Law Enforcement Technology

JUL 2015

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www.officer.com July 2015 Law Enforcement Technology 33 855-742-9937 ⎥ www.phazzer.com sales@phazzer.com PhaZZer® Enforcer Ammunition is Fully Cross-Compatible with the TASER® X26 and M26 CEWs Control Any Situation – Effective and Reliable Less Lethal Ammunition Register now for Special Law Enforcement Pricing PhaZZer Dart Cartridges • 15', 21', 25' NMI Dart Pro • Training Dart Cartridge • Raised Lettering With Color Coordination • All Dart Cartridges NOW Made in the USA Alternative Ammunition • Pepper Powder • Pepper Ball • Paint Ball Marker • Rubber Ball Impact TASER ® is a registered trademark of TASER International, Inc. Any information mentioned on this ad is for reference purposes only and not sponsored by or affi liated with the TASER ® brand. PhaZZer Static Guard • Completely Static Proof • No Accidental Deployment • No Wasted Ammunition • Patent Pending Design • Fits All PhaZZer Cartridges Defend (95 grain, 950 fps) ammuni- tion, many groups were sub three inches offhand. The Firestorm has blocky, large, square sights. They encourage quick sight alignment. Most shooters who end up carrying pocket sized .380s actually spend a bit customizing their guns so they will accommodate these kinds of sights. They come standard here. Bersa is a company well known for making quality firearms at bargain prices. Their manufacturing experience includes the Argentine Armed Forces and Argentine Federal Police. This has prob- ably contributed to their reputable con- sistency in manufacture and affordability. In terms of design, my Bersa Firestorm had a smooth even finish, even in areas one can't see. It was polished and fitted well. There are details like a textured sighting plane, which did not go unnoticed by shooters using it with the sun overhead. This is a fixed barrel/ blowback design. The recoil spring is wrapped around the barrel, which creat- ed a smooth slide contact and consistent spring compression. The design is simple and very easy to maintain. We are in an era where .380 Auto handguns are micro sized and weigh 5 to 6 ounces less than the Firestorm. Why would anyone want a larger, slightly heavier gun? Well, it is still pocket-sized. It will fit in a Sticky MD-3 holster, which is definitely the way to go. Even with the finger rest magazine, it stays well con- cealed in a jeans pocket. The magazines are so flat that a couple of them can be stashed in the back pocket. At $320, it is half the MSRP of most models and about 1/3 the price of several of them. However, the most noticeable fea- ture is its ergonomics. It fits the hand so well and softens recoil so efficiently that our testing team could double tap before some micro guns were on target. It is remarkably simple to maintain and inherently safe for pocket carry. Have I mentioned the price? Having rebuilt a couple similar fire- arms in my past, I can assure everyone that this is one of the best designs for challenging environments. It is inher- ently reliable and very easy to service. For armorers, the Firestorm uses an easily replaced pinned extractor. It has a solid recoil area and quality pins in wear areas. The sights are dovetailed, allowing for easy replacement and drifting. When we first opened the box, we had a concern right away. The magazine latch was a little stiff. Once unlatched, it dropped easily from the well. After about five minutes of use, it was fine. I guess it just took a little "break in." The Firestorm has a DA/SA (double action/single action) with a hammer drop type of decocker. The control was fairly easy to reach with the side of the right thumb. One rotates it down to drop the hammer and place the gun on safe. The safety is only on the left side, making it a right-handed gun. A DA/SA gun is carried in double action. When the first round is fired, the brass is ejected and another round is stripped from the magazine. When the slide goes forward, the hammer stays in a fully cocked position, making subse- quent shots in single action mode. In an exposed hammer gun like this one, the The Bersa Firestorm is simple to maintain. The barrel is fixed to the frame, so only the slide and recoil spring needs to be removed. There is something to be said abut straightforward, utilitarian, quality combat pistols. phaZZer.com/register.Intl

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