**Disclosure: Lengthy post, explaining fully decision, initial thoughts, description and short range report (more to follow).
Okay, so my Glock 19 is my carry choice when I'm OWB carrying and no worries about it being seen are present. My pocket .380 is on me all the time and when dressed in suit or dress clothes for work it is my sole carry piece. The one thing I didn't have was the small slender single stack 9mm that could dissolve IWB in scenarios where I want to carry something more than a pocket .380 (which is as much as I can without it being visible at work).
So I began shooting many, many different options for the better part of a year and a half. Kahr CM9 and CW9, Taurus 709, Sig 938 and 290, Ruger LC9s and LC9 (WORST TRIGGER EVER!), Kel Tec PF9, S&W Shield, Walther CCP and held the PPS (not a fan of feel), Beretta Nano and the one I was waiting on all along Glock 43. (**Addition: I did hold the XDS, but for some reason outside the Mod2's recently available I've never cared for XDs at all)
Let me breakdown the ones that got serious consideration and I would and still do recommend if people ask me at the range/shop I work at part time:
Ruger LC9s - This thing's slender ergonomics are something I like but have realized there is no middle ground here, it's a love or hate design it seems for most folks. The sleek design does make shooting for a while get tiresome on the hand but this isn't a target pistol, it's a small workhorse and it does that very nicely. It's initial trigger pull is probably the shortest pickup and pull out of the entire group...but it's reset is longer than I'd like, for some the amazingly nice trigger will override the reset...but the deciding factors why I didn't go with it are: reset and I like just a little more meat in the grip of the gun to fill palm more.
S&W Shield - This is the one that won out for feel in my hand...grip fills it out by it's design and nearly feels like you're holding a full size (CCP has similar effect IMO). To me it has a solid, not amazing trigger and reset, making it a definite gun to consider in this group. Final factors that made me not pick was the only thing I LOVED about it was the feel of it in my hands...otherwise I was just a fan and not in love with it. Solid gun though as are any of these listed.
Glock 43 - The long awaited gun is the reason I took so long deciding but once we got it, I wasn't so thrilled to be completely honest. It is a Glock and for that reason alone I know it will be reliable, shoot anything and simple to operate. The trigger to me is where Glock failed us all, it isn't as nice as their other guns and makes my Glock 19 feel like a hair trigger (it is stock!) in comparison. It's reset is nice but again I sense perhaps a touch longer than Glock's normal (at least my feeling). Ending factors I didn't get the Glock: overall not what I expected from Glock, only 6+1, trigger not what I expected....still a solid gun no doubt....and someday I bet I own one, because I do like Glock!
Sig 938 (&290) - The 938 is a sick gun, and I mean that in a good way! Only reason I didn't get one was I wanted a Double Action...not a SAO. Pistol is just awesome though and if I wanted to go away from a poly frame or to SAO this gun would be mine faster than Hillary cleared her server! The 290 feels great...but the trigger is dang near Kel Tec long and hard...with a long reset as well. I shot it great just not a fan of the trigger myself, would recommend though to folks as it is a solid gun offered by Sig and some like longer trigger pulls.
Walther CCP - Loved the ergonomics even more than the shield...but I HATE the pyramid slide...trigger was solid but not great and the reset is dang near Kel Tec long as well! If you like Walther's you will love the gun and look over the reset.
Kahr CW9 & CM9 - The CM9 intrigues me and I believe someday I'll have one. As a true pocket 9mm I don't feel the thing can be beat. I've heard of a couple issues from folks but also a LOT of good. I shot both well and obvious liked the CW9 more for shootability but the CM9 can be carried in places no other 9mm I'd consider can. Trigger is that long but INCREDIBLY smooth Kahr trigger with a average reset (nothing great). Would recommend if someone must pocket carry and wants to stay in 9mm...this purchase was geared towards IWB though.
Taurus709/KTPF9/Nano - Just didn't make it for me...actually owned a PF9 once, shot everything I threw through but trigger is terrible, reset is terrible, ergos are nothing special....
