Bersa Thunder 380 or Makarov 380

The Bersa is a fine pistol, but IMHO the Mak is hard to beat. Go Makarov

Ares, first, Welcome to THR.

I have both of them avaliable to me at the moment and I am looking for something for the wife to shoot.

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Let her pick.
Here are a few helpful links from THR Moderator Emeritus Pax' website. She really knows her stuff on handguns.
http://www.corneredcat.com/ForMen/BuyForWife.htm
http://www.corneredcat.com/FirstGun/TryOnGun.htm

I voted Makarov, but would recommend it in 9X18mm.

I voted for the Bersa Thunder DT .380 ACP, as its a darn good inexpensive pistol. Get some training, and she should be able to keep all shots in a
8" pie plate from 15 yards out~!

Walther PPK. Mine eats any round even though I have heard some newer ones have feeding problems. Mine is early 90s.

The Bersa has a better trigger and much better sights, should not even be a question. Unless your wife is into the nostalgia thing.

go for the MAK!!

I chose a 9x18 East German Mak because I already had a .380 ACP in a Browning BDA. Now that I own the Mak, I gotta tell you, it's a heck of a pistol. I was skeptical to begin with, not anymore. It's a quality piece, made like a gun should be made.

With that said, buy her what SHE likes and feels best about.

Makarov... but if you can afford it, a Sig 232 instead.

sig p230 stainless if u can

The Makarov is great in 9X18 but it is not as easy to carry as the Bersa. Since you are going 9X17, I would go 100% with the Bersa. Also, it seems your wife already likes it.

The Bersa is everything the SIG is but the price tag and name dropping.

I also own all 3.

I say got for the Bersa , BTW I traded a Sig P230 for the Bersa because my wife has carpel tunnel and the safety lever on the slide made it alot easier for her to rack the slide verses trying to work the slide on the Sig

Pistolet Makarova, Comrade!!



IJ70-17A

9mm kurz.

I carried this for years!!
It saved my butt once, but that's another story!!

Neither, because there are a number of full power 9mm pistols available that are smaller, thinner and lighter than either the Bersa or Mak.

Bersa 380 and the smaller, KelTec PF-9, 9mm_____



P.S. 9mm ammo is cheaper than 380 ammo and there are much better rounds available in 9mm too!

This review by me may be of help to you. I did it a number of years ago but it is still relevant. Regards, Richard

This is a review and comparison of the following pistols that I own and shoot. These pistols are the Bersa Thunder 380, Makarov, Sig P230, and Walther PP. I own the pistols reviewed and carry them on occasion. I am sorry that I do not own a Walther PP in .380; I used my 32acp version of the PP for this review.

Many feel the 380 is low on the power ladder but I feel as well armed with a 380 as a 38 Special in a snub nose revolver and I have more shots with the 380. The 32acp is a strange situation because its actual performance is much better than it should be.

All of these pistols are accurate and the reason for this is they all have fixed barrels. Accuracy from a fixed barrel is a known plus but failing to a Browning style barrel increases felt recoil. What do I mean? I find my Kel-Tec P32 as easy to shoot as my Walther PP 32acp, which is a much bigger and heavier handgun.

Bersa Thunder 380
 Caliber: .380 ACP
 System of operation: Semiautomatic
 Length: 6.61 inches
 Height: 4.92 inches
 Width: 1.34 inches
 Barrel length: 3.5 inches
 Weight: 20 ounces
 Rear sight: Notched bar, dovetailed
 Front sight: Blade, integral with slide
 Magazine capacity: 7 cartridges
 Grip: Polymer
 Finish: Blue/ Nickel/ Duotone
 After firing the last cartridge, the slide remains open

I have well over 500 rounds through my Bersa since I bought in March of this year. I find the factory plastic grips comfortable and the sights easy to see. My pistol has an excellent factory trigger and I shoot this pistol well. If I have any complaints about the Bersa, they are the decocker works in the opposite direction from a 1911 and the finish could be better.

My pistol came with one magazine but I bought two extra ProMags from CDNN at a very good price. These magazines lack the finger extension found on factory magazines but that is not a big deal to me. I am sure the Bersa Thunder is one of the best buys available in the current handgun market.

Makarov
 Type: Semiautomatic, fixed barrel, straight blowback
 Caliber: 9 x 18 mm.
 Length overall: 6.29921 inches
 Weight: 23.47 oz.
 Barrel length: 3.66142 inches
 Capacity: 8

Another current best buy is the Makarov pistol. These were the pistols of the Soviets and they are built like T34 tanks. I own three Makarovs and I like them, two of these are East German (EG) and the third is a Bulgarian. The Makarov is a little bigger and heavier than the other pistols in this review but with a good holster, carry and concealment are not an issue.

To me my main concern is the small factory sights that come standard on Maks. I replace the sights on my Bulgarian with Novak Night Sights and it is now a dream to shoot. A word to the wise is sight replacement is not cheap. This runs between two and three hundred dollars. With the current price of Maks, you may consider the Mak as a point and shoot gun if you so desire. I can squint and do okay with the factory sights on my EGs but the Novak’s are a joy to use.

