Bersa

[Country Boy]

Are Bersa pistols really as bad as s9me people say ?

[Flash]

You only get what you pay for

[Brett]

Apparently you have not been paying attention.  Bersa pistols have been discussed here at length and the overwhelming majority of owners have given them high praise.

[spruce]

I'm very happy with mine!
 
I suspect the vast majority of criticism is from people who have never owned one.

[TOGO]

My 380 thunder is dead on accurate. I have shot around 1400 factory rounds and it has never malfuctioned, 1 case was that silver bear .380 and the rest were blazer and winchester white box. Best 199.99 I ever spent.

[NickSS]

I have had a thunderer 380 Bersa for about five years and have fired hundreds of rounds of factory and hand loads in it.  This pistol is more reliable than the Walther PPK I had awhile back and it shoots more accurately as well.  When I bought it I was looking at a Markov in 9mmX18 having heard that they are good cheap pistols.  The dealer had two in stock and I looked at both and the triggers on them were very poor.  Lots of force needed to set them off single action and DA was almost a two finger deal.  Right next to them in the case was the Bersa that cost just $25 more so I asked to look at it.  It fit my hand perfectly and the SA and DA trigger pull was better than any auto I had owned prior to buying it.  The Bersa is surprisingly accurate for a small semi auto and in addition in five years of use it has never malfunctioned.  As far as I am concerned it is one of the best pistols I own and can recommend them highly.

[TScottW99]

We got my wife a Bersa .380 about five years ago.  We have ran a ton of WWB, UMC and Gold Dots through it with zero malfunctions.  What's the problem with them? 

[jimster]

Many years ago I bought a Bersa .380, I think back then it was a steel frame instead of the lightweight, but it looked exactly the same as they do now.  I'll tell you what, I ran a whole bunch of ammo through that thing all the time, and it never failed, and it was accurate, and it had adjustable sights to boot.  I had zero complaints on that little pistol, and it didn't cost an arm and leg to buy it.

[Brett]

So where are these "some people" that have had troubles with their Bersa pistols?   Surely with all the members here some one must have a horror story about a Bersa pistol.  Has to be first hand though.  None of those "my uncle's friend's brother in law's cousin had a Bersa..." stories.

I don't own a Bersa, never have, so I don't have a dog in this fight but I do get annoyed by statements such as that of the OP with no substantiation.  I herd the same crap about Kel-tec firearms when I first started looking at them.  Most recently I have read that "Blackhawk Serpa holsters are dangerous and if you carry in one you will surely shoot your foot off!".   Yet none of the accounts are first hand.  It's always a friend of a friend etc., etc,....

So unless I hear it from the source I don't put a lot of stock in these types of stories.  Even then I want multiple instances not just one or two isolated instances before I write a product off.

Seems if something is affordable or very popular it becomes a target for this type of smear campaign.

Okay, that's my rant for today.  Please, carry on now.     

[Curtis]

I had troubles, Brett!  I had my one and only AD with a Bursa Thunder 380.  Of course, it wasn't the pistol's fault, I pulled the trigger!!     Luckily, muzzle discipline insured that a hole in the carpet of my gun room was all that ensued.
 
My only dislike for the pistol is personal preference.  I'm just not that familiar/comfortable with a DA/SA design.  I prefer cocked and locked 1911 style, or striker fired with the holster being the safety on the latter.  The hammer falling on the Bursa when you engage the safety gives me a start every time!!!
 
Curtis

[Brett]

Your ears must have rang for a while too.

[williamlayton]

Bersa may be the very best gun ever built---I doubt it---but for my purpopse it is the worse, It is too small---way too small. It is unplesant to shoot for fun. it is not as accurate under conditions of rapid fire as I want. It really serves no purpose for me other than being small and light.
There are other things that i require before small and light becomes an issue.
Blessings

[Bitterroot Bob]

Howdy,
As far as .380's go, I wish I still had my Bersa 83. It felt good in the hand, had rounded corners to go in the pocket well, and was one of the most accurate centerfire handguns I'd ever owned. I traded an Iver Johnson Pony (think Colt Mustang) for it amd I wish I still hat IT too!
I know that they make them with a double-stack magazine, but my single-stack Bersa was a really nice little pistol.
Bitterroot