Would you buy a Bersa Thunder 22?

Elkins45

Elkins45

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Joined
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Messages
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Location
Northern KY
I’ve been wanting a small, pocketable 22LR auto for a while now. I bought a Ruger LCP but found it disappointing in terms of accuracy. I went to look at a Walter PPK/S today and frankly wasn’t all that impressed with it either. It weighed a ton, felt rough, and had a laughably leafy trigger pull. The dealer also had a Bersa Thunder 22 that I handled and it actually felt better than the Walter for about $50 less. It’s only around $300 so we’re not talking about a ton of money, but I hate to waste a dollar much less than 300 of them.

Does anyone here have experience with the Bersa Thunder? Worth buying?
 
I had to swap a broken hammer on my buddies Thunder. He hasn't had any problems since and loves the gun.
Still....the hammer was obviously a cast part, and some of the internal parts, especially springs, seemed kinda fragile.

I don't think I would feel confident carrying one for SD. Would probably be ok as a trainer or plinker. My friend's gun does feed very reliably with a variety of ammo.
 

I have one... the Firestorm actually, but same thing except the trigger guard and grips with finger grooves on the firestorm.

Mine has been 100% with minimags and cci blazers. Not so much with others. Other people have good luck with everything.

Of the finicky ones I read about... I read a few posts of people cutting a coil off the recoil spring with success. I bought a spare spring to try but never did... seems that I always have the ammo it likes.

The link should be past posts of mine going back to the 2010 time frame with some comparison to the Ruger SR22 I used to have.

Read my past posts... but going off memory...

I think they both have similar accuracy

The ruger had bigger easier to see sights.

The Firestorm had a better single action trigger and the ruger had a better double action trigger

I think the ruger was a tiny bit fatter and the firestorm felt better and has more character.

I kinda wish I still had the ruger but it not sorry I kept the firestorm over the ruger.
 
NIGHTLORD40K said:
I had to swap a broken hammer on my buddies Thunder. He hasn't had any problems since and loves the gun.
Still....the hammer was obviously a cast part, and some of the internal parts, especially springs, seemed kinda fragile.

I don't think I would feel confident carrying one for SD. Would probably be ok as a trainer or plinker. My friend's gun does feed very reliably with a variety of ammo.
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Interesting, the half cock spur broke off the hammer on my Bersa 380 after only a few hundred rounds through it. After 30 years in the safe I just replaced the hammer a couple weeks ago but haven't taken it out yet.

I would buy the Walther for $50 more. It will retain a much better resale value.

I love my Keltec P17 .22 pistol. Reliable, accurate with a great incredible trigger and is a lot of fun to shoot. It is also very light weight, perfect for slipping into a pocket.
 
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I have the Bersa but i much prefer the Taurus TX 22. Either the full size or the newer compact model. My Bersa is not as reliable as the Taurus. All of these may be too big for a pocket. The Beretta 21a may be a good choice due to it's size. The Keltec P17 is ok but harder to load than Bersa and Taurus and requires a tool for disassembly. Taurus has 13 or 16 round mags while Bersa is only 10. The Ruger SR22 a good pick but feels too small.
My recommendation is the Taurus TX 22 Compact. Reliable, easy to load, easy to takedown, accurate and price is reasonable. For the record I own and shoot all of the guns mentioned, (and a few more).
 
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Yeap, good guns for the money. Affordable plinkers, reasonably accuracy for a short barrel, trigger is fine to make tomatoes can lighter. One caveat, magazines are a tad expensive. and hard to get.
Sight dept is better than my luxury Walther.
Just be careful when disassembly it to put your main spring with right orientation it is not straight.
Ammo as many 22 pistols, some are picky with brands. mine works flawlessly with CCI and cheap Remington (Bucket) and sometimes cough with Federal automacht.
Comparing to the Keltec 17 is not fair, I do like my K17 is lighter shot as well as my Bersa. But, sometimes I do feel like I have novelty toy in my hand instead of gun. Don't take wrong K17 is good gun too, IDK if will last as a BERSA have seen shooting them through thousands of rounds and running in a single day (the heavy steel models).
Buy it and post pics of your punched targets.
 
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NIGHTLORD40K said:
What about a Beretta Bobcat?
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I have the Bersa (Firestorm) and a Bobcat, both in .22 LR.

