Bersa Thunder .32........

[KevininPa]

.........or rather, the reason they're not around. Sent an inquiry to Bersa, USA as to why they didn't sell the Thunder .32. I even pointed out that many companies were now gearing some production to lighter recoilling pistols for people who can't handle harsher calibers and such. Here is the response:

Re: New Contact Form Submission
Rafael Del Valle
ToCustomer ServiceKevin
7:08 PM

Hi Kevin,
Thanks for your email about the Thunder 32acp.
We actually have made another run of the 32 caliber Thunder and we made 500 pieces. I quickly sold about 150 of them and the other 350 took so long to sell that we ended up selling quite a few at cost or at a loss. I wish we had more people wanting to buy them, but it just seems that they are not moving in the numbers that we would need to consider doing another short run of them.
Best,
Rafael

Rafael Del Valle
Director of US Sales & Marketing
BERSA
803-479-9000 (mobile)

So there's the story.

 

[chicharrones]

And the long drawn out demise of .32 ACP in the USA continues to be proven. Sad, but understandable.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Very refreshing honesty from a corporate suit. Kudos to Bersa for that.

 

[lincen]

Took several years but found these three 32acp’s. CZ83, Bersa Firestorm, and a Beretta 81FS. Found the Bersa at a pawn shop for $200. I prefer the look of the 380 magazine over the 32 mag.

 

[Howland937]

Very refreshing honesty from a corporate suit. Kudos to Bersa for that.

No kidding.

I liked .32 ACP in my 1903 Pocket Hammerless enough that I kinda want another one. I'd probably like .38 ACP in a 1903 Pocket Hammer. Don't really have interest in anything newer chambered for either round.

 

[TTv2]

I won't put this squarely on it's because it's .32 ACP, it could be that people don't want a .32 in a Bersa or the size of the Bersa. Consider all the Beretta 81's that sold fast, people didn't avoid those simply cuz they were a .32, they did want a cheap Beretta tho.

Point being sometimes it comes down to brand loyalty. Beretta is still making their awful 3032 Tomcat and people are still buying them cuz... Beretta.

If Glock, Smith, Ruger, and Sig got on board with making .32 pistols you might see a popularity boost in .32 simply because of brand fanboys.

 

[KevininPa]

I'm kind of fond of that CZ83 above. After I take care of a few more "need this's", that will be the next seach. For now my Zastava M70 has to scratch my .32 acp itch.

 

[chicharrones]

I won't put this squarely on it's because it's .32 ACP, it could be that people don't want a .32 in a Bersa or the size of the Bersa. Consider all the Beretta 81's that sold fast, people didn't avoid those simply cuz they were a .32, they did want a cheap Beretta tho.

Point being sometimes it comes down to brand loyalty. Beretta is still making their awful 3032 Tomcat and people are still buying them cuz... Beretta.

If Glock, Smith, Ruger, and Sig got on board with making .32 pistols you might see a popularity boost in .32 simply because of brand fanboys.

Sure. Compare a well marketed* run on surplus Beretta 81s made 40 years ago to new production .32 ACPs. Outside of a small selection of pocket guns, like the Tomcat and two others, no one is offering new .32 ACPs pistols in the USA because no one is buying them.

The popularity of .380 ACP pocket pistols in this country has all but killed off the .32 ACP. There’s proof in numbers on Lucky Gunner about it that I’ve posted several times at THR.

The TCP 732 production being stopped short while TCP 738 production soldiered on for many years later was evidence of that. And that was over 10 years ago.

*Thanks Classic Firearms and forum word of mouth.

 

[TTv2]

Sure. Compare a well marketed* run on surplus Beretta 81s made 40 years ago to new production .32 ACPs. Outside of a small selection of pocket guns, like the Tomcat and two others, no one is offering new .32 ACPs pistols in the USA because no one is buying them.

The popularity of .380 ACP pocket pistols in this country has all but killed off the .32 ACP. There’s proof in numbers on Lucky Gunner about it that I’ve posted several times at THR.

The TCP 732 production being stopped short while TCP 738 production soldiered on for many years later was evidence of that. And that was over 10 years ago.

