Talk me into (or out of) a Bersa Thunder .380

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Cousin Mike

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Okay... here goes.

It's been a looooong journey. I've been carrying for years. Started with the full-sized .45's, then slowly but surely my carry guns got smaller and smaller. I got tired of lugging around 45 oz. of pistol + 2 extra magazines. Bought a Glock 33, which was perfect... until the weather got warm, and I started to realize how thick and blocky it was. Depending on what I'm wearing that day, the Glock can be a tad wide (read: it prints - badly in some cases)... and honestly - it's a little heavier than I thought it would be. So I started looking into J-frame revolvers for pocket carry, etc.

Came home w/a Ruger SP 101 - which I can conceal almost anywhere in any type of clothing... But at 28 oz's unloaded, I'm not really cutting down on weight. It's still a chore to lug around "deep cover" for 10-12 hours per day, and impossible to pocket carry - at least in any pants I own. However - the main reason I'm thinking about replacing the SP101 as my main carry gun...

...I can't shoot the damned thing!

At 10 yards I can all keep my shots on target, but that's about it. It seems that no matter how carefully I line up the sights, no matter how hard I concentrate on trigger control, I CAN NOT predictably hit the 10-ring of ANY target with that SP-101. I've taken it to the range every single trip... I practice with .38's and .357's, and while I'm a tad better with .38's, I'm still not confident in my ability to "put the shots where they need to go" in any kind of hurry with this gun. We're talking shotgun patterns... I can say with confidence that if for whatever reason, I needed to make a headshot with the SP 101, I'd miss.

Despite the 1,000 or so rounds I've put thru this gun, I've noticed VERY slight improvement in how I shoot it - if any at all. I'm thinking it could take years to master shooting this gun - and while I'm willing to put the time in to master the art of shooting a snub, I think in the meantime I'd like something that I'm a little more proficient with for CC purposes.

I was goofing off at Gander Mountain last week, and decided I wanted to hold one of these Bersa .380's - I was extremely impressed by the weight, and it felt really good in my hands. The trigger was alright (I'm the first to admit, I've been spoiled in the trigger dept.), nothing to write home about - and I wasn't crazy about the safety/decocker, although it's not a problem...

But man is that thing LIGHT! What's it weigh, about 12 oz? And w/9 rounds of .380 on tap, I can't honestly say I'd feel outgunned. I've been doing some soul-searching recently... and while I'll always love my .45's, 9mms and .357's, the .380 isn't the super-wimpy cartridge some people make it out to be. At 1000 fps from a 2.75" barrel, I have faith it'll penetrate to vitals. I know with my shooting ability, I could put the rounds where I want them to go. Sure, I could buy a super-compact .40 caliber [insert make/model here], but is there any reason NOT to buy this Bersa?

At $235 NIB, OTD - I'm finding it difficult to talk myself out of this one.

What say y'all?
 
Caliber wars aside, the only downside to owning a Bersa Thunder is that spare mags are still so darn expensive.

I've had mine since 2003 and love it. It's been 100%
 
Most people give the Bersa .380 a good review. I had one for a while. It was OK, but nothing special. It's a good buy for the price, and was relatively accurate. My only problems were a few FTF and FTE issues. Could have been bad ammo or needing a cleaning.

Consider that there are also small 9mm pistols available for a few dollars more. The Mil Pro Taurus PT111 isn't much bigger than the Bersa and you'l have a 9mm vs a .380. The ammo will be cheaper and a little more powerful.

Todd
 
But man is that thing LIGHT! What's it weigh, about 12 oz? And w/9 rounds of .380 on tap, I can't honestly say I'd feel outgunned.
Click to expand...

Not sure about some of this: According to the specs I read on-line, the Bersa Thunder comes in at 23oz, just a teeny bit less than your SP101 snubbie (25 oz), and holds (7+1) rounds.

