Bersa .380 slamming

[willyjixx]

i have a bersa series 95.

it likes to slam shut after i drop the mag. the slide stop doesnt seem to do its job that well and hold it open. has anyone else had this problem? the slide stop does look a little peaned and i am wondering if this is an individual gun defect or a common one.

 

[Norton]

I have a brand new Bersa that, as of now, is 100% with regards to the slide lock. Very positive contact holding back the slide.

On the other hand, Spot77 and I were examining his Bersa just the other day and noted that his was having the exact same issue. With just the lightest of touches on the slide stop, it slammed home.

Curious, do you use the slide stop to release the slide or are you a "rack the slide" sort of guy?

 

[otomik]

I use the slide stop, I've had mine for about 2+ years and many rounds (5k-10k maybe), I have the same problem, actually worse since it doesn't always lock back, maybe mag springs are the issue. Crappy MIMed parts or something, who knows. It was a nice starter/trainer gun but I'm thinking of retiring it for a Beretta 87, it's just a higher quality piece. Maybe I'm totally overreacting but I also got this annoying problem of the 9th or 10th round nosediving in the mag and not feeding so I'm thinking about how much they charged me for these mags that don't work very well.

 

[Heavy Barrel]

i have a bersa series 95.

it likes to slam shut after i drop the mag. the slide stop doesnt seem to do its job that well and hold it open. has anyone else had this problem? the slide stop does look a little peaned and i am wondering if this is an individual gun defect or a common one.

If you would have bought a Ruger you wouldn't have that problem!

 

[willyjixx]

Curious, do you use the slide stop to release the slide or are you a "rack the slide" sort of guy?

i was a slide stop guy but now ive changed that habit to a rack the slide.
guess the damage has been done.

If you would have bought a Ruger you wouldn't have that problem!

either you remember me or you dont know me.
i wont ever buy another ruger product. there are a lot better products out there for an equal cost. on top of that i dont know of too many ruger products that are slim and compact in a .380

the bersa was the 2nd pistol i ever bought about 8 years ago.

 

[Steve C]

I have the same problem, actually worse since it doesn't always lock back, maybe mag springs are the issue.

This is most likely your problem. It could also be a worn magazine follower. Try this, with the empty magazine inserted does it lock back solidly when you manually retract the slide. When you manually retract the slide even a weak spring will usually push the slide stop fully into its notch.

You can remove the springs and stretch them back out a bit but that's only a short term fix. The best option would be to replace the magazine springs. You could try Wolf gunsprings at http://www.gunsprings.com to see if they have a suitable replacement.

 

[Heavy Barrel]

either you remember me or you dont know me.
i wont ever buy another ruger product. there are a lot better products out there for an equal cost. on top of that i dont know of too many ruger products that are slim and compact in a .380

To each his own,there is a lot of saddness in this world.As far as the 380,what is it really good for?

 

[MICHAEL T]

Heavy Barrel

A what good are ugly Rugers I happen to like 380 and My Mustang PPK/s and Bersa have served my well. Only Ruger I think worth owning is MKII or III So their you don't like Bersa or 380 and I don't like Ruger Guess were even

 

[willyjixx]

To each his own,there is a lot of saddness in this world.As far as the 380,what is it really good for?

a gun is better then no gun.
althoug i can see your point. when you run out of ammo you can club them with the bulky ruger.

if your point was to state that my little bersa was a wimpy POS then your post will be read and forgetten in 3...2...1....


since this was a carry gun i have several factory mags for it. it locks and holds fine with any of the mags. it only slams off the catch when it is without a magazine in the weapon or a loaded mag is in the weapon. looking on the bersa/llama site i might see about ordering a new slide stop and rack it instead of thumb it.
mainly just wanted to know how common this was.
if i recall doesnt the walther PPKS not even use a slide stop?

thanks for the responses.

 

[Mad Chemist]

Heavy Barrel, I've had a few Rugers. SP101 was great, P94 was big and clunky, so what, who cares? The question was about a Bersa .380.

Willyjixx, I used to have a Bersa Thunder .380 which I had bought new. The slide stop would always release if I "slammed" the mag in too hard. It never misfed or malfunctioned from this and it didn't really bother me. Has this condition ever led to a FTF with your pistol?

JH

 

[willyjixx]

no.

i did have some problems with the slide not locking into battery all the way but i have fixed that.

when i did a strip down and spring replacement i put the disconnector spring in wrong and it created some problems. once i got it in right it ran great.

other then the slide lock i have no problems with the gun short of never having enough ammo.

 

[Heavy Barrel]

a gun is better then no gun.
althoug i can see your point. when you run out of ammo you can club them with the bulky ruger.

if your point was to state that my little bersa was a wimpy POS then your post will be read and forgetten in 3...2...1....


looking on the bersa/llama site i might see about ordering a new slide stop and rack it instead of thumb it.
.

You get what you pay for!


Like I said,to each his own!
And yes,you can club them to death with either of these.

 

[usp9]

I use the slide stop, I've had mine for about 2+ years and many rounds (5k-10k maybe), I have the same problem, actually worse since it doesn't always lock back, maybe mag springs are the issue. Crappy MIMed parts or something, who knows. It was a nice starter/trainer gun but I'm thinking of retiring it for a Beretta 87, it's just a higher quality piece. Maybe I'm totally overreacting but I also got this annoying problem of the 9th or 10th round nosediving in the mag and not feeding so I'm thinking about how much they charged me for these mags that don't work very well.

OTOMIK, Perhaps you meant the Beretta 84/85 instead of model 87, which is a .22. The model 84 is the hi-cap .380, while the 85 is a single stack .380 much closer in size to the Bersa.

I use both a Bersa and a Beretta 84. There is NO comparrison between the two. The Bersa is a good but cheaply made gun with parts that wear and break faster than would a quality gun. The Beretta is one of the best made guns I've ever owned. I shoot many times more rounds out of the Beretta than I do the Bersa, and the Bersa shows a disconcerting amount of wear on moving parts, while the Beretta shows virtually none. The Beretta never fails to operate, the Bersa has. Those annoying grip screws on the Bersa that won't stay in drive me crazy.:banghead: I understand this is a common problem too.

Yes, the Beretta costs twice as much, but as far as I can tell is worth every penny.

 

[otomik]

No I have the .22LR Bersa and I'm thinking of the .22LR Beretta 87, I don't put much faith in .380, so I'd rather have something I can practice a lot with, the 87T also seems to be a good target pistol if I wanted one of those later.

just look at that model 87, round trigger gaurd, blued finished, wood grips (just like my 92SB Compact ).
http://products.berettausa.com/images/immagini_maxi/87_Cheetah_S_maxi.jpg
apparently it's also a good gun to thread for a silencer.

Now if I needed a .380 I'd probably go for the Beretta 84 or 85, maybe even the SIG P232, it would depend on my preferences. I can't really CCW a very small gun because ohio's "in plain sight" would make that difficult.