not go with a bowandarrow???http://www.handg

Bersas haven't been adopted (or, to the best of my knowledge, even tested) by any major military or law enforcement agency. This means that objective, easily accessible test results don't exist. Thus, their short- and long-term reliability and durability are in question.

I know that they've been tested by gun rags, but gun rag "tests" seldom expend more than a couple of hundred rounds, and tend to gloss over any failures anyway.

And I know lots of people on the internet post about their excellent Bersas. But once again, we almost invariably see opinions based on low round counts, usually just a couple hundred rounds. I think this may be partially because serious shooters who expend lots of ammo are generally attracted to guns with longer and deeper track records than Bersa can currently produce.

While Bersas may indeed be excellent, long lived, totally reliable pistols, I haven't seen anything that objectively establishes such. I can, however, easily access test results with multiple sample guns firing thousands (or tens of thousands) of rounds with Beretta, Glock, SIG, HK, and S&W, for example.

I'm not saying Bersas are bad pistols at all - I know several people who are very pleased with their Bersa .380s. But I think this is why you see "doubt" about them. When someone takes thirty randomly selected Bersas and puts 10,000 rounds through each of them, then reports mean rounds between failure, number of broken parts if any, and accuracy before and after...well, then I will start taking them seriously as service pistols (assuming they survive the test).

And I think I have a reasonable idea of how to shoot, and what good shooting looks like. :mrgreen:
:rolleyes:
 
#106 ·
I use a Bersa .380 'pimp-daddy' gun (black with gold levers) for SOB carry on occasions where it's really got to be tucked away. It shoots well and easily, and part of that is a bigger grip, for me. I carried a Thunder Pro (I think) .45 for a while but it seemed to be a harsh shooter in my old hands. It required clean slippery magazines to feed correctly. I upgraded it to the current Ruger P345 which feels much more gentle.
 
#108 ·
Doubt with Bersa



Love small guns... Owned many... Study CCW and it's tactics... Have owned many Bersas/Firestorms...Don't carry it to defend myself. I have owned (and still own) 22LR, 32 acp, 380 (most models), 9mm, 40... We enjoy shooting these on the range... All of these must be very clean to perform consistently - (our experience)... I have heard mixed results with these firearms... Generally, I trust my own personal results - while cognizant of other's results... and I am very demanding of a firearms - from a point of reliability... We have carried Glock, Ruger sp101/LCP, S&W 442 (no lock 1994/1999 versions), Kahr PM9, Kahr P380(after serious breakin)... There are a lot of good firearms out there...YOU just have to get comfortable with what you are carrying...

If you "work" on the Bersa's... I'm sure they can be pretty reliable... Best of luck...
 
#110 ·
I own a Bersa 383DA and love it. The first one would not stay open after the last shot, bad slide. Bersa put a new slide on it and
same thing. The second time I sent it back, they replaced the whole pistol..... not one jam, FTF, or glitch of any kind no matter what I fed it. My only issue with Bersa is they stopped making the clips for it when they stopped making the pistol. (Note to self, buy
at least four extra clips when buying the pistol. Maybe if they get enough emails at Bersa.com requesting the clips they will make
them again.) The Bersa is going in the vault with the last good clip I have for it. I just bought a Walther PPK/S and was torn
between the Walther and the Bersa. Spent the extra money and got the Walther because the trigger felt better and the history with
out of production clips. I pick the Walther up tomorrow and am ordering extra clips tomorrow as well.
 
#111 ·
Greetings...

I'm new and just here to research... but thought that I woud add some input to the Bersa chat... since it was one of the top topics when I logged in.

Looks like there are many reasons that people have doubts about Bersa... lack of test data... lack of retail support... lack of respect for the Argintinian factor... and so may ways to spend more money on a Carry gun.

I'll add another. Bersa's are known for a blotchy finish... nothing polished looking about this brand... and very few people would ever be impressed with it.

I am much more impressed by my other Semi-Autos... and none are really expensive (Berettas, Ruger)... but I carry the Bersa Thunder .45... a lot of punch for the size and price.
 
#112 ·
Bersas haven't been adopted (or, to the best of my knowledge, even tested) by any major military or law enforcement agency. This means that objective, easily accessible test results don't exist. Thus, their short- and long-term reliability and durability are in question.

While Bersas may indeed be excellent, long lived, totally reliable pistols, I haven't seen anything that objectively establishes such. I can, however, easily access test results with multiple sample guns firing thousands (or tens of thousands) of rounds with Beretta, Glock, SIG, HK, and S&W, for example.

