View Full Version : Thoughts on the Bersa Thunder 380?????
I did a search, but did not come up with the answers I was looking for. I am looking into possibly picking up a new Bersa Thunder 380 for a backup CC weapon. I can get it for a good price from my FFL. I have never shot one before, and don't know anybody who has experience with Bersa's. All of you who own/have owned a Thunder 380, please share your experiences. If you have not owned one, please don't comment with your opinions. Thanks.
Justin
Alaskapopo
10-20-11, 02:16
I did a search, but did not come up with the answers I was looking for. I am looking into possibly picking up a new Bersa Thunder 380 for a backup CC weapon. I can get it for a good price from my FFL. I have never shot one before, and don't know anybody who has experience with Bersa's. All of you who own/have owned a Thunder 380, please share your experiences. If you have not owned one, please don't comment with your opinions. Thanks.
Justin
I have never owned one but I have a hard time considering a .380 as a defensive handgun especially one the size of a compact 9mm.
Pat
Carniemedic
10-20-11, 08:29
I just sold my Bersa about a month ago. It was one of my first concealed carry weapons. I carried it in a #1 size IWB Uncle Mikes Holster. The Bersa is a pretty good little piece, but it also has its faults.
The pros are that it is easy to conceal, more affordable than a Walther PPK, pretty accurate because the barrel is fixed to the frame, it’s not too heavy (aluminum frame) when compared to the pistol that it was cloned from, the Walther PPK (steel frame), also the Bersa has a lighter DA trigger pull than the PPK. The last pro is that it has 3 different safety features.
The cons are that when I first got it I had to have the feed ramp polished because there was a rough lip between the barrel and the ramp causing certain ammo to jam (flat nosed target and JHP). Like the PPK after 100 rounds or so the Bersa’s beavertail will cause a raw spot on the meat of your hand in-between your thumb and the knuckle of your trigger finger where it sits. Another con is that it doesn’t like to be limp wristed. I tried to give it to my girlfriend so she could use it as her CCW but when she would practice with it on occasion would have FTF, or FTE. I watched her fire and am pretty sure that when failures happened they were caused by her limp wristing it. The last con I can think of is the Bersa’s 3 safety features which for some might be a pro. There’s a safety/de-cocker on the slide (which I don’t mind), a lock out safety on the frame which requires a key ( I guess this is for someone who doesn’t have a safe, has kids, and leaves the pistol in the open) , and a magazine disconnect safety which doesn’t allow for the pistol to fire if the mag is not in it . I guess this might be good feature for those who are in the habit of thinking the pistol is unloaded when the mag is out don’t like open the slide to safety clear it and like to pull the trigger to watch the hammer fall:D I don’t like this safely because I imagine it would suck if you accidently hit the mag release in a self-defense situation because the bullet in the chamber would be useless, so you would have the throw the pistol at the bad guy hard enough kill him.
I hope this info helps you with your decision. I’m not trying to dissuade from buying the Bersa I mean I owned one myself. When I went through the CCW class 4 years ago I was on a tight budget so the Bersa was affordable, and after speaking with a co-worker that owned one and liked his I bought one. I just have moved on to bigger and better toys
I've never owned one, but I've sold many of them over the years, in the past.
They have issues with reliability robustness.
You won't find many people here that have owned them because most people on this site don't look at price as the first or primary factor in choosing a firearm. It factors in, yes, but good gear will cost more than sub optimal gear.
The wife of a colleague had one, which I borrowed a number of times for different projects. I watched another one that was part of a pool of guns used in ladies' and youth events.
The ammo used was primarily BHA 90gr XTP and 100gr FMJ. Both guns were reliable with those loads without modification, and fired at least several hundred rounds each. I recall shooting some Federal AE, CCI Blazer, and Corbon DPX through them as well, all without issue.
Though it has been awhile, I recall those guns running acceptability in reliability and accuracy. There's insufficient data to determine durability. For a carry-much, shoot-little gun, they are likely fine if proven reliable with the carry load.
One of the most frequent comments about the gun was how agreeable its feel was in the hand. It felt particularly good to those with small hands. They were light and convenient, while still having a perceptually sufficient enough heft to feel like they were staying put.
The sights were rudimentary. I didn't like the mag release location, and the safety lever on one felt soft. The trigger pull on one was really good, the other was mediocre.
For a budget carry piece, it's an option. There are better options, in better calibers, but this may be a workable place to start.
This is what I remember off the top of my head, but I'll look for my project notes if there's further interest.
saddlerocker
10-20-11, 18:57
My dad has one that I have shot a decent amount.
I think its heavy and can be picky about ammo.
I assume most compact guns will suffer in the accuracy department, so I wont say that is bad.
But I personally would want something lighter and more reliable.
Shooting platform aside, if you can avoid the .380acp......do so. There are a number of small 9mm pistols out there that are of similar size to the Bersa....Walther PPS for example. The superior performance of the 9mm eclipses the .380acp. The .380acp cannot even meet the minimum terminal effects requirements of the FBI.
In it's niche, I think that you'd likely be far, far better off with a CZ 82/83, or a Beretta 84/85, from just about every parameter involved.
On the other hand, a G19 is pretty comparable size-wise...
Best, Jon
While its true that ANY gun is better than NO gun...I would personally never carry a .380.
The penetration is horrible and the hollow points dont expand.
A friend of mine owns a Bersa and it has malfunctioning problems.
Thats reason enough not to own one for CCW, almost all .380s I have seen have those problems, FTE/FTF.
