Founded in 1958, Bersa is an Argentinean gunmaker that is best known among American shooting sports enthusiasts for its affordably priced defensive pistols. Among the most popular options has been the Thunder .380 ACP, which is based on the Walther PPK. In more recent years, the company's catalog has expanded to include AR-pattern rifles and pistols; polymer-frame, striker-fired pistols; and a selection of 1911s.
In October 2022, the company established its Bersa USA division with 45,500-square-foot manufacturing facilities located in Kennesaw and Cartersville, Ga. By 2025, the U.S. team was tooled up and ready to start shipping the brand-new, American-made Bersa M2XI. This is the company's first 2011 platform and is the subject of this evaluation.
The competition-style M2XI chambered in 9 mm draws its design influences from the 2011 pistol developed by gunsmith Virgil Tripp and engineer Sandy Strayer and patented in 1994. This means it’s a recoil-operated semi-automatic pistol with three major components. They include a 1911-inspired slide assembly, a metallic"'upper" that houses the 1911 style controls and a textured polymer grip module sized for double-stack magazines.
In this case, Bersa opted to mill the slide and the upper from 416 stainless steel instead of using the more common carbon steel slide and aluminum upper. This lends the pistol a bit more stabilizing weight with added durability and corrosion resistance. The pistol is available with either a black nitride applied to the stainless steel or the brushed stainless finish shown here. I am a longtime fan of the old-school brushed stainless look for handguns, so I had to give this one a try.
This 2011 has a striking and thoroughly modern profile with its full-length dustcover lower and slide, both of which are shaped with straight lines and beveled edges. The muzzle end of the slide features a total of eight weight-reduction ports that serve double-duty as a forward set of cocking serrations. The rear cocking serrations are also deeply cut and cantered. The top of the slide sports three glare-reduction grooves, while the ejection port is lightly scalloped for improved function.
The metallic, dovetailed sight system consists of an orange-ringed Ameriglo night sight up front paired with a drift adjustable, serrated square notch sight at the rear. This pistol is optics ready with a stainless steel filler plate that can be removed to expose the cutout sized for directly mounting Holosun K foot print optics. The slide cutout will also accommodate some RMSc-sized optics as well.
The 5-inch-long, linked, stainless-steel bull barrel is sized to fit the slide without the use of a barrel bushing and features an inverted target crown. The full-length steel guide rod is a two-piece design that supports a single round-wire recoil spring. A hex wrench is inserted into the tip of the guide rod to twist and separate its two sections as part of the disassembly process for routine cleaning.
The lower's dustcover is milled so as to provide a 3.125-inch long, five-slot Picatinny accessory rail for light and laser modules. The sleek 1911 pattern controls include an extended left-side slide stop lever and a serrated metallic, round magazine release button. The ambidextrous thumb safety lever has grooved extensions that are easily operated with the shooting hand thumb. The serrated hybrid hammer is paired with an extended beaver tail grip safety that has a memory bump for more reliable operation.
The polymer trigger guard houses a flat-faced aluminum trigger which is checkered, vented and features an over-travel adjustment screw. Other 2011 and 1911 triggers I've worked with have exhibited trigger pulls of around 3 to 4 pounds when they are well-tuned. This pistol's trigger broke crisply and cleanly with just 1 pound, 11 ounces of pressure, according to a Lyman Products digital trigger gauge. I have no doubt it contributed to the tight shot group potential this gun exhibited at the shooting range.
The M2XI's polymer grip module proved to be an impressively comfortable fit for my somewhat smaller hands. The flat front of the trigger guard, which is intended to serve as a finger rest, features the same fine-line checkering as the grip's front strap. The guard is beveled and undercut where it meets the grip frame for improved comfort. It pairs very well with the smooth, recessed top portion of the front strap. This configuration eliminates recoil-induced abrasion to the middle finger of the shooting hand while still providing plenty of purchase.
