What is wrong with this gun??

[Embalmo]

Guys,

I'm almost in tears! I just tried out my Bersa UC9 for the first time and I couldn't even hit the paper @ 7 yards; it was like I was shooting blanks. I'm no crack shot, but I laid out my 3 other handguns and fired a shot from each using the same shooting technique, and with the .22 revolver, and Bersa .380 I hit a little low and left of center; I even hit low center with my LCP. With the gun steadied on a block, it his about 8 inches left, and 4 inches low. I put 200 rounds through it thinking it was me, but it never got better.

What is going on with this gun? Could the sights be that far off? Is it possibly the rifling of the barrel? What do I do next?

Embalmo

[koolaid]

Just from googling a little bit it seems like there are multiple people who have had issues with the front sight loosening up.

I would go to the Bersa Talk forums and post in the warranty section. There is/was a guy from the warranty center in Colorado who posts there and helps people out. They will fix it free if something is wrong with it.

Here is a direct link.

[Embalmo]

Just from googling a little bit it seems like there are multiple people who have had issues with the front sight loosening up.

I would go to the Bersa Talk forums and post in the warranty section. There is/was a guy from the warranty center in Colorado who posts there and helps people out. They will fix it free if something is wrong with it.

Here is a direct link.

Thanks-I just did that. The front and rear sights seem very tight, and fixed. It was like a mean prank, like someone kept switching my magazine with one filled with blanks. On the plus side, I fed my Taurus 94 an entire 550 round brick of federal, without brushing or swabbing, and experienced ZERO misfires.

Embalmo

[MoJo]

Were you getting a group? Eight inches left and four inches low at 7 yards is unacceptable. Have someone else shoot the gun and see if they have the same results. A trip back to Bersa may be your best option, the gun should shoot closer than that out of the box.

[lrb111]

The rear sight can be bumped into a correct position, usually. I use a little brass hammer for that sort of thing.

[PeteCamp]

Left and low sounds to me like trigger control. You might try to find a really experienced shooter to try it out. Failing that, I might suggest this at the range:

Grip the gun as tight as you can (white fingernail-tight) not touching the trigger
Lay your support hand alongside the grip hand and point both thumbs more or less at the target
Align the sights on the center of the target
Put the trigger in the first joint of your index finger - not out on the pad of the finger - while maintaining sight picture
Squeeze the trigger until the gun surprises you with the shot

I know, I know some will scream and holler about the trigger placement and grip tightness.

[koolaid]

By the way, the guy who replied to you on Bersa Talk is the guy who does all of the warranty work. They seem to have a pretty much 100% satisfaction rate, so I would just do what he said. Let someone else shoot it a couple of times and if they have the same issue send it into CGW and get it fixed for free.

[couzin]

Sounds like you are tensing up your grip or jerking as you fire pulling down the muzzle. A 7 yd target you should be able get rounds into a paper plate area without even looking at the sights (just MHO).

[webb3201]

Try to shoot at the range without using the sights and see what happens. I suspect you will hit a decent grouping, and if you do you attribute your poor session to sight issues and have them fixed.

[Embalmo]

Guys,

I agree with all you guys. I'm going to take it to Red's on Monday and have them take a look. I wish it were me, but even a first time shooter would hit paper at least 1 out of 14 times at 7 yards. Sure I'm a crappy shot, but I picked up my wife's Bersa Thunder .380 and "bang" a little left and below the center, I picked up my Taurus 94 and "bang" a little left and below center, I even borrowed a Taurus 1911 and fired my first .45 ever and "bang" a little left and below center, than UC9 "bang" nowhere on the paper. I was so frustrated and angry that I didn't think to have another shooter try it.

Still, it would one AMAZING coincidence if I hit inside the target every time with 3 different guns, of 3 different sizes, and 3 different calibers, and with one gun I couldn't hit the paper. I agree that if I pointed the gun at the target and ignored the site I would have probably hit the paper somewhere.

Embalmo

[Rifleman55]

Take the pistol and unload it and the mag, then align the sights on a target and dryfire at the target make shure to watch where the sights are pointed after the hammer falls. i suspect that you will see the sights move to the low and left on the target. I think that you are jerking the trigger as you are doing on all of the other pistols, just doing it worse with that particular one.

