PX4 storm Sub Compact vs Bersa 380 Thunder vs Glock 19 for First time gun owner

Looking to buy one of the above mentioned. Yes I have shot at the range many times. Mostly full size pistols. I have shot recently The springfield XD9 sub compact, PX 4 full size 9mm and Glock 19, Sig 40 and even a 1911. Just need a reliable gun for easy carry but a fairly safe carry gun for a first time owner and carrier.
With my work i sometimes carry a fairly large cash amount on me and need to make sure i'm protected. As well as when with my family these days.

Thanks for the help.

Glock 19.

You would be hard pressed to beat a 19 it is a dead horse. Other than the gun buy a quality belt and holster those are just as important as the gun itself so make sure not to skimp on them. I've been carrying my 19 for almost a year now and while I had to wait on a good belt I can't stress it enough that your carry setup be good quality ie holster and belt.

Glock 19, stop right there, the Beretta and Bersa are in classes below it.

Glock 19, G19, G L O C K 1 9

The G19 is a fine handgun---but consider more than that---all the ones mentioned are very good and reliable firearms.
Which one fits your grip better, which one can conceal better for you, do you want one with a safety or no safety ect.
I do own a G19 and three other Glocks---listen to everyone and then buy what works best for you. Good luck!!!

I was set on buying a PX4 before I bought a Shield until I did some research and found that a lot of people were finding them to be unreliable. It may not be as bad as it seemed to be, and it may have just been an occasional bad unit, but I saw no reason to take that risk when solid options in the same price range existed.

Also, this site should probably receive some sort or commission from Glock as any question about choice of handgun will overwhelmingly be answered with "Glock 19." Not to say they're wrong, it's hard to find an objective fault with that gun. I'll be buying one soon.

And I haven't bought a Bersa because I see no reason to use a .380 in a gun that size. I can shoot a better round out of many options the same size or smaller.

Glock or any other handgun = GLOCK

i own a px4 subcompact in 9mm. I like the gun. I dont believe it is a great first carry gun though. compared to the g19, its a good bit heavier. The gun also is VERY limp wrist sensitive.
I originally bought it for my wife she has small hands and hates glocks), but she had some issues with shooting it. I have not had issues with it, so I kept it.

Some of them will FTE HARD when limp wristing. To the point that you have to get pretty rough with it to clear it. I had to do this once when my wife was trying to get used to it. The RO thought i was going to break the gun in half, thats how rough you have to get.

The mags are awesome with the little click down bit. it is pretty darn accurate for a little gun. it is absolutely concealable. Im not a fan of manual safeties on carry guns ( personal preference)

I would tell you to go for the g19, or even some sort of single stack 9 instead. I carry a walther ppq. i am in love with it. you may want to give one a whirl. My wife ended u feeling most comfortable with a snubbie. choose your own adventure.

hope this helps!

TASSY5 said:

Looking to buy one of the above mentioned. Yes I have shot at the range many times. Mostly full size pistols. I have shot recently The springfield XD9 sub compact, PX 4 full size 9mm and Glock 19, Sig 40 and even a 1911.

Click to expand...

Good background, but no real reason as to why you have locked the choices down to those above. If you have handled everything under the sun and those are the only ones that fit your hand, budget, etc., fine, but it is a somewhat eclectic and incomplete list, IMO.

Just need a reliable gun for easy carry but a fairly safe carry gun for a first time owner and carrier. With my work i sometimes carry a fairly large cash amount on me and need to make sure i'm protected. As well as when with my family these days.
Thanks for the help.

Click to expand...

I think you halfway-addressed your application, but more info is helpful. My advice is that Application is king. There are tons of good guns out there that make bad choices because they don't fill the intended role very neatly. If you are looking for something you can enjoy shooting often, something that protects the family at home or on the road and you leave the office to head to the bank once in a while, you want a bigger gun. If you are driving around all over town to different places, or in a more discrete business setting where you tend to leave at least once a day, you may want a smaller, more concealable gun.

FACT: Guns on the apex of the CCW food chain are marginal if not ****-poor for HD/SHTF*, and range use, whereas guns at the apex of the HD/SHTF foodchain generally make for marginal and ****-poor CCWs*. *- This is not to say they are "bad guns" or incapable of fulfilling those roles, this is to say there is something out there that does a much better job. My ONE gun that does both admirably is my 4" Wilson Combat, and even there, many CCW guys would bitch about its weight whereas SHTF guys would bitch about its capacity.