***BERSA BP9CC***
I obviously ended up picking this one hence the title of the thread. Now I am not saying this thing is perfect but for me personally it wove everything I liked most about all the others and made the most of them into one gun. With many questions and few thoughts/reviews online about it I figured I'd share here with all of you.
Highlights of it:
TRIGGER - The trigger is light, only gun that beats it would be the LC9s and not because I necessarily think it is a lighter pull the LC9s just has a shorter pull. The Bersa has some initial pick up before breaking very crisp and light. The reset however is awesome! Like non-existent awesome. Sig fans will tout it is no better but maybe equal to some of the short reset Sigs...and to each their own, I personally think it has them beat by a hair. For the light trigger and extremely short reset some people (idiots IMO) feel it isn't safe for EDC.....I'll just say I disagree. Another thing of note that I love about the pistol is the trigger itself is wider...one wouldn't think this would be a big deal but comfort of a wider trigger is awesome and you feel like trigger control and finger pad placement is much more consistent. Everything I've read states the pick up on the trigger smooths out after a touch of shooting and goes from a solid initial trigger to a GREAT one....we will see if I experience this as well.
SAFETIES - No external safeties really to speak of. It does however come with a key lock...mine will never be turned off so moot point to me personally.
GRIP - Yes, nearly all I would say reading this will be have room for their pinky on this gun! Which is awesome in such a small compact sized gun. Otherwise the grip may be a touch too smooth for some and if you like a rougher grip Hogue or Talons could be an addition for you....I may or may not gonna give it more of a break in to see.
SIGHTS - Here is the only real grip I have about it...the stock back sights are tiny two dot sights that are borderline ghost gray and non-existent. Those who black out their rear-sights will love them...those that love bright in the open rear sights will hate them. I plan on changing them out eventually...but I'll state at the moment after first shooting I see the benefit of the back sight dissolving, naturally encourages you to focus on front sight more. I actually foresee me liking the sight set up despite my initial thought of dang...there basically is no rear sights.
MAGS - You get two and they seem well made and load extremely easy...by their size and the pistol's size you'd most likely guess 7+1 but the things hold 8 (easy all the way through the last one) making it a 8+1 firearm. Extra mags are not cheap though, sold from anywhere from $40-55 a pop usually.
ACCURACY - I shot just at 15 feet the first time and was getting 2/3inch groupings...I hadn't shot in a while (shoot less now working at a range
) and I feel it was in part my fault it didn't do better. As I settled in my last 2 mags worth were all half dollar sized groupings....shot perhaps 6 mags worth myself (RSO friend there shot 2 as well).
RELIABILITY - Way too early to know for sure...but the thing ate all the miscellaneous junk I had laying around. Serious when I say it had probably 4 or 5 different hollow points in the bag, some target, all different weights and some of the brass was tarnishing with age...oh and some were old re-loads. Thing never missed a beat...that was out of the box with just the slide wiped down due to packing grease...no internal cleaning at all. I was pleased...will continue to shoot more and more over coming weeks to see more.
ONLY REAL NEGATIVE - If forced to say what I would change about it, it would be the mag disconnect safety. Some love this feature, I'm kinda undecided but if asked I'd probably say no over yes to it. **edit addition** The mag release is a touch difficult at first but once adjusted not a big deal at all...however I'd like just even another 1/16th of an inch protrusion of it.
Breakdown of specs:
caliber: 9mm
magazine capacity: eight rounds
magazines included: two
action: short DAO, striker fired
barrel length: 3.3”
overall length: 6.35”
width: 0.94”
weight (unloaded): 21.5 ounces
sights: three dot
line of sight: five inches
MSRP: $429
Closing thoughts are this. Is this the perfect gun in the single stack small 9mm framed guns? Not for you possibly..was it for me, yes. It combined everything I looked for (nearly) into one gun, is there a few things I'd change about it? Possibly, but all in all this is more the single stack 9mm I was hoping Glock would make...and for that I knew I'd found the one for me. Good luck with your search, do yourself a favor and at minimum hold and dry fire (test/rent if at all possible) all the main ones I highlighted...I guarantee one of them will be your fancy!
