An Iconic Shape

[SoftHeart]

Before....







After....







A shot I just finished after getting these Bersa Firestorms back from Josh @ Applied Kinetics who did a 2 tone cerakote finish (black frame/dark grey slide).

I tried to manipulate the lighting to accentuate the flowing lines of this .380 ACP w/its iconic shape. I've had the Walther PPK/s and this gun is very similar to the Walther except it has the same safety system as the Berreta 92, and a magazine disconnect.



I got slide bit a few times w/the Walther, and had quite a few jams. The Bersa Firestorm can be had for a bargain basement price, but they scrimped on the finish to do it. The finish is downright nasty out of the box. It's uneven and out of the box, it looks like a used gun.


I bought the gun because I love the iconic shape and made a project out of this.

Out of the box from the factory, working the slide is rough; after Josh bead blasted the internals/Cerakoted the gun, and after oiling up the gun, working the action was/is very smooth.



My Beretta is a 10 in terms of the roller bearing like smoothness of racking the slide; using the Beretta as a reference, my HK handguns are just a "wisp" behind the Beretta. Oiled and wet, one Bersa is at a 9, and the 2nd Bersa is about an 8.5.



The Bersas have a nice trigger. Here's a video that I think is a reasonable and unbiased critique of the Bersa. Sroll down to the middle of the page. The Firestorm and Thunder are essentially the same gun....

https://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/i-finally-reviewed-the-bersa-thunder-380/

These are Marshall grips, they're located in Poland, and the grips including tax/shipping were $125.00 each. The wood looks great and the grain was lined up, but his idea of applying Danish Oil on grips doesn't agree w/the way I do it.

I use a 0000 steel wool pad, apply a liberal layer of oil, wipe it off lightly leaving a thin coating; let that dry for 15 min. and then wipe very lightly, and then I'll let the grips dry for 24 hrs. and then give them another coat.

I selected these grips from Marschall because they taper down to the end of the "pinky extension" and give the gun a sleeker look.



I applied the 4th coat yesterday, and they're still drying, after they're completely dry, I'll apply some Carnuba wax which I'll keep doing forever.


These will not accompany the guns to the range.


Here's a pic of the grips B4 I started to apply the Danish oil.

[Oldmandan]

By your thread title, I thought this thread was going to be about the Beretta 92 series

I like the grain of the grips

[SoftHeart]

No argument there; I have the Beretta 92 and by all means that is also an iconic shape. Kept clean and oiled up "wet", as I mentioned, as you rack the slide, it feels like it's on roller bearings.

I've had my Dad's Beretta 92 which he Grandfathered to me decades ago, and since the safety/decocker on the Bersa works the exact same way as the Beretta, I hit the ground running w/this gun.

Experienced folks whose discipline has become their "safety" will run from this gun, but for me the Bersa shows up already an "old friend".

[plumbum]

I've been meaning to pick up a Bersa for probably 20 years now... they really are a current affordable iteration of a classic gun.

[SoftHeart]

I talked to Eagle Imports and the lady I talked with made plain how pissed off they are at California/CADOJ. They put the lock on the Thunder .380 so and they were told that makes it a different gun, even though it was done to make it safer, which didn't make any difference to the CADOJ.

They're right, that's dumb.


The Thunder CC .380 is even smaller, and I'd love to have one, but they told me they're not going to jump "through hoops" to make the gun available here. If they were available, I'd buy 2 in a heartbeat.


I don't know how many more runs they'll do of the Firestorm, but for the price it's a deal. The trigger is better than found on more expensive guns, so I bit on the Firestorm while it is still available.


As far as the Firestorm is concerned, if you clean up/polish the internals, and do something about the finish, it's a different gun, which I guess is why the low price. I don't regret doing this, it was worth it, and it didn't empty my pockets.


The difference between what I paid for the gun + upgrades still leaves a nice chunk of change between this and getting a Walther, and at my age I no longer give a **** about names.

[SoftHeart]

My goal was to finish this project by Labor Day weekend. I just finished.

Because of one thing or another, and a couple of surgeries, this was 2 years after I purchased these guns.

Everything, pocket holster for both guns, the Marschal grips, the Cerakote process, ran maybe 2 bills more that if I bought a single Walther new.



The grips have 4 coats of clear Danish oil, and 2 coats of California Mother's Gold carnuba wax. I'll order some Liberon wax later, in the meantime, what's good for my car is good for my guns.



The pocket holster is by "Grizzle Leather". There are holsters for the Thunder, but because of the difference in trigger guards bet. the Firestorm and Thunder, the Firestorm ISN'T going to fit a pocket holster made for a Thunder.

This gentleman was willing to buy a "dummy Firestorm" and cobble me 2 holsters, and this was for the same $65.00 as his Thunder holster.

He now lists the Firestorm for $65.00, you can thank my project for that.




The pictured holster is smooth inside, rough out.



Again, the Marschal grips taper down along/to the tips of the "pinky extensions" of the mag, and the result is a further streamlining/accentuation of the lines of the gun. It's a beautiful gun.

Yeah, there are plenty of 9mm out there as small or smaller that run more ammo, I got it.



I got this to replace the icon I had once, and w/some of the ammo from Underwood and Steinil, I don't consider this a "wimpy" gun and won't hesitate to use this for HD.

Things are going my way this weekend, I was fortunate to pick up a Bersa Thunder CC .ACP on a PPT Sunday, and when I get it out of jail, I'll have the "full trick".



I tried out the "concealed carry" at the gunshop and it is a "little jewel", with the laser already on the gun, which turns on as soon as you grip the gun.

Laser turns on when you grip the gun, you don't have to "think" of doing it.


Anyway, these 2 are finished.

[sparrow]

They look great, love the two tone.

[SoftHeart]

Thank you Sir. Always feel a sense of relief when a project ends well.