So, the question is whether this is a full-time CCW with backup range/HD use or is this a HD gun that you can put in an appropriate holster and carry sometimes. If the former, you want to look at a compact concealed, lighter stacked mag or revolver in the .38-9mm range, maybe something a little more stout if you can handle it and the extra weight. If the latter, most people will suggest staggered mag large frame auto with 9mm, .40, or .45.

Glocks: My opinion (which may trigger an unintentional **** storm) is that Glocks are fine weapons for certain applications but can make rather poor choices as well, which would be a poor choice for you if this is primarily intended as a CCW. You admit you are a new shooter who is looking for a safer weapon. Glocks were not originally built for CCW. They were built as service/duty weapons, like 1911s and like 1911s, they were summarily adapted and modified to CCW use after the fact. I think a Glock is most optimal when hanging from a duty belt or tactical OWB holster, by a "Skilled" user who is well-versed in its manual of arms. I think they are not a very good CCW due to their dimensions and the lack of an external safety. People will vehemently disagree, but those people have accepted a different standard for their margin of safety (which is "different", not bad) and they are/were typically more advanced Full-size Glock shooters to begin with. If you want to put in the time and buy into the Glock philosophy, they are a good, reliable design. Otherwise, there are better choices out there.

Sigs make another good weapon, but I don't care for SA/DA pistols. Springfield makes a good, modern design that I feel offers more safety than Glocks, but I am not a fan of the high bore axis of the design. Berretta makes a reputable firearm, but I don't mess with those enough to render an informed opinion, however, I will say I like that it has an external safety, BUT dislike slide-mounted safeties. Bersa is a poor weapon. Quality is not up there and .380 is an unacceptable caliber, IMO. Just like the Glock features *some* set their margin of safety to accept things others do not. I for one would never trust my life to a .380 as a primary. There is no excuse to even consider a .380 given the current crop of mouseguns in 9mm, and that round should be going the way of .32acp in the next couple of decades - a minimally effective archaic round that works in a pinch, but considering the other choices, "why"?

If I was forced to chose between the 3, I would rule the Bersa out completely, and favor the Beretta over the Glock for CCW and favor the Glock over the Beretta for HD. I still scratch my head at many missing weapons however, like Smith and Wesson M&Ps/Shields, Ruger LCs, Walthers, HKs, etc. I feel you have a very under-representative sample of guns and there are many other candidates that would handle your role MUCH better than some or perhaps all of your choices for the intended applications.

glock

Well put Pulpsmack.
My standard has always been the 642 or any variant of the J frame. Most folks tend to discount this weapon as a viable defense tool for a few reasons but it works for me...... for a few reasons. As a range gun I've gotten quite comfortable and fluent with the little revolver...and that didn't happen overnight.

To the OP, seriously try out other offerings. If your choices are limited to what you have listed.....I would choose the Glock 19 as it would fill more than one role.

this is solely my opinion im ahuge fan of the bersa thuner 380 there well made accurate firearms im currently saving to buy on myself. My older brother has a older model & it has a smoothe trigger pull very accurate an extremely conveinent for conceal caryy. Boyh are a well made firearm id recommend shooting both & seing what you prefer one might fit your hand better than the other.

Today, I traded my Bersa Thunder 380 at a gun show. The Bersa has too many annoying safety features for my taste. It can be complicated to use at first, but has been reliable and never jammed on me. The gun is impossible to use without the proper mags. I mean that literally. Without the mag in, the gun will not function. Period. The build in safety with de-cocker prevents the gun from being carried cocked and locked, but is single/double action which makes this feature almost bearable.
For a first time gun owner, I would have to not suggest this gun, Even considering all of its built in safety features.

pulpsmack said:

FACT: Guns on the apex of the CCW food chain are marginal if not ****-poor for HD/SHTF*, and range use, whereas guns at the apex of the HD/SHTF foodchain generally make for marginal and ****-poor CCWs*. *

Bersa is a poor weapon. Quality is not up there and .380 is an unacceptable caliber.

Click to expand...

Wow where do I begin. The Bersa 380 Plus is a fine weapon. Small, fun to shoot and easy to conceal. Your comment that it is not of high quality may have been true about 5 yrs ago but not today. And the comment that CCW weapons make for poor SHTF and HD weapons misses the fact that the Bersa Plus holds something like 15 or 16 shots and will easily penetrate a car windshield. Don't know too many home invaders that would like to be facing a 380 projectile of self defense grade that is coming at them at close to Mach 1.0 (sonic) and being fired from a gun with a 15+1 clip.....

