Three decades ago, in the US, the hot item for many gun buyers was the ’Wondernine”. That term was given to 9mm semi-auto pistols that held a fistful of cartridges in the magazine. Most held between fifteen and nineteen cartridges, and the guns functioned very well. Today, with more and more states choosing to not infringe upon the rights of its citizens to carry a concealed firearm, we see a trend towards smaller 9mm pistols, built specifically for concealed carry. Years ago, most small auto pistols were chambered for nothing more powerful than the 380 ACP cartridge. Now, people want more power, and with the excellent selection of high-performance 9x19mm ammunition available today, the small nine is quickly becoming the most popular type of concealed-carry gun on the market.

Many gun manufacturers offer their version of the compact nine, and most work very well. Here we are looking at the latest pistol from Bersa, their BP9 Concealed Carry. Built in Argentina like other compact Bersa pistols, the BPP9cc differs from their very popular Thunder series of 380, 32, and 22 caliber auto pistols. The BP9cc is a striker-fired, polymer-framed semi-auto that weighs in at twenty-one ounces on my scale, is very thin, and easy to conceal. The Bersa is not the smallest, nor the lightest 9mm pistol on the market, but like the S&W Shield, Bersa seems to have gotten the size and weight just right.

The Bersa 9mm has several features that make it ideally-suited for concealed carry. It has no manual safety lever, but has a passive striker safety that prevents the striker from moving forward unless the trigger is pulled. In addition to that safety, the Bersa has a magazine disconnect safety that prevents the weapon from firing unless a magazine in in place. Atop the slide at the rear of the chamber is a tactile and visual loaded-chamber indicator. For those who choose to or are required by law to use it, there is a key lock at the right rear of the slide to make the weapon incapable of firing when activated.

The grip of the Bersa is well-textured for a positive hold, and feels really good in my hand. The magazine release is ambidextrous, and the eight-shot magazines are made primarily of steel. The sights are of the three-white-dot pattern that is popular with most shooters, and both the front and rear sights are adjustable for windage correction by drifting laterally in their slide dovetails. There is an accessory rail under the barrel on the frame to attach a light or laser, if desired. The matte black finish on the steel slide matches very well the color and texture of the polymer frame. Disassembly is quick and easy. The recoil spring is captured on a steel guide rod.

As mentioned, the BP9cc is sized about right for concealed carry in a good holster, and rides comfortably inside the waistband, yet it is still large enough to be used effectively and easily. It compares closest to the aforementioned S&W Shield than to anything else on the market right now. One feature in particular of the BP9cc that is worth mention is that it has a superb trigger feel. In addition to the pistol reviewed here, I have fired two other of these pistols previously, and have handled a few more. The BP9cc has without a doubt the best trigger feel of any striker-fired semi-automatic pistol that I have ever fired. The action is butter-smooth, with the resistance weighing in at just a bit over three pounds on my trigger pull scale. Perfect.

Critical specifications for the Bersa BP9cc are listed in the chart below. Weights are listed in ounces. Linear dimensions are listed in inches. Trigger pull is listed in pounds of resistance, as measured with my Lyman digital trigger pull scale. Height includes sights and magazine base. Maximum width is measured across the top of the frame, and includes the slide lock.

The Bersa BP9cc was very easy and comfortable to fire, even with the high-performance Plus P ammunition. I particularly like the lead-free ammunition that uses the Barnes homogenous copper hollow nose bullets as loaded by Buffalo Bore, Double Tap, and Cor-Bon. Also, there are many very good Plus P rated lead-core hollowpoint loads available for the 9x19mm cartridge, and they are all good carry loads. At first, this Bersa had some problems feeding hollowpoint ammunition, as they would sometimes hang up on the feed ramp. This situation occurred several times during the initial firing of the weapon, but after about eighty rounds were fired through the Bersa, it settled in an ran flawlessly thereafter, giving no further problems. Many times, a semi-auto pistol needs a break-in period before it runs reliably, as did this particular sample of the BP9 Concealed Carry.

No attempt was made to bench-rest the Bersa, as that is not its intended use. I fired the BP9cc at human silhouette targets from three to twenty-five yards, and the pistol performed very well, easily keeping the shots in the kill zone. Additionally, I fired at twenty-five yards at a ten-inch steel plate, with satisfying results. The sights were right on target at that distance with my style of shooting, using high-performance 115 grain ammunition.

The Bersa BP9cc seems to be a good choice for a concealed carry compact 9mm pistol. The test gun proved to be very reliable with a variety of standard-pressure and Plus P ammunition, after the initial break-in. The weapon is light, thin, and easily-concealed. Like all Bersa pistols, the BP9cc is also affordable on almost any budget. It comes packed in a hard case with instruction manual, two magazines, and the key for the internal lock.

Check out the Bersa BP9cc online at www.bersa.com.