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Bersa should be a familiar name to you if you've been around handguns for any length of time. The company is known for the affordable Thunder 380, excellent DA/SA TPR9 series, and the incredible triggers of the BP series. What's new is Bersa USA, a Georgia-based US company making ARs, suppressors, and 1911s right here in the United States. We covered this lightly during SHOT 2024 and now we've got one of the new guns in hand.
The 1911 market is a crowded one where opinions and brand loyalty can start more arguments than bringing up pickup truck brands in the South. So where does Bersa fit in? I aim (literally and figureatively) to find out.
What Is It? The Bersa B1911 (available in multiple finish options) is a modern-classic 1911 chambered in 45acp. I call it "modern-classic" because while it does not have the ultra-modern optics cut or accessory rail, it does have a lot of the features that even just a decade ago were considered "custom shop" type upgrades such as frontstrap checkering, ambidextrous safety, and a front night sight.
Who's It For? That's a loaded question in the 1911 world where many are bought purely on brand reputation. The B1911 is neither a simple budget build, nor is it a luxury gun. I see the B1911 as a well-built, American-made, quality 1911 for a reasonable price. If stainless and blue is not your color combo of choice fear not, There are five other color/finish options available which can be seen here.
Take a look at the Bersa B1911 in the tabletop video below.
Specifications:
SKU: B19117050SMBL
ACTION: SAO
TRIGGER PULL: 3.5 lbs
CALIBER: .45 AUTO
CAPACITY: 8+1
FRAME MATERIAL: 416 Stainless Steel
FRAME SIZE: Full Size
FRONT SIGHT: Tritium Night Sight
REAR SIGHT: Notched-Bar Dovetail
SAFETY: Grip Safety, Thumb Safety
HEIGHT: 5.5 in
SERIES: B1911
WEIGHT: 39 oz
SLIDE: 416 Stainless Steel
WIDTH: 1.3 in
MODEL: B1911 Blue Stainless
MSRP: $1,050
Prices around the web
(as of 19JUL24, click links for current pricing)
1911s, especially in 45acp are known for potential sensitivity to ammunition and magazines. It's been my experience that a lot of that sensitivity has been worked out over the last 113 years of production, but the lore still continues. Regardless, it made the What's For Dinner™ and Multi-Mag segments of thhe standard GBGuns range protocol of great potential interest. I hit the range to treat the B1911 to the same set of experiences I've done with over 400 other handguns:
Cold Shots: Truly the first rounds through the gun. No warm up, no practice.
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.
Multi-Mag: The 1911 has been around a long time, and there are lots of magazine options out there. In my experience not all 1911s work with all 1911 magazines, so before using other magazines in WFD I needed to test if those other magazines work in the gun.
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 we used the following ammunition:
Priced and linked where found at the time this article was written
78gr+P Liberty Ammunition Civil Defense $32.49 / 20 at Bud's Gun Shop
185gr FTX Hornady Critical Defense $24.99 / 20 at Bud's Gun Shop
200gr SWC Balck Hills $16.99 / 20 at Target Sports USA
230gr JHP Speer Gold Dot $27.72 / 20 at Firearms Depot
230gr JHP Ammo, Inc $16.85 / 20 at Firearms Depot
230gr FMJ Blazer Aluminum $25.71 / 50 at Firearms Depot
230gr FMJ TulAmmo Steel (Currently not imported)
230gr HST Federal Premium $29.49 / 20 at Bud's Gun Shop
230gr JHP Sig Sauer V-Crown $24.99 / 20 direct from Sig
Standard range ammunition was PMC Bronze 230gr FMJ. $21.99 / 50 at Bud's Gun Shop
Sights & Trigger Control: on a 6" spinner target at a distance of 12 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 our shooting experience and time for us to collect thoughts prior to making a conclusion.
After Shots: Final impressions and reflections from the range session.
The entire process for the Bersa B1911 can be seen in the Shooting Impressions video below.
Ammunition seen in our Shooting Impressions video was made possible by our Patrons and supporters of our ammunition savings account through Ammo Squared.
On the range the B1911 reminded me of not only what it's like to shoot 45acp, but also what it's like to shoot a quality 1911. I experienced no issues and enjoyed the solid feel. The front and backstrap checkering kept the gun solidly planted in hand despite me sweating in July heat. Accuracy proved superb, and like os many other 1911s the more I shot it the smoother the gun ran.
As mentioned previously, when I first learned of a Bersa 1911 I was a bit taken back and unsure of how and where it would fit into the crowded field of 1911s. After feeling it in hand and seeing the performance I now know exactly where the B1911 fits. It's a quality, American-made pistol that can be enjoyed and relied upon more so than basic budget options, yet does not come with the pickiness and daintiness that some of the "higher-end" builds do. Those looking for a solid American-made 1911 should strongly consider the Bersa B1911.
It's a brand and model that certainly peeks my curiosity. It might be nice for a collector? We'll see if it ever catches on with enthusiasts I guess.
Thank you for testing it!