I gotta snicker when I read that the Bersa .380 is too big. I think it's too dinky for anything but deep holdout concealment, and I certainly wouldn't buy anything smaller. It seems silly to me to design and build a tiny gun for concealment, and then add an extension to the magazine so you can hold onto it and shoot it. I have to say, though, that the little Bersa has about the best double action pull I've tried.
bersa .380, what do you think?
- Thread starter peteyru
- Start date
- Status
Walt Sherrill
Member
The comment wasn't that it was too big, but that it was too big for the calibre. You can find 9mm guns that are the same size or smaller. Why carry a .380 when you can carry a 9mm? (The Kel-Tec P11 immediately comes to mind, and its comparably priced.) The Kel-Tec P3AT doesn't require a mag extension.
Neither of those gun will be as comfortable to shoot.
The Kahr P9 is probably as comfortable and maybe smaller and lighter, but it is also far more expensive. (I've owned the P11, have a P3At and a P9, and have shot the Bersa. The P9 and the Bersa are the most fun to shoot.)
Neither of those gun will be as comfortable to shoot.
The Kahr P9 is probably as comfortable and maybe smaller and lighter, but it is also far more expensive. (I've owned the P11, have a P3At and a P9, and have shot the Bersa. The P9 and the Bersa are the most fun to shoot.)
Cortland
Member
My Kahr E9 in 9mm is exactly the same size as my Bersa in .380. The Bersa is fun to shoot and I carry it regularly, but there are better choices out there (most costing at least three times as much, of course). If money is a major consideration by all means go for the Bersa. I have one in .380 and one in .22 -- they're great guns.
Ala Dan
Member in memoriam
Greeting's All-
I think you will find many rave reviews of the Bersa DT "Thunder" .380
And guess what, I'm in agreement that its a fine inexpensive firearm.
The Kel-Tec camp seems to be divided into two separate divisions; those
who LUV 'em, and those who HATE 'em! I'm still undecided; but I most
likely will never own one, as I have other CCW weapons.
I think you will find many rave reviews of the Bersa DT "Thunder" .380
And guess what, I'm in agreement that its a fine inexpensive firearm.
The Kel-Tec camp seems to be divided into two separate divisions; those
who LUV 'em, and those who HATE 'em! I'm still undecided; but I most
likely will never own one, as I have other CCW weapons.
Pros:
nice trigger in both DA and SA
inexpensive
reliable
decent accuracy (mine shot low, though)
Cons:
expensive mags
single stack, low capacity
a lot of 9mm pistols are same size or smaller
some sharp edges and corners (but not too bad)
ammo is both weaker and more expensive than 9mm
All in all it's a good pistol. For a .380
nice trigger in both DA and SA
inexpensive
reliable
decent accuracy (mine shot low, though)
Cons:
expensive mags
single stack, low capacity
a lot of 9mm pistols are same size or smaller
some sharp edges and corners (but not too bad)
ammo is both weaker and more expensive than 9mm
All in all it's a good pistol. For a .380
B
Boss Spearman
Guest
My primary ccw is a Bersa .380. I like it quite a bit.
SouthpawShootr
Member
Be careful here. Those are ProMags. Not the best name in the business. They seem to swing one way or the other. Their polymer Glock magazines were widely touted as being garbage. Yet I have 4 Sig 228 ProMags that work 100% in my Sig 229 9mm. As long as you've proven to yourself that they're reliable, then I guess you're ok. The factory mags are a bit more expensive from CDNN at $27. Now the kicker. You'd better look around the website and put together a sizeable order. You lose bigtime on shipping (flat rate of $10 per order).
FWIW, I don't consider paying 10-20% of the price of the gun for magazines to be outrageous. But I expect factory mags to work when I spend the money on them. Many of us have been spoiled by Glock magazines.
Tacoma
Member
Timely thread. I just stopped into my local shop today to visit a gun I have on hold there when I spied a freshly traded & mint DA Bersa 383-A in Satin nickle w wood grips. It felt good in the hand , had a crisp trigger and as mentioned, was mint. Price was $135 and just too low to pass considering my curiosity about this whole 380 thing. Since this was my first 380 ever, I was eager to compare it to my usuall 38 /9mm/45semi carry guns so ran it right to the range. Impressions after fireing a box of 95 gr ball.