And where is your data to back up the idea that ".380 is not an acceptable caliber"? There can always be cases where even 9mm is not enough to stop someone but do you really expect us to believe that a gun with 15-16 rounds of .380 is not sufficient for self defense? Here's a link showing .380 rounds going through an auto windshield. Also, please educate yourself more and go see the various YouTube reviews on the Bersa......all say it's a great little weapon at a great price and yes, they have their views on .380 but you have to ask yourself this question: would YOU want to find yourself in the pathway of a .380 round traveling at around 1,050 ft/sec coming from a gun that had 15 more just like it that could also be coming your way? Rhetorical question, I know, because the answer is "no" and neither would anyone. Bottom line: a Bersa Plus is NOT a **** poor weapon for HD or SHTF. While you are reloading your 9 mil the Bersa owner is continuing to fire and, with less kick than most 9mm's, also getting better shot placement.

Garth said:

Today, I traded my Bersa Thunder 380 at a gun show. The Bersa has too many annoying safety features for my taste. It can be complicated to use at first, but has been reliable and never jammed on me. The gun is impossible to use without the proper mags. I mean that literally. Without the mag in, the gun will not function. Period. The build in safety with de-cocker prevents the gun from being carried cocked and locked, but is single/double action which makes this feature almost bearable.
For a first time gun owner, I would have to not suggest this gun, Even considering all of its built in safety features.

Click to expand...

Why is a Bersa hard to use when all you have to do is release the safety and fire it??? And your comment that floors me is that it is impossible to use without the proper magazines! Really! Who would have thunk it? News flash: Most people don't expect any gun to work correctly unless the proper magazines are used. Yes, some may work with generic magazines but if you want a gun to work properly, use "proper" magazines.

Edited to add I don't own a bersa or glock, just don't like posts not backed up with good facts/basis.

pulpsmack said:

FACT: Guns on the apex of the CCW food chain are marginal if not ****-poor for HD/SHTF*, and range use, whereas guns at the apex of the HD/SHTF foodchain generally make for marginal and ****-poor CCWs*. *

Bersa is a poor weapon. Quality is not up there and .380 is an unacceptable caliber.

Click to expand...

Deleted as I double posted, see two above.

i have become a S&W guy, but my wife loves Glock. Her first pistol was a Glock 19 gen 4. My brother like gen 3 Glocks.

don't know about .380 but a 9mm round is reasonably priced so you can afford to shoot more.

Someone on this post said he would rule out completely the Bersa and that .380 is not an appropriate self defense load. Do yourself a favor and don't listen to any posts like this. Unless you have shot these specific guns yourself, everything else in the way of comments should be taken at little value until you verify it for yourself. That said, I have shot the Bersa and really liked it. Same for the PX4 Storm 9 mm full size. The difference in my advice is that I am not trying to get you to NOT try a specific gun but rather, to expose you to a wider range of guns and then let YOU decide. So.....listen to my advice and try these weapons out for yourself and THEN make your own decision.

The two biggest comments on guns is usually complaints or praise for "recoil" and "trigger pull", both of which are subjective in nature. There are scientifically derived recoil figures for guns that no one can dispute yet two different people perceive the recoil differently. Same with trigger pull: one person likes it, the other doesn't. Which is right? Answer: which ever one is best for you.......So, test these for yourself.

Other guns to consider are the S&W Bodyguard .380 DAO, the Ruger LC380 also a DAO I believe, the Ruger LC9 and LC9s 9mm, the Bersa line of .380's which are DA/SA for most of them, the PX4 Storm subcompact 9mm which is DA/SA, etc. Do what I did: go to a gun range and rent several and try them for yourself. Then see YouTube videos for these same guns where reviewers show you all the ins/outs of each gun.

P.S. For those who don't believe that a .380 is appropriate for HD then they haven't seen this clip of a .380 penetrating windshield glass.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhfKSXWLNxg

This same person said there is no reason to have a .380 given the 9mm choices out there. He's wrong again! The reason is less recoil, usually a smaller gun and, if the choice is not carrying because recoil or size is too large, the even a .380 is sufficient.

g19 = better resale value.

there are numerous of Auto rim cartridges carried by LE 9mm, .357sig, 40SW, 45acp, 10mm.
You'll be pressed hard to find an officer who will carry a 380 as their main choice of weapon.

If carrying to protect oneself, get a pistol and caliber with a proven track record... not a windshield test

Glock 19