Need Advice On .380's

[willypete]

You'll get yet another vote for FMJ from me. I'm partial to the WWB .380 ACP truncated cone.

Regarding Buffalo Bore's 100 grain hardcast +P, 95 grain FMJ +P, and their standard pressure 95 grain FMJ, please note that the +P rounds demonstrate superior velocities and "20+ inches" or "nearly 20 inches" of penetration per BB's website. However, please also note that the standard pressure loading is on par with Winchester's bulk load, and also achieves "nearly 20 inches" of penetration.

Hence my decision to use WWB fodder, which is considerably less expensive than BB at ~$40/100 vs. $24/20 rounds!

 

[mopar92]

Tons of criminals and people have been shot over the years and lived only after being shot " in the chest" . I'm sure a lot of people have been shot in the chest with .45's and 9mm and lived. If what you can afford is a .380, that's a heck of a lot better than nothing. If you can afford more gun, buy it. I conceal carry iwb a Glock 19 and that to me Is super concealed. I forget I even wear it.

 

[DanTheFarmer]

Good Morning,

I think holdencm9 had a good perspective to view this subject. There are lots of good videos and lots of test data available on the web (www.brassfetcher.com and www.goldenloki.com come to mind right away). You have to make up your own mind about your comfort level. We can all foresee scenarios in which a .22 is more than enough and others where a .50 BMG won't work. It is really about peace of mind. If you've educated yourself, made a reasonable decision, and feel more comfortable about the safety of you and your family then the money you just spent on a pistol and ammo was money well spent.

I have a Bersa Thunder 380 and a Bersa Thunder 380 CC. I enjoy and trust both. The CC model definetly is easier to carry.

Good Luck!

Dan

 

[Art Eatman]

I wouldn't be surprised at peeing contests in a day care center, but last I heard, THR was for grownups.

This sort of childishness is not what I want with my morning coffee.

And be advised that I don't give prizes for "Snark of the Day".

 

[Lucas_Y]

Remember that penetration is necessary, but over penetration is also a concern. When that little bullet buzzes through the BG, and into an innocent behind them you may wish that you had picked a different bullet.

I personally would rather have a good design expanding bullet, as I believe that big holes bleed faster than small ones. Let's face it, we're probably going to be relying on blood loss to stop the threat than any other factor.


I can't give an opinion on the Bersas, just haven't shot enough of them to be swayed either way.

 

[David E]

Remember that penetration is necessary, but over penetration is also a concern. When that little bullet buzzes through the BG, and into an innocent behind them you may wish that you had picked a different bullet.

Exactly the point I was trying to make, only you said it better. Over penetration can waste much of what little energy a .380 has and can be deadly to an innocent 3rd party.

I like the Gold Dot in .380 for exactly this reason. Adequate penetration without being excessive, at least in the plausible scenarios I envision.

.

 

[Trip20]

I carry a Bersa .380cc model At times. It's a great pistol. One of the more common ammunition choices for the Bersa .380 is Corbon DPX and I believe it runs about 95 grains.

I changed out the grips and it's even more comfortable to shoot. Fixed barrel, very accurate and concealable.

Definitely not a high-end firearm but in its price range most people agree its an excellent value for the money.

 

[76shuvlinoff]

95gr FMJ in my LCP

 

[JSpear]

I own and mainly carry my thunder 380, I love it, I havnt had any problems and it is very accurate for me out to 15 yards. Mine has eaten every kind of ammo I have feed it, regardless of the kind of ammo you decide to use, inthink you will be very happy with this pistol! I usually carry fmj in mine, but that's more to do with the fact that I buy ammo in bulk and prefer to carry what I mainly shoot.

 

[Cactus Jack Arizona]

My BT380DLX hasn't been flawless from the factory. However, $10 and 30 minutes at my local gunsmith; problem solved. Once you make that Bersa purchase you must clean the pistol and all the magazines thoroughly.

As far as the perfect hp .380 bullet, no manufacturer is going to claim that their hp bullet is "not as good as the other guy's". They are all going to claim that their hp bullet is the best, even if it's not. Therefore, what I usually do is watch as many ballistic test videos as I can find, then decide for myself which bullet I choose to carry. For safety reasons, I would NEVER use +P .380 ammo in any Bersa.