I'm not saying Bersas are bad pistols at all - I know several people who are very pleased with their Bersa .380s. But I think this is why you see "doubt" about them. When someone takes thirty randomly selected Bersas and puts 10,000 rounds through each of them, then reports mean rounds between failure, number of broken parts if any, and accuracy before and after...well, then I will start taking them seriously as service pistols (assuming they survive the test).

And I think I have a reasonable idea of how to shoot, and what good shooting looks like. :mrgreen:
Bersa supplies handguns to both the military & police forces in argentina. i've not seen the results & i'm not sure if they were even made public, bit, i'm sure the guns were tested extensively by these agencies before purchase.

secondly, what percentage of gun owners will ever put 10,000 thru a pistol? i would guess not many. for the average shooter, wondering about 10,000 rd reliability is moot.

TB
 
#118 ·
Argentina has a military? Who Knew?

Did all 3 guys get a Bersa or do they have to share each guy gets to use it every 8 hours?

Not a knock on Bersa I just actually laughed out loud when I read Argentina military. ......It probably isn't funny but but sure struck me that way today.

RCG
 
#119 ·
I have a Bersa 9UC which I bought last Oct.and has over 2000 + rounds through it so far. It fits my hand beautifully, is very accurate and has a sweet smooth trigger on it. It is very bit as good as my S&W 439, which I bought 24 years ago. Last July I bought the BT 22, and now have over 1000's rounds through it. Another sweet pistol for the money. You can't beat them for their quality or price. Both are easy to break down for cleaning. Their value is great for the money, and you get excellent quality. They are very under rated by those who really don't know anything about them. Also, a life time warranty for the original owner. What more do you want. Go to Bersa Chat and enter their forum and get the feed back from the many satisfied Bersa owners.
 
#120 ·
Argentina has a military? Who Knew?

Did all 3 guys get a Bersa or do they have to share each guy gets to use it every 8 hours?

Not a knock on Bersa I just actually laughed out loud when I read Argentina military. ......It probably isn't funny but but sure struck me that way today.

RCG
They were the ones who fought the British over the Falkland Island. Argentina has a long history of maintaining not only a fine military, but being in the forefront, as far as South America is concerned, of maintaining some of the most cutting edge small arms that have been available. Not trying to put a plug in for the country or anything, but their history is what it is.
 
#121 ·
I carry a Bersa Thunder 9 Ultra Compact Pro. I have over 500 rds through it now, and I have never had a single failure, of any kind. And it doesn't matter what ammo I put in it. It shoots everything and works first time, every time. And there was no break in period. It shot everything out of the box. It is more than accurate enough for its intended purpose. The gun is rugged, solid and well made. Fit and finish are equal to anything out there. And it has features that you generally only find on much more expensive guns. Like a match grade barrel with polygonal rifling. And all the controls are ambidextrous, with the exception of the magazine release, which can be switched to either side in seconds using a simple screwdriver. The double action trigger is long and heavy (as you want it to be in a defensive gun), but it is glass smooth, with no stacking or stutters. The single action trigger is equal to any production gun made. It breaks smartly at 4 1/2 pounds, with only the slightest hint of creep. And you really have to be looking for it to feel it at all. I don't care what it cost, it is, without a doubt, the best handgun I've ever owned.

Oh, and one of the reasons that the gun is inexpensive is that Bersa does not dump millions of dollars into advertising. You rarely see them advertised. And they pass the savings on to you.

And one more thing, having to do with round counts and the long term reliability of the gun after thousands of rounds. 90% of the people out there aren't looking for a gun to storm the beaches of Iwo Jima and shoot it out with an army. They are looking for a good gun that will defend their life when they need it. Most people (like me) don't go to the range every day and pump a case of ammo through their guns. If for no other reason, they can't afford it (like me). So the ability to survive 10,000 rounds of use is not a requirement for a typical shooter.
 
#122 ·
Doubts can come from ignorance, snob-ism, lack of exposure, lack of reputation ...

I took the plunge 2.5 years ago with a Bersa Thunder 9 Pro HC. Since then I added a Thunder 22.

The BTh9 Pro HC is my favorite range gun since then. The finish is not as good as the finish of my Glock 26 Gen4, but after 4000+ rounds, the Bersa show very little signs of wear. So, to me, it is a solid, reliable and very accurate pistol. I would carry it with no fear.

