Bersa Thunder in .22LR

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tercel89

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I just stumbled across this. I normally dont like guns that have an internal key locking system nor a magazine disconnect safety , but I think this would be great for my 14 yr old son to learn the fundamentals of a carry gun. He now has a Ruger MKIII that he shoots fine. But this really looks like a good trainer to teach him about carrying and shooting a "regular" pistol , you know ? What are you guy's thoughts and experience with this pistol ?
http://www.bersa.com/bersa-thunder-22-mat
 
I have a lot of experience with the .380 version, and I have the .22 on order for my 10 year old as well. Very very reliable after break in, good accuracy. I also like the hammer and Decocker with the SA/DA pulls for teaching trigger control, without a thumb strong enough to manually drop the hammer safely.

If you look at the schematic, they appear to be nearly identical in construction as the .32 and .380, and they are rated to handle +p ( or in the .22's case) Hypervelocity ammo such as Stingers. It appears like the Armalite/charter/Henry AR-7 they function more reliably with non-standard velocity stuff.

Bersas generally don't have the greatest finish, but they're fit fairly well, and the warranty is a lifetime one that follows only the first purchaser of the gun. The low price had me confused the first time I saw one, but that's just their lack of Advertising spending showing in the MSRP.

Enjoy, Keep us posted on how the thing functions please :D
 
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Decent pistol. Well built and easy to field strip. Pretty reliable with most HV bulk ammo. Accurate enough for plinking. Lots of fun to shoot.

You may wish to consider the new Ruger SR22 pistol. For maybe only a few dollars more (if even that) you get an American made and serviced pistol that is well built, as reliable and accurate as the Bersa, and just as fun to shoot. I own both but if I could only keep one it would be the Ruger. Worth considering.
 
marb4 I agree with you but the RUger SR22 has an aluminum slide vs the steel slide of the Bersa. It seems that America has just crashed on their firearms as they have on their cars. I am a mechanic and I only buy Japanese . American cars are just crap now days . I wish I would say different but all the American cars I have owned are pure crap. Since I have went to Toyota, Honda, and Mazda I have had pure joy and awesome reliability!
 
tercel89 said:
marb4 I agree with you but the RUger SR22 has an aluminum slide vs the steel slide of the Bersa. It seems that America has just crashed on their firearms as they have on their cars. I am a mechanic and I only buy Japanese . American cars are just crap now days . I wish I would say different but all the American cars I have owned are pure crap. Since I have went to Toyota, Honda, and Mazda I have had pure joy and awesome reliability!
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I would agree that the Bersa is a very solidly built pistol. I would almost say way overkill for a 22. Yes the ruger has an aluminum slide (with steel inserts for the firing pin assembly) and a polymer frame but for use with 22LR ammo I can't imagine ever wearing it out. For what its worth, I try to buy American whenever I can however, I'm currently driving a Toyota FJ Cruiser. Best vehicle I've ever owned. Period.
 
I own both the .380 and .22LR versions of the Firestorm's,..which are the same gun as the Bersa'a. I find them both to be excellent shooters,..and the .22 version exceptionally so. It does not like the standard velocity ammo however,..but Bersa is very upfront with their recommendation to not use it, and recommends Hi Velocity ammo in it for reliable functioning.

Accuracy is there, reliability is there,..and it provides a viable alternative for inexpensive trigger time to the .380 version. Controls and assembly/dissasembly are identical.

Finish, ....like with most Bersa handguns,.... is a bit rough, but perfectly functional.


Ours both get carried for the occasional CC, range time,..and make great house guns as well. I like them,..they work,..and I think they are well worth their price. YMMV
 
I've put a bunch of rounds through my Bersa 22. CCI Mini-mags FTW

Its surprisingly accurate, and I love the rubber grips. No regrets here... Mine earns a spot in the range bag on a regular basis.

The only function issue mine has is that the slide release doesn't hold as securely as I'd prefer. I could probably fix it with a file.

Easy to clean, decent lightweight trigger. Good gun.
 
I have the Firestorm .22 with the 6" barrel and it is a fun pistol. As others have said it does not like lower powered ammo. I pretty much stick with CCI Minimags and it works great.
 
I have the two-tone Firestorm .22LR made by Bersa. It's not the highest quality gun, but it is a very solidly built gun designed for .380 ACP that can eat .22LR for a long time, I'd guess.

For a plinker/trainer for the young uns, I like it better than my Beretta Neos by far. Actually, I just like the Firestorm better than my Neos period.
 
I really like my Firestorm/Bersa 22.

Zero failures with CCI Minmags and Blazers.

The federal 550 bulk pack in the maroon box from walmart caused it to choke nearly every round (wouldnt cycle the slide enough).

Ive shot about a total of 1500 round of Blazer and Minimags. I need to try the bulk stuff again... still have about a 1/2 box left.
 
Update

Well just 2 hrs after I made this post I rushed out and bought it ! Man it feels nice and it seems to be built very well. I think my son will love it . It was $319. It is the same size and all as the .380's . I cant wait to shoot it. Here is a cell phone picture of it.
bersa.gif
 
IT feels great and the looks of it are very nice. To me it is like the Beretta M9 it just has a sexy look to it. Very thin too . Heck , this may just make me get the .380 version .
 
tercel89 said:
IT feels great and the looks of it are very nice. To me it is like the Beretta M9 it just has a sexy look to it. Very thin too . Heck , this may just make me get the .380 version .
Click to expand...

That Bersa and its predecessors definitely have Italian influence. :cool:

"The company was founded in the mid 1950s by Italian immigrants Benso Bonadimani, Ercole Montini and Savino Caselli, all of them mechanical engineers. Montini worked for Beretta in Italy. " - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bersa
 
I have the .380 version,and it is indeed a rock-solid, reliable pistol that looks pretty handsome, too. I would definitely have fun with a .22LR version...
 
I've had my Bersa T22 for about a year and have had zero problems with it. The little pistol functions perfectly with any .22 ammo I feed it and the grip fits my mitt perfectly. Finding spare mags can be challenging, the only source I've located so far is the Bersa U.S. distributor in NJ.
 
Be aware that there is an issue with some BT22 barrels that were cut too small and there have been some leading issues. I suggest you read what info you can find in a search on this.

I enjoy my BT22. While not as nice a gun as some of my other 22s, it has some features that make it unique, such as being DA/SA, with a exterior slide release, and decent sights. The trigger is OK, not a Buckmark, but certainly good enough to train young shooters. A fun gun. With proper ammo, mine has been reliable. I especially enjoy Stingers, as they produce a huge fireball and even have a bit of recoil.
 
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