Gonna buy a new .380 today Bersa or Walther?

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SgtCuts

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Ok as the title says I am going to be purchasing a new .380ACP pistol today and I am stuck on the fence with both the Walther PK380 and the Bersa Thunder 380. Both feel good in my hands but I am having trouble deciding which to get please help.
 
Same gun, only the Bersa is cheaper and has a better trigger.

edit: i'm a dumbass. i thought you said PPK. nevermind. move along. nothing to see here.
 
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Don't know much about the Walther PK380. They seem reasonable enough in price. I have owned 5 of the Walther PP series pistols over the years and currently own a Manurhin Walther PP in 32 and an Interarms Walther PPK/S in 32. Almost forgot the Walther P38. Guess what I am saying is, I have always been satisfied with the Walther brand. They make some great firearms.

Havn't heard any real negatives on the Bersa either. I have a few friends who own them and really like them.

Guess it comes down to what you like the best. If its for CC, I would critically look at both guns side by side and see which meets your needs and style of carry best. I don't agree that they are basically the same. The Bersa may be a close runner to the PP series, but the PK380 is a totally different gun.

You will probably be happy with either.

I heard a story one time about a guy on a trip who liked ice cream. About halfway through his trip there was a Dairy Queen in one of the towns he would pass through. He said when he left, he started thinking about a vanilla malt. He really liked them. A little further into his trip, he began thinking about chocolate malts, "boy are they good." By the time he arrived at the Dairy Queen, he had convinced himself that if it were not meant for him to have one of each flavor ~ then they should not offer them that way. He bought one of each.

Guess you could buy both...
 

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The pk380 is a wonderful gun, as long as the right ammm is used. My wifes shot S&B hardball OK, but federal, remington, and armscorp was less than stellar in performance. I started realoading practice ammo, using berrys plated HBRN 100 gr, over 3.1gr universal clays, and it seems to be smooth sailing in that pistol. Hollowpoint ammo I have yet to find anything that hasnt fed in it just fine.

The Bersa Thunder I have not had the pleasure to shoot, but I have shot the ppk/ppks, I believe they are very simmilar in size/ pattern, and comarativly, the PK380 is a MUCH softer recoiling pistol.
If I were looking at the same pair, I would look at what you intend to use it for, the PK380 is a bit bulkier than the Bersa, might be a little more difficult to conceal. Holsters for the bersa may be a little easier to find.
Heard lots of good about both, so might be PRM is on to something, you could always just get both.
 
Dollar for dollar, you can't beat a Bersa Thunder.
I had the same decision to make for my wife.....I'm glad I saved the $ and got the Bersa.
YMMV
 
The Bersa is a good gun. I have shot about nine rounds through my dad's. It feels good in the hand and seems to do everything well. The only down side is that around 800 - 900 rounds he had to send it to get the frame refinished. The slide had worn a a small bit of the finish off. It was only the size of a pinky nail.

As some one pointed out to me though, if left untreated that could lead to gouging the frame.

I haven't shot the Walther PK380, but I want to pretty badly. It is the single most comfortable gun I have ever held. To me it was like a nice warm handshake.
 
The Bersa. Under $300, ultra reliable, great warranty and very concealable. I prefer my Colt Government 380, but those are scarce on the used market.
 
My wife's Bersa has been nothing but a joy - shoots everything we feed it, accurate, comfortable - can't recommend it highly enough.
 
I have shot the Bersa. It was a friend's that he was shooting for the first time, and it had a few FTEs, but was probably just breaking in. The gun was pleasant to shoot and satisfactorily accurate. I admit it was refreshing to shoot .380 in a gun with a full grip, as opposed to my lcp. I'd like to pick one up myself personally, that way I can play 007 at the range. :cool:
 
Sorry to bend the tide here, but the Walther is the only way to travel, so long as you get a German- or French-made version. IMO, you can't top them for overall craftsmanship and quality and pride of ownership.
 
Walther all the way! I've shot 2 different Bersa 380's and both were just about worthless. They would jam every other clip, regardless of the ammo type/manufacturer. Never had a Walther jam on me, I've owned a P99, a PPS and I've shot a friends ppk.......... but thats just my opinion and we all know what opinions are like. : )
 
Bersa all the way!!!

It feels perfect in my hand, points naturally, is very accurate, light to carry, and worth every penny....28000 pennies worth!
 
chez323 said:
Walther all the way! I've shot 2 different Bersa 380's and both were just about worthless. They would jam every other clip, regardless of the ammo type/manufacturer. Never had a Walther jam on me, I've owned a P99, a PPS and I've shot a friends ppk.......... but thats just my opinion and we all know what opinions are like. : )
Click to expand...
Clearly your problem with the Bersa was you were using "clips" and the Bersa takes magazines.:)

My two Bersas have never had a failure of any kind but I can't say that about the Walther I used to own.
 
I shot all three of mine this week. Bersa Thunder .380, Walther ppk/s and Walther PK380. Never had a problem using different ammo in either of these. I have used reloads, Blazer, Magtech, Independence and the list goes on. I did have a jam on the Bersa the first time shot on the last round, but after that - nada. The Bersa Thunder and PK380 are both very comfortable. Bersa = Adj. rear sight. Fixed on the PK380, but if you get to know it well your good to go. I shoot right between the eyes at 25 yards, dead on with both guns. Accuracy is pretty much the same. 7+1 on the Bersa. 8+1 on the PK380. Each come with one clip only. The Thunder .380 is about the size of the Walther PP. There is a CC version of the Bersa as well. The also sell mags with extensions. I paid $240 for my Bersa new and $350 for the Walther new. My PPK/S was a couple hundred more. I'd recommend the Bersa. Reason being that it's a great .380 to start on. Easily replaced if lost or stolen and the quality is top notch. My girlfriend learned on this gun too.
 
My own Bersa thunder was a POS.

That said, I am clearly in the minority on that; hundreds of positive posts indicate that mine was a fluke.

I'd therefore say Bersa-great trigger, cheap, real controls (slide lock), good holsters available (including my own comptac IWB, fwiw) easy to find after market mags, cool grips available... Etc.
 
This is my third Bersa, I had the .22, the .32, and now the .380

50% of the time i find myself grabbing the gun from the safe because it fits so nice, and I can hit all I need to hit with it.
 
Bersa was my choice. I bought one for my daughter and the gun runs just fine. I'm thinking of getting one for limited carry as the small frame is so easily concealed.
 
I hate to pile on, but I also vote Bersa.
I have had nothing but good experiences with Bersa.
 
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