Bersa Thunder .380

[therealsteamer]

Both my father and mother-in law have the Bersa Thunder .380. With my mother-in-law's pistol it does something strange. Starting from slide lock, if you "SLAM" a full magazine in the slide will release and chamber the top round. This will happen every time a full mag is slammed home, if you ease the mag in, the slide will stay locked.

We went down to La. a few months ago to help w/ the family and while down there we played with my father's NIB never fired Bersa. Same exact gun. It did the same exact thing. Over and over.

I have never seen or heard of this happening. Is it normal, a design flaw, or something bad all together. I am asking because my wife who can't hit crap with her snubby .38 has given it to me and is asking for one for Christmas based upon this as a good feature in her eyes.

Any and all input will be greatly appreciated. Thanks and Merry Christmas!!!

Steamer

 

[trueblue1776]

there are a few guns out there that will do this new, otherwise it's just a worn slide stop, I wouldn't worry about it if I was you. The gun has a safety too.

 

[P95Carry]

Glocks will do this too! My (now my wife's!) Bersa and that of a friend - all do the same. I'd go so far as to say it is ''normal'' and for sure not something to be concerned about - well for me anyways. It is the inertial ''jarring'' thru an energetic insertion and smack home which releases the hold-open.

While perhaps we cannot depend on it happening every time guaranteed - it is something that can be exploited.

If our Horge spots this thread, be interested to hear his take.

Moving this to autoloaders.

 

[therealsteamer]

ahh...

Part of my concern is that she wants the pistol to do this all the time. If she decides to get her CCL as she says, I do not want her to learn to depend on this as a continual happenstance. If she expects it and it does not happen when needed or at the wrong time, could be bad juju. She has shot 2 other examples of the same gun and is ok with both, but......... Is this something that will go away with use and/or wear? If she would just practice w/ the the snubby!!!

Steamer

 

[P95Carry]

IMO it will increase in likelehood - not decrease, as wear is increased thru useage. I daresay with some digging and research - could well be some way to change hold-open so as to make it more sturdy.

However - here's my take. Teaching my wife and our friend - I drill them to use the slower approach and get used to then slingshotting the slide. That IMO is the habit to instill. Once that is well learned then the slam can be done - knowing that if slide does not drop - it is a matter of a moment to carry out the required sling shot - or if needs must release slide lock lever.

Total familiarity with the gun's manual of arms is essential - and then options are more easily exploited. As I said - this does not bother me, knowing that wife and our friend are well versed now in any method of mag insertion - they both load brisk and so slide usually drops - but they do not expect it as a matter of course and so are ready if needed.

 

[gbelleh]

My Bersa .380 will do this too, if the magazine is slammed in. But, I rarely slam the magazine in.

 

[JJE]

I shot a range Sig P232 .380 a few weeks ago and the same thing happened once during the box of 50 rounds that I shot - it was a well-used gun.

 

[gbelleh]

There are some guns that are designed to do this every time. The Mauser HSc and HK 4 are two that I know of.

 

[Phaetos]

My new Bersa I got last month does it right out of the box. First mag, filled it, slammed it in(was used to slamming the mag in my Xd-40), and the slide went back and chambered a round. Scared me Does it for every mag that goes in if it's slammed, if I just push it in, it doesn't do it. So I would kinda say it's a design thing.

 

[banddr2]

Me too, though my Bersa didn't do it the first several mags and now it does it consistently. I have heard there are slide stop issues since it is cast steel and the slide may wear it down. I don't worry about it because if I need a second mag for self defense, I am in a major combat situation and in a world of trouble. And also I ony have one mag anyway.

 

[horge]

Hi

It's simply a matter of the 'slap' having jiggled the slide stop out of lock position.
Cops here in the Philippines do it all the time (reloading a mag into a slidelocked pistol)
with other pistols, slamming in the fresh mag and chambering a round in one go.

The BERSA Thunder 380 would've been perfect for this trick, as the topmost cartridge
in the new mag is pointed right at the chamber at the moment of full insertion,
reducing the chance of a tip up FTF. Slap-charging is no more inducive of a slamfire than
normally 'racking' the slide back and releasing... though as Chris notes: wear is a factor in,
and a result of, chronic slap-charging.

Alas, but the BERSA Thunder 380 magazines have polymer floorplates, and only
the 9 rounders are flat-bottomed in a way that is friendly to to slapping hard enough
(the 7 has that pointy finger extension to poke your palm if you're a little off)


The Chapterhouse 'Instructions' article actually refers to this 'trick' (slap-charging)
towards the bottom of the page.


horge


.

 

[Brian41]

my bersa does the same thing.... as does my p89, and my dad's bersa and p90

 

[osteodoc08]

My P89 does it also. I called Ruger and they sent me a new slide stop. I put it in and it still does it. I put in a new spring. Still does it. I really don't remember it doing it when I first got it. Oh well, it shoots everytime I have put a round in. Not one failure at all in 3500+ rounds of shooting! Now that is reliability.

 

[Tom Servo]

Not sure it's a problem. My CZ75B does that, as does my Sig P245. Both did it when still new, and the slide-stop works fine, so I've never worried about it.

 

[itgoesboom]

My Bersa used to do this if I really slammed it in. Occasionally. Now it does it whenever I put it in solidly.

Doesn't bother me one bit.

I have seen other pistols do the same thing.

I.G.B.

 

[patentnonsense]

Several of my Stars do it consistently, and I like the feature. If you get a lock-back during a firefight, do you really want to delay for a SECOND weak-hand movement??