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Kahr and/or Bersa?

24K views 65 replies 53 participants last post by  coffeecup 
#1 ·
I am thinking about getting something a bit smaller and lighter for CC. Looking at mostly 9mm choices, but also always like 45 ACP. In my shopping around I have come across several posibilities from both Kahr and Bersa. I have zero experience with either of these brands, so I'm interested in hearing from those who have had experience. What do you think of either of these brands? Would you recommend them or not, and why?

thanks a bunch!!
 
#2 ·
I'm new to Kahr but have recently purchased a CW9.....love it. Nicely compact enough...only 7 +1 but I can live with that. I owned a Bersa .22 years ago and miss giving it up. From what I hear they are still making a great product. Many others here can give you personal info.
 
#4 ·
I have an old Bersa Thunder 9 ultra compact and it is outstanding. Very well made. My buddy has a Thunder 380 and it is a fantastic shooter. Very accurate and reliable guns at a good price. Bersa now has the BP9cc out and it is a single stack 9mm. Very nice handgun. I've handled a few but not shot them. They are overall a great gun at a great price. Very under-rated.
 
#57 ·
I have looked at a couple of the Bersa offerings and think they are a pretty good deal for the coin spent. I'm going to probably pick up the Bersa T CC at some point. Hickcock 45 did a review of one and seemed to think it was a nice pistol and priced very well too.
 
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#5 ·
I carried a Kahr PM9 in a wallet holster for about a year. I bought my first Kahr, a P40 when looking for smaller, lighter, more concealable. After purchasing/carring a PM40, I got the PM9, the smallest of the bunch. Great guns, pricey. I just recently went back to a G27; just felt more comfy with the caliber, and I can shoot the heck out of the Glock. Although I can't hide it in a wallet holster, and I have to think a little harder about clothing options, it works best for me. Good luck-you can't go wrong w/ a Kahr IMO; I know several LEO's that love 'em as bugs.
 
#7 ·
Bersa used to be a Saturday Night Special, but they have obviously come a long way. I've never owned one, but they sure get a lot of high marks from owners.

Kahr is a relatively new player, but the CW/PM/CM lines are some great guns. I have a CW45 and a CM9. CW45 was my CCW of choice for a while, even though I really wanted something a little smaller. The PM9 was just a tad pricey, but when the CM9 came out, I found my gun! :danceban:

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Jim
 
#8 ·
I have a CM9 and used to have a CW9. Both were reliable after 200-300 rounds. They have an excellent trigger and are accurate, light & small. I have only fired the Bersa Thunder 380 and did not like it, but part of it was probably the 380 instead of the 9. The Kahr certainly feel better. Good luck.
 
#10 ·
That is pretty amazing! Best bang-for-the-buck I've ever heard of for a CCW. If I see 'em for that price, I'll probably buy another, just for a spare!

Regards,
Jim
 
#12 ·
Wife has a P9 that has been very good... Have a buddy who carries a PM9 with problems.
The magazines can be finicky sometimes(rounds want to nose dive) and they definitely need the break in period that Kahr recommends.
Lots of good information on the Kahr forums about them.
I'd buy another Kahr again.... I recommend.
 
#13 ·
The Kahr is going to be thinner than the Bersa. It's hard to find a gun that betters the Kahr line size wise.

I prefer the simplicity of the Kahr design.

I prefer the Kahr trigger to the Bersa.

Both lines are reliable.

I've owned 7 Kahrs and 3 Bersas. I'd prefer to carry the Kahr for the above reasons mainly.
 
#14 ·
No experience with Bersa, but I wanted a pocket pistol and researched for quite awhile and ended up with a CM9. I love it and it's surprisingly accurate and a good shooter for me, even with large hands. I have shot about 200 rounds with zero problems so far. The slide is extremely tight and Kahr recommends racking the slide about 500 times for a break in, plus the proper lubbing etc before shooting. I do wish the slide wasn't so hard and difficult to rack, but hopefully it will get better. All in all, I do love it though. Easy to pocket carry. Good luck. Steve
 
#15 ·
I had a Bersa .40 that was completely reliable. Only complaint I have with Bersa is their magazines are hard to find, and expensive when you do. My wife has a Kahr CW9 and I have the CW45. Both are easy to carry and accurate. The Bersa is going to weigh more since it is all metal. Either one will serve you well, just depends on what you want.
 
