Bersa BP9FS
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About a decade ago I reviewed the Bersa BP9cc and loved it. Great ergonomics and a carry-friendly slim profile made the BP9cc a great little pistol, but with a quick trigger that permitted me to empty a full magazine in 1.5s I wondered what a trigger like that would be like in a full-size gun; something that could be a range and competition gun. I would have to wait, but we now finally have the BP9FS.
What Is it? The Bersa BP9FS is a full-size pistol (9mm, 4.25" barrel, 17-round capacity) striker-fired pistol. The BP9 line has been Bersa's striker-fired pistols while the TPR line is hammer-fired. Think of the BP9FS as the polymer-framed, striker-fired equivalent of the TPR9, one of my personal favorites which serves as my bedside gun.
Who's it for? While slightly larger than the en-mode carry gun, the BP9 FS is roughly the same size as other guns I've carried, and will also make for a great range, training, duty, or house gun. I love the versatility and practicality of this size because it's a gun you will enjoy practicing with, and that makes it all the better as a gun you might use defensively.
It's been a long time, what's changed? In the nine years since my original review of the BP9cc the American consumer market has demanded a few formerly-custom features become standard:
Front slide serrations
Memory/index traction points for trigger finger and support thumb
Picatinny rail slots on the frame
Target crown barrel
Optics readiness
Slide weight reduction to compensate for adding an optic
Reversable magazine catch
Dual-spring recoil assembly for easier racking and softer recoil
More aggressive grip texture
The BP9FS has included all of these updates, making for a great modern option, especially at a price point like this. Take a look at the BP9FS and what all comes in the box in the tabletop video below. Rumble Link.
Specifications
SKU: BP9FS
Color: Black
Barrel Length: 4.25 in
Action: Striker
Trigger Pull: 3.7 lbs
Caliber: 9mm Luger
Capacity: 17+1
Frame Material: Polymer
Frame Size: Full Size
Front Sight: Dovetailed To Slide
Rear Sight: Notched-Bar Dovetail
Safety: Tabbed Trigger
Height: 5.3 in
Weight: 26.1 oz
Slide: 4140 Steel
Width: 1.29 in
Finishes: Cerakote or Anodized
Grips: Premium Hex Grip Texture
MSRP: $450
Prices around the web as of 11AUG26
Click links for current pricing and availability
On the tabletop the Bersa BP9FS' trigger wasn't quite how I remember the BP9CC's, but I had faith Bersa did the right thing, and found the weight more appropriate for carry. What I hadn't yet done was shoot the gun. As much as I'd love to just run out and burn through a case of ammo, a fair evaluation requires a unifor protocol and that's why we have the GBGuns Range Protocol including:
Cold Shots: Truly our first shots through the gun.
Full Magazine +1: Suprisingly some modern guns still struggle with this. It's a test of how much play is in the magazine as well as how the slide cycles with pressure. This is also when I do my best to learn the trigger.
What's For Dinner™: A test to see what ammunition the gun will eat. Does the gun feed the round from slide lock, will it cycle and feed another round of the same type, does the slide lock to the rear on empty, and is there any notable point of impact change with different loads.
For this gun the following ammunition was used:
Priced and linked where found at the time this article was written
115gr EcoBullet $19.99 / 50 direct from EcoBullet Full review HERE
165gr Scorpion FMJ $18.39 / 50 at Target Sports USA
124gr HotBrass $25 / 50 direct from HotBrass Full Review HERE
124gr Wolf Brass-plated Steel Case $11.27 / 50 at Target Sports USA
100gr S&B XRG SCHP $11.73 /25 at Target Sports USA Full Review HERE
115gr Wolf Steel Case $10.99 / 50 at Target Sports USA
115gr Nickel-plated Magtech Steel Case $10.57 / 50 at Target Sports USA
147gr Federal Premium LE HST $27.59 / 50 at Target Sports USA
124gr Federal Syntech $16/55 / 50 at Target Sports USA
100gr Hornady Critical Defense Lite $23.46 / 25 at Target Sports USA
Range Ammunition was Fiocchi 115gr $282.99 / 1000 at Firearms Depot
Sights & Trigger Control: on a 6" spinner target at a distance of 12-ish yards. We got this from Titan Great Outdoors and use it to gauge how learnable the trigger is and usable the sights are for forced, timed, precise shots.
Practical Accuracy: Five shots from a distance of seven yards at a one inch target. This isn't so much about printing a tight group as it is a culmination of the shooting experience and time for to collect thoughts prior to making a conclusion.
After Shots: Final impressions and reflections from the range session.
You can watch the entire process for the Bersa BP9FS in the Shooting Impressions video below. Rumble Link
Ammunition seen in Shooting Impressions video was made possible by our Patrons and supporters of our ammunition savings account through Ammo Squared.
On the Range we were quickly impressed with the mild recoil of the Bersa BP9FS. We were also a bit puzzled by the trigger at first. The initial takeup has responsible length and weight for a carry gun, but when shooting from trigger reset it feels like the same weight and travel as clicking a mouse.
This means that those who shoot from trigger reset will have a little learning to do, about like learning a DA/SA. The other challenge we found with the trigger was the lack of a defined wall. In other words, if you're running the trigger slowly there is not tactile indication of when the gun will fire. "Pull-through" shooting is what's en mode for instructors these days, and if you've learned that way you'll not notice a thing about the BP9FS' trigger, but if you're a reset shooter you'll find the BP9FS to be a gun that needs to be learned, but has incredible potential once learned.
We also noticed that despite the lack of aggressive texturing on the gun neither of us had any trouble holding onto it or keeping it steady shot to shot. Without traction doing the job, superior ergonomic design is the only other factor I can think of. One of hte interesting aspects of using specific named ammunition (versus "some ammo" like some others on YouTube) is that we can more honestly asses recoil control in one gun versus another. The Bersa BP9FS truly shot softer and was easier to control than most other guns we've reviewed.
That poor "newer shooter." She is obviously uncomfortable trying to perform in your video(s) and next to you. Do you truly feel that her shooting impressions are beneficial to either
"newer shooters" or experienced shooters? With all of her body and sight alignment issues, plus grip and trigger issues, it seems to only lengthen an unusable expanse of your otherwise great videos. I think most o your viewers are infinitely more interested in observing the performance of oistols while in YOUR hands followed by YOUR observations. I don't men to be cruel, but, perhaps, in a way, you're being cruel to the "newer shooter" and your audience.