I would get one of the better quality brands. Spoken by one who bought a LLama 380 in 1976. Confidence in the equipment is always worth the extra cost.
DeltaSierra
10-20-11, 21:37
I have fired one, and I wouldn't touch another one with a ten foot pole.
I found the recoil to be unacceptably heavy and quite snappy considering the caliber of the weapon.
The safety can be hard to manipulate, and I found that the slide was quite hard to grasp when trying chamber a round.
The sights are not very good.
All in all, I would suggest that you look at something else for a back-up weapon...
I have been thinking this over all day long at work. I am really leaning towards a 9mm after reading about the .380's not so stellar performance as a defense weapon. I shot a M&P9C last week, but was not impressed with it like I was expecting to be. Guess I need to get some more time in with the M&P9C to see if I can learn to like it more. On a side note, the full size M&P40 I liked alot. So I am not an M&P hater, lol.
Justin
For roughly the same size, and a lighter, more powerful pistol, you'd be better off with a Kahr CW9 than that Bersa.
Carniemedic
10-21-11, 06:20
I have been thinking this over all day long at work. I am really leaning towards a 9mm after reading about the .380's not so stellar performance as a defense weapon. I shot a M&P9C last week, but was not impressed with it like I was expecting to be. Guess I need to get some more time in with the M&P9C to see if I can learn to like it more. On a side note, the full size M&P40 I liked alot. So I am not an M&P hater, lol.
Justin
Did you see the thread that was started yesterday about the Beretta Nano? That seems like it will be a good option for a BUG. Check out the BerettaUSA web site they have a video explaining the Nano and one showing them stripping all of the lubrication off then putting it through a 1000 round challenge. The pistol's MSRP is < $500.
mkmckinley
10-21-11, 06:55
I shot a M&P9C last week, but was not impressed with it like I was expecting to be. Guess I need to get some more time in with the M&P9C to see if I can learn to like it more. On a side note, the full size M&P40 I liked alot. So I am not an M&P hater, lol.
Please take this in the manor in which it's intended. I'm not trying to call you out and this may or may not apply to you but if you're new to shooting you don't know what you like yet. I spent years in the same boat trying many different guns and wasting a lot of time and money. Pick a reliable platform that you know can be shot well and then learn to shoot it well. A 9mm M&P or Glock are both great choices. They may feel weird/top heavy/uncomfortable/cheap at first but for most people that's more indicative of inexperience than any shortcoming of the weapon. I sure wish I'd started with a Glock19 and some training when I turned 21 instead of chasing cheap/obsolete pistols and bad information. Stick with the M&P9/9c or something similar and learn how to make it work.
I actually saw a guy run a Bersa .380 at Insights General Defensive Handgun. I don't remember him having a huge number of malfunctions and no breakages. He was limited by the ergonomics and had a bloody palm from mag changes.
I did a search, but did not come up with the answers I was looking for. I am looking into possibly picking up a new Bersa Thunder 380 for a backup CC weapon. I can get it for a good price from my FFL. I have never shot one before, and don't know anybody who has experience with Bersa's. All of you who own/have owned a Thunder 380, please share your experiences. If you have not owned one, please don't comment with your opinions. Thanks.
Justin
Regardless of brand, I would not CCW/BUG .380 period. See Doc Roberts comments in terminal ballistics on .380, and take his advice to heart. Too many good small 9mm, or even .38 snub, to ever consider .380.
Good luck. ;)
Please take this in the manor in which it's intended. I'm not trying to call you out and this may or may not apply to you but if you're new to shooting you don't know what you like yet. I spent years in the same boat trying many different guns and wasting a lot of time and money. Pick a reliable platform that you know can be shot well and then learn to shoot it well. A 9mm M&P or Glock are both great choices. They may feel weird/top heavy/uncomfortable/cheap at first but for most people that's more indicative of inexperience than any shortcoming of the weapon. I sure wish I'd started with a Glock19 and some training when I turned 21 instead of chasing cheap/obsolete pistols and bad information. Stick with the M&P9/9c or something similar and learn how to make it work.
I actually saw a guy run a Bersa .380 at Insights General Defensive Handgun. I don't remember him having a huge number of malfunctions and no breakages. He was limited by the ergonomics and had a bloody palm from mag changes.
I hear what you are saying, so no offense taken. I am mainly looking for something more easily concealed than my favorite pistols I have, Beretta M9A1 and 96A1. I am not new to shooting, as I have been shooting since I was old enough to first pick up a BB gun and then a .22, and I am now 29. The M&P9C just felt akward is all, and when I switched back to my M9A1, I felt "more at home" with it. Maybe I won't even bother with a compact and just go with the M&P40 full size, as I don't really see the compact line being much easier to conceal. If I could try the M&P40C, that would be nice, but no local ranges have any available to rent. I guess for the time being I will stick with my Berettas, and after more time with the M&P's, probably pick one up. If only I could walk around with one of my AR's slung, but we know the troubles that would produce.
Justin
Regardless of brand, I would not CCW/BUG .380 period. See Doc Roberts comments in terminal ballistics on .380, and take his advice to heart. Too many good small 9mm, or even .38 snub, to ever consider .380.
Good luck. ;)
I read all of that the other night. I am gonna stay away from .380 for sure. Nothing smaller than a 9mm Parabellum for me for sure. I am really thinking about picking up the M&P40C and making myself get better with that platform. Training will definitely be in the mix too. Thank you to everybody for helping save me money, and my life possibly.
Justin
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