I was getting the Bersa Thunder 380 itch then today I stopped at Walmart and checked ammo price....

[saturno_v]

.....and I said no thanks!!

Is this normal??? They had 9mm and 380 ammo from the major producers (Federal, Winchester, etc...) and without exception, the price of the 380 was basically exactly double across all brands!! I just looked at the FMJ ammo...I mean the 45 ACP was actually a hair cheaper. 18-20 buck for a box of 50.

I knew that the 380 was a bit more expensive than the 9mm but I did not expect double the cost.

I always liked the look of the Walther PP style pistols, a nice little comfortable shooter to take to the range.....I really have no use for one other than plinking, all my CCW needs (extreme concealment, regular carry, outdoor) are already well covered with all my other hardware..

It is way too expensive for a relatively small round, I thought it was popular enough to be less pricey than that.....it is not an obscure cartridge where such high price tag could be somewhat justified.

 

[MikeInOr]

My first handgun was a Bersa 380... about 30 years ago or so. It held up for about 3 boxes of ammo... and broke half way through the 4th.

Yes, the Bersa feels nice in the hand (The wooden grips with a thumb rest on mine are nicer than the plastic ones they ship today) and it shot well... until it broke. I would not reccomend a Bersa.

If you really want a Walther type 380 buy a Walther. If you want a really nice fun to shoot 380, get a Colt Government 380... The nicest 380 I have ever held or shot. The Colt Government 380 is basically a Colt Mustang with a full grip. The full grip makes it hold really nice in the hand (my hand atleast) and the single action trigger makes it easy shooting. I feel it points even more naturally than a full sized 1911 because it is better balanced in its mini 1911 size and weight.

The 380 is a really nice plinking round!... but you are much better off if you reload your own ammo.

 

[drband]

I have, like, and shoot a “modern” Bersa Thunder 380. Probably have nearly 1000 rds through it with no issues other than a (fixed) loose front sight.
.380acp ammo is ridiculous in cost and is one of the reasons I began reloading. There’s no help for that problem unless you reload.

I find the Bersa well-made and reliable and the company/importer seems to stand behind their products.

 

[kokapelli]

There is plenty of 380 Ammo available in the mid 20 cent per round available if you look on the Internet.
https://www.sportsmansguide.com/pro...um=CJ&utm_campaign=Redirect-Enabled+Deep+Link

 

[John_R]

Double the price? Not normal. 18 cents vs 25 cents per round is more normal.

 

[tubeshooter]

I don't think it's so much that .380 is much higher priced than it ever was (relatively speaking). It's just that 9mm is so doggone cheap.

I also agree that .380 ACP is expensive for what it is - but evidently the pocket pistol market that .380 now is the unofficial king of allows and supports this.

Retail .38 Special is also expensive for what it is. But again - there are so many legacy guns out there and it is so popular that the market supports it.



I will concede that none of that makes the price any less off-putting. I finally joined the 9mm club just so I could get in on some of all this dirt cheap ammo!

 

[bannockburn]

MikeInOr

If you want a really nice fun to shoot 380, get a Colt Government 380... The nicest 380 I have ever held or shot. The Colt Government 380 is basically a Colt Mustang with a full grip. The full grip makes it hold really nice in the hand (my hand atleast) and the single action trigger makes it easy shooting. I feel it points even more naturally than a full sized 1911 because it is better balanced in its mini 1911 size and weight.

Great choice! The Colt Government .380 and it's little sibling, the Colt Mustang, are two of the softest shooting .380s out there. I prefer the slightly smaller Mustang because well, it is smaller and makes it that much easier to carry it. Added a SIG P238 a few years back to go along with the Mustang in the concealed carry rotation.

 

[Alte Schule]

In the last ten years or so with Ruger, S&W, Glock, SIG and a host of other manufacturers developing new handgun platforms chambered for the .380 ACP. the popularity of those firearms have resulted in a price increase for the.380 ACP but, IMO, not more than what current market can tolerate.
Since the introduction of the Bersa Thunder .380 I have had one or two in my safe and it is my wife's and her sisters preferred CC handgun. I also currently have a Walther PK380 and a Beretta 84 F doublestack. For plinking we use CCI Blazer Brass FMJ. I can find them locally and on line for $10 a box of 50. Never had a problem with it in any of my .380's.

 

[huntsman]

The price of .380acp ammo has been wacky for about 9 years, when I first got into it back in 03 it was a buck a box more than 9mm

 

[bnolsen]

I bought a thunder 380 for my wife 2004/2005 timeframe. With the right mags its very reliable and far less picky than my older p3at. Last time I bought a can of 500 fmjs new from ammo valley, i think less than 80usd at that time. Good stuff, as I haven't had a single jam in either pistol nor any light strikes. Looks like they have remans fairly cheap, but now above 90usd.