The Bersa is a better gun in every way, unless you need to put it into a typical sized pants pocket or you simply hate slide mounted safety levers.

The Bersa is more reliable, has better sights, has an extractor, and will go hundreds of rounds between cleanings (where the Bobcat might go dozens of rounds).

Having said that, the Bersa requires a fairly long break in. Download the mags to 9 rounds each for a while and shoot CCI MiniMags level of power for a while.

22-autos.jpg
 
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Elkins45 said:
Does anyone here have experience with the Bersa Thunder? Worth buying?
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Yes.

It's a low priced metal framed gun with a classic styling fusion of Walther and Beretta and works very well. Considering the founders of Bersa were Italian and one of them worked for Beretta, you can see the influence in some of the metal framed Bersas. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bersa

I've fired the .380 versions, but only own the .22 LR version. It feels great in the hand and shoots as well as a gun of its type can. Meaning, it's no Ruger Mark or Browning Buckmark, but a fun hand sized plinker.

Considering that I bought my Bersa .22 in 2011 for $278 and I can get another Bersa .22 at a local gun shop in 2023 for $281, it sure seems like inflation beating pricing.
 
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TTv2 said:
If weight wasn't a factor, look at the Phoenix Arms HP22. Trigger is good for a $150 small pistol.
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I second this. I picked up the hp22a deluxe range kit for about $275 with shipping and FFL fees and it has been the most reliable .22 semiauto plinker I have ever used. Parts are easily gotten from Phoenix Arms, and youtube has lots of videos on how to tweak the excessive safeties to your liking.

I cannot state enough how reliable this firearm has been. I have had 1 stove pipe in the 1st magazine and it has run flawlessly since almost 1000 rounds of plinking later. Which is just crazy. You can find many videos of people equally blown away by its reliability on YouTube. The hp22a is the best bang for your buck that you can get out of a .22 plinker.

www.phoenix-arms.com

HP22A Deluxe Range Kit

Phoenix Arms Model .22LR Deluxe Range Kit gives you the ability to change the configuration of your HP22A pistol to suit your style and situation.
www.phoenix-arms.com www.phoenix-arms.com
 
TTv2 said:
If weight wasn't a factor, look at the Phoenix Arms HP22. Trigger is good for a $150 small pistol.
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Do you own one of these hunks of junk, I do.

I have not sold it I still own it, I just can't get my head around passing that thing off to another human on the planet.....

It is not reliable, I have yet to find a brand of 22 that would feed through the thing in what I would call a reliable manner. You can add fire in a reliable manner as well.
There is a safety right above the grip, a mag safety, and a thumb safety. Get any one of the things wrong and it will not go bang.
It is small and cool looking I will give you that, but over all it is not even a fun toy. It just refuses to work often enough to not be fun.
 
I have one of the Bersa 22's. It is a very good trainer for the 380's IMHO. It will fit in my same holster, and shooting 22 is much cheaper then 380....and I can reload 380, but not the SD ammo, that is factory because of.....reasons.

Personally I have not had an issue with it past letting it get too dirty and it gets fuzzy, but that is me being lazy not the guns fault.

I like the nature of centerfire. If you want small look to the different 32 or 25 offerings.
 
Agree with many above on the Bersa. Bersa has a steel slide (they use to anyways) and is a much better firearm. Bersa also now has there website running finally again and they make buying spare parts easy. The 22 Thunders use to be difficult to find but in the last few years its gotten much better. I have shot them a bit and never had any problems other than the typical issues that can come up with any rimfire 22lr. Bersa firearms in general are one of the biggest sleepers in the firearms industry.

Not a huge fan of the Pheonix HP22. In fact not a fan at all. Frames are very prone to cracking down the sides of the mag well. If you want a tiny 22lr go find a Jennings J22 and learn to work it over. Mine will digest any bulk ammo. They are extremely simple pistols. Made from Zamak but much more durable than the HP22a. I wouldnt suggest any rimfire for self defense though. I would steer you towards a 25acp. Primers are important. Sterlings 302s 22lr are still out there and made from steel but they can sometimes take a lot of work to get reliable.

I think you will like the bersa thunder 22. Most people do. 25acp will open up a whole new world if you really want something tiny to defend yourself with though. Ruger goofed up not offering that lcp22 in 25acp. Another bonehead move from them.
 
