Bersa // Firestorm Questions

[Waitone]

My daughter just purchased a Firestorm .380 for personal protection.

Two Questions:
1--What self-defense ammo works well.
2--Who makes holsters

Any help is appreciated.

 

[nvrquit]

Bersa/Firestorm, Ammo, Holsters...

Hmmm, lets' see. I've got a Bersa Thunder380 Deluxe 2-tone and following about 200 rounds break-in, it digests everyhing reliably, with the exception of Winchester Silvertips(strange how my Bersa model 85 .380ACP had the same quirk). Winchester SXT, Federal Hydra-Shoks, PMC Starfire(yeck!), Remington Golden Sabre, CorBon, Triton, Glaser, MagSafe.... they all function okay. I use either CorBon, Hydra-shok or Win SXT. For practice, anything that's on sale seems to work just fine(but I don't use Wolf anyhing in my pistols).

On holsters.... Forbus makes a paddle, the Bianchi model 100 #19230 fits my Thunder380 very well. It would seem that any holster that fits the Beretta 85/84 series pistols(late model F/FS with the squared trigger guard) works okay on the Bersa Thunder380 series. The Firestorm .380 however, appears to be based on the Bersa 95 series frames, which has the rounded trigger guard. That being the case, any holster that works for the PPK type pistols should be okay for the Firestorm .380 series. Lots to chose from with many excellent manufacturers. The limiting factor is, as usual with holster, body type, personal comfort and taste.

Any other women CCW/shooters with a PPK or Firestorm that can offer a few suggestions? Tamara, Mastrogiacomo...?

 

[tbeb]

.380 self defense ammunition:

1. Federal Hydra-Shok 90 gr. JHP.
2. Federal Hi-Shok 90 gr. JHP,
3. Corbon 90 gr. JHP+P (only if pistol is rated for higher pressure
ammo)

These are all pretty close. If forced to choose then I would pick the Federal Hydra-Shok. Whatever you decide on, it must be 100% reliable. (Personally, I will only carry ammunition which I've fired at least 200 times without a malfunction.)

 

[George Hill]

Holsters?
http://www.madogre.com/Interviews/holsters.htm

 

[Spot77]

Since we're on the BERSA subject, I need help with a magazine. I bought what was advertised as a Promag 10 shot mag for the Bersa Thunder 380-T. Well it doesn't fit my BERSA Thunder 380 Duotone.....so what in the world does it fit, and does anybody know where to get 9 or 10 round mags for the BERSA Thunder 380?

And I agree; the BERSA will fire everything. I have about 900 rounds through mine (Winclean, Federal redbox, PMC), and not a single problem.

Well ok, the grip screw started coming loose a bit......

 

[nvrquit]

OH NO, Not a ProMag!

Spot77,

I've tried ProMag products for multiple pistols and the results are not encouraging. Very few of the mags tried has worked with anything that can be referred to as "trouble-free".

On the issue of what it might fit, the best is to call ProMag and get the answer straight from the horse's mouth.

As to the 9/10 round mag subject, get a Bersa .380Deluxe mag. These are 9-rounders(Bersa factory mag) and do so by having a plastic extension that allows the loading of the additional rounds.
Here's a link to the Bersa/Llama USA importer's(Eagle Imports) web site:

http://www.bersa-llama.com/cat_thunder380.html

The larger shows in my area usually have two or three vendors that carry the Bersa factory mags.

 

[makdaddy03]

Mine likes the Remington Golden Sabres 102gr JHP.

 

[Spot77]

Nvrquit:

Thanks...I was really disapointed that it didn't work. I was hoping to pick up some extra mags at the Frederick (MD) gunshow a few weeks ago, but every time I asked a vendor about it, they looked at me like I had three heads.

Thanks for the link!

 

[chaim]

Spot,

I can't help you with the extended capacity mags but if you also need some spare factory mags you can get the standard mags from Contenental Arms up in Timonium. If I remember they weren't particularly cheap for single stack 7 round mags but they are good factory mags (they were somewhere in the upper $20 range if I remember correctly). I think you can get them cheaper online too, but factory Bersa mags seem to take some looking unfortunately.

 

[chaim]

Waitone,

I really like Speer Gold Dot. Seems to be the standard now for JHP bullets so why not use those they load themselves instead of another company. I have either switched or am switching to those for all my defensive ammo in all calibers (well, in .45acp and .357mag I do occasionally use Winchester White Box for cost or .45acp Winchester Silvertips because they feed best in my 1911).

Can't help much with assessories, but if you look I do think they are out there (I've seen them, but living in MD with no realistic CCW available I haven't bothered with more than a cheap Uncle Mike's holster).