Fill me in on the Bersa .380's

I have one and it's a rock solid performer and you can't beat the price. The only drawback on the .380 is the ammo is higher priced than my 9mm.

I owned a Bersa Thunder .380 from 02-03, loved it. Had to sell it to make rent, and went without one until now, the new one should be arriving in a week or so.

They are excellent little guns, I never had an issue with it, nor have I heard any negative comments on them.

The high cap version (Thunder 380 Plus) seems to be the identical gun with a longer handgrip, and the CC version has a shorter magazine and a wraparound rubber grip.

I fed many many rounds through my old one, from cheap ammo to high priced HP's.. Never had a single FTF, FTE, or misfire.

Bersa Thunder .380 good at a decent price. Go to the Bersa Web Site and look at the Tech Talk posts and Bersa .380 posts.

www.bersatalk.com

Would the concealed carry version be usable for pocket carry, or is it too big?

Q

Bersas are good pistols. I like the "concealed carry" model with the melted edges and shaved sights.

I love my russian makarov and it always loved that cheap russian steel cased ammo in FMJ and hollowpoints. It's always been ultra reliable with any ammo. Bummer yours isn't the same.

I had a .380 Bersa Thunder for a couple of years. Great little gun for the money. Not so sure I'd carry it. I'd say it jammed at least once every time I went to the range. I kept it perfectly clean used quality ammo. It did Not like Gold Dot by the way. I sold it to a friend for a hundred bucks, who in turn sold it to my dad for a hundred bucks funny story. anyway They are great fun at the range. Just not so sure I'd put my life on it.

i had a bersa, it wasnt my thing but theres nothing wrong with them, i just didnt like the fact it had like 900000000 safety features that were more a nuisance than useful and i personally found the trigger guard too small and uncomfortable when shooting, i traded it for an sks to my dad and he likes it ill tell you one thing, they are a lot more expensive than they were about a year ago

You need to know that the frame is aluminum. If that's ok with you then at least you know before spending your money.

I have owned 2 for about 8 years now, and they serve as back up to my Glocks. Wonderful pistols, accurate, totally reliable, and easy to carry. I had my Glock 26 broken by a "Glock Armorer" while out of town, disabling the pistol. Glad I had a Bersa Thunder .380. It became my primary CHL pistol for the rest of the trip. I always have one close when at home or in my truck.

The Thunder Plus(15 + 1) has a double row mag and fits my average-sized hand better than the standard Thunder. Both very reliable. The CC is too heavy for pocket use and probably too big. Get a Kel-Tec 380 for pockets.
These are nice size for IWB carry and bersa.com will have much talk about holsters. Warranty service is fast and good. Most people like these guns very well. Go to the site and see what users think.
I really prefer the Plus version and would recommend the all black as you can touch up marks easily.

I bought one. It fires well, and it's plenty accurate. Gave it to my wife when I bought my Sigma.

My wife sometimes has failure to feed incidents, but that is because she has been battling lupus for more than twenty years and her grip isn't solid, and that absorbs some of the energy needed to fully actuate the slide. She has the same probelm with any auto loader. My next handgun purchase will probably be a .38 special for her. Of course she's also looking for a good .22 magnum.

Neither me, nor my son, have any problems with the Bersa, and we've put plenty of ammo through it. It took about a hundred and fifty rounds to break in, but it's rock solid now, and I've heard nothing but good things about their customer service if we ever have a problem with it.

Only complaint I have about my Bersa T380 is the magazines cost too much and are hard to find. It would be sweet if there was an affordable aftermarket option for them, I like to have lots of magazines for my plinking excursions.

Only complaint I have about my Bersa T380 is the magazines cost too much and are hard to find.


That’s the only reason I don’t have one… yet.

You need to know that the frame is aluminum. If that's ok with you then at least you know before spending your money.

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What is wrong with an alloy frame??

Bersa's frame are made of Ergal the same alloy of the Beretta M9 service pistol.

The Bersa Thunder 9 full size is the service pistol of the Argentina Armed Forces, Argentina Federal Police and several other police forces.

It's a service grade pistol, extremely durable and reliable.

One of the best if you want a 380

I only got a Bersa Thunder 380 because they don't allow Kel-Tec P-11 9mm's here in California...which is by far the best gun for under $300 in my opinion. I would take one of those over any other mini-9 I can think of as well....for any price.

But anyway...the Thunder 380 is one of the best 380's for any price as well. Just there is no reason for a 380...u can find a way to make a 9mm fit no matter what you are wearing.

If you have to have a 380 the Bersa is a way better option than the micro-pistols. It's hard enough to have expanding hollow-points work well with a 3.5 inch barrel let alone 2.6 inches or smaller.

My second time to the range with the Bersa 380.....rounds 150-350...I was already putting a whole magazine rapid fire into less than an inch at 10 yards......try that with any P-3AT or LCP. If you are accomplished with a service pistol it can transfer over much more so with the Bersa or similar-sized 380 than the tiny ones.

The only reason I bought it in the end was because I saw the recoil control on videos and read many reports of its accuracy....sub-par defense round or not - 8 or 9 of them placed on a vital part of the human anatomy in less than 2 seconds is game over.

If you get one you should bevel the magwell....very quick and easy. With more money or living in a different state I still would of went with a different handgun though.

If you want extra mags go here:

http://www.bersafirearmsusa.com/detail_bersa380.php

They're a little pricey. I paid around $65.00 ($26.95 ea.) for 2 with shipping.

They are in stock and you'll get them in a couple of days.

My favorite .380. It is one of the best kept secrets in the gun industry. There is nothing better that you could get for $250. There are prettier .380s (beretta, sig...), but nothing performs better than a Bersa. Some perform as well, but none better. It is reliable, accurate, compact and nice looking. I don't like the two-tone version, but the black or the silver versions are both very nice looking.

Good little gun for the price. Fairly accurate. Both my wife and I used them to qualify for CC. Comfortable to hold. Conceals easily.
I shaved the end down on one mag to improve concealability. (bought a cheap aftermarket mag just to get the plastic end to modify)
DON'T USE NON BERSA MAGS
Have no trouble finding mags. But they are a bit pricey.
They are very light weight so even being a .380 they will snap a bit in your hand. My Glock 19 has less felt recoil IMO.

Another good place to find mags is http://www.condorsflight.com When I ordered, it said there was a 2-3 week wait, but I actually received with 3 days. I love my Firestorm 380 (identical to Thunder 380 except grip - so I'm told).

If you want extra mags go here:

http://www.bersafirearmsusa.com/detail_bersa380.php

They're a little pricey. I paid around $65.00 ($26.95 ea.) for 2 with shipping.

They are in stock and you'll get them in a couple of days.

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That's what I mean, too expensive! My whole dang pistol was only $225 brand new!

They're excellent. Only reason I dont have mine anymore is I gave it to a friend after her pistol was taken in a burglary. I want another.