Bersa THUNDER 380!

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Just picked up a used bersa 380 at a gun show today for $200. Would love to hear from others who have one. Which magazines work best? Holsters? Otherwise any issues? Ive been reading about these for a couple years and they sound like solid little pistols. I ran a couple mags full of steel cased wolf ammo through it in the back yard today and it functioned flawlessly. Ill shoot it more when its not -17 outside lol.
 

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Can't say I've ever held or seen a Bersa Thunder in person, but I have had an interest in their Thunder Plus, the doublestack .380 that holds 15 rounds. Very few .380's are available in the US that can hold that many rounds. From what I have seen, the Bersa's are as good, if not better than the Walthers, but at a third the price.

I was watching a video last night of the Bersa factory and I know I shouldn't be surprised to see so many CNC machines and a well organized shop from a foreign country, but I was and it just reminds me that while places like Argentina aren't the US, that doesn't mean they're Afghanistan either.

The only thing I'd be leery of with Bersa is their customer service, but that's because it's a complete unknown to me.
 
The bersa factory mags and mecgar mags work flawlessly in mine. A promag did not which isn't surprising. I put some Altamont grips on it that feel and look good. They are good guns for not a lot of money. Accuracy is very nice too, though like all blowback pistols can be snappy. They are popular, holsters should be very available.

Enjoy :)
 
Good, solid pistols. Great customer support from their distributor, Eagle Imports.
You won't be disappointed.
I have a Thunder. Wish I had Thunder Plus!
 
Just picked up a used bersa 380 at a gun show today for $200. Would love to hear from others who have one. Which magazines work best? Holsters? Otherwise any issues? Ive been reading about these for a couple years and they sound like solid little pistols. I ran a couple mags full of steel cased wolf ammo through it in the back yard today and it functioned flawlessly. Ill shoot it more when its not -17 outside lol.

Congrats on the new pistola! :thumbup:

I only have the .22LR version, but I have fired my co-worker's Thunder Combat model in .380. Both guns work very well, the little .22 requires hot ammo, though.

I really like the Walther inspired slide and the Beretta inspired frames on these Bersas. :)
 
Great gun. I would recommend going with OEM magazines. Mec-Gar didn't work for me. Very reliable and customer support is great. The only complaint I have are the sights. They are a tad on the small side. No biggie, until you start getting older. That's when you start to notice how small the sights are.
 
I bought one used in 2008. I was trying to replace (on the cheap) a PPK/S I'd let go years earlier since I was going to start carrying again.

I took the Thunder to the range several times, and could not get it to malfunction, despite multiple tactics. I tried limp-wristing, mixing up old and new ammunition in the mags, mixing up ammo types in the mags, and going hundreds of rounds between cleanings. I found this gun to be an excellent piece of equipment, and went on to carry it. It always shot where I expected it to, and I found the sights to be clean and easily picked up. I sourced another OEM magazine at a gun show after hearing from many people that those are the ones to be trusted the most.

I've often said that the T380 was a well-kept secret in .380-caliber value in a defensive handgun. By now, it has its share of competitors, such as the Ruger LC380 and the Shield-EZ. But, for us old-school shooters who like and all-metal gun and can run the DA/SA mechanism, the Bersa is one fine choice. I like it enough that, when I was in the market for a rimfire DA/SA shooter, I passed on the polymer-framed Ruger SR22 for a Bersa Thunder 22, though I have to admit I've only had that one out once and it didn't do all that well with the ammunition I had with me at the time.

I still have the T380, but I don't carry it anymore simple because I've taken to carrying lighter-weight 9mm handguns that are easier to carry and more powerful. However, they're not as enjoyable on the range to me.
 
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Those Bersas have all sorts of grip options such as wrap around rubber grips. Take a look, you might find something you like better than what came with it. I was surprised with the variety when my wife had a Bersa Thunder. It was the breast cancer awareness version that had a pink overmold grip and pink sights. She loved the bight pink sights as they were easier to see but I did replace the pink grip with black overmold.

I cannot recall any malfunctions with hers. Being 380 we stayed away from combloc ammo. Her carry ammo was cheap Aguila HP that ran fine in the limited testing she did. Hers came with 2 magazines.
 