As mentioned, the gun is a bit oversized and weight (approx 23 oz)for the caliber. I'm not sure I would consider/select it over a S&W mod 60. However, the extra size and weight helped absorb the snappy and surprising recoil . (The recoil wasn't harsh, just surprising for this tiny cartridge. Felt snappier than my 9mm S&W 3913 ) Also, I have to say that everything seems nicely made and finished. ( Better than some other "name" brands I've owned.)
My only gripe/ failure is that the mag fell loose a few times during my range session. I have a suspicion that the release wasn't seated properly and was triggered by recoil. Time (and a good cleaning) will tell. ( Anybody else run into this?)Otherwise, function was flawless.
Lastly, this little gun shot POA and was able to keep most of it shots in the white on a full sized silhouette @ 30'. Pretty accurate in my book.
In the end. I'm happy I bought it (at that price) but not sure I'd choose it as my primary CCW due to weight vs power. Still a snubby guy I guess but admit it's allot of bang for a short buck.
p.s. Any 383 owners got any tips on this gun, I'm all ears!
As mentioned, the gun is a bit oversized and weight (approx 23 oz)for the caliber. I'm not sure I would consider/select it over a S&W mod 60. However, the extra size and weight helped absorb the snappy and surprising recoil . (The recoil wasn't harsh, just surprising for this tiny cartridge. Felt snappier than my 9mm S&W 3913 ) Also, I have to say that everything seems nicely made and finished. ( Better than some other "name" brands I've owned.)
My only gripe/ failure is that the mag fell loose a few times during my range session. I have a suspicion that the release wasn't seated properly and was triggered by recoil. Time (and a good cleaning) will tell. ( Anybody else run into this?)Otherwise, function was flawless.
Lastly, this little gun shot POA and was able to keep most of it shots in the white on a full sized silhouette @ 30'. Pretty accurate in my book.
In the end. I'm happy I bought it (at that price) but not sure I'd choose it as my primary CCW due to weight vs power. Still a snubby guy I guess but admit it's allot of bang for a short buck.
p.s. Any 383 owners got any tips on this gun, I'm all ears!
Last edited:
SouthpawShootr
Member
I don't want one and I doubt I would have passed on one at that price.
RoyG
Member
$135!!! 
I guess I would have had another Bersa in my gun safe...
I guess I would have had another Bersa in my gun safe...
I personally think it is a good choice. It is priced right, it is very reliable, it is very accurate, it has good sights (better than a Makarov), lots of safety features (don't have to use them but they are there if you do want them or need them as a selling point to the spouse), and I think they look nice.
Size to me is not an issue in this case. It is very easy to conceal. There are 9mm's in that size range as well...but good one's that have outstanding reputations for out of the box reliability are not (if your willing to spend twice as much money..then size/caliber can be an issue). Out of the box reliability in this price range trumps size/caliber in my humble opinion. Recoil is subjective...I find the recoil very mild and subjectively feel (for whatever reason) that the recoil of 9mm's that I have in that size range to be more pronounced...but that is just me.
380 caliber...I am comfortable with it. (In fact I carry a Beretta Tomcat Inox in 32 quite a bit.) Not as comfortable as I am with something larger but having a RELIABLE gun that you can shoot ACCURATELY with you is what I feel are the most critical factors. Ballistic tables and data do not account for the human factor. No one likes to bleed, no one likes to get hurt, etc....the need for self preservation (even in bad guys) is a powerful force. Their are always stories of the drugged up can't be dropped bad guy..but those are highly unsual cases...and you are still better off than having nothing.
Just my simple view.
Size to me is not an issue in this case. It is very easy to conceal. There are 9mm's in that size range as well...but good one's that have outstanding reputations for out of the box reliability are not (if your willing to spend twice as much money..then size/caliber can be an issue). Out of the box reliability in this price range trumps size/caliber in my humble opinion. Recoil is subjective...I find the recoil very mild and subjectively feel (for whatever reason) that the recoil of 9mm's that I have in that size range to be more pronounced...but that is just me.
380 caliber...I am comfortable with it. (In fact I carry a Beretta Tomcat Inox in 32 quite a bit.) Not as comfortable as I am with something larger but having a RELIABLE gun that you can shoot ACCURATELY with you is what I feel are the most critical factors. Ballistic tables and data do not account for the human factor. No one likes to bleed, no one likes to get hurt, etc....the need for self preservation (even in bad guys) is a powerful force. Their are always stories of the drugged up can't be dropped bad guy..but those are highly unsual cases...and you are still better off than having nothing.
