Bersa .380

[couture]

Another $100 or so and you can step up to a Ruger Max9 with a more capable round and more of them.

Bersas seem to be pretty solid guns, but .380 is pretty much the bare minimum to consider for defense. Plus ammo is a bit more expensive than 9 is.

i have ruger lcp2....any reference on max9? any idea will be appreciated.

[couture]

thanks for the informaation.

[eaglemike]

Hard to beat the price of the Max 9. The shield is pretty much the same size as the Max 9, and has a ton of parts and support. Pricing for the shield has gone up a lot in the last couple of years. Used to be about $400 retail, sometimes even $380 or so. (pre-covid IIRC)
I have a couple of friends with the Bersa, and they've been completely reliable that I've seen. The magazine comment above is accurate, sometimes harder to find than may others, but it would only be a one tie purchase, right?
I mention the shield as I find it quite accurate and easy to shoot well. This was unexpected as I have large hands. It just works much better than I ever expected.
Good luck!!

[BigPimping]

I get the Ruger Max 9. They?re a little hard to find at least in my opinion. I?m still looking for one. When I get it, I?m gonna try to get it on my permit.

[Big Chudungus]

Bersa is poor man's PPK and IMO highly aesthetic old skool all steal excellent stock trigger. Comes with interestingly key lock feature. IIRC there are only two keys, so it would only work if someone isn't expecting to want to unlock a Bersa.

Has 3 mag configs to suit your style and shrink or grow for CCW.

1)standard mag with pinky hook filed down to nothing.
2)with pinky hook
3)extended mag for fuller grip

IMO its all about how it fits YOUR hand. Bersa fits me pretty good, didn't like the small newer Ruger 380 or 9mm.

If it fits your hand its a Can't Afford Not To Buy and Can't Go Wrong gun, maybe even a "at that price get two".

[Xplosiv3]

You'd be wasting precious conceal-ability space/comfort and missing out on important features such as night sights and an easier to use safety by using a Bersa .380 instead of a Sig P238 for CCW.

But if you must have a Walther PPK-like pistol and are on a budget, then go for it. (They make 7rd pinky extension magazines for the P238 so you'd have the same mag capacity as the Bersa also.)

[SkyHawk]

I bought a nice lightly used PPT Bersa with 3 mags for $200. If you find one that cheap, buy it. If you really like the design and can't find a real cheap one, I'd hold out for a Sig P230 or 232

[Randall_G]

I have two Firestorms: both have been 100% reliable. (Though, Flouncer/Post #5 has me wondering if I shouldn't be cycling the magazines I've kept loaded.) I think it's a good lookin' gun, too.

One of the Firestorms is on my permit, but I have never carried it. Like others, I prefer to carry my P238. If not the P238, I carry a CSX, which is still smaller, and just a hair lighter, than the Firestorm, 9 mm, higher capacity.

But for someone set on DA/SA, seems like a good choice. Don't think there are many options for compact/light DA/SA. Especially if limited to the CA roster.

[Reno-Kid]

I'm thinking about a Bersa for CC as an inexpensive alternative to the PPK.

Does anyone have any experience with Bersa?

Any other recommendations for anything similar for CC?

Cz 83 similar size, heavier but 13 rounds to 7 for Bersa
Max 9 is an excellent choice.

[TrailerparkTrash]

As for the pistol itself, it's a very solid, reliable workhorse (from what I hear). Apparently it can be finicky about ammo sometimes, so you're going to have to find what works best with your pistol (which you should anyway).

I had a Bersa .380 I inherited. What a POS it was. Then my game warden hunting buddy also owned one and he would agree with my feelings about the same gun. JUNK.

[Zenderfall]

For people who are recommending the P238, do you realize that the operation of that gun is different enough from that of a Bersa Thunder/Firestorm?

I love the P238, it's a fantastic gun, one of my favorite, if not my very favorite .380 pistols. But that's also because I train, compete, and enjoy shooting 1911's, and these two gun types are both single-action semi-auto's. I'm not saying the P238 is a miniature 1911, but it's a miniature 1911. Gotta remember to flip safety off to shoot, and (most importantly) remember to flip safety ON before holstering. Or I guess, what some people do, is Israeli carry, which is no round in the chamber, and applies to any semi-auto pistol. Not going down the never-ending Israeli-carry vs. round in chamber argument, that's been beaten to death.

The Firestorm is a double action semi-auto, which means it can be carried with hammer down, and first shot will be rather heavy (8 lbs or so). This is a much simpler, less training needed type of operation, which, you only have to do something before holstering, but don't have to remember to do anything extra when drawing and shooting. FWIW, I like the firestorm a lot, to me it's a great value gun that works well and is fun to shoot. Reminds me of 007 even though its not a real PPK.

But I never compare these two guns simply because there's a lot more different about them than there is the same.

Familiarity with those operation modes, especially the single action semi's, is not trivial. It's not a "oh yeah, I'll remember to do that" kind of thing. It has to be trained in beyond habit, so that when in the heat of the moment, you don't have to remember, you'll instinctively do it.

[robert101]

The .380 Bersa is a good inexpensive gun. I bought one for each of my daughters for their first handgun years ago. They have put a good 500 rounds through each with no trouble. I did have to clean out the firing pin channel on my oldest daughter's gun just last year (after 15 years of ownership). Good pistol in my opinion and a joy to shoot.

[akjunkie]

Bersa MecGar mags $24

https://gregcotellc.com/cart/bersa-thunder-mecgar-magazines-c-157/

[PoorRichRichard]

Accurate little gun (for me). I’ve only got a few handguns, including a G19 and Shield in both 9 and 40. For some reason (medium sized hands?), I shoot the Bersa far more accurately than the other two guns.

It might be worth noting that I own the “Thunder” model (no finger grooved grips) as opposed to the “Firestorm” model.

[PoorRichRichard]

Bersa MecGar mags $24

https://gregcotellc.com/cart/bersa-t...gazines-c-157/

Somebody else makes a 10 rounder too. Can?t remember who, it?s not marked on my magazine. Looks goofy in the gun, but great to have a few extra rounds as your back up magazine:

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