*Thanks Classic Firearms and forum word of mouth.

How do we know that the reason no one is buying .32's is because so few are currently making them? Between the Beretta, Seecamp, NAA, and Kel Tec, my favorite is the Kel Tec. The other three have various issues that make them unpopular and Kel Tec is a brand that still has the stigma of being iffy on quality.

If one of the bigger, more prestigious companies with the association of quality were to make a .32 it might sell just because of the brand.

Taurus is another brand that's been given the Kel Tec treatment of being considered junk. If their .32's don't sell it doesn't surprise me as weaker calibers generally get thought of as being junk themselves so putting a junk caliber in a junk brand pistol makes for a total piece of junk to the low informstion casual gun buyer/owner.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

Maybe it's a case of there being so many surplus/C&R .32 ACP pistols on the used market that much of the small current demand for that chambering is sated?

 

[TTv2]

Maybe it's a case of there being so many surplus/C&R .32 ACP pistols on the used market that much of the small current demand for that chambering is sated?

That may be the case for stuff like the 1903 and PPK, but not so for micro pocket pistols because prior to Seecamp, who was making tiny .32s before the 70s?

Chicharrones does have a point that the larger sized .32s are dead because in a larger size pistol there's little reason to choose .32 over .380 as recoil would already be pretty low. It's the pocket .380s that in a .32 I think stand some chance to sell because recoil and size/weight are magnified the smaller the pistol gets.

Which is where there's a tremendous lack of current options and all of them are either made by a less reputable company or there are major design issues with the gun that causes people to not want to buy it.

If Ruger or Smith did a run of .32's in their current .380s then we'd find out how much the issue is that it's a problem with the caliber and not a problem of lack of decent options.

 

[Tallball]

I agree completely that 32 caliber semiautos and revolvers "should" be more popular than they are.

There is no need for someone to carry a small 38 or 380 that has too much recoil for them. Nor do they have to settle for a 22. The 32's are a nice compromise. (Also great for as a step in training new shooters.)

My 32's are ready for me when I'm too old and feeble for the larger calibers.

It's a shame that the general public seems unaware of these useful calibers, but many of them believe that Bolivia is in Europe, so...

 

[lincen]

Back when the Beretta Pico was scheduled for release the buzz was they might offer it with a 32acp barrel and magazine. Never happened. My pick would be a Sig P238 in 32acp or would that be a P232 !

 

[TTv2]

I agree completely that 32 caliber semiautos and revolvers "should" be more popular than they are.

There is no need for someone to carry a small 38 or 380 that has too much recoil for them. Nor do they have to settle for a 22. The 32's are a nice compromise. (Also great for as a step in training new shooters.)

My 32's are ready for me when I'm too old and feeble for the larger calibers.

It's a shame that the general public seems unaware of these useful calibers, but many of them believe that Bolivia is in Europe, so...

I think the mindset that has been programmed to the general public is that the only .32 available is .32 ACP at Walmart (when they still sold that ammo) and it was almost 60 cents a round. .32 S&W Long or H&R Mag was never something Walmart stocked and most gun stores never bothered to keep it on the shelf, it was and still is an online only option for factory ammo and the general public has largely decided that buying ammo online is not acceptable for them, either because they don't trust it or because the states they live in don't allow it.

Which, if it's California, it makes sense not to bother. Much like with electric cars and gas stove bans, once a large enough state bans certain cars or stoves, the industry has to kowtow to the change because they have a responsibility to make and sell cars/stoves in every state to maximize their profit potential, to not do so would be a violation of their fiduciary duty. The firearm industry I feel operates along the same lines, if .32's aren't on the California handgun roster, then that removes such a massive list of potential customers and the industry won't bother to support the caliber.

 

[usp9]

Back when the Beretta Pico was scheduled for release the buzz was they might offer it with a 32acp barrel and magazine. Never happened. My pick would be a Sig P238 in 32acp or would that be a P232 !

You know Sig did make a .32acp in the form of the P230B, though they are a bit hard to come by. It is a gorgeous and reliable little gem and because of my fondness for the Sig I could see me going for The .32acp Bersa.