The triggers on all thee of my Maks are good with the nod going to the EGs. I do not feel unarmed when I carry a Mak. The Mak is a lot of value for the price.

Sig P230
 Type: Semiautomatic, fixed barrel, straight blowback
 Caliber: .380acp
 Length overall: 6.6 inches
 Weight: 20.8 oz.
 Barrel length: 3.6 inches
 Capacity: 8

My Sig P230 is a used stainless steel pistol that is in very good condition. I bought it used from a dealer I respect; the dealer said it was a police officer’s back up gun and used little. My impression of the P232 is it ranks up there with the best but it should as it costs a lot.

This compact pistol came with a problem. The gun jammed the first time I shot it and continued to jam. The jams were like no other I have ever seen before. The spent cartridge ejected properly but the next cartridge went straight at the top of the chamber and lodged there. To make matters more interesting the third round then faced downward at the front of the magazine. I am bull headed and kept trying to figure out the cause of these jams. I tried all types of ammunition including full metal jacket bullets. Nothing helped the situation.

I called the shop I bought the pistol from, the shop owner said bring the pistol in, and he would make good on it. I put off taking the 90-mile drive and continued to ponder the situation. I asked anyone with Sig experience ad called the manufacturer. In the end, I ordered a new recoil spring, magazine spring, and magazine from Sig.

I installed the springs and I did note the new springs have much more power than the old ones. I took the Sig P232 to the range and guess what happened with the first round? A jam just like the prior jams. I cleared the jam and reloaded the pistol. Before I fired the next round I remembered something the Sig gunsmith said to me: “Hold the pistol high and with a firm grasp.” I tried this and the jams are now gone. Lastly, the P232 is accurate shooting orange sized groups from a modified Weaver stance at 10 yards.

Walther PP 32acp
 Type: Double Action
 Caliber: 32acp
 Length overall: 6.81102 Inches
 Weight: 21.9268 Ounces
 Barrel length: 3.89764 Inches
 Capacity: 8

My Walther PP is a West German police trade in excellent condition. This pistol is the one all other compacts are judged by. My PP exudes quality and shoots to point of aim. I have only one complaint with Walther PP pistols and that is the bite the web of my hand. A final note on Walthers is they tend to hold their value better than any pistol I have owned.

After evaluating the four pistols, my conclusion is all will serve you well but the true sleeper is the Bersa Thunder 380. This little pistol has great sights and a very good trigger. In the end, it is my choice over the Makarov due solely to its superior sights. The Bersa is one-third to one-half as much money as the Walther or Sig pistols. It is a truly great buy.

Pictures of my four Maks and my Bersa Thunder 380. Regards, Richard

Neither, because there are a number of full power 9mm pistols available that are smaller, thinner and lighter than either the Bersa or Mak.

Bersa 380 and the smaller, KelTec PF-9, 9mm_____

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Did you read his post?

He stated that she had already shot 9mm and didn't like it. Not to mention that it was in a heavier pistol than what you are recommending. Second, I wouldn't be recommending the PF-9 until they can get the bugs worked out. The Bersa and Makarov will both work and stay working out of the box. That can't be said for the PF-9 at this point in time.

Either will work, but get the Bersa. It's a smooth gun compared to the Makarov.

Bersa, definitely. Get the gun she likes.

AresXD40, I just looked at your wife's shyness in regard to the 9mm. I am guessing, in your shoes, I would buy lighter 9mm loads such as 115gr Win White Box and have the wife shoot them until she is used to the recoil. The reason I say this is that 380 and 9x18 pistols, with fixed barrels, are snappier than 9mms. Regards, Richard

AresXD40, I just looked at your wife's shyness in regard to the 9mm. I am guessing, in your shoes, I would buy lighter 9mm loads such as 115gr Win White Box and have the wife shoot them until she is used to the recoil. The reason I say this is that 380 and 9x18 pistols, with fixed barrels, are snappier than 9mms. Regards, Richard

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Richard, that's a good suggestion, since she only fired a limited number of pistols. She may have liked the Bersa because of it's small grip.

IMO the Makarov is every bit as punishing to fire as any 9mm I have ever shot.

Did you read his post?

He stated that she had already shot 9mm and didn't like it. Not to mention that it was in a heavier pistol than what you are recommending. Second, I wouldn't be recommending the PF-9 until they can get the bugs worked out. The Bersa and Makarov will both work and stay working out of the box. That can't be said for the PF-9 at this point in time.

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steelhead, yes, I read the post.

Did you read the poll and notice that there is a third vote for "OTHER?

My opine is it is hard to beat a Kahr E/K9. You have to put 200 rounds through them and then they become completely reliable. Why don't I carry one instead of my Bersa Thunder 45? Simply, the Kahrs cost too much for car/truck/carry and my Kahrs are too pretty. Regards, Richard

My E9 with Novak night sights, carry bevel, 30 lpi checkering on the front strap, and hard chrome by Ford's Guns:


My K40 with the same treatment except it is stainless not hard chromed:

I love Maks, but the Bersa is a well made, dependable gun that beats the Mak on ergos.