CZ82 or Bersa 380

[erob3]

Hi all, I'm looking to purchase probably one of these 2 pistols for my wife for home defense; it will be shot occasionally at the range. I have researched and found these 2 pistols to fit the criteria for both her and I.

1) Under $300 total
2) My wife is tiny so a small hand gun is essential
3) SA / DA
4) Low recoil, a 9mm is too snappy and hurts her wrist and hand, especially in a compact design
5) I have guns that I can say I will never sell, this will not be one of them so resell value is a consideration also.

I own a CZ and love it, however, I am also aware of the far reach of the trigger unless it is cocked. As far as the Bersa I have heard nothing but good things about them. So I guess I'm to the point of looking for input before buying. If anyone has another pistol that fits the above please feel free to let me know.

Thanks.

[irish52084]

I went for the CZ 82. It's a bit heavier than the bersa and the 9x18 round is slightly more powerful than 380.

The DA reach is not of a huge concern if it's just a home defense gun, if you keep it in condition 1. That way you're in SA all the time and don't have to train for 2 trigger pulls. Although, if you are willing to drop to DA, my CZ has a fantastic DA trigger pull and weight.

[tynimiller]

I would vote Bersa Thunder 380....thing is ridiculously reliable and proven. I'm currently on the hunt for one seemingly everywhere I go....Gun shops are starting to price them way to high though!

[group17]

I would go with the Bersa /Firestorm 380 (Lifetime warranty)
Great little reliable pisto lIMO.
You can find 380 well stocked now.
9x18 rounds are harder to find near me.

They also make the Bersa /Firestorm 22 cal clone of the 380 if you want to start your wife off easy. Since it is the same size and manual of arms as the 380 makes for cheaper practice shooting.

[Superfuzz]

The real questions are...

Which one does your wife prefer? How does it feel in her hand? Point? Has she shot either one?

Either one would be fine, but I would lean more to the Bersa. Fine handgun. Extremely reliable, serviceable cartridge, good quality. Assuming it feels the same to your wife.

[PSP]

I'd go for the Bersa Thunder Plus because it holds 15+1.

The CZ82 gave me hammer bite. Other than that it was a OK gun, but not my favorite.

[erob3]

We actually owned the small Beretta .22 for a while so she is familiar with how that feels, she has also shot several of my 9mm's which is why we know the 9mm hurts her hand and wrist. I have been leaning towards the Bersa but I also know the quality of CZ which is why I have been having trouble deciding. I believe the Bersa's recoil will be light enough for her so it will be comfortable to shoot on the occasion she wants too. Most of the time she likes plinking with my Ruger MKII's a the range, which by the way takes me down a different road. If Ruger comes out with their new 1911 in 9mm I may just say to heck with it and buy that one for me (i'm mean her). Afterall, we must keep our priorities straight.

[Ed4032]

Bersa. I have four now and absolutely love them. Great reliable guns.

[jmortimer]

I really like my Thunder .380 and for the $$$ it is such a good deal. i bought mine off Davidsons' Gallery of Guns and had it shipped to my dealer. Feels real nice in my hand. Highly recommend it. Will get another one as I like to have two of every gun I really like.

[Smaug]

I have a Bersa and really like it. I've never seen a CZ82 in person.

We also have a full size 9mm, and I have to tell you: the recoil is about the same. High power cartridge in a heavier gun = lower power cartridge in a lighter gun.

Also since the Bersa and CZ are straight blowback, they are harder to rack the slide. My wife can't do it, but she can do it on the Hi-Power. She does like the feel of it though.

[aarondhgraham]

Get the Thunder .380 and the Thunder .22

For less than $600.00 you can have a matched set,,,
The .380 being the carry gun and the .22 being the practice gun.

I bought the .22 last week,,,
It's accurate, reliable, and inexpensive to shoot,,,
I "broke it in" with 100 Mini-mags and 250 el cheapo LRN Centurion.

Over 700 rounds now and only one fail to feed,,,
That was in the 2nd mag of the Mini-mags,,,
I might have rim-locked it in loading.

My matching Thunder .380 is on order as I type.

I love CZ pistols,,,
I own two of their wonderful guns,,,
But why buy an out of production model for your wife.

Get her a pair of new guns with a lifetime warranty,,,
You'll probably never have to use.

Aarond

[michael t]

380 thunder I own 2 .

The DA reach is not of a huge concern if it's just a home defense gun, if you keep it in condition 1. That way you're in SA all the time and don't have to train for 2 trigger pulls.

You can not leave a Bersa 380 in condition 1 . The safety is the Decocker . You can leave hammer down safety off and thumb cock But no 1911 carry.
I carry in DA mode safety off It has a firing pin block also so safe for carry that way.

[Falcon642]

One advantage of getting the Bersa is that Bersa makes a .22 version of the Thunder .380. It is almost identical the the .380 in every way. If you get the Bersa, you can get the .380 and the .22 version that way your wife can practice with lots of cheap .22 ammo.

http://gunblast.com/Bersa-Thunder22.htm

the 9x18 round is slightly more powerful than 380.