Okay, so my Glock 19 is my carry choice when I'm OWB carrying and no worries about it being seen are present. My pocket .380 is on me all the time and when dressed in suit or dress clothes for work it is my sole carry piece. The one thing I didn't have was the small slender single stack 9mm that could dissolve IWB in scenarios where I want to carry something more than a pocket .380 (which is as much as I can without it being visible at work).
So I began shooting many, many different options for the better part of a year and a half. Kahr CM9 and CW9, Taurus 709, Sig 938 and 290, Ruger LC9s and LC9 (WORST TRIGGER EVER!), Kel Tec PF9, S&W Shield, Walther CCP and held the PPS (not a fan of feel), Beretta Nano and the one I was waiting on all along Glock 43. (**Addition: I did hold the XDS, but for some reason outside the Mod2's recently available I've never cared for XDs at all)
Let me breakdown the ones that got serious consideration and I would and still do recommend if people ask me at the range/shop I work at part time:
Ruger LC9s - This thing's slender ergonomics are something I like but have realized there is no middle ground here, it's a love or hate design it seems for most folks. The sleek design does make shooting for a while get tiresome on the hand but this isn't a target pistol, it's a small workhorse and it does that very nicely. It's initial trigger pull is probably the shortest pickup and pull out of the entire group...but it's reset is longer than I'd like, for some the amazingly nice trigger will override the reset...but the deciding factors why I didn't go with it are: reset and I like just a little more meat in the grip of the gun to fill palm more.
S&W Shield - This is the one that won out for feel in my hand...grip fills it out by it's design and nearly feels like you're holding a full size (CCP has similar effect IMO). To me it has a solid, not amazing trigger and reset, making it a definite gun to consider in this group. Final factors that made me not pick was the only thing I LOVED about it was the feel of it in my hands...otherwise I was just a fan and not in love with it. Solid gun though as are any of these listed.
Glock 43 - The long awaited gun is the reason I took so long deciding but once we got it, I wasn't so thrilled to be completely honest. It is a Glock and for that reason alone I know it will be reliable, shoot anything and simple to operate. The trigger to me is where Glock failed us all, it isn't as nice as their other guns and makes my Glock 19 feel like a hair trigger (it is stock!) in comparison. It's reset is nice but again I sense perhaps a touch longer than Glock's normal (at least my feeling). Ending factors I didn't get the Glock: overall not what I expected from Glock, only 6+1, trigger not what I expected....still a solid gun no doubt....and someday I bet I own one, because I do like Glock!
Sig 938 (&290) - The 938 is a sick gun, and I mean that in a good way! Only reason I didn't get one was I wanted a Double Action...not a SAO. Pistol is just awesome though and if I wanted to go away from a poly frame or to SAO this gun would be mine faster than Hillary cleared her server! The 290 feels great...but the trigger is dang near Kel Tec long and hard...with a long reset as well. I shot it great just not a fan of the trigger myself, would recommend though to folks as it is a solid gun offered by Sig and some like longer trigger pulls.
Walther CCP - Loved the ergonomics even more than the shield...but I HATE the pyramid slide...trigger was solid but not great and the reset is dang near Kel Tec long as well! If you like Walther's you will love the gun and look over the reset.
Kahr CW9 & CM9 - The CM9 intrigues me and I believe someday I'll have one. As a true pocket 9mm I don't feel the thing can be beat. I've heard of a couple issues from folks but also a LOT of good. I shot both well and obvious liked the CW9 more for shootability but the CM9 can be carried in places no other 9mm I'd consider can. Trigger is that long but INCREDIBLY smooth Kahr trigger with a average reset (nothing great). Would recommend if someone must pocket carry and wants to stay in 9mm...this purchase was geared towards IWB though.
Taurus709/KTPF9/Nano - Just didn't make it for me...actually owned a PF9 once, shot everything I threw through but trigger is terrible, reset is terrible, ergos are nothing special....
