Back when Bersa went Hi-cap: The Tale of the Model 85 and 86
For well over a quarter-century, the Bersa SA of Argentina has been heavy into the market of small, compact, .380ACP caliber blowback-action pistols. The only thing about these Walther PPK-esque pistols, well made as they are, is that they only have a 6-7 shot magazine.
Well, about that.
Back in the mid-1980s, Bersa redesigned their Model 383 series pistol, which by and large was a clone of the Walther PP series. As an improvement, the company replaced the external slide catch, which was also a snag when carrying concealed. This they replaced with an internal mechanism where the user would pull back a locked slide in order to release it, removing extra surface controls, and streamlining the gun.
This model was renamed the 83, after the year it was created. This double-action semi-auto, with its natty walnut grips and 3.5-inch barrel
was soon to prove popular on the export market.
However, when compared to the new guns on the block, the Glocks, the S&W wondernines, and the SIG P-series, the 6-round magazine
capacity of the Model 83 was behind the curve….and Bersa was fixing to super-size
Yes, that is a compact .380 with a doublestack mag, thanks for asking.
Read the rest in my column at the Bersa Forum