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Ok, when I get home (in Feb) I will be in the market for (hopefully 2) handgun(s) with about $1000 to spend. I have been looking at the Bersa 380 for a BUG. For a compliment to my XD9 Sub I have been keyboard shopping and have developed a short list of potential prospects;
The Beretta PX4 Storm (either Sub of Fullsize) - .40
The H & K P2000 SK or V3 - .40
The XD(m) .40

I am open to anyones opinion or recommendations - I am interested in a BUG that I can easily conceal or possible carry in a pocket as well as something to augment my XD9.
I look forward to the opinions and recommendations. Thanks in advance for the help!!

Bryan

Hi Bryan, I have not used any of the pistols you have listed, but it looks like either of them would be a good choice. I carry a Colt Officers Model .45 and for a bug I have the Ruger LCP .380, which I like very much. I was at the range this afternoon and ran about 75 rounds through it with no problems. I have probably put 300 or 400 rounds through it since I have had it and it has held up beautifully. And as far as carry, it is very concealable. I carry mine in my pocket with no problems. Good luck on your new purchases, they all look good to me.

-geo

if you are looking at the .380 consider the KelTec P3AT, if you want more info visit. It is a great little .380 that would free up some funds(aka a lot cheaper than the bersa). The Ruger LCP is just a copy of KelTec's design.
http://www.ktog.org/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl
http://www.ktog.org
comparison between the 2 (bersa and p3at)
http://www.lesjones.com/posts/001097.shtml
http://www.gunblast.com/KelTec_P3AT.htm

pay attention to the size difference as well. There is also a +1 extension for the P3AT to make it hold 7+1 like the Bersa

hmm think i might be pushing the P3AT a little hard, what can I say I love me some KelTec, great guns for a great price and tons of help if you ever need it on KTOG.

The Keltec PF9, P-11, and P3-AT are all very dependable and reliable firearms. They're light, small, and pack just enough punch to get somebody off of you. You could also look into getting a small .357 revolver like the Taurus 605 or the S&W Scandium frame revolvers.

*NOTE* The S&W Scandium frame is virtually a featherweight, it will NOT be a pleasant firearm to shoot but it is very light and concealable.

If you aren't super super set on the one's you are keyboard shopping on....


On a whim, I pocket carried my Ruger SP101 (2in) revolver tonight to a business casual event. I was really quite surprised how comfortable and not obtrusive it was.

I do like this gun more though holstered SOB for my BUG.... .357 gold dots and its good to go.

AggieC05 wrote:if you are looking at the .380 consider the KelTec P3AT, if you want more info visit. It is a great little .380 that would free up some funds(aka a lot cheaper than the bersa). The Ruger LCP is just a copy of KelTec's design.


pay attention to the size difference as well. There is also a +1 extension for the P3AT to make it hold 7+1 like the Bersa

hmm think i might be pushing the P3AT a little hard, what can I say I love me some KelTec, great guns for a great price and tons of help if you ever need it on KTOG.

I don't think the P3AT is significantly cheaper than the Bersa, depending on which model of Bersa .380 you get. The big difference is going to be in size and weight. I own a P3AT and love it. It goes bang every time I pull the trigger and disappears in any pants pocket.

If you're talking about new gun purchases (as opposed to used), you likely won't find the HK and a BUG for sub-$1000. The PX4 Storm Sub is still hard to find, and I did not think that they had released the .40 version, yet. The full-size is readily available and quite popular, though. I like the XD line, though I have not seen an XDm in person, yet. In short, I have no real experience with any of the big guns you're looking into. I know you'll have lots of fun figuring out which one(s) will be best for you!

I own a PX4 and a XD40sc. They are both reliable and accurate. If you are looking for a gun to compliment your XD, it would make sense to me to get another XD since the manual of arms will be the same. I love the berettas, but the operational controls are more complex than the XD.

wilder wrote:...If you are looking for a gun to compliment your XD, it would make sense to me to get another XD since the manual of arms will be the same....

yep. I have a family of 3 XD's. I like them because the grip angle, ergos/controls are the same for all. keep it simple.

if I were in your shoes on this case I would buy a XD-9 Service and send it out for a grip chop (or find a local smith who does this). that way, your mags would be interchangeable, and you get the concealability of the shorter grip. my daily carry is a XD45-compact. no probs carrying it IWB in just cargo shorts and a t-shirt.

if you are adventurous and handy with tools, there are plenty of write-ups on how to do it yourself. a number of people at xdtalk have done their own with pretty good looking results.

AFcop, spoil yourself and get the HK P2000SK 40. If your lucky you might find a P2000SK that has BOTH a .40 S&W barrel AND a .357 Sig barrel for $700-$800 depending on where you go, NIB. HK's 40 and 357 sig uses the same magazines for the P2000 line. SK's have 9 round mags but the standard 12 round mags will work as well only the grip will be longer. Most carry the 9 round mag standard and have the 12 rounders as extras. check out http://www.hk-usa.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; then click on forum to see posts about the P2000 line.

1911?

IMO the Bersa is too big for a BUG/pocket gun. You would be better served with a Kel Tec P3AT or Ruger LCP for that purpose.

On your full size gun the Glock 23 would b hard to beat.

longhorn_92 wrote:1911?

Yep. And you can get a 1911 in almost any size you want. I own a .40 cal H&K USPc, but I much prefer my .45 cal Kimber. It conceals better, has a better trigger, has better sights, is more accurate, and it hits harder. If you are seriously considering an H&K, you can easily afford a good 1911.

I bought the XDm and like it a lot. I carry a 1911 for daily carry and can't really see me changing at this point but I will keep the XDm as a fun gun to shoot at the range. I would carry it if it weren't for the 1911. I wrote up a range report on the XDm a month or so ago. It's on page 2 of this sub-forum. Check it out if you would like. And as far as a BUG goes, I am partial to the Ruger LCP. To be fair, I haven't had much experience with the Bersa .380 but I just like the LCP. I know some will disagree with me on this but I am not a fan of the Keltec P3AT but that's really for personal reasons.

Anyway, this is my .02.

MTICop wrote:I bought the XDm and like it a lot. I carry a 1911 for daily carry and can't really see me changing at this point but I will keep the XDm as a fun gun to shoot at the range. I would carry it if it weren't for the 1911. I wrote up a range report on the XDm a month or so ago. It's on page 2 of this sub-forum. Check it out if you would like. And as far as a BUG goes, I am partial to the Ruger LCP. To be fair, I haven't had much experience with the Bersa .380 but I just like the LCP. I know some will disagree with me on this but I am not a fan of the Keltec P3AT but that's really for personal reasons.

Anyway, this is my .02.

Since topics move around a bit , here is the direct link to the XDm review (currently on page 3 of "General Gun, Shooting & Equipment Discussion) MTICop mentioned:

http://www.texasshooting.com/TexasCHL_F ... 23&t=18799" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I don't think I could pocket carry a Bersa without getting a lot of funny looks from people.