Hi everyone,
I live in Argentina and I know that the Bersa Thunder 9 and Thunder 40 High Capacity (17 and 13 rounds) are now available (or soon will be) in the United
States so I thought to put in this forum a range report on the thunder 9 for you all. I hope it will be usefull to you and I apologize in advance for my
english, I know it's not perfect so if you don't understand something please let me know.
I have had the Bersa Thunder 9 for the last two months and have put 300 rounds thru it, ten different type of factory ammo and seven different brands. One
reload and one hand made load with new brass.
Characteristics:
Caliber: 9 x 19 mm (parabellum)
Operation: Semiautomatic
Magazine capacity: 17 cartridges
Rear sight: Dovetailed (white outline, a la Glock)
Front sight: In the slide (White dot)
Safeties: Hammer and Firing ping
Grips: Polymer grooved and no finger grooves
Dimensions:
Overall length: 192 mm / 7.5 in.
Height: 140 mm / 5.5 in.
Width: 37 mm / 1.5 in.
Barrel length: 110 mm / 4 in.
Weight: 870 gr. / 30 oz.
Frame:
AA7075 Alloy, (Zinc, Magnesium, Manganese, Copper and Titanium) Spanish origin - Machined here.
Slide and Barrel:
41L40 Steel, Italian origin - Machined here.
The slide, barrel and frame are Tennifer coated (in the blue version, wich I have). It's the same coating that Glock, Walther and others uses on their
pistols so the libricant needed is minimum.
The trigger is pretty good, the DA trigger is average heavy but you can keep the sights aligned while pulling it. The SA trigger is very smooth light and
crisp. Very SIG like.
Ergonomics: (Please keep in mind that I have wide hands but short fingers...)
The safety and slide release levers are fully ambidextrous and easy to operate, engaging the safety also decocks the hammer so no condition 1 carry. It has a
reversible magazine release button wich I changed to the right side of the grip and operate with my index finger (Remember the short fingers?) Anyway it's
easier and faster for me than using the thumb even if it were at my reach.
The handling is quite good for me, everything is on the right place and it's very comfortable to me.
On the not so good side there are two thing that I don't like, first, it's difficult to find aftermarket grips because of the weird way it's secured to the frame, with a screw at the rear bottom of the grip. The same happens to the rear sight because it covers the firing pin. Anyway I think they are minor trade offs.
The two most important things to me are reliability and accuracy, I don't accept any pistol wich has FTF or FTE nor can't group reasonable well, this is why I tested all this ammo, even, if I use the IMI Samson FMJ 158 gr for SD. It's illegal to use any other ammo than FMJ for SD in this country.
THE TEST:
Ammo tested:
Factory
FEDERAL Hydra-Shock JHP 147 gr.
FIOCCHI Truncated Cone Teflon Coated 123 gr.
HORNADY JHP-XTP 115 gr.
IMI Samson FMJ 158 gr.
MAGTECH FMJ 124 gr.
MAGTECH FMJ Flat Nose Subsonic 147 gr.
MAGTECH JHP +P+ 115 gr.
MAGTECH First Defense Solid Copper HP 92.6 gr.
WINCHESTER FMJ Truncated Cone Subsonic 147 gr.
WOLF FMJ Steel Case 115 gr.
Reload:
Stopping Power FMJ 124 gr.
Hand made with new brass:
3G FMJ 124 gr.
This pistol is designed to handle +P+ loads so I tried them with no problem at all. No FTF or FTE at all, everything worked flawlessly, I also filled a magazine with the twelve different type of ammo I had, so far so good. All the shooting was done at 7 meters with the best grouping at 2 inches wich for me, at this point is quite acceptable.
Well, I have nothing else to say, I hope this would be usefull to you and I will update this report with more ammo and some pictures.
I'll keep you updated.
Happy shooting!!!
Max.
I live in Argentina and I know that the Bersa Thunder 9 and Thunder 40 High Capacity (17 and 13 rounds) are now available (or soon will be) in the United
States so I thought to put in this forum a range report on the thunder 9 for you all. I hope it will be usefull to you and I apologize in advance for my
english, I know it's not perfect so if you don't understand something please let me know.
I have had the Bersa Thunder 9 for the last two months and have put 300 rounds thru it, ten different type of factory ammo and seven different brands. One
reload and one hand made load with new brass.
Characteristics:
Caliber: 9 x 19 mm (parabellum)
Operation: Semiautomatic
Magazine capacity: 17 cartridges
Rear sight: Dovetailed (white outline, a la Glock)
Front sight: In the slide (White dot)
Safeties: Hammer and Firing ping
Grips: Polymer grooved and no finger grooves
Dimensions:
Overall length: 192 mm / 7.5 in.
Height: 140 mm / 5.5 in.
Width: 37 mm / 1.5 in.
Barrel length: 110 mm / 4 in.
Weight: 870 gr. / 30 oz.
Frame:
AA7075 Alloy, (Zinc, Magnesium, Manganese, Copper and Titanium) Spanish origin - Machined here.
Slide and Barrel:
41L40 Steel, Italian origin - Machined here.
The slide, barrel and frame are Tennifer coated (in the blue version, wich I have). It's the same coating that Glock, Walther and others uses on their
pistols so the libricant needed is minimum.
The trigger is pretty good, the DA trigger is average heavy but you can keep the sights aligned while pulling it. The SA trigger is very smooth light and
crisp. Very SIG like.
Ergonomics: (Please keep in mind that I have wide hands but short fingers...)
The safety and slide release levers are fully ambidextrous and easy to operate, engaging the safety also decocks the hammer so no condition 1 carry. It has a
reversible magazine release button wich I changed to the right side of the grip and operate with my index finger (Remember the short fingers?) Anyway it's
easier and faster for me than using the thumb even if it were at my reach.
The handling is quite good for me, everything is on the right place and it's very comfortable to me.
On the not so good side there are two thing that I don't like, first, it's difficult to find aftermarket grips because of the weird way it's secured to the frame, with a screw at the rear bottom of the grip. The same happens to the rear sight because it covers the firing pin. Anyway I think they are minor trade offs.
The two most important things to me are reliability and accuracy, I don't accept any pistol wich has FTF or FTE nor can't group reasonable well, this is why I tested all this ammo, even, if I use the IMI Samson FMJ 158 gr for SD. It's illegal to use any other ammo than FMJ for SD in this country.
THE TEST:
Ammo tested:
Factory
FEDERAL Hydra-Shock JHP 147 gr.
FIOCCHI Truncated Cone Teflon Coated 123 gr.
HORNADY JHP-XTP 115 gr.
IMI Samson FMJ 158 gr.
MAGTECH FMJ 124 gr.
MAGTECH FMJ Flat Nose Subsonic 147 gr.
MAGTECH JHP +P+ 115 gr.
MAGTECH First Defense Solid Copper HP 92.6 gr.
WINCHESTER FMJ Truncated Cone Subsonic 147 gr.
WOLF FMJ Steel Case 115 gr.
Reload:
Stopping Power FMJ 124 gr.
Hand made with new brass:
3G FMJ 124 gr.
This pistol is designed to handle +P+ loads so I tried them with no problem at all. No FTF or FTE at all, everything worked flawlessly, I also filled a magazine with the twelve different type of ammo I had, so far so good. All the shooting was done at 7 meters with the best grouping at 2 inches wich for me, at this point is quite acceptable.
Well, I have nothing else to say, I hope this would be usefull to you and I will update this report with more ammo and some pictures.
I'll keep you updated.
Happy shooting!!!
Max.