This is a fun and interesting site. http://www.youtube.com/user/andreleger2001

 

[MedWheeler]

I love mine. I carried it loaded with 88-grain JHP rounds, then switched to the 95-grain FNEB rounds when the weather got cooler and the clothing got thicker. Both loads are the Remington UMC ammo. I only stopped carrying the gun after about a year and a half when I stumbled across a Kel-Tec PF9 for a price I could not pass up. Lighter gun, but more of a chore to shoot. Don't listen too much to the naysayers; the Thunder 380 is a great defensive-fighting pistol.

 

[Blacklabel82]

Ive owned the Bersa 380, Tuarus TCP, Ruger LCP, and the Keltec P3At....The bersa felt the best, fed everything. I used mostly MAGTECH JHP, Buffalo Bore, and Speer...never had any issues. The P3AT has been my favorite....very reliable and for some reason likes hollow-points....maybe mine is an oddball..lol. The bersa is a fine gun, probably the best in its price range. Mine was always reliable and very accurate.

 

[mdauben]

I'm looking at buying a Bersa Thunder .380 for cc purposes.

Some people have dismissed the .380 from anything but back-up duty, but honestly any gun is better than none. If you can't find a more potent caliber in a gun you can afford, then don't feel bad about using the Bersa.

...what kind of ammunition is best for this handgun.

SD loads for the .380 seem even more contentious than the old '9mm or .45ACP' debate!

Personally, I go with a quality JHP round from one of the premium manufacturers (Honady, Cor-Bon, Federal, Speer, Remington, etc.). Its hard to recomend a particular JHP as sometimes guns are particular about the brand they like. I would probably buy a box of each on that your local gun shop carries, and then pick one and run at least 200 rounds through your gun before trusting it for CCW. Many semiautos require a "break in" period like this, and it will give you both confidence in the guns reliability, familiarization with the gun and target practice.

The problem with this is that while the Bersa is a relativly inexpensive gun, .380 ammo tend to be the some of the most expensive compared to other SD choices.

 

[DAP90]

This has been posted on this site before but here’s a link to Brassfetcher.com.

They don’t have a huge number of 380 tests but it does show 12” penetration with the right load; as well as a little expansion.

http://www.brassfetcher.com/90%20grain%20Federal%20Personal%20Defense%20Hydra-Shok.html

http://www.brassfetcher.com/380acp 90gr Federal Hydra-Shok (light clothing).html

 

[NMGonzo]

Go with the Bersa.

I 3 in 3 different countries.

 

[Dogguy]

The JHP load to use in your gun is the one that functions perfectly every time and shoots accurately enough to hit where you mean for it to hit. In my experience, my Bersa Thunder .380 functions and hits well with everything I've shot in it. And, while there are other pistols out there that are smaller (some more powerful), they all have some downsides--the main one being that handguns can be too small.

 

[CAR-AR]

My carry guns:

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=155208&stc=1&d=1324574766

 

[gofastman]

As for ammo. You need penetration more than over all expansion. Bullet of choice IMHO is a XTP. And Hornady has your ammo

I completely agree, I really like the "controlled expansion" philosophy of the XTP bullet, especially in .380.
I do, however, think Hornady .380 ammo is flat out wimpy!
I mean, 1000fps out of a 4" barrel? you should be able to do at least 100fps more, even 200fps isn't out of the question with a 4" barrel.

this would be my choice for commercial .380 ammo:
http://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=251

 

[MICHAEL T]

My 2 Bersa Thunders feed any thing in 380. Some of the Bersa's don't like the flat nose Winchester junk. For carry I use the Corbon DPX its expensive but I think worth it,

Come visit and join the Bersa board

http://bersachat.com We have a lot of information and fun place also.

 

[PabloJ]

To be effective, a SD round must penetrate to a vital area with sufficient energy.

A .380 HP would be more likely to expend its energy trying to expand and would neither expand or penetrate sufficiently. I would choose FMJ because it is more likely to penetrate to a vital area.

The .380 is a marginal round for SD. The Ruger LC9 is a smaller package than the Bersa but is 9mm.

9x19 is marginal round for SD. The S&W CS45 is just as easy to conceal as LC9.

 

[JRH6856]

The S&W CS45 is just as easy to conceal as LC9.

But a bit more difficult to find and costs more when you do. But a Ruger SR40C would do quite well

 

[john5036]

I alternate HP, and FMJ in my BT380.

 

[Lonerider357]

Why settle for 7-8 rounds in that Bersa?
Get this one!!
http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/58287-55.html