The irregular texturing of the grip's side panels is effective without the roughness of the sandpaper-type textures used on some tactical pistols. The straight-profile main spring housing is checkered like the front strap. The flared magazine well sports a removable aluminum magazine well extension. The sides of this extension are scalloped to allow a magazine's base plate to be grasped in case that magazine needs to be stripped out of the pistol.
The pistol sent for this evaluation arrived with three of Mec-Gar's recently released treated carbon steel magazines sized for 2011, 2311, Prodigy and similar 9 mm pistols. Perhaps the most notable feature of these high quality Italian magazines is an 18-round capacity while providing the same flush-fit profile of the typical 17-round 2011 magazines. Other features include an anti-friction coating, high-tensile music wire springs, bright green followers and tough polymer base plates. Additional magazines are available from Mec-Gar's website for a listed price of $59.
Instead of the typical plastic storage case, Bersa opted to ship this gun in one of Mission First Tactical's (MFT) top-notch zippered Two Pistol Carrier (TPC) range bags. Made from 600 Denier ballistic nylon, the outer pocket has elastic loops for up to five magazines. The interior is partitioned into three pockets by two padded dividers. It's a handy, well-made case that can be put to work managing gear at the range as well as for pistol transport.
For this evaluation, the M2XI slide was topped with a Swampfox Sentinel II 3-MOA green dot optic (#SNL2120-GMS; $279). It has an RMSc footprint which proved to be compatible with the slide's Holosun K cutout. This sturdy little green dot's aluminum housing has a more angular profile that complements the pistol's styling. Once again, it proved to be a great fit for accurate shot placement.
The desirable shooting qualities of the 2011 platform are only emphasized by a well-made pistol in this class. Once in a while, I have the pleasure of shooting a handgun that becomes a natural extension of my arms. That was the case with M2X1. The pistol's buttery-smooth action, balance, the modest straight-back recoil, the light trigger and grip shape came together so nicely for an impressively positive shooting experience. The best way I can explain it is to say the gun got out of the way and just let me hit the targets.
A total of seven magazines were included in the range test consisting of the three Mec-Gar blued steel boxes provided with the pistol, along with two more, and a pair of stainless steel 17-round magazines made by Check-Mate. This magazine set contributed to a trouble-free shooting session with no malfunctions throughout the course of testing with a mix of standard and +P pressure 9 mm loads.
Formal performance testing was conducted by firing five, five-shot groups into paper targets posted at a distance of 25 yards. A Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph was used to measure the average muzzle velocities for 10-shot strings. The two practice-grade loads used included Federal American Eagle and Fiocchi USA Training Dynamics full-metal jacket offerings. Since some folks may choose to stage this pistol for personal protection, the test set was rounded out with Hornady's defense-grade Critical Duty 124-grain FlexLock +P load. Here are the results:
Folks who have been following the 2011 pistol movement over the last few years know that many of the available models are listed for $2,000 or more. Bersa USA's M2XI series emulates the shooting characteristics, feel and features of pricier pistols at a more affordable listed price of $1,479. This is a gun that punches well above its price point. Based on this evaluation, it can easily go toe-to-toe with the big-name brands in this category.
Bersa USA M2XI Specifications
Manufacturer: Bersa USA
Model: M2XI 2011
Action: single-action; recoil-operated; centerfire semi-automatic
Caliber: 9 mm
Finish: brushed stainless steel
Grips: checkered black polymer
Sights: dovetailed Ameriglo night sight front; drift adjustable square notch rear; optics ready; Holosun K footprint
Barrel Length: 5 inches
Overall Length: 8.5 inches
Height: 6 inches
Width: 1.28 inches (grip)
Weight: 38.5 ounces with an empty magazine
Capacity: 18+1 Rounds
Twist: six-groove, 1:10-inch RH
Accessories: zippered soft-side range bag, two magazines, trigger lock, owner's manual
MSRP: $1,479
