:: Bersa Talk ::

A couple of days ago I fell into temptation and purchased a Bersa Thunder 45 Ultra Compact while I was out "running errands".  I took the following pictures to give you an idea of how the gun compares to the Bersa Thunder 9 Ultra Compact, which a lot of the guys and gals here on Bersa Talk already have. If I did everything right, you should be able to click on any of the pics and see a larger image.

 

When I pulled my 9UC out of my UBG Striker IWB holster and stuck the 45UC in, it went right in. Check this out.

As you can see, (hopefully), the 45UC only sticks up out of the holster a fraction of an inch higher than the 9UC. The gun doesn't feel very much bigger in my hand than the 9UC, either.

Now, for a range report. I bought some Mag Tech .45acp ammo at the gunstore where I bought the gun. I was surprised when I opened up the box at the range the next day and found that the bullets were flat nosed, kind of cup shaped like a flat bottomed ice cream cone. So out of a box of 50, I wasn't particularly surprised when I had 3 failures to feed. They were easily fixed by simply re-racking the slide and they went right into the chamber and fired, no problem. Not anything like my BT380, where the round wedges in tight at a 45 degree angle and you can't rack the slide back until you pull the mag out and pull back on the slide and hold it back and shake the round out, then reinsert the mag and start over.

Felt recoil was amazingly mild. I had fired a box of 50 rounds of 9mm through my 9UC first, and was expecting more thump and a louder bang from the 45, but it wasn't noticeably more. To tell the truth, I get more bite from the BT380, probably because of the narrower back strap. So that was a pleasant surprise. I bought another box of 45 ammo at the range, but I couldn't stay to shoot it because my blood sugar was getting low and I needed to grab some lunch. I have type II diabetes so I need to be careful and not push my limits. I'll go back tomorrow or next week for another range session with a different brand and shape of ammo, something with a rounder nose.

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p-t-max

I'm no expert, I'm just, well---opinionated!

http://blog648.blogspot.com/

You know, I've been thinking about a 45 or 40 cal and I never noticed that the UC 45 had lost the finger grooves the 9 UC has.  Wonder why?  I found a Rock Island 1911 at a pawn shop today for $450.00 and wonder if that's a fair price or should I try to talk him down.  I might try to trade my Glock 26 for it.  Equitable?? What do you think?

Bill

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Firestorm FS 22lr Duo Tone
Bersa Thunder 380 DuoTone
Keltec P3AT
Rossi 357 Blue 2" Snubbie

jensen arms had the rock islands for $375 a few months

back, you could give them a try.

R.Ph. 380:

You know, I've been thinking about a 45 or 40 cal and I never noticed that the UC 45 had lost the finger grooves the 9 UC has.  Wonder why?  I found a Rock Island 1911 at a pawn shop today for $450.00 and wonder if that's a fair price or should I try to talk him down.  I might try to trade my Glock 26 for it.  Equitable?? What do you think?

Bill

If you like the Rock Island 45,i wouldsuggest you look around a little because that price is high for a used one.Another one that makes a nice gun is Charles Daily.They have some real nice 45`s,and their prices are reasonable as well,and then you have the obvious with bersa and firestorm,and again,great guns at a reasonable price.Good luck in whatever you decide.

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JC40

Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat,for it is momentary.



Mini Firestorm .40
Sig Sauer P220
CZ Rami .40
S&W Airweight 38 spl
Taurus PT111 9mm
Pheonix arms .22

Thanks for the great comparison photo's p-t-max.  Get out there and shoot em up I'm waiting for the new range report. 

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Tom

R.Ph. 380:

You know, I've been thinking about a 45 or 40 cal and I never noticed that the UC 45 had lost the finger grooves the 9 UC has.  Wonder why?  I found a Rock Island 1911 at a pawn shop today for $450.00 and wonder if that's a fair price or should I try to talk him down.  I might try to trade my Glock 26 for it.  Equitable?? What do you think?

Bill

Do you want and like the R.I ?
Do it,I traded my G 21 + $100.00 for a  N.I.B S&W 637 .38  Airweight.Never looked back

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And my gun is cocked and loaded,I hope I get me some sleep tonight.
Tommy Bolin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqKZEoY1rgU

R.Ph. 380:

You know, I've been thinking about a 45 or 40 cal and I never noticed that the UC 45 had lost the finger grooves the 9 UC has.  Wonder why? 

Bill

Good question. I wonder if it was some arrangement with Eagle Imports, the owner of the Firestorm brand name. When Bersa first introduced their .45, they called it the Mini Thunder, and it had  finger grooves. Maybe they agreed to let Eagle Imports keep the Mini designation for their Firestorm guns, while Bersa retained the Thunder brand for the guns marketed in the U.S. under the Bersa brand name. They must have reached some kind of agreement about the trigger guards and finger grooves, too. Maybe the grooves on the 9UC were "negotiable".

Click pics to enlarge. 

 

Here are pics of a Mini Thunder 45 and a Firestorm Mini 45. Apparently when Bersa changed the name to the Thunder 45 Ultra Compact, they adopted the straight front strap to help distinguish it from the Firestorm Mini 45. Not that it's done anything to reduce the confusion about the two different brand names.   

