Bersa is an Argentina-based company that officially launched in 1958. A trio of Italian mechanical engineers established the firm, which at first concentrated on producing parts for another firearm manufacturer. That gunmaker, however, was struggling financially—ultimately failing—so it wasn’t long before Bersa designed and introduced the Luan handgun.
It helped pay the bills, but it was the Modelo 60—a .22 LR-chambered pistol—that put the company on firm financial ground. It hit the market in 1959, proved to be a big commercial success and in 1960 the company began using the Bersa name.
Today the company is renowned for its Thunder line of pistols, which first appeared in 1994. When Argentina’s Federal Police and military selected Bersa Thunder 9s for issue in the late 1990s enthusiasts took note.
Eagle Imports brought Bersas into the United States for years, but closed its doors in 2020 when Covid-19 made shipping prices and delays an insurmountable financial hurdle. It left fans of the brand in limbo, with supplies scattered throughout a hodge-podge of sources.
Then in October 2022, Bersa announced it opened a 45,500-square-foot factory in Kennesaw, GA. “All new models Bersa introduces, going forward, will be made in Kennesaw,” said Bersa U.S. Sales & Marketing Director Rafael Del Valle. The facility produces a variety of 9 mm NATO-, 5.56 mm NATO- and .300 Blackout-chambered firearms.
“Bersa decided to come to the USA to manufacture because it was the next logical step,” Del Valle said. “We can bring new products to market faster, and we can make guns that we couldn’t otherwise import from Argentina. We will also be able to export product throughout the globe much more easily than it can be from Argentina.”