I don't know how good it is but yesterday I found boxes of ft scott munitions full copper 380 for 10usd per box. I can't find any reviews on this stuff though.

 

[doubleh]

Graf's has one brand of 380 for 24 cents a round and a couple of others for 26 cents. The cheapest 9mm was 22 cents. That's not much in extra cost and both are shipped for $7.95, one box or a bunch of boxes.

 

[340PD]

I stumbled into a pair of Ruger 380's. One an LCP and then a LCP II. Found ammo at $15/box and then bought a set of dies for $45 and now reload for less than $6/box.

 

[ttarp]

.380 is usually a bit more expensive than 9mm, but I've never seen it as expensive much less more expensive than .45. My BERSA .22 gets more range time than the .380s since I've moved on from them for carry, and 9mms are cheaper for the range.

 

[jstert]

more worrisome than the slightly higher cost of 380acp, read about the bersa bite before you get one. after two mags the web of my shooting hand is weeping blood. the bersa’s safety lever has a known tendency to shear off too.

i added a fab grip to a russian makarov style ij70 380acp to make it a shooter’s dream. it happily eats cheap russian steel cased ammo, naturally. the ij70 is the pistol equivalent of the ak, i.e. built like a brick outhouse.



a bond arms derringer in 380acp is a soft shooter but it prefers brass, doesn’t cough up spent steel cased rounds easily.

 

[saturno_v]

I generally hear nothing but nice thing about the Thunder 380 and I like the look of it very much, better than the Walther.
One of my CCW piece is the Thunder 40 full size,...it has been dead reliable since 2006, only one FTF during firing the first magazine (I bought it new)...frankly it is one of my favorite pistols in my collection as my Sig and my Berettas.

y first handgun was a Bersa 380... about 30 years ago or so. It held up for about 3 boxes of ammo... and broke half way through the 4th.

Yes, the Bersa feels nice in the hand (The wooden grips with a thumb rest on mine are nicer than the plastic ones they ship today) and it shot well... until it broke. I would not reccomend a Bersa.

I think you got a lemon or Bersa quality back then was subpar. In my experience, the only thing that Bersa lack compared to my Berettas, my Sig, my S&W, etc (higher priced handguns) is the quality of finishing....not horrible but simply not as nice.....for the rest I would put my Thunder 40 against any of them and I trust my life to it...they are quality firearms and Customer Service is excellent.

Some Bersa torture tests videos...

 

[bannockburn]

Alte Schule

Had a stainless Walther PPKs that was rather problematic (magazine dropping out unexpectedly, lots of sharp edges, very heavy DA trigger, occasional FTF, and so on). Also had a Beretta Model 84 that was extremely reliable, accurate, had a decent DA/SA trigger, and was just a hoot to shoot. Only problem with it was I felt it was too wide in the grip frame (and me with smaller than usual hands too), making it hard to reach the trigger in DA mode and trying to conceal carry it. Used it as a home defense gun for a number of years before I traded it in on something else. Would love to have it back, along with a Model 85 that I had.

 

[Ironicaintit]

And this is why we reload! Custom tailored ammo for a fraction of the cost.

I'm not especially fond of 380s, but I still own three of 'em...go figure

 

[Alte Schule]

Alte Schule

Had a stainless Walther PPKs that was rather problematic (magazine dropping out unexpectedly, lots of sharp edges, very heavy DA trigger, occasional FTF, and so on). Also had a Beretta Model 84 that was extremely reliable, accurate, had a decent DA/SA trigger, and was just a hoot to shoot. Only problem with it was I felt it was too wide in the grip frame (and me with smaller than usual hands too), making it hard to reach the trigger in DA mode and trying to conceal carry it. Used it as a home defense gun for a number of years before I traded it in on something else. Would love to have it back, along with a Model 85 that I had.

Had a Interarms PPK/S as an off duty piece for several years. Never had a problem with it other than not being able to shoot it accurately. My LEO son and I were at the range one day and he was getting tight groups with it at 25 feet while I was all over the place. He suggested I go to something else. Sold it to a young deputy at work and bought an LCR in .327 Federal magnum. Great pistol but with full magnum loads accurate follow up shots for me are difficult.
Went back to my old school Colt Detective Special and haven't looked back although I have a Springfield EMP 9mm I occasionally carry.
I bought the Beretta awhile back as a project piece. It cycles fine and is accurate but now the trigger is feather light. Almost scary light. Have a group of friends that I shoot with three or four times a year. One is a Beretta guru and he's going to adopt it for awhile and see if he can work his magic.
I find the Bersa Thunders to be a great bang for the buck and am currently looking for one in .22 LR to use as a plinker. They are pretty scarce in these parts.