***BERSA BP9CC***
I obviously ended up picking this one hence the title of the thread. Now I am not saying this thing is perfect but for me personally it wove everything I liked most about all the others and made the most of them into one gun. With many questions and few thoughts/reviews online about it I figured I'd share here with all of you.
Highlights of it:
TRIGGER - The trigger is light, only gun that beats it would be the LC9s and not because I necessarily think it is a lighter pull the LC9s just has a shorter pull. The Bersa has some initial pick up before breaking very crisp and light. The reset however is awesome! Like non-existent awesome. Sig fans will tout it is no better but maybe equal to some of the short reset Sigs...and to each their own, I personally think it has them beat by a hair. For the light trigger and extremely short reset some people (idiots IMO) feel it isn't safe for EDC.....I'll just say I disagree. Another thing of note that I love about the pistol is the trigger itself is wider...one wouldn't think this would be a big deal but comfort of a wider trigger is awesome and you feel like trigger control and finger pad placement is much more consistent. Everything I've read states the pick up on the trigger smooths out after a touch of shooting and goes from a solid initial trigger to a GREAT one....we will see if I experience this as well.
SAFETIES - No external safeties really to speak of. It does however come with a key lock...mine will never be turned off so moot point to me personally.
GRIP - Yes, nearly all I would say reading this will be have room for their pinky on this gun! Which is awesome in such a small compact sized gun. Otherwise the grip may be a touch too smooth for some and if you like a rougher grip Hogue or Talons could be an addition for you....I may or may not gonna give it more of a break in to see.
SIGHTS - Here is the only real grip I have about it...the stock back sights are tiny two dot sights that are borderline ghost gray and non-existent. Those who black out their rear-sights will love them...those that love bright in the open rear sights will hate them. I plan on changing them out eventually...but I'll state at the moment after first shooting I see the benefit of the back sight dissolving, naturally encourages you to focus on front sight more. I actually foresee me liking the sight set up despite my initial thought of dang...there basically is no rear sights.
MAGS - You get two and they seem well made and load extremely easy...by their size and the pistol's size you'd most likely guess 7+1 but the things hold 8 (easy all the way through the last one) making it a 8+1 firearm. Extra mags are not cheap though, sold from anywhere from $40-55 a pop usually.
ACCURACY - I shot just at 15 feet the first time and was getting 2/3inch groupings...I hadn't shot in a while (shoot less now working at a range
) and I feel it was in part my fault it didn't do better. As I settled in my last 2 mags worth were all half dollar sized groupings....shot perhaps 6 mags worth myself (RSO friend there shot 2 as well). RELIABILITY - Way too early to know for sure...but the thing ate all the miscellaneous junk I had laying around. Serious when I say it had probably 4 or 5 different hollow points in the bag, some target, all different weights and some of the brass was tarnishing with age...oh and some were old re-loads. Thing never missed a beat...that was out of the box with just the slide wiped down due to packing grease...no internal cleaning at all. I was pleased...will continue to shoot more and more over coming weeks to see more.
ONLY REAL NEGATIVE - If forced to say what I would change about it, it would be the mag disconnect safety. Some love this feature, I'm kinda undecided but if asked I'd probably say no over yes to it. **edit addition** The mag release is a touch difficult at first but once adjusted not a big deal at all...however I'd like just even another 1/16th of an inch protrusion of it.
Breakdown of specs:
caliber: 9mm
magazine capacity: eight rounds
magazines included: two
action: short DAO, striker fired
barrel length: 3.3”
overall length: 6.35”
width: 0.94”
weight (unloaded): 21.5 ounces
sights: three dot
line of sight: five inches
MSRP: $429
Closing thoughts are this. Is this the perfect gun in the single stack small 9mm framed guns? Not for you possibly..was it for me, yes. It combined everything I looked for (nearly) into one gun, is there a few things I'd change about it? Possibly, but all in all this is more the single stack 9mm I was hoping Glock would make...and for that I knew I'd found the one for me. Good luck with your search, do yourself a favor and at minimum hold and dry fire (test/rent if at all possible) all the main ones I highlighted...I guarantee one of them will be your fancy!
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