makarov vs. bersa for female

Status
Not open for further replies.
shaggy430

shaggy430

Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2008
Messages
950
I am helping a female friend shop for her first pistol for self defense purposes. She has a budget of $300 or less. Right now, I have found a really nice Makarov 9x18 and a like new Bersa Thunder .380 that fall within these budget restraints. Which would you recommend? One consideration would be ammo cost and availability. Both rounds are similar in recoil in my opinion and the pistols have similar footprints.

Please refrain from overtly negative comments about these two pistols unless you have a definite bad experience. I am looking to help a friend find a pistol and introduce a new person to shooting. Basically, if you haven't shot it, don't put it down. No snobbish comments please.
 
Regardless she needs one she can rack. That's more important than the make or model. What use is a gun she can't operate. I would think the Bersa, but she's the one who has to decide not you. :)
 
I would say the Bersa Thunder just because of the ammo. It's a good gun that I recomend first when asked about a .380

I dont know anythig about the Makarov other than the post here from the people that love them.
 
Last edited:
DoubleAction, if you have something to add then do it. By posting this, I wanted to find out experiences both good and bad. However, I didn't want to get opinions from those who feel that you must buy a Kimber or nothing at all. My friend is looking to purchase a pistol for the most pure of RKBA purposes- defending herself. Her budget is $300. She is looking to me to help her make an informed decision. Thank you.
 
Ok, if she is dead-set against revolvers, I'll refrain from suggesting a snubnose such as the Taurus M85 that would make a decent "first handgun" IMO.

The 9x18 is going to be MUCH easier to find than .380acp right now and cheaper, of course. As I'm sure you already know, ammunition is become quite hard to find in some parts and the .380acp is among the most scarce.

That said, my wife didn't like my Russian Makarov one bit as the slide was a PITA to operate. She did like the M85, especially when loaded with 148gr HBWCs. However, she has since adopted my Kahr K9 and finds it FAR more pleasant to shoot than the Makarov or CZ-82 (another fine 9x18 option) despite the more powerful 9x19 chambering.

I think it's a common misconception that the .380acp/9x18 blowback designs are better for new owners. In my opinion, they are not... not by a long shot. They aren't the worst mind you, but there are better choices out there. I believe with a little searching, you can still pick up a Sig P6 (essentially a 225) within her budget. Just something to chew on.
 
My Bersa is not a .380. That said, it is a quality little gun with an acceptable DA trigger pull, and a SA pull that makes me giggle with delight.

If the Mak you are looking at is a genuine Russian Makarov, for $300 it is a steal. If it is a FEG or some other East European (EE) gun in 9mm Makarov, $300 is probably too high. The EE guns also tend to have really crappy DA pulls but that & the recoil can be tamed, to an extent, w/ a set of Wolff srpings. Or you could teach her the Israeli Method & do away w/ the DA pull altogether. :D

Have you considered a Taurus revolver? My Model 85 (.38 spl) is a peach and they can be found on Gunbroker, etc., for under $300, usually. Also, .38spl is a fairly ubiquitous and inexpensive round.
 
DoubleAction, if you have something to add then do it. By posting this, I wanted to find out experiences both good and bad. However, I didn't want to get opinions from those who feel that you must buy a Kimber or nothing at all. My friend is looking to purchase a pistol for the most pure of RKBA purposes- defending herself. Her budget is $300. She is looking to me to help her make an informed decision. Thank you.
Click to expand...

shaggy430; Was my response directed to you ? What reason do have this open message to me ? Do usually greet your members with kindness and attack of vile disgust ? :neener:

Don't Bother me, I have business which deserves my immediate attention.
 
You can get a nice used CZ82 for under $300. She may find it easier to operate. Maks are nice, I'd get that over a Bersa. You may bump into some police trade-ins, you never know what will show up in the used market... keep your eyes open for the best deal available, not just certain model.
 
I've had a Mak (replaced my BDA for carry) for about 2 years that I'm fine with.
that said awhile back at the range an off-duty cop was trying out his new Thunder .380acp for off-duty carry and invited me to run a mag through it, I was favorable impressed. nice trigger and easy to rack. accurate too.
I'll say the Bersa will do fine.
 
The Makarov that used to be mine is what turned my sweetie into a Glock 21 IPSC competitor.Go with the Mak,besides,ammo is easier to find...
 
I have 2 girlfriends, one is an ex, who got Bersa Thunders in .380 and liked them. Nice little gun, bearable recoil, easy to operate and clean. They are single stack and the standard mags are 7 rounders. Current girlfriend, would like a higher magazine capacity in her Bersa and really likes my Beretta 84, but I'm not giving that one up. I also have a CZ-82 and she really likes it too. It has a 12 round capacity, is fairly easy to rack and shoots as accurately as the Beretta. As said above, right now .380 ammo is not available anywhere and the 9x18 Makarov is. Hornady makes a nice hollow point for the 9x18, and my gun likes that ammo. The recoil of the CZ is about the same as the Bersa.
If you have a reason for wanting the .380 over the 9x18, the CZ 83 is the same gun chambered for the .380. I don't know anything about price or availability tho.
 
