Bersa Thunder .380 OR Public Defender Poly .410/.45

[carguychris]

Originally Posted by Pathfinder45

How does the Bersa compare with the Makarov, aside from ammo?

Also:

• No factory service (duh).
• Commercial (as opposed to milsurp) Maks generally come with an adjustable rear sight and a really narrow front sight. The former is prone to breakage and superfluous on a carry gun, while the latter is hard to pick up quickly in a SD situation. Unfortunately, most of the cheap Maks are the commercial ones with these sights.
• Mak has a simpler design than a Bersa (and arguably a simpler design than darn near anything semi-auto except perhaps a Baby Browning or a pre-safety Beretta 950).
• Vertical Mak grip angle may be awkward for shooters accustomed to Western pistols, but if you like it, it's all good for you.

Other tidbits:

• AFAIK everything about the .380 vs. 9x18 Mak is the same except for the barrel. Even the magazine is the same.
• The Mak also came in a relatively uncommon double-stack 12+1 (or AWB 10+1) configuration, but I recommend against this pistol, as (a) it's rather thick for a carry gun, and (b) spare mags are notoriously hard to find. (The double-stack pistols will actually accept a standard single-stack magazine- they used a peculiar tapered or "merged" 2-into-1 magazine design, so the top of the mag is identical- but this kinda defeats the purpose IMHO.)

[bedbugbilly]

First - welcome!

As already established, most are in favor of the Bersa. I had one that I purchased used but traded it off as the previous owner had done his own "trigger job" and it was way to light when in SA mode. It shot very well though and ate anything I fed it. I liked it enough that I will be getting another one at some point as I reload and have everything to reload the .380 and I have a 82 Y.O. friend that likes to shoot his Smith 380 Bodyguard.

Personally, I have no use for a .410 handgun - unless you want to hunt pheasants in a parking lot at 20 feet. As far as I'm concerned, those that get one with the idea of "self defense" sort of want "their cake and eat it too". By that, I mean they think if they use a .410 shotshell it will solve their problems - not so. In certain SD scenarios it is a false sense of security not to mention collateral damage that can be done - to property or innocent bystanders. If a person is going to carry - they need to accept the responsibility that goes with it in terms of practice, practice and more practice to hone their skills and keep them honed.

In the end, accepting the responsibility to carry is not about the "cool factor" of a handgun - it's about learning to shoot accurately and knowing the dangers that can occur if they ever have to draw their weapon.

If you presently carry a 9mm - look at other options as well. The Shield is an excellent alternative.

[Cornhusker77]

I have both the Bersa and the Judge poly Public Defender.
The Judge is pretty cool, and there