Just my simple view.
I know what was meant, Walt, and I certainly didn't mean to pick on anyone in particular (other posters made the same point as did you), so please forgive. Just expressing my opinion that the Bersa Thunder .380 is too small, even for a .22 LR. Why carry a .380 when you can carry a 9mm? Indeed, I agree, and wouldn't likely carry a .380 of any size. But I wouldn't want a gun as small as the Bersa, even if it were in 9mm. Since I wanted to give the (hopefully helpful) opinion that the Bersa trigger is nice, I felt that, in order to be honest and not give a false impression of endorsement, I wanted to also include that I think it is too small a gun. I wasn't trying to poke at anyone at all, but just trying to be completely honest. I understand, though, that others feel, for their own various reasons, that they need pocket guns now and then. For myself, I can't imagine a scenario wherein I might need a pistol, and not want it to be a full size pistol. My small pistol is a 4" 1911 variant, which I carry IWB.Walt Sherrill said:
DougB
Member
It's interesting that several have commented that the Bersas are large for .380s. I think they are typical for .380s, and lighter than many. Of course, they are large compared to the ultra-small Kel-Tec, or the slightly larger NAA .380s, but these new guns are extremely small for their caliber. If we compare the Bersas with more typical or "classic" .380s, I think they are about the same. For example, the Walther PP, PPK, PPK/s, the Sig 232, the Beretta and Browning .380s, the Mauser HSc, etc. I can't think of any .380 that existed 5 years ago that is significantly smaller and ligher than these Bersas (maybe the small Colt?). Some of the double-stack and all steel guns are significantly larger and heavier.
Also, I don't think there are many 9mm pistols that are really as small as a Bersa .380. The Kahrs are probably the closest, and the Kel-Tec 9mm is lighter, but I think even these are thicker and just feel a bit "blocky" compared to the streamlined Bersa. The Rohrbaugh would be a significant exception - but they are very hard to find and cost...what...$900?
And all these other pistols (the ultra compact .380s that are smaller, and the 9mms that are close to the same size) are double-action-only. They don't offer the single action capability of the Bersa.
Maybe we do need to adjust our thinking regarding what is a "normal" size for a caliber, but these criticizms of the Bersa apply equally to about 95% of .380 pistols produced in the last 70 years. Kind of like saying the Honda Civic is oversized because Mini Coopers are smaller.
As you can probably guess, I own and like my nickel Bersa .380. I have a lot of other guns - most more expensive and more powerful, but I do like the look, feel, reliability, and value of the Bersa.
Doug
Also, I don't think there are many 9mm pistols that are really as small as a Bersa .380. The Kahrs are probably the closest, and the Kel-Tec 9mm is lighter, but I think even these are thicker and just feel a bit "blocky" compared to the streamlined Bersa. The Rohrbaugh would be a significant exception - but they are very hard to find and cost...what...$900?
And all these other pistols (the ultra compact .380s that are smaller, and the 9mms that are close to the same size) are double-action-only. They don't offer the single action capability of the Bersa.
Maybe we do need to adjust our thinking regarding what is a "normal" size for a caliber, but these criticizms of the Bersa apply equally to about 95% of .380 pistols produced in the last 70 years. Kind of like saying the Honda Civic is oversized because Mini Coopers are smaller.
As you can probably guess, I own and like my nickel Bersa .380. I have a lot of other guns - most more expensive and more powerful, but I do like the look, feel, reliability, and value of the Bersa.
Doug
I realy liked the Bersa .380. It did everything I wanted(accurate, reliable, etc) and I was saving my $ to buy one. Then I handled a CZ-83. The Bersa's and Mak's just didn't compare in fit and finish. The -83 was more expensive
($285.00 otd at the time IIRC) but was well worth it. My satin nickel -83 goes to the range with me every time.1000's of rounds without a problem.
It's too big for a .380 but it's size and weight make it very comfortable to shoot. You won't be disappointed with a Bersa or Mak. They are an excellent value. I just like my CZ-83 better. YMMV. Good luck.