 

[halfmoonclip]

You know Sig did make a .32acp in the form of the P230B, though they are a bit hard to come by. It is a gorgeous and reliable little gem and because of my fondness for the Sig I could see me going for The .32acp Bersa.

Yep; snagged one of those at a gunshow; they are an overrun for a Japanese police contract (!), and include a manual safety as well as a decock. Naturally, for Japan, the safety only works with the hammer down. Yes, this model is an absolute sweetheart, and it is more pleasant to shoot, compared to the .380 version.
Thirty-twos have become the caliber of the cognoscenti among old auto enthusiasts. Walther guys especially prefer the smaller caliber, due to milder recoil.
Yeah, .32s can have rimlock issues, and a hollowpoint might not have enough energy to penetrate and expand. But it is a great caliber to shoot, and even an easy/cheap caliber to reload...I even can feed a .32 Scorpion, which is real ball.
Yeah, I'd like to see Walther make a .32 version of the PPK, but the same problem would apply to the PP series sold here originally...Americans only wanted the larger caliber, and that issue will remain.
The argument that older folks, with less hand strength, and recoil resistance, might resuscitate the caliber... let's hope. In the meantime, the cartridge is available at reasonable prices online. The imports are likely less to experience rimlock, due to the greater slope to the cannelure above the rim.
Moon

 

[JERRY]

If and when the time comes that recoil is an issue for me, my Beretta m81 or Walther PP will be my carry companions.
For now the only .32 semiauto I carry is the LWS.

 

[drobs]

I don't own any 32 caliber handguns. When looking at a new caliber the 1st thing I do is compare ammo prices vs 9mm.

32acp $0.379 or $18 a box of 50.

.32 ACP Ammo

In-stock best prices for 32 ACP Ammo | Bulk 32 ACP Ammunition - AmmoSeek.com

ammoseek.com

9mm $0.185 or round it up to $10 a box of 50 (for brass).

9mm Luger Ammo

In-stock best prices for 9mm Luger Ammo | Best 9mm Luger Ammunition - AmmoSeek.com

ammoseek.com

Throw in a pandemic, change in the white house, or gun ban fear and low demand calibers become difficult to find and expensive when found.

I'm well aware of reloading - how's that primer shortage? Is it back to normal yet?

 

[TTv2]

I remember early in the pandemic 9mm was a buck a round and I was buying 10mm for less than half that.

9mm is cheap coming out of a panic, but going in and during one it's not.

 

[Pistolay]

Arthritis in my thumbs and wrists has forced me down to .380, and the P365-380 is my EDC. The LCP MAX is my max concealment gun, but the recoil is really unpleasant and affects my accuracy. I'd love to see Ruger release the LCP MAX in .32ACP, and I'd buy two of them in a heartbeat.

 

[halfmoonclip]

Primers are still in the $90-100 range, but availability is returning. I'm saving my primers for .38spl, .380s, and, yes, .32s. By winter, when there will be time to spend in the shop, hoping primers are back in the $50 @ 1k.
Moon

 

[drobs]

I remember early in the pandemic 9mm was a buck a round and I was buying 10mm for less than half that.

9mm is cheap coming out of a panic, but going in and during one it's not.

I never had problems finding 9mm during any of the past panics. I might've paid a little more than I wanted to for it though. I do agree when everything went to $1 a round I stocked up on Buffalo Bore 45 Colt and 10mm. If you're gonna pay a buck a round - get good ammo!

Thinking more on this topic, I actually do own a "32ish" caliber firearm - an 1895 Nagant Revolver. Back in the day when 7.62x38R was hard to find, there were 32 ACP conversion cylinders. Also it is possible to fire a 32 H&R cartridge out of the Nagant revolver. I tried it - the cases ballooned.

During the pandemic panic on ammo, surplus 7.62x38R actually became reasonable compared to everything else. I bought a 1000rd + tin of corrosive Russian surplus from SG Ammo.



I wouldn't mind adding a 32 acp firearm to my collection. Those cute little Berettas with the threaded barrel are tempting!