More to the point, though, if you're having accuracy trouble with your small SP101 snubbie, why do you think you'd be any more accurate with a small .380? The overall length of the Bersa is 6.6", about half an inch less than the SP101 snubbie, so I'm guessing the sight radius isn't any longer. If you think it's the DA trigger on the Ruger that's the source of trouble, have you tried shooting it in SA to see if your accuracy improves? If so, maybe the Thunder is the way to go. Any way you could try a rental at a range before you buy?

Another possibility would be a CZ83 .380. A bit bigger (28 oz, 3.8" barrel), but probably a longer sight radius too, and holds 12 rounds. OTOH, at this point, you could probably get a compact 9mm, which might be another option.
 
From http://www.gunblast.com/Bersa_380CC.htm

The Concealed Carry (CC) is a slimmed and trimmed version of the Bersa Thunder .380, and the subtle changes make a big difference in the feel and concealability of the weapon. The CC weighs in at only 17.4 ounces unloaded, and is about the same size as my J-frame Smith & Wesson. The CC uses the same eight-shot magazines of the Thunder, but with a flat magazine floorplate for better concealment.
Click to expand...

Guess I should've remembered to mention, the one I'm looking at is the .380 Thunder CC.

As for why I think I'd do better with the Bersa than with the Ruger: Snubs are infamously hard to shoot... I find this little bit of conventional wisdom to be extra true when it comes to me personally. However, I've owned and shot many compact/subcompact autos, and I shoot them a LOT better than I do snubbie wheelguns. I'm not sure why - maybe it's a combination of several things, and I know for a fact that the Ruger is making me flinch, especially using full-power loads. So I guess the reason I know I'll do better with the Bersa are as follows:

1.) .380 is a lot easier to shoot rapidly/accurately than .357 Magnum (for me)
- especially from a small platform. I have a .357 Mag w/a 4" bbl that I'm scary-accurate with... so I know it's not the cartridge. I've also read that the SP101 was sighted in for use w/158 grain loads, and can be pretty inaccurate with 125-130 grain loads, which are what I use almost exclusively.

2.) There is a longer sight radius, even if it's only 1" longer w/the Bersa. The sights are also better on the Bersa (3-dot, as opposed to "nearly invisible," which is what the sights on my SP101 are).

3.) It's a tried & true formula for me. I just do a lot better w/small autos than I do w/snubbie wheelguns.
 
not going to talk you out of it

but I will suggest that if you have the money to take a look at a Kahr-9 - they make polymer framed models that are very light weight and conceal very easily due to their flat, single stack frames.

I have an older nickeled steel one and it is an excellent pistol - very accurate and in spite of its weight, it carries very well. It holds 8 rounds. The trigger is outstanding and it points very naturally for me.

I just bought a CZ-82 in 9mm Makarov for my car/on the road carry gun - it is excellent as well but the double stack frame is a little chunkier.

See if you can rent one of the Bersa's at a range and test fire it and maybe any other pistols that you may be considering - would be worth the rental money to check them out before making the buy.
 
Owned two Bersa Thunders

I have owned two of the .380 Bersas. I sold them because they didn't fill a role in my gun inventory.

They work well for the money. Mine only malfunctioned with ammo made in Serbia. All of the US made stuff worked flawlessly.

My only beef is with the design of the safety/decocker. It is of the slide mounted type and is up for fire and down for safe/decock. If you really love the 1911 style safety, then, the Bersa safety will give you fits.
 