I disagree. The 9X18 has the POTENTIAL to be more powerful than the .380, but I know of no ammo manufacturers that are pushing the 9X18 to its potential. I have not found a 9X18 round that can match Buffalo Bores .380 100 gr hardcast load for energy and penetration.

http://www.buffalobore.com/index.php...t_detail&p=127

[Falcon642]

Bud's gun shop currently has the Thunder .380 on sale for $238 SHIPPED. That's a really good deal on the little Thunder.

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/p...ducts_id=25381

[WVsig]

If she does not like the recoil on a 9mm then she is not going to like the recoil on a Bersa 380 IMHO.

Neither of these would be my first choice. Small hands and smaller stature do not necessarily translate to smaller gun. The smaller the gun the higher the perceived rescoil of the gun. Blowback guns like the Bersa thunder and CZ82 by design have more felt recoil. The Bersa I used to own has more felt recoil than the Kahr CW9 does.

Since she is not carrying a full sized gun will serve her better. Take her to the gun shop and let her hold a few. If you can find a used S&W 3rd gen 5906.

For a little bit more money $400 you could get a Sig Pro SP2022 in 9mm. In the end she needs to be active in the choice and choose what fits her best.

[new_scopeshooter]

Also you should look at a makarov. The safety on it is also a decock. And it is a 9X18 like th 82. There are .380 maks but I would go with th 9x18

[carguychris]

IMHO you should add 2 other pistols to your list.

1. The CZ-83, basically the same as the CZ-82 except chambered in .380ACP. Although the cartridge is slightly less powerful than 9mm Makarov on paper, the real-world power difference is less than the number suggest (see Falcon642's post), and SD ammo is more widely available from Western manufacturers.
2. The Beretta 84, a wonderful gun comparable to the CZ-82/83, except with somewhat better spare mag and parts availability. FWIW the 84B and BB have a non-decocking thumb safety and can be carried in cocked-and-locked, while the 84F and FS have a decocker/safety like the Bersa; I recommend avoiding the original no-suffix 84 as it lacks a positive firing pin block. (An 84F safety can feel like it has a "halfway" notch between the "Fire" and decocking positions, but the pistol is not actually on-safe with the safety in this position; this is a design flaw that was fixed on the 84FS.)

Both of these pistols are quite expensive new, but cheap European LE surplus examples are quite commonplace right now, and I encourage you to get one while the gettin's good.

[WVsig]

Again if felt recoil is an issue then 380 auto blowback operated guns are not a good idea. The Beretta is going to be $400+ even for a surplus one unless it was dragged behind a truck which honestly I have seen a few like that recently.

[Falcon642]

I would avoid the Beretta 84 because the action can be pretty tough to cycle for women (and men for that matter).

It is MUCH easier to rack the slide of a Bersa than a Beretta 84 (and I say that as someone who LOVES his Beretta 96).

If you want a idea of recoil, go to www.genitron.com and use it to research the guns you are looking at. It gives you a calculation of recoil. Very useful.

http://genitron.com/HandgunDB/DB-Han...ail.asp?ID=513

[S_Constitutionist]

I too, would recommended a FULL SIZE gun - it has more to do with recoil than the round it fires in many instances.

I dont own one, but have her hold a S&W M&P in 9mm. I have smallish hands and it has great ergonomics. It will be much easier to shoot than the Bersa (which I do own, and like).

[dean1818]

Get a 9mm NATO

There are many choices out there and the JHP options are MUCH more effective than either of these pistols

A CW9 from KAhr is a great choice.... not too much $

[WVsig]

If you want a idea of recoil, go to www.genitron.com and use it to research the guns you are looking at. It gives you a calculation of recoil. Very useful.

Sorry but any site that lists the felt recoil of the Bersa Thunder 380 is less than a BHP is worthless IMHO. The BHP feels like a cap gun compared to the blowback action of the Bersa.

[tobnpr]

I can tell you that I'm totally impressed with the CZ-82 I purchased a couple of months ago. Steel case ammo is cheap (and brass is available for a few bucks more, still cheaper than .380), and the gun is a tank. My son has a CZ-75B and likes the trigger of the 82 better...it's that smooth. Recoil is minimal. Accuracy from the fixed polygonal barrel is fantastic.

For under $200, it's an almost unbeatable value in a solid handgun.

[Aguila Blanca]

Awhile ago I was coaching a young woman who was VERY recoil sensitive. She had bought (without trying) one of the popular .380s, then found she couldn't shoot it. I took several guns to the range for her to try, including a 9mm Colt Combat Commander, a Hi-Power, and a CZ-82.

She loved the CZ-82 but decided that all of the guns I had were too big for her to carry. Dunno what she finally chose, but I did hear she sold whatever .380 it was that she had bought originally.

For a home defense pistol, I'd vote for a CZ-82 or maybe a Hi-Power if you can swing it.

[8shot357]

Caliber would make my decision. .380 seems more logical.

Ohh, and I'm sure the CZ has no warranty. That's the deal breaker for me.