My wife just got her 1st gun today. I have introduced her to shooting and taught her the basic fundamentals with my own guns than we rented Berretta 22 and Walther PPQ 9mm with a range Groupon. She started with the 22 and when she got comfortable wanted to try the 9, she did well. Now she has her own and I'm looking forward to continuing the lessons 🖒🖒

Bersa - not one we see/talk about a lot here.  But hey, if she likes it, more power to her!

ugh bersa have nothing but problems with mine, 500 rounds through it still fails to feed, eject, stovepipe every malfunction possible.  only gun i regret buying.

Don't discourage her! Simply let her know, you get what you pay for.....Encourage her to continue and that a home defense weapon must be reliable above all else. I like my Raven .22 but I will never stake my life on it!

Look at used good quality guns like Sig. Ask the range for some reliable rentals for HD then see it she shoots it well.

Time and time again I see people posting, shoot what you're comfortable with. Regardless of reliability, what the forum thinks, what the reviews are, etc. Now...@ghanson is posting that his wife is comfortable shooting a certain pistol and it's not good enough? As long as it shoots, and she's comfortable shooting it. You're good to go. Congrats on her new gun!

The only thing I know about Bersa is from the two I have.  One is an older SA kind of based on a Beretta Model 70 and a newer 380.  They both work well and never gave me any problems.  I would not feel unarmed or disadvantaged if I had to use one.  Less expensive guns are not all junk as some seem to think.

There are crappy SIGs, Walthers, Berettas, and S&Ws out there too.

Like Infamous said, if it works and she's happy with it that's all that's required. Telling a new shooter their gun is a POS (Bersa isn't IMO) unless it really is very discouraging.  Everyone doesn't need a SIG (which I don't particularly like). From what I've read Hi Points work well and they are no where near a Bersa in quality.  

I have a Raven for about 30 years with at least a few hundred rounds through it.  Its not very accurate past about 15 feet Now that's more than a few steps below a Bersa in quality.  Mine works and I would rather have it than a stick to defend myself.

Everyone doesn't need an $800 SD gun.  

Go to a couple of gun ranges that rent guns and ask them which ones are the most reliable.

Just posted my personal experience with them, the one i own is a lemon.  wasted alot of 380 trying to break it in as bersa suggested.

In my (ever growing) collection I have the usual suspects; Sig, Ruger, S&W. My dad, however, does have a Bersa along with a HK and Glock. My dad is retired LE so he is one of the very few/very lucky ones in NJ that can carry and on his lighter days he carries the Bersa. I don't know how many total rounds he has through his Bersa but during a range trip together I put 100 rounds thru with no problem but I did have a FTE with his VP9. Now I'm not blaming the VP, it is a good gun overall just I don't care for the paddle mag release myself. Maybe my dad got lucky with his Bersa????? I'm not sure. This pistol is my wifes 1st and she was just looking for something to start out with, she looked at several guns and she liked the size and feel of this one, hopefully she got a good one...........

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 hours ago, NJGF said:

Go to a couple of gun ranges that rent guns and ask them which ones are the most reliable.

I don't need to do that.  I've been around long enough to form my own opinions. IMO if you want the utmost reliability get a 9mm Glock.  That opinion is not formed from what Joe at the gun shop told me or comments from Mike and Charlie at the range.  That's from overseeing a couple of hundred 17s, 19s, and 26s for over 10 years.  Had exactly one part break (that was from putting the gun together incorrectly) and can count total malfunctions on my fingers.  Most of those were ammo related.

I've got a Taurus 357 that's worked fine for nearly 30 years.  That's supposed to be a POS according to many.  Ask the NJSP what they think of SIGs after they got jerked around by SIG trying to fix their guns.  That's why they went to Glocks.

My Ruger P90 I've had for about 25 years was half the price of a SIG 220 at the time.  It does and continues to do everything a 220 does.

2 hours ago, cabalrayz said:

Just posted my personal experience with them, the one i own is a lemon.  wasted alot of 380 trying to break it in as bersa suggested.

Not being critical of you.  At least you're speaking of your experience.  My Bersa works, yours didn't.

I went through the same thing as you did with a Walther.  They couldn't make it run right and neither could I.  I still own a few Walthers but I have always found them ammo sensitive.

My bersa is 20 yrs old or so and shoots very accurately with no malfunctions at all. My niece liked it so much she went and bought a brand new one and it was a lemon.

Congratulations and happy shooting !

1 hour ago, GRIZ said:

I don't need to do that.  I've been around long enough to form my own opinions. IMO if you want the utmost reliability get a 9mm Glock.  That opinion is not formed from what Joe at the gun shop told me or comments from Mike and Charlie at the range.  That's from overseeing a couple of hundred 17s, 19s, and 26s for over 10 years.  Had exactly one part break (that was from putting the gun together incorrectly) and can count total malfunctions on my fingers.  Most of those were ammo related.

Some of the high tech large ranges do maintenance on their rental guns and keep detailed computerized info about the guns. That can give you a pretty good idea of the guns performance over time based upon tens of thousands of hours of use, etc. not just comments from a few people. 

btw: I didn't want to add my own thoughts just for the reasons you mentioned but I would agree 100% about Glocks reliability.

You need double boolits now!