It took some time to break it in about 300 rounds (the slide did not lock back when the gun was empty with weaker rounds). I had an issue to eject 20% of the time with 1 mag only. It was perfect with the other mag and the 2 other mags I purchased after.
So, for the heck of it, I got it sent back with that mag before I would have to pay for shipping (i.e. before 1 year). There is life time warranty on the Bersas, but you need to pay for the shipping (I believe). They must have done something right because the gun has been flawless with any kind of ammo I have put through it since then. The service was quick and no question asked (I gave a good description when I gave it back and the gun was back 4 weeks later at Academy for me to pick up). They described what was done clearly: they test fired, changed the ejector, not the extractor, and test fired again, cleaned up (Thanks!).

The 22LR is great (robust, accurate for its size, balanced, great sights) and it fits in small hands and big hands so it is an outstanding gun to introduce young and new shooters to the sport. It is as reliable as the 22lr ammo you put it in. I have lost count of the # of rounds it has been through.

I am very happy with my 2 Bersas - I would be happy to add a UC9, but I really do not need it.

Before that, I had a Beretta 92FS.
I now have a (great) Glock 26G4 (took more time to break it in than the Bersa 9 btw, but after 1000+ rounds it is great), a Walther P22 (not sure how long it will go, but so far, it has 4000+ rounds too), a flawless since day 1 Keltec sub 2000 9mm, and a Maverick 88 (very simple and reliable shotgun).
So I do not believe I can be called a Bersa snob. The price for the Bersas went up about 15% since I bought mines. I would buy them again even at the new price if I had to as they are a lot of guns for the money.
I have no experience with the .380 ACP models except that they fit my hand like a glove (same as the Th22). I heard good things about them though.

Vincent
 
#124 ·
I currently have 4 Bersa 9mm's (two UC-9's, a UC-9 PRO and a full size T-9), a UC-45 and two T-380's. All are excellent pistols, though I'm particularly fond of the UC-9s. My UC-45, a UC-9 and one T-380 I've owned since '04 while the newest gun (the PRO) was purchased in '09. I think they were one of the best kept secrets out there. However, that seems to have taken a change for the worse in the last year or so. I noticed there has been a CONSIDERABLE increase in the past couple of years in ALL Bersa handguns. Just 18 months ago a new T-380 was less than $250 and I purchased two T-380's NIB for $189 just a few years ago. As of last week, the local Academy sells T-380s for $350 and UC-9 PRO's go for over $450! My UC-45 was only $289 when I got it in '05 and the last UC-9 I saw at a local gun show last year was $350. At these prices, the days of Bersa pistols being a good deal may be a thing of the past!
 
#125 ·
Wow... Try reading every single post here. The topic answers go from political infighting, name calling, haters, lovers, noobs, dumb owners, snobs and slobs... I've probably been tied up in every one of those categories over my lifetime - does that qualify me to respond? I recently purchased both a Thunder .380 Plus (15+1) and the Thunder 9 UC Pro (13+1). Both had 200 rounds through them (cheap Atlanta Arms & Ammo refurb target rounds) on day one, 200 on day two. Long term reliability - no freaking clue, out of the box performance on both - not one single issue. Zero misfeeds. Stripping and cleaning - just a bit of a juggle to reseat the .380 slide on re-assembly, so simple your dog could do it on the 9mm. Both feel good, shoot as straight as I can make them (which after 10+ years of ZERO shooting was about an 8" circle at 20 feet). I have shot Beretta, Glock, Colt, Ruger, Browning, Taurus and S&W. The feel of the Bersa is just as good as any of them, better than a few. All I can say is the price was outstanding, they fit my hand and they shoot cheap ammo just as well as the high priced HP rounds. Very impressed so far - another 400-500 rounds without mishap and I'll give them my total trust as primary carry weapons.

A complaint here I agree with is the finish is not as nice as more expensive guns. But then again the Colt and Beretta's I carried in the military had the finish worn to hell and they looked beat. They still shot straight and the Bersa does to. Sorry, but if I'm forced to draw it is NOT going to be with the intent to shock and over-awe my would be assailant with the awesome shine and beauty of the finish. Unless they can see how shiny the tip of the Hornady HP round is as it's coming at them?
 
#126 ·
Stick to your guns. :) I own a Bersa Thunder .380, a Ruger SR9c, and a Stoeger Cougar compact 9mm and all 3 are excellent guns. I carry the Bersa and SR9c and trust them completely and the Stoeger is the most accurate of them all and great to shoot. You made some good choices.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top