Remington1911 said:
Do you own one of these hunks of junk, I do.

I have not sold it I still own it, I just can't get my head around passing that thing off to another human on the planet.....

It is not reliable, I have yet to find a brand of 22 that would feed through the thing in what I would call a reliable manner. You can add fire in a reliable manner as well.
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My experience has been that by sticking to the recommended ammo specs in the manual (I have not tried any ammo that doesn't meet those specs) it has been problem free.

HP22/HP22A
CARTRIDGE: 22 LONG RIFLE
BULLET WEIGHT: 32/40 GRAINS
BULLET STYLE: LEAD ROUND NOSE
VELOCITY: 1050/1150 FPS (FEET PER SECOND)

CCI ammo in range of those specs has been flawless. Combined with the 5" barrel, slightly heavier weight, magazine with pinky extension and adjustable rear sights it has been an exceptional one handed range toy. I am sorry to hear that yours has not been the same.
 
No.

Not to be a jerk but I wouldn't give it a second look in the gun store and I can't remember the last time I went into a gun store.
 
Oninotaki said:
My experience has been that by sticking to the recommended ammo specs in the manual (I have not tried any ammo that doesn't meet those specs) it has been problem free.

HP22/HP22A
CARTRIDGE: 22 LONG RIFLE
BULLET WEIGHT: 32/40 GRAINS
BULLET STYLE: LEAD ROUND NOSE
VELOCITY: 1050/1150 FPS (FEET PER SECOND)

CCI ammo in range of those specs has been flawless. Combined with the 5" barrel, slightly heavier weight, magazine with pinky extension and adjustable rear sights it has been an exceptional one handed range toy. I am sorry to hear that yours has not been the same.
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Sounds like you ran it through a chrono, I am not sure I could deal with that, but I have a feeling I know how fast I could toss that pile.

The company also has a fantastic reputation so I wonder what the issue is.

In all serious however, I had "better" luck with jacketed mini mags, I think I got two mags run without some form of failure.

Back to the OP.....

I am not one of the people that is really "anti" 22 rim fire for SD, I have also seen someone shot with one several times before he decided he better sit down for a sec. As a minimum I would suggest the two small center fire cartridges. If 380 in one of these smaller guns is too snappy for you, the small 32's and 25's might do the job.

My wife does not have great hand strength, so she has real issues racking the gun, she carried a J-frame for years. But she has a hell of a time with the slide on anything but a rimfire auto. The "tilt up" barrel on the older beretta's work just great for her.
 
I have an older Ruger SR22 and can see no need or want for the Bersa. My wife has the new version of the PPK/s in 22 and it does what it is supposed to unless it chokes on a dud round just like the little Ruger. As long as the ammo is HV and has priming compound they both are like the Energizer bunny. The Bersa may be just as good but I don't know anyone that owns one so no info on it..
 
doubleh said:
I have an older Ruger SR22 and can see no need or want for the Bersa. My wife has the new version of the PPK/s in 22 and it does what it is supposed to unless it chokes on a dud round just like the little Ruger. As long as the ammo is HV and has priming compound they both are like the Energizer bunny. The Bersa may be just as good but I don't know anyone that owns one so no info on it..
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IMHO the real draw to these "baby brothers" are they are basically the same thing. So they fit in your holster, the manual of arms are the same, so practice can be done at a lower cost. I bought the GSG 1911 for this very reason, I even put the same sites as my "real" 1911 on it, so it would be closer to the same.
 
A pocketable 22 for SD?
Me? No. But, I am not frail or elderly and have no trouble managing the recoil of a 9mm Sig 365.
I don't know about the 22 version but the Bersa Thunder 380 is bigger than a Sig 365 in length and height:
https://www.handgunhero.com/compare/sig-sauer-p365-vs-bersa-thunder-380

I have a LCP 380 it is not easy to shoot well and has more felt recoil than a Glock 20 (10mm) - no kidding.
A LCP 380 is not a primary carry for me, only a 2nd option or "back-up".
Sticking with the Sig 365 I mentioned before: Is there anywhere I think I'd be better off defending myself with a LCP 380 than a Sig 365? Nope. Nowhere.
I am not content to be my life on 380 - I sure aint going to prefer to bet it on 22. Don't have to.

Trigger? The Sig 365 has a good trigger.
 
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