CCW Story: Part 21: My First Handgun Purchase

The shop had a Bersa .380 to rent, but none for sale. They did, however have a pair of Bersa .45s used for $295 each. I asked Todd, the owner’s right hand man about the guns.

“Yes, the Bersa is a good gun, made in Argentina. They are not a cheap gun, they are an inexpensive gun”. “As the Bersa is used, you can try it”. Todd offered.

I handed over my driver license, which Todd placed in the case in the pistol’s place. Out on the range, I examined the pistol. Matt black, with an alloy reciever, the barrel in stainless steel, the weapon seemed better balanced than the only other handgun I had shot, the Kahr K-40. I opened the ammo box and admired the size of the .45 caliber rounds. “Something that big has to do some serious damage, no matter where it hit you”. I thought. Now I, the Liberal Firearm Newbie, was scared of guns all over again as I anticipated the kick that the .45 would give. “Would it hurt my wrist”? I thought. “Will it fly out of my hands, or will I loose control as others had done and shoot rounds into the attic, tickling the soles of the next crop of concealed carry seekers through the concrete floor”?

I loaded 7 rounds, slid the magazine into the grip, pulled the slide and chambered one of the .45s. I sighted on the target and squeezed the trigger. The gun went off before I expected, I had no time to flinch. The recoil actually seemed tame compared to the .40 caliber. I put the rest of the rounds in the target, then reloaded and shot at 15 yards.

The Bersa had an ambidextrous safety and slide release, which made me feel a bit better about safety than my Wife's Kahr, which like a some other models of semiautomatics, some Glocks for example, that only have no external safety. The Bersa also came with a small round key that could be used to lock the gun. This would be nice when storing the Bersa, to prevent kids or suicidal maintenance men from finding the gun and killing themselves when we were not at home. I washed the lead from my hands, walked back to Todd and put the Bersa on layaway. I was about to become a handgun owner, leaving forever the ranks of the blissfully unarmed.