HandgunsConcealed CarryHandgun Review: Bersa BP9CC

Handgun Review: Bersa BP9CC

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Bersa BP9CC Review

My first experience with Bersa, the Argentinian gun manufacturer whose products are imported by Eagle Imports, came a few years back while filming a TV show in which we were reviewing one of their famed Thunder compact semi-auto pistols.

The Bersa Thunder I was shooting was chambered in .380, the most popular chambering of the line, which also features guns in .32 and .22 calibers, and was outfitted with a red laser sight designed specifically to contour with the bottom of the barrel.

Bersa BP9CC Review.To say I loved the feel and performance of that compact .380 would be an understatement. I had never given the caliber much consideration, but the light weight, compact feel, accuracy and performance changed my mind. After filming, I reluctantly gave it back to my producers, and promptly placed it near the top of my firearms wish list. If only it came in 9mm version.

So it was with the same excitement of shooting that first Thunder model that the offices of Gun Digest received Bersa’s most recent offering, the BP9CC (CC as in concealed carry and 9 as in 9mm). But was it the answer to my earlier wish?

A Concealed Carry Gun For the Times

The first thing you notice about the BP9CC is its size—most notably it’s slender width. This is a gun made to carry, allowing for an almost unnoticeable ride and simple concealment.

At a comfortable .94 inches wide, the gun is no thicker than a paperback book or cell phone with an OtterBox case and almost as light. It tips the scales at a mere 21.5 ounces unloaded, and is 6.35 inches long and 4.8 inches tall.

But it’s not enough to simply build a small gun and chamber it in 9mm, .40 or .45. The smaller the gun, the harder it is to control  and properly aim. Make it too big, and as nice as it may shoot, it will be a pain to carry or conceal.

That’s why Bersa created the BP9CC in the same vein as the S&W Shield, the Glock 26 and the Springfield Armory XDs—because it’s just right in size and delivery.

Bersa BP9CC Ergonomics Defined

Bersa BP9CC Review.As noted, the first thing a shooter notices about the striker-fired BP9 is it’s slender design. Next, they will notice how good the gun feels in the hand.

The high-impact polymer frame is molded to allow for a firm, yet comfortable grip, and is still long enough in the grip to wrap most of your hand around. Lined grooves on the front and rear of the grip along with textured side panels improve the hold on the gun without chewing the shooter’s hands during high-volume shooting.

Additional features include a white three-dot sighting system, a partial Picatinny rail beneath the barrel for a laser or light, an ambidextrous mag release, a loaded chamber indicator and an integral locking safety.

The trigger is wide, which may take getting used to for shooters accustomed to using just the tip of their finger to shoot, and required some pull before tightening up and breaking.

Shooting with a two-handed grip at targets seven yards away, the Bersa easily fired groups under two inches and gunsmith Kurt Derwort, an accomplished shooter, fired groups inside a half inch.

While my hands would have to settle for 2.5-inch groups, I was more than pleased with the 9mm’s performance, and while I still have a .380  Thunder on my wish list, the BP9CC will be checked off as “purchased.” This is definitely a semi-auto worth carrying.

This article appeared in the January 13, 2014 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

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Doug Howlett
Doug Howlett
Doug Howlett is an award-winning editor and writer and the former editor-in-chief of Gun Digest The Magazine. He has written about guns and hunting for nearly 20 years in which time he has written hundreds of articles on the subjects and authored a book on AR-15s.

4 COMMENTS

  1. Yep. You guys are correct. The Thunder Series is only in .380 and .22, but the Thunder Pro Series does come in 9mm and .40 and the Thunder Ultra Compact Pro Series offers them in 9mm, .40 and .45. I missed that earlier and appreciate you pointing out the error. We’ll get that corrected! Thanks so much.

  2. Yeah, I’m confused too.. I own a couple of Bersa(s) I have a 380 Thunder and a 380 Thunder Plus…as well as a 9mm Thunder… On Bersa’s website they have several different models for each caliber…such as the Thunder series, Thunder Combat, Thunder Plus, Thunder Concealed carry, Thunder Pro Series Thunder Ultra Compact Pro Series…. that is a lot of sub models… I was a semi big fan of Beretta’s line of products but fell in love with the Bersa…, especially the 380 model which appear to be copied from an old PPK design… which is a classic design.. James Bond’s standard carry even though he used a 25 caliber whereas I use the Beretta Bobcat design because it is smaller and a much safer design…. but it would be nice if Bersa or Beretta would make a 25 caliber in the PPK design since that size design could handle a double stack design since you can not have too much ammo in a gun when you need it.. A double stack design in 25 caliber would provide at least 14 – 17 in a sub-compact design.

  3. I am confused I bought a bersa thunder in 9mm several years ago. It also came in 45 and 40… where did the writer get his research from????

    • I wasn’t going to say anything “busdriver”…. but since i do now own this BP9CC…. its their latest version and entry for compact 9’s… in a Poly frame…. AND I LOVE MINE! Not the Thunder.

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