Bersa overall has a pretty decent reputation, but the comments I've read about their .22lr have run both hot and cold. Given it's price and difficulty to find, I would recommend that you look at the proven designs.

Take a look at the Browning Buckmark (approx. $279), the Ruger MKIII ($299-$400), the Beretta Neos ($239-$279), and the S&W 22A ($229 on sale). I think that any of these will provide better accuracy and most likely better reliability as well....

Thanks for the input!

I own the Firestorm .22LR and it's enormously dependable and very straight shooting... and not excessive in price, I got it for under $300 here in Texas, and that was after the inauguration, if ya know what I mean...

very very good .22LR, and one of the expert reviewers (Jeff Q at Gunblast? Not sure off the top of my head) reports that it can hit almost 1300 fps at ten feet off muzzle with good fast ammo, Stingers I think he said.. something about the design, the blowback is delayed by pressure so that it is 'fixed breech' during detonation and thus gives a bit of a boost to the velocity .. I don't recall the link or writer but I know I read that and was impressed, because the FS is not a long barreled gun... and not many short barreled .22LR pistols get that much above supersonic..

I've been shooting this little gun all year and would recommend it to anyone.. the only FTF was when I got crazy and tried Vipers to see if they'd load... they do not. But that's because the bullets are like semi wad cutters, not rounded at all.. I sort of knew they wouldn't work but had to try anyway.. every other .22LR I can find has loaded and ejected from this gun trouble-free, literally NO problems over thousands of rounds.. very easy to break down and clean..

side benefit-- it is plenty small in form factor and can drop into a pocket no problem.. and with good muzzle velocity, it wouldn't be the worst b/u or carry you could find.. my wife likes it very much... no recoil, just straight shooting without drama..

btw it is all steel, comforting, not too heavy, and that really helps with the recoil..

http://www.gunblast.com/Firestorm.htm

...I've had a PPK...heard the Bersa Thunders are reliable...don't like .380, and love Stingers...betcha I get me one of these little babies by Valentine's Day!!!

I have a Bersa Model 23 in .22 caliber. Best fun gun I have. Perfect scores on the police range as a backup gun that includes 25 yard shots. Very easy to
shoot, reliable, cheap to shoot and fun to boot. I know nothing of the Firestorm but if its anything like the Bersa Model .23, its probably under rated as well and out functions weapons costing double the money. I had a Beretta & Sig in .22 and .380 respectively. The .380 is a waste of a caliber imho. Go to a 9mm or a
hot .22 load, not an expensive to shoot caliber that is an under performer in most cases. I don't have either anymore. By choice. I would recommend solid nose ammo, no subsonic loads for maximum reliability, penetration and piece of mind if carried for safety. And for those who think a .22 is a mouse gun, shoot at a 2
by 4 and look at the hole on the other side. Then check how many people are killed each year. The caliber ? Yep.. a .22 .22 bullets have a habit of tumbling in the body causing a lot of nasty damage I have a Taurus 92 in 9mm and am thinkin going to a Bersa in 9mm as well. The Taurus is a big gun, Bersa 9 looks a little more manageable.

This thread is somewhat old, so my reply probably won't help the poster––but it might help someone else who is considering a Bersa .22LR. I recently purchased a Firestorm .22LR. After 250-300 rounds I starting having failure to extract issues. After a good cleaning I returned to the range and immediately had the same problem with every round fired. The gun is now on the way to a warranty repair facility.

That said, I'm not giving up hope on this little gun, because it is one of the most fun to shoot of all in my collection. Also, it seems to be pretty accurate. But if someone decides to make a purchase, I suggest that you have an understanding with your dealer about how to handling the mailing for warranty repairs. I didn't have that knowledge, and I got stuck with a $59. mailing fee.

So is it extracting the casing partially or not at all ? Same ammo ? HV 40gr solid ammo seems to rack the slide more consistently than lighter weight loads. That
said, my Bersa Model .23 digested everything without a hiccup. Perhaps they changed something in the Firestorm ? I hope not. I'd buy another if mine got to the point where it was unrepairable. Shame about the mailing fee. Its probably a fourth or so of what it cost you..