I bought the Bersa .370 (not the CC) and a SP101 in the same week

I am very accurate with the Ruger but have the same groups with the Bersa that you have with your Ruger

I have a feeling it may be more auto vs revolver than a short sight radius issue

There is a distinct difference in the way the two handle

I grew up on revos and had a very hard time transitioning to autos, except for the 1911

If I have shot revos exclusively for any amount of time I have to retrain myself on autos
I have seen tis in others also

I barely hit paper with my Bersa and was ready to call it a lemon until my nephew got fist sized groups out of it the first time he shot it

I also found the Bersa to be a little punchier than my .38 snubs
 
I got Bersa Thunder .380 for my birth day last year. I put about 300 rounds through it and it shoot a bit low and the recoil is sharper than the similar size .38 special snubnose.The recoil seem to pound the web of my hand and I have to hold this pistol tight .Only malfunction I experience is the FTF due to the after market magazine.I have tough time decock the hammer using the lever and I fear that I will develop bad habit of manaully drop the hammer which is not method recommend by Bersa. It is not as small for me to comfortably carry in the back pocket but I take it along on the long trip.
I am with you on the firepower issue-the .380 in the pocket is sure better than .44 Magnum in gunsafe . May be you should convince your relative or spouse to get this gun for your birthday .
 
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I like the Bersa .380 concealed carry model. It's a little shorter and lighter than the standard model and it has also been shaved and melted so it can go in your front pocket. The sights are almost non-existent but it is still accurate. I like the .380. They tend to be fixed barrel blow-back actions (except the Kel-Tecs) and that really helps accuracy. The triggers are also very nice.
 
Sooooooo......

I called around my local shops to see if they still had them in stock. Gander Mountain had 5 in stock, the CC model was $289. Sounded a bit high to me, so I called a few other places. One of my local ranges had 2 in stock for $235, but they were the regular models, not the CC... I figured I'd go fondle the regular model for comparison.

I get there, ask to see them, and once again, I'm impressed. This thing feels perfect in my hands, and the weight is nice. It might not weigh that much less than my SP101, but it's definitely not as dense and noticeably lighter. The trigger is tolerable in DA, but pretty nice & crisp in SA. In fact, it's really nice... I start thinking about the size of the gun, and start to wonder if I really need the lightest, smallest possible version. I start thinking that maybe that extra weight might not be so bad after all.

...of course, I bought it. :D And since I bought it at the range, I bought an extra mag ($29.95! :what: ), 100 rounds of Magtech .380 and 20 rounds of Corbon HP's to see how it shoots for me.

I'f you're having accuracy problems with a SP-101 then you will have the same problems with most small guns.
Click to expand...

This seems to be a popular sentiment around here. I'm happy to report that this statement couldn't be more wrong. I tend to agree more with joab, that it's probably more of an auto vs. revolver issue... at least when it comes to me and snubs. I learned to shoot w/auto's, and even though I can shoot a 4" revolver just as well as any of my autos, the snub seems to be quite the challenge for me.

I shot this Bersa like a champ! Ragged one-hole groups all day @ 10 yards, and then - just for kicks, of course - I put a target out to 50'. Let's just say that after putting 120 rounds through this thing, I'm ready to change my screen name to Ten-Ring Tommy. :D Not only could I not miss the target, it seems I couldn't put a shot outside of the 10-ring if I'd tried! I did just as well at 50 feet as I did at 10 yards, and the Corbon stuff shot to POA just like the Magtech. Difference in recoil was minimal.

Recoil, by the way, was nil... It simply wasn't there for me. It barely kicks harder than a .22 IMO - which is not an exaggeration by any means. Frankly, I expected it to be a little unpleasant, given it's size. I was very pleasantly surprised with how much fun it was to shoot this gun (and get reacquainted with the .380ACP). Not only am I scary-accurate with it, but I could shoot it all day without hurting my hands. In short, it's exactly what I thought it would be. Accurate, beyond controllable, easy to shoot and easy to carry.

I'm glad I let y'all talk me into this one. :p
 
Cousin, I've been kicking around the idea of purchasing one of these little items myself. Thanks for talking me into it!

The next Barnyard Buster at Tee-Jaye's is on me. ;-)

Andy
 
They're good guns, and you got a decent price. You were smart to pick up the spare mag.

I carry a snub revolver. I agree that the Thunder 380 is easier to shoot accurately than even a well-designed snub like the SP101. (I am learning to shoot my SP101 fairly well, but I am an enthusiastic DA revolver shooter who practices a lot.)