If It stays with me for long Ill probably make some walnut or jatoba grips for it. Im excited to shoot this one more! Is there anything wrong with shooting steel cased ammo? It seems to cycle fine, and its a lot cheaper. I know the lacquer or whatever they put on there can gum up a hot chamber eventually, but any cons other than that?
 
Another note. There are enough instructions on removing the magazine safety but if you do not care to, you merely have to push here with your thumb to release the hammer rather than locate a magazine if one is not to-hand.

Easy enough to push with your left thumb while lowering the hammer with your right hand.

Todd.
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I bought a two tone 380 Thunder like yours in 2005. After about 500 rounds the double action trigger began to get wonky; when I carefully staged the trigger it would sometimes pull to full draw and not release the hammer. I talked to their warranty smith and after he reminded me that the Thunder wasn't a target gun, I convinced him that as near as I could tell from the literature and reviews, when you pulled the trigger the hammer was supposed to fall. He replaced the trigger under warranty and had it back to me in a week or two so no complaints there. That's been the only issue I've had with it. It's accurate for a pocket gun and shoots to PoA at 15yds and maybe 3-4" high at 25yds.
I have three magazines; two Bersas and a Promag. The Bersas are reliable. The Promag wouldn't even fit in the well when new and the follower would hang up in the mag. After a few trips to the belt sander it functions to feed rounds but won't reliably hold the slide open when empty. It's relegated to my range bag and I recommend you spend that money elsewhere.
 
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Another note. There are enough instructions on removing the magazine safety but if you do not care to, you merely have to push here with your thumb to release the hammer rather than locate a magazine if one is not to-hand.

Easy enough to push with your left thumb while lowering the hammer with your right hand.

Todd.
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correct me if I’m wrong, but why wouldn’t one just use the decocker?
 
correct me if I’m wrong, but why wouldn’t one just use the decocker?
I've owned too many firearms where that feature was either flawed by design or eventually fails to operate safely so, for me, they're merely safeties to be applied after the hammer has been lowered.

I simply do not trust them and they have (at least on some pistols) deserved that reputation.

Todd.
 
I have had a Bersa 380cc version for 8-9 years. It was my first carry gun. Bought it because of quality and ease on the budget. Researched quite a bit before the purchase. I really like the gun and still have it. However I replaced it as a carry gun with a Sig p238 because my aging eyes needed better sights. If I has the double stack model I would probably still be carrying it.
 
Had a thunder cc that was a jamomatic. Tried every different kind of ammo I could find. Didn’t make a difference. I sent it down the road. I absolutely love my Bersa UC9 Pro though. I have put 2000 rounds through it without a single malfunction. I think overall Bersa makes high quality firearms.
 
For the last twenty years I've had at least one Bersa Thunder in my safe and currently have three. A .380 Thunder, the Thunder Concealed Carry (CC) model and the Thunder .22 LR. I consider them the best bang for the buck.

Although Bersa recommends a break in of 200 - 300 rounds with standard ball ammo I have never experienced a malfunction with any of them. While true you have to use CCI Mini Mags or Winchester Super X in order for the .22 LR to function properly I have found other pistols such as my Walther P-22 and Sig Mosquito require the same so it's not a deal breaker for me.

Both my wife and her sister, both in their sixties, carry a Bersa .380 Thunder. I have provided other options to them, Beretta, S&W and Ruger in various calibers, but they remain true to their Bersa's. We try to get range time every 6-8 weeks and they remain proficient out to twenty feet shooting the Hornady 90 gr. XTP.
 
I braved the cold and put another 50 rounds of american eagle through mine today without error. Shot from 10 yards I can hit the 4” round plate almost every time, which is an improvement from my lc380. Not a surprise because I can fit my whole hand on the bersa. Im really liking this pistol.
 
Have you ever been to this shop? If so opinions good or bad. I see it's outside the beltway just off 290 so it would be about an hour plus drive for me and wouldn't have to drive in the quagmire of Houston traffic. Worth it to me if they have a Thunder Plus in stock. Have been looking for one for a couple of years and my LGS can't order one.
Feel free to PM me if you want.
 
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