 

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p-t-max

I'm no expert, I'm just, well---opinionated!

http://blog648.blogspot.com/

Rock and Charles Daily are made by same company   Both good but I perfer the Rock  The price is to high for a used one You can orfer from center fire a tactial for about that. It has all the bells and noise makers.

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Bersa Thunder,
PPK/S,
1990 Colt Mustang,
380 Kel Tec
380's Rule

"Just say "Lay A Way"

"WWJBD" What Would James Bond Do?

"Hokey religions and plastic glocks are no match for a good 1911 at your side, kid."

Nice photos P T ( uhhh... by the way your safety's are in the off position, LOL)

I just bought the 45 UC the other day and snuck it in the house right past the wife, they don't call it the UC for nothing!!!

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Just aim in the general direction and empty the magazine

2nd range trip w/new 45UC

I went to the range yesterday for the second time with my new BT45UC. I shot 50 rounds of FMJ and had 3 or 4 FTFs, just like on the first range trip. These were strange little jams. It was like the slide locked back on an empty mag, except the mag wasn't empty. I looked down into the ejection port and it looked like the slide was all the way back, and the top round was all the way up, but the bolt wasn't touching the round. A quick tug back on the slide and release sent the round into the chamber and away we went. Like I said, this happened 3, maybe 4 times. I forgot to look and see if the slide release lever was in the locked  position when this occured. (Duh!) I wonder if the mag is slow pushing the next round up and that's why the slide is locking back. Also, I noticed on several occasions that the slide seemed to be cycling slow, like maybe it was hanging up for just a fraction of a second and then continuing. I've inspected the slide rails closely and can't detect any rough spots or unusual wear of any kind. I'll just keep it clean and well lubed and keep shooting it and hope this little problem works itself out.   

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p-t-max

I'm no expert, I'm just, well---opinionated!

http://blog648.blogspot.com/

P-T, I've had the same problem with my UC45, and I think it's an Ammo Compatibility issue.  It only locks the slide open on mine when I shoot full-charge, heavy bullet ammo.  If I reduce bullet weight, or drop the powder charge a bit, it doesn't do it.  Just a guess, but I think the recoil impetus of the heavy-bullet ammo is just enough to flip the gun upwards harder, allowing the slide stop to engage.  The gun was apparently designed around the 200-grain bullets and under, the 230-grain ammo is the only stuff that ties it up.  I suppose you could keep your thumb on top of the slide stop when shooting, but my grip doesn't feel right that way, so I just shoot the lighter bullets.  Even my +P handloads don't engage the slide stop with the lighter bullets, I shoot nothing but 185's and 200's now, and it's been fine. (A slightly stiffer spring on the slide latch might also work, but I haven't tried that.)  I've got close to 1000 rounds thru mine, and this is the only problem I've experienced with it.  Try the lighter stuff and see if it helps, it cured the problem in my gun, and it's also a bit easier to shoot fast.

Hope this helps.

Papajohn

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If you can shoot Home Invaders, what's wrong with shooting Homeland Invaders?

I'll have to give that a try and see what happens. I just checked both the empty boxes and they're 230 grain. So thanks, papajohn.

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p-t-max

I'm no expert, I'm just, well---opinionated!

http://blog648.blogspot.com/

I have a Beretta PX4 .45. The only ammo I used was 100 rounds of 230 grain FMJ cheap Walmart ammo and one time 20 rounds of 165 grain power balls just to see how my carry ammo worked. The pistol shot perfect. 

Well the other day I was shooting abit and I started out with 20 rounds 230 grain +P Starfire HP's. The first mag fed fine but the second mag I shot did exactly what you said 3 times in a row.  The slide was open like it was the last shot. With a quick yank on the slide the shells fed.

I then fired 50 rounds of Blazer NON BRASS cheap ammo. 230 grain and the gun fired perfect. I know its a different pistol but I wonder if it was the +P 230 grain that made the pistol mal-function.

Thanks for the info PapaJohn.    

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Tom

Tom the roofer:

 I know its a different pistol but I wonder if it was the +P 230 grain that made the pistol mal-function.

 

Who's pistol? Your pistol? My pistol? Or papajohn's?

None of the ammo I've shot was designated +p.

I went running errands again today and checked out the local Wal-Mart ammo counter. All their .45auto ammo was 230 grains or heavier. I'll keep looking.

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p-t-max

I'm no expert, I'm just, well---opinionated!

http://blog648.blogspot.com/

p-t-max:

Tom the roofer:

 I know its a different pistol but I wonder if it was the +P 230 grain that made the pistol mal-function.

 

Who's pistol? Your pistol? My pistol? Or papajohn's?

None of the ammo I've shot was designated +p.

I went running errands again today and checked out the local Wal-Mart ammo counter. All their .45auto ammo was 230 grains or heavier. I'll keep looking.

Your pistol and Papajohns pistol are the same. They are both UC45's. Mine is not. I read the following as 230 grain bullit with a full charge. I thought that could have meant +P. Sorry just trying to help.

P-T, I've had the same problem with my UC45, and I think it's an Ammo Compatibility issue.  It only locks the slide open on mine when I shoot full-charge, heavy bullet ammo.  If I reduce bullet weight, or drop the powder charge a bit, it doesn't do it. Papajohn

 

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Tom