It's a fun gun to own. New shooters really like the Bersa when I take them to the range.

One does need to choose defensive ammo in the .380 ACP chambering with care.
 
Welcome to the Bersa Family Now come to Bersa home and learn where to get mags and custom holsters and other bersa Info. Almost 1800 members as of today.
I have 2 drawings left for $50 worth of Corbon ammo This drawing is for members only I have given away this year over $2000. retail ,mags ,grips, holsters ,ammo, and other Bersa items.
We have warrenty Gun Smith who answers questions also

http://bersatalk.com
 
I have a Bersa and love it....but for super-concealed carry the best gun I own is the Kel-Tec P3AT......its king of the light, small carry pistol.
 
I have trouble keeping bersa's in-stock. not one complaint, even kept one for myself. sell'em new for $219(.380) / the 380 is a walther clone, the 9mm a sig clone
 
The KT is a great little gun and thousands of guys love them, however, for me--- I don't own a gun I don't enjoy shooting and thats why I don't own a KT.
Jim

This is a new gun for me, but so far I'm very impressed and going to give this a try.
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My instructor at my CCW class years ago had a Bersa .380 that he had put over 10,000 rounds thru and said was still reliable. It was his everyday carry gun and his instruction gun. They're decent guns at an affordable price.
 
I wrote this comparison a couple of years ago but it still bears merit. Regards, Richard:D

"This is a review and comparison of the following pistols that I own and shoot. These pistols are the Bersa Thunder 380, Makarov, Sig P230, and Walther PP. I own the pistols reviewed and carry them on occasion. I am sorry that I do not own a Walther PP in .380; I used my 32acp version of the PP for this review.

Many feel the 380 is low on the power ladder but I feel as well armed with a 380 as a 38 Special in a snub nose revolver and I have more shots with the 380. The 32acp is a strange situation because its actual performance is much better than it should be.

All of these pistols are accurate and the reason for this is they all have fixed barrels. Accuracy from a fixed barrel is a known plus but failing to a Browning style barrel increases felt recoil. What do I mean? I find my Kel-Tec P32 as easy to shoot as my Walther PP 32acp, which is a much bigger and heavier handgun.

Bersa Thunder 380
 Caliber: .380 ACP
 System of operation: Semiautomatic
 Length: 6.61 inches
 Height: 4.92 inches
 Width: 1.34 inches
 Barrel length: 3.5 inches
 Weight: 20 ounces
 Rear sight: Notched bar, dovetailed
 Front sight: Blade, integral with slide
 Magazine capacity: 7 cartridges
 Grip: Polymer
 Finish: Blue/ Nickel/ Duotone
 After firing the last cartridge, the slide remains open

I have well over 500 rounds through my Bersa since I bought in March of this year. I find the factory plastic grips comfortable and the sights easy to see. My pistol has an excellent factory trigger and I shoot this pistol well. If I have any complaints about the Bersa, they are the decocker works in the opposite direction from a 1911 and the finish could be better.

My pistol came with one magazine but I bought two extra ProMags from CDNN at a very good price. These magazines lack the finger extension found on factory magazines but that is not a big deal to me. I am sure the Bersa Thunder is one of the best buys available in the current handgun market.

Makarov
 Type: Semiautomatic, fixed barrel, straight blowback
 Caliber: 9 x 18 mm.
 Length overall: 6.29921 inches
 Weight: 23.47 oz.
 Barrel length: 3.66142 inches
 Capacity: 8

Another current best buy is the Makarov pistol. These were the pistols of the Soviets and they are built like T34 tanks. I own three Makarovs and I like them, two of these are East German (EG) and the third is a Bulgarian. The Makarov is a little bigger and heavier than the other pistols in this review but with a good holster, carry and concealment are not an issue.