($285.00 otd at the time IIRC) but was well worth it. My satin nickel -83 goes to the range with me every time.1000's of rounds without a problem.
It's too big for a .380 but it's size and weight make it very comfortable to shoot. You won't be disappointed with a Bersa or Mak. They are an excellent value. I just like my CZ-83 better. YMMV. Good luck.
unspellable
Member
Other 380's
I have a Colt Mustang in 380 that is significantly smaller than the Bersa in all directions. I have a 9 mm that's smaller than a Bersa. The later is admittedly blocky feeling in the hand, but it's in a category where size is the issue, not handling. If handling is an issue then I go ofr a full sized service pistol.
As for the comment, "I can't imagine a scenario wherein I might need a pistol, and not want it to be a full size pistol." I agree whole heartedly, the rub is that you can't always have a full sized pistol. A 32 or a 380 is better than no pistol.
However, granted a full sized service pistol, I wouldn't go with any cartridge less than the 9 mm. So if I'm thinking 380 or 32, it has to have a small size as the trade off for less horsepower. (25 or 22 goes too far in that direction, I stop at the 32 ACP as the smallest cartridge I would consider.)
I have a Colt Mustang in 380 that is significantly smaller than the Bersa in all directions. I have a 9 mm that's smaller than a Bersa. The later is admittedly blocky feeling in the hand, but it's in a category where size is the issue, not handling. If handling is an issue then I go ofr a full sized service pistol.
As for the comment, "I can't imagine a scenario wherein I might need a pistol, and not want it to be a full size pistol." I agree whole heartedly, the rub is that you can't always have a full sized pistol. A 32 or a 380 is better than no pistol.
However, granted a full sized service pistol, I wouldn't go with any cartridge less than the 9 mm. So if I'm thinking 380 or 32, it has to have a small size as the trade off for less horsepower. (25 or 22 goes too far in that direction, I stop at the 32 ACP as the smallest cartridge I would consider.)
Au contraire. I can and do always have a full size pistol, except where law prohibits me from having a pistol at all, of course. Everytime I walk out the door, I have one of my 1911's strapped on, even to take out the garbage, even to mow the lawn. The only thing I have considered buying a tiny gun for is jogging, but I haven't been able to get myself to pull the trig on that yet, so to speak. Good thing I'm not jogging these days, I guess.
Everytime I walk out the door, I have one of my 1911's strapped on, even to take out the garbage, even to mow the lawn. The only thing I have considered buying a tiny gun for is jogging, but I haven't been able to get myself to pull the trig on that yet, so to speak. Good thing I'm not jogging these days, I guess. Lobotomy Boy
Member
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2004
- Messages
- 2,449
The Bersa is one of the best all-around .380s on the market. The fact that it happens to be one of the cheapest is just gravy.
Mine has been 100 percent trouble free. I've probably run 2500-3000 rounds through it without a single malfunction. The Bersa has been as reliable as my Glock 21, though I have shot more rounds through the Glock, so the comparison's not fair. I've had the most failures to feed and failures to extract with my CZ75B, but that is because I shoot that gun more than all my other handguns combined. have to admit that the Bersa does spend more time in the safe than my other handguns, but when I do take it out I enjoy the heck out of it. I considered trading it for a 9mm Kel Tec last winter, but took the Bersa shooting and remembered how much I enjoy shooting it. I don't think I'll be selling mine any time soon.
I like mine for winter carry--the trigger guard has more room for a gloved finger than my usual carry gun, a Taurus 605C.
Mine has been 100 percent trouble free. I've probably run 2500-3000 rounds through it without a single malfunction. The Bersa has been as reliable as my Glock 21, though I have shot more rounds through the Glock, so the comparison's not fair. I've had the most failures to feed and failures to extract with my CZ75B, but that is because I shoot that gun more than all my other handguns combined. have to admit that the Bersa does spend more time in the safe than my other handguns, but when I do take it out I enjoy the heck out of it. I considered trading it for a 9mm Kel Tec last winter, but took the Bersa shooting and remembered how much I enjoy shooting it. I don't think I'll be selling mine any time soon.
I like mine for winter carry--the trigger guard has more room for a gloved finger than my usual carry gun, a Taurus 605C.
MICHAEL T
Member
Nice for the money
visit at bersatalk.com
visit at bersatalk.com
- Status