I'd take hard look into the cz82 in 9x18.

Extremely accurate, excellent DA trigger, and you can find 9x18 ammo unlike .380 ammo.
 
From my experiences for a female newbie, a small framed 38 is the ticket.

She can see the hammer and doesn't have to remember if one is in the chamber or look to see if it's on safety and can operate it in single or double action and no slide to have to pull.
 
You might be able to steer her in the right direction, or at least in a direction, but you can't make the decision for her. The only person who can decide what gun she wants to buy is your friend, and she'll only be able to do that by getting her hands on a variety of makes and models and spending some rang time with them. The gun she chooses must fit her hand and her eye and her mind, and she can't get that on a gun board. Take her to a range that rents guns, bring some guns along for her to try, and then let her blast away and make a decision.
 
make sure she can rack the slide. i've found that most women are unable to rack the slide on my cz-82.

if she can't rack the slide easily, it is not the right gun for her.
 
Makarovs I have shot had tough DA trigger pulls.

I like the CZ 82-83 family but they lack mechanical decockers. She would either have to manually lower the hammer or go cocked and locked with thumb safety.

Gotta go with the Bersa in this category of gun.
 
Jim, problem is you can't find 380. What use is a gun you can't shoot?

If she gets a makarov chambered in 9x18, well, that ammo is everywhere. Even if local shops don't have it, you can order cases of 1,000 online all day long.
 
A question:
The Bersa?

Seriously, I'm not knocking the Bersa. From all accounts, it seems to be well-liked. But, the other option is a Makarov! That is an all-time great gun. They always work, they're brutally simple, they shoot well, etc, etc, etc. The 9X18 is the more effective round, too. Even if a .380 was equal to a 9X18 and even if the guns shot similarly, I'd choose the Makarov because it'll probably be shooting just as well in 50 years as it does now. An indefinite lifetime is a tall order for any mechanism and I think Makarovs are one of those rare designs. Just hold them both and see which feels like you can truly depend upon it? Forever? Really, the Bersa over the Makarov?

Note: All of the above depends upon a willingness on her part to rack some slightly heavy slide. Can she? Will she?
 
Last edited:
Harmon, I think the .380 shortage is a temporary aberration and the typical female owner would not fire a case of ammunition out of the usual hard kicking blowback if she lived to be a hundred and five.

I was on the range yesterday with a female friend whose well meaning husband had armed her with an Airweight .38 revolver. Simple in operation, but also a hard kicker and it did not take her long to get all the fun she wanted. We continued shooting with my K22 that she enjoyed firing. Which led to a discussion of the merits of the .22 for self defense.

I'm going to get her some rubber bullets and then furnish some powderpuff loads so she can shoot that Airweight enough to be familiar with it.
 
I was a long time owner of a mak. It was my daily CCW for ~ a year. Sweet, reliable, accurate and inexpensive would be how I describe it. Both my wife and I thought it had a sharp recoil. For me it was no big deal to shoot 100-200 rounds in an extended range session. SHE HATED IT! My mother-in-law tried it and HATED IT! Both shot it a few times and then I could never get them to try it again. They thought there was something different with the type and quality of the recoil on the Mak.

In order to put recoil and my wife into perspective, her normal CCW is a steel framed .38 loaded with the Remi FBI load or she steals my Ruger Security Six snub and loads it with speer short barrel .357's.

I would try to bring her somewhere she can try out a blowback .380 or 9x18 before she buys! Also, the ONLY pistol that my wife enjoys shooting is my SIG P6. She has small hands and the single stack fits her hands well. IIRC it really not thank much bigger or heavier than a mak.
 
I have a Bersa thuncer CC in .380 and it is by far my wife's favorite gun. It fits her hand perfectly and she is comfortable with it. I've never had a problem with it.

I've never handled a markov before so I'm not sure how they compare but I would go with whatever has an effective round that she feels comfortable with.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

R
  • Locked
Fill me in on the Bersa .380's
Replies
21
Views
1K
SAG0282
S
W
  • Locked
Polish P-64 and Bulgarian Makarov vs. Bersa .380 - Review
2 3
Replies
58
Views
9K
kragluver
K
4
  • Locked
CZ-82 vs. Bersa Thunder
Replies
24
Views
2K
ice monkey
I
A
  • Locked
  • Poll
Bersa Thunder 380 or Makarov 380
2
Replies
33
Views
3K
SAG0282
S
S
  • Locked
Gonna buy a new .380 today Bersa or Walther?
2
Replies
48
Views
5K
harmon rabb
H
Back
Top