[Embalmo]

Take the pistol and unload it and the mag, then align the sights on a target and dryfire at the target make shure to watch where the sights are pointed after the hammer falls. i suspect that you will see the sights move to the low and left on the target. I think that you are jerking the trigger as you are doing on all of the other pistols, just doing it worse with that particular one.

Re-read my last post. Do you really think it's possible to miss the entire paper 100 times in a row with the same gun while 3 other guns grouped close to the bull's eye. Held on a block the gun hit the lower left side of the paper when aimed for the center; when my Taurus and Bersa .380 hit dead center while held on a block.

I'm not a good shot (jussst good enough to qualify for my CHL), and I would love for it to be operator error, but at 7 yards, even a first time shooter wouldn't be able to miss the entire PAPER 100 times in a row.

Embalmo

[srothstein]

Embalmo,

I know it sounds like it would have to be mechanical error but it is not necessarily so. I have seen people who lose faith in a gun not be able to hit the broad side of a barn when the gun was perfectly capable. I had one friend serve with me in the MPs who did not qualify with his duty weapon one year. He kept saying the gun was no good and he had heard how the G.I. .45 was always inaccurate. When I qualified expert, he said I had gotten lucky and been issued a better gun. We swapped pistols and he went through and qualified with no problem. To him, it confirmed that my weapon was better than his. He really was mad when I took his pistol through and qualified expert with it too. Then he started listening a little more to the range NCO on how to handle a 1911 properly.

In your case, I am guessing it is a combination of the sights being off with your known error. Since you almost always shoot left and low and are getting it even worse with this pistol, I think part of the problem is your known tendency. The other part of the problem is something in the gun amplifying your tendency. This could be the sights off (most probable IMHO) or it could be the trigger or grip design causing more of a jerk or flinch.

Since you repeated the problem while using a rest, I am going to suggest having someone you trust try it and see if the sights are off for him too. Other suggestions made here are also very possible and could be tried.

Incidentally, I am putting together a trip for a friend in January. He has not been shooting in a long time and wants to start over as a beginner. If you want to join us, I could see if either of us have a problem with it. I generally shoot in New Braunfels, but we might move further north if you want.

[Embalmo]

Embalmo,

I know it sounds like it would have to be mechanical error but it is not necessarily so. I have seen people who lose faith in a gun not be able to hit the broad side of a barn when the gun was perfectly capable. I had one friend serve with me in the MPs who did not qualify with his duty weapon one year. He kept saying the gun was no good and he had heard how the G.I. .45 was always inaccurate. When I qualified expert, he said I had gotten lucky and been issued a better gun. We swapped pistols and he went through and qualified with no problem. To him, it confirmed that my weapon was better than his. He really was mad when I took his pistol through and qualified expert with it too. Then he started listening a little more to the range NCO on how to handle a 1911 properly.

In your case, I am guessing it is a combination of the sights being off with your known error. Since you almost always shoot left and low and are getting it even worse with this pistol, I think part of the problem is your known tendency. The other part of the problem is something in the gun amplifying your tendency. This could be the sights off (most probable IMHO) or it could be the trigger or grip design causing more of a jerk or flinch.

Since you repeated the problem while using a rest, I am going to suggest having someone you trust try it and see if the sights are off for him too. Other suggestions made here are also very possible and could be tried.

Incidentally, I am putting together a trip for a friend in January. He has not been shooting in a long time and wants to start over as a beginner. If you want to join us, I could see if either of us have a problem with it. I generally shoot in New Braunfels, but we might move further north if you want.

I would love for operator error to be the case, but when on a block my Bersa .380 hits dead center, and on a block the UC9 hits the lower left side of the paper, or not at all. When I borrowed a .45 and fired a .45 for the first time I hit it SLIGHTLY to the left and low of the bull's eye. If I took someone off the street who had never fire a gun and handed them any gun, they would hit somewhere on the paper when shooting 14 times in a row. We're talking 7 yards for heaven's sake!!

Please folk-Understand that that I'm not talking about missing the bull's eye, or missing the target sometimes, I'm talking about a gun that can't hit anywhere on the paper at just 7 yards 100 times in a row. PLEASE no more suggestions that by some freaky bizarre coincidence anyone could shoot 3 different guns of 3 different calibers perfectly fine, but miss EVERY time with one gun.

Embalmo

[CompVest]

Sounds like a sight or gun issue to me. My suggestion would be to start at 3 feet from a target so you can get hits on the paper so you can see how far off it is.