#20 ·
I don't have any personal experience w/ Bersa handguns, but I've read on the 'net of many folks who've had a good experience w/ them. I do have a Kahr CW45 and like it a great deal. The onlyl 9mm I cc is a Kel-Tec PF9. At the time I bought it, the CW9 was not out yet and the CM9 was hard to find. I like the CW45 enough that if I had it to do over, I MIGHT buy the CM9 or CW9 in place of the PF9. Something I really like about the PF9 is the ability to pocket carry it, expecially during the summer. I think one would have a harder time doing that w/ the Bersa BP9 CC and the Kahr CW9. On the other hand, the PM9 should pocket carry as well as the PF9. I think you'd be happy w/ the right Kahr, and possibly the right Bersa, as well.
 
#22 ·
I carry a Kahr pM9 in a pocket holster and really like it. Traded a Walther ppks 380 for the Kahr because had trouble taking it apart to clean. Just read the first reviews on the new Springfield XSD carry 45 and look forward to trying it.

Also, can't go wrong with a Glock as I comprtrd with a 17 for many years
 
#25 ·
I've had four Bersa's and a few more Kahrs. There are some major differences. The Bersas will be heavier and larger, but for the money they are very good. For a number of years they had quite a few problems with their finish, but it appears they have that under contol now. Personally, I would not choose one for conceald carry; a great range pistol, however.

I did carry a Kahr CW9, and I do carry the newer CM9. And I consider the CM9 one of the best I've ever had in over 40 years. Light, small and accurate, and no appreciable recoil. It does have a bit of a long trigger pull, but now that I'm used to it, I don't notice it. I got mine, with two magazines, out the door for $390. You can certainly pay more for a lot of different pistols, but I'm not sure you will get a better one for the price. One brief caution, I have a friend who has very big hands and he simply did not feel as though he had enough control with the CM9 to feel comfortable and in control; so he went with the CW9.
 
#26 ·
I've had four Bersa's and a few more Kahrs. There are some major differences. The Bersas will be heavier and larger, but for the money they are very good. For a number of years they had quite a few problems with their finish, but it appears they have that under contol now. Personally, I would not choose one for conceald carry; a great range pistol, however.
the Bersa BP 9CC is minutely heavier than the Kahr CW9 and just as thin.....I think you are referring to the double stack models such as the one in my pic above when you are saying "heavier". BTW,
The Thunder 9UC is the same size as a Glock 26 and just a few ounces heavier. I carry the one in the pic a lot.....incredibly accurate....I mean dead nuts on accurate.
 
#28 ·
Test of cw9, bp9, cm9, m&p shield p290rs

My friends and I recently gathered up the Kahr CW9, CM9, Bersa BP9, S&W M&P Shield and Sig P290RS and went to te range to see what everyone thought of the pistols. We had five shooters and we each had ample opportunity to run each gun through its paces. After every shooter had his fill, the consensus was that the BP9 was the favorite. It had a nice trigger with a quick reset although there was some concern that it did not have enough resistance. It also had a larger dot on the front sight which made it easier to see. The recoil was mild and straight up so follow-up shots were quick and easy. After this range session, two people from the group ordered a BP9.

The Kahr Cw9 was a solid second and functioned flawlessly but it just did not feel as good as the Bersa. The trigger felt too long and the sights were not as easy to use as the Bersa. It is a little lighter than the Bersa and slightly smaller but the Bersa adds an extra round.

The CM9 also functioned flawlessly and is a great choice for a pocket pistol. Being a smaller gun, it left something to be desired as far as grip length and feel. However, it is the only one of the five that would fit in a pocket easily.

