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I've been on the quest for a perfect CCW pistol for years now. I've got from Glocks to Sigs to 1911s and everything in between. There are a small handful of manufacturers that I haven't actually owned, and most I've tried in gun shops. I finally settled on an Officer's sized 1911 for my current carry gun, but couldn't get over how heavy it is. As a few of you know my buying/selling/trading has gotten completely out of hand trying to find "the one" only to be continually wasting time and money.
Yesterday I set out to see what I could find. I had some money in my pocket, a full tank of gas, and an understanding girlfriend that didn't mind tagging along on a 100+ mile road trip to visit 6 of my favorite gun shops. After spending most of the day playing with guns I haven't tried before and being severely disappointed, I was at the point where I thought I should just buy another Glock and make myself like it.
When we pulled into the last gun shop I saw a pistol I had heard about more than 2 years ago but had never seen.
Bersa is best know for their Walther PPK clones but they also produce a model called the Thunder which is somewhat similar to the Walther P88. This pistol is a new venture for them and as far as I'm aware is their first real stand-alone design.
The feel is very Kahr-like. The pistol itself is very slim, although a bit top heavy. In the hand it feels like a smoothed over Kahr with no sharp edges and a rubbery grip. The trigger is kind of odd, there is quite a bit of take-up with some roughness as the internal safeties are disengaged. It has a fairly light but obvious breaking point that, after a few dry fires, feels easily staged. The reset is what amazed me most about this pistol, it is VERY short and audible. I would almost go so far as to say it's better than a Glock's reset. Quick shooting should be extremely easy with this pistol.
As far as size, the pistol is quite small.
In hand it feels larger than it actually is. While being extremely thin, it's large enough to get a good solid thumbs-forward grip. It's hard to describe; this pistol feels like it was made for my hands. All the bumps and grooves fit right where my fingers go with my normal grip, something I haven't found before on any pistol.
Speaking of thin, this thing makes a compact 1911 look like a Glock 21.
As far as accessories go, holsters are few and far between at the moment. I've read that Kahr CW9 holsters will fit but haven't tested this theory out myself yet. Further reading has also shown me that Bersa uses a Sig front sight and a Glock rear sight, so night sights will be easy to come by. I'm not sure why the company decided to go that route, but it's what I'm told.
I still have a lot of evaluating to do myself, but it sounds like the pistol will be a very solid performer. In hand it feels like a Kahr with a Glock trigger. If it shoots as well as it feels I'm sold.
Yesterday I set out to see what I could find. I had some money in my pocket, a full tank of gas, and an understanding girlfriend that didn't mind tagging along on a 100+ mile road trip to visit 6 of my favorite gun shops. After spending most of the day playing with guns I haven't tried before and being severely disappointed, I was at the point where I thought I should just buy another Glock and make myself like it.
When we pulled into the last gun shop I saw a pistol I had heard about more than 2 years ago but had never seen.
Bersa is best know for their Walther PPK clones but they also produce a model called the Thunder which is somewhat similar to the Walther P88. This pistol is a new venture for them and as far as I'm aware is their first real stand-alone design.
The feel is very Kahr-like. The pistol itself is very slim, although a bit top heavy. In the hand it feels like a smoothed over Kahr with no sharp edges and a rubbery grip. The trigger is kind of odd, there is quite a bit of take-up with some roughness as the internal safeties are disengaged. It has a fairly light but obvious breaking point that, after a few dry fires, feels easily staged. The reset is what amazed me most about this pistol, it is VERY short and audible. I would almost go so far as to say it's better than a Glock's reset. Quick shooting should be extremely easy with this pistol.
As far as size, the pistol is quite small.
In hand it feels larger than it actually is. While being extremely thin, it's large enough to get a good solid thumbs-forward grip. It's hard to describe; this pistol feels like it was made for my hands. All the bumps and grooves fit right where my fingers go with my normal grip, something I haven't found before on any pistol.
Speaking of thin, this thing makes a compact 1911 look like a Glock 21.
As far as accessories go, holsters are few and far between at the moment. I've read that Kahr CW9 holsters will fit but haven't tested this theory out myself yet. Further reading has also shown me that Bersa uses a Sig front sight and a Glock rear sight, so night sights will be easy to come by. I'm not sure why the company decided to go that route, but it's what I'm told.
I still have a lot of evaluating to do myself, but it sounds like the pistol will be a very solid performer. In hand it feels like a Kahr with a Glock trigger. If it shoots as well as it feels I'm sold.