To me my main concern is the small factory sights that come standard on Maks. I replace the sights on my Bulgarian with Novak Night Sights and it is now a dream to shoot. A word to the wise is sight replacement is not cheap. This runs between two and three hundred dollars. With the current price of Maks, you may consider the Mak as a point and shoot gun if you so desire. I can squint and do okay with the factory sights on my EGs but the Novak’s are a joy to use.

The triggers on all thee of my Maks are good with the nod going to the EGs. I do not feel unarmed when I carry a Mak. The Mak is a lot of value for the price.

Sig P230
 Type: Semiautomatic, fixed barrel, straight blowback
 Caliber: .380acp
 Length overall: 6.6 inches
 Weight: 20.8 oz.
 Barrel length: 3.6 inches
 Capacity: 8

My Sig P230 is a used stainless steel pistol that is in very good condition. I bought it used from a dealer I respect; the dealer said it was a police officer’s back up gun and used little. My impression of the P232 is it ranks up there with the best but it should as it costs a lot.

This compact pistol came with a problem. The gun jammed the first time I shot it and continued to jam. The jams were like no other I have ever seen before. The spent cartridge ejected properly but the next cartridge went straight at the top of the chamber and lodged there. To make matters more interesting the third round then faced downward at the front of the magazine. I am bull headed and kept trying to figure out the cause of these jams. I tried all types of ammunition including full metal jacket bullets. Nothing helped the situation.

I called the shop I bought the pistol from, the shop owner said bring the pistol in, and he would make good on it. I put off taking the 90-mile drive and continued to ponder the situation. I asked anyone with Sig experience ad called the manufacturer. In the end, I ordered a new recoil spring, magazine spring, and magazine from Sig.

I installed the springs and I did note the new springs have much more power than the old ones. I took the Sig P232 to the range and guess what happened with the first round? A jam just like the prior jams. I cleared the jam and reloaded the pistol. Before I fired the next round I remembered something the Sig gunsmith said to me: “Hold the pistol high and with a firm grasp.” I tried this and the jams are now gone. Lastly, the P232 is accurate shooting orange sized groups from a modified Weaver stance at 10 yards.

Walther PP 32acp
 Type: Double Action
 Caliber: 32acp
 Length overall: 6.81102 Inches
 Weight: 21.9268 Ounces
 Barrel length: 3.89764 Inches
 Capacity: 8

My Walther PP is a West German police trade in excellent condition. This pistol is the one all other compacts are judged by. My PP exudes quality and shoots to point of aim. I have only one complaint with Walther PP pistols and that is the bite the web of my hand. A final note on Walthers is they tend to hold their value better than any pistol I have owned.

After evaluating the four pistols, my conclusion is all will serve you well but the true sleeper is the Bersa Thunder 380. This little pistol has great sights and a very good trigger. In the end, it is my choice over the Makarov due solely to its superior sights. The Bersa is one-third to one-half as much money as the Walther or Sig pistols. It is a truly great buy."
 
I have a Bersa Thunder....

Mags are darn expensive as someone else said.

The gun is accurate and of mild recoil. I have never had a jam. It is a better shooter than the Kel-Tec P3AT I own.

However, I just got a S&W 442 (blued version of the 642) snubbie. I decided to get one after attending LFI 1 and listening to Massad Ayoob. So far, I have no regrets. The 442 is _harsher_ than the Bersa. But, it is easier to shoot accuretly to 21 yards than the kel-Tec P3AT is.

One of the things that converted me the 442 Revolver was a good compromise, is that the .38 special, and in particular the .38+P have a well documented and positive trace record in the snubbie in the US.

Like any gun, however, if you can shoot at least 100rounds before you buy one to see how it fits you, all the better in making your decision.

I hope this helps.
 
To me accuracy beyond 7 yards is a mute point with a carry gun. Why? The courts in Michigan would not look favorably on a shooting at that range. If you have that much distance the courts feel you should avoid the confrontation. In the end, it boils down to do you want 8 or 5 rounds of ammunition. Regards, Richard:D
 
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