We expected the M&P Shield to be the favorite but every shooter came away disappointed. The recoil was up and to the right making follow-up shots more difficult. The grip was not as comfortable as the BP9 or CW9 and the sights on the BP9 are more visible. The trigger on the BP9 also had a better feel. Would we be happy with the Shield if the BP9 and CW9 were not available? Yes, but unfortunately for the Shield, the BP9 and CW9 showed up.

The P290RS had some soft-strike issues but would fire using the re-strike feature. It was accurate but the soft-strike issue killed the gun. We had about six soft-strikes over seven magazines of six shots each. Way too many for our tastes. This issue was supposed to have been remedied in the RS but it appaers to be an ongoing problem.
 
#30 ·
My friends and I recently gathered up the Kahr CW9, CM9, Bersa BP9, S&W M&P Shield and Sig P290RS and went to te range to see what everyone thought of the pistols. We had five shooters and we each had ample opportunity to run each gun through its paces. After every shooter had his fill, the consensus was that the BP9 was the favorite. It had a nice trigger with a quick reset although there was some concern that it did not have enough resistance. It also had a larger dot on the front sight which made it easier to see. The recoil was mild and straight up so follow-up shots were quick and easy. After this range session, two people from the group ordered a BP9.

The Kahr Cw9 was a solid second and functioned flawlessly but it just did not feel as good as the Bersa. The trigger felt too long and the sights were not as easy to use as the Bersa. It is a little lighter than the Bersa and slightly smaller but the Bersa adds an extra round.

The CM9 also functioned flawlessly and is a great choice for a pocket pistol. Being a smaller gun, it left something to be desired as far as grip length and feel. However, it is the only one of the five that would fit in a pocket easily.

We expected the M&P Shield to be the favorite but every shooter came away disappointed. The recoil was up and to the right making follow-up shots more difficult. The grip was not as comfortable as the BP9 or CW9 and the sights on the BP9 are more visible. The trigger on the BP9 also had a better feel. Would we be happy with the Shield if the BP9 and CW9 were not available? Yes, but unfortunately for the Shield, the BP9 and CW9 showed up.

The P290RS had some soft-strike issues but would fire using the re-strike feature. It was accurate but the soft-strike issue killed the gun. We had about six soft-strikes over seven magazines of six shots each. Way too many for our tastes. This issue was supposed to have been remedied in the RS but it appaers to be an ongoing problem.
Good write up!!! Makes me wonder where the Walther PPS would've placed if included. But IMO the CW9 is still the epitome of the perfect CCW. At least for me.
 
#29 ·
Black-and-white Photography Human Portrait Eyewear

It's ALIVE!!!

...but a nice writeup! I think I would have started a new thread, rather than piggybacking on this necro.

Welcome to the Forum!
 
#31 ·
I have two of each in Kahr 9mm, and 45ACP, and a Bersa 9mm and 40S&W and all are excellent weapons.
I carry both often, and use them equally. You won't go wrong with either.
Play with each of them at the range and see what fits your hand / preferences.
Both are solid products, backed with a quality warranty.
 
#33 ·
I had a CM9 and did not have any trouble with it but just did not like it. The long trigger pull, lack of safety, and no hammer may have had something to do with it since I was used to 1911 style Smiths. I replaced it with a Sig P238-not exactly the same going from a 9mm to 9mm short (.380) but I like it much better and it disappears in an IWB or pocket. See what fits your hand and what feels natural to operate. I had looked at a Bersa as well. They are both quality firearms.
 
#34 ·
I have heard the BP9CC has a really nice short trigger and is a great reliable gun. It is a bit large for a subcompact, but its thin and that's what matters. I definitely love my Kahr CM9, very comfortable to carry and shoot. Recoil isnt bad at all, and is very accurate. SOMETIMES the polymer framed kahrs can be a bit troublesome, but I think there are far more positives than negatives. I know people that have 1000's of rounds through theres. The CW9 is more comparable to the BP9CC but just a little smaller in size.
My vote goes to Kahr, very small, very accurate, very comfortable to shoot, AWESOME trigger.
 
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