 

[MedWheeler]

I bought a Bersa in 2008. Love it. Can't get it to malfunction. I've tried mixing ammo in it, old and new, HP and RN, whatever. I've tried limp-wristing it. Just keeps running. It was used when I got it, so I can't speak for its entire history.

I'd had an Interarms-branded PPK/S back when I was on the job, but had let it go maybe around 1992 when I hit a rough patch. It shot well and was reliable as all get-out, but I remember it being snappy. Would love to have it back.

I do own two other .380 caliber pistols, a Grendel P10 purchased in around 1989, and a Taurus TCP purchased earlier this year.

But, yeah, ammo is pricey, relative to 9mm Luger stuff, at least.

 

[bnolsen]

Couple of weeks ago I removed the mag safety assembly on my 380 thunder after watching a youtube video on that subject. Brought it on a range trip today. Good and bad. The good is that all 3 aftermarket mags that I had marked as "unreliable" now function flawlessly in the pistol.

The ft scott munitions ammo wouldn't load into the mag, the rounds were jamming as they were pushed down. I have some hollow points that do the same thing in the thunder mags. Tolerances must be a bit tight, maybe it's something they fixed in the last 15 years. At least I finally found ammo that *seems* to work in my keletc p3at.

 

[Riomouse911]

.380 guns have been selling like hot cakes for years, and with that comes the run on .380 ammo. I recall months of zero .380 loads on local shelves a couple years ago, and having to ask my Dad to hit up stores in neighboring States during his travels and nab any .380 fmj he could find so I could practice when I visited him out of state.

It's a lot more plentiful now, but it is a touch pricier than the dirt-cheap 9mm fmj that's everywhere.

Hopefully you do have the internet option. In about three weeks the "Trust me, I surely know what's best for you because I'm a Democrat" ban on internet ammo and reloading bullet purchases kicks in here, so honest Californians like me will really be up Clinton creek without a paddle...

 

[Ignition Override]

My "Made in West Germany" PPK/S (.380) was in near-mint when acquired about two years ago. Almost no sign of any wear. Bluing was superb.

To become reliable with modern, commercial ammo it required a weaker Wolff recoil spring, but also a newer magazine with a stronger spring.

But I didn't like the heavy DA pull, nor the fairly snappy recoil. Seemed a lot like the little Polish P-64 (9x18).
My .380 commercial Russian Makarov is much more pleasant to shoot, and is ultra-reliable in stock configuration, original components.

As fun as the rental Bersa was to shoot (and really nice, much better DA trigger), I would not trade away the Makarovs' legendary reliability and rugged construction, despite being a bit larger,
whether a single-stack civil. or mil. Russian version, or the classic Bulgy, "East German" or Chinese.

 

[Hokkmike]

the Bersa is a well designed but "pot metal" gun. Having owned and shot one for many years I would NOT choose it as a top three choice. I like the .380 because I always wear pants with a right front pocket. My ammo cost average around $15 a for a box of 50. Better brands like SIG ammo coast more. I have no problem with this.

 

[gsbuickman]

I've had several Bersa Thunder and I've liked them all, they're much nicer than a PPK. Here's my current Bersa Thunder that's in my EDC rotation w/ Monarch hp rounds courtesy of Academy Sports.single / double action, slide locks back on an empty mag, 3 dot combat sights & a decocker, what's not to like ? .

As far as 380 ammo goes I order all of mine online. I suggest you check out outdoor Unlimited because you can get 380 ammo for $0.18 a round and less than $10 a box. The shipping at outdoor unlimited is real reasonable and if you order $35 or more from Academy Sports that shipping is free needless to say I order a lot from both outfits.

https://www.outdoorlimited.com/380-ACP-HANDGUN-PISTOL-Ammunition-for-Sale-s/1851.htm

https://www.academy.com/shop/browse/SearchDisplay?searchTerm=Monarch 380

 

[ttarp]

PPK's certainly are better made, there is no contesting that, but BERSAs are nicer in just about every way to shoot. Calling them "pot metal" after owning one for several years surprises me, they could use better steel and heat treatment, but its a far cry from pot metal. Personally I prefer .32 over .380, but .32 at my local stores is the same price or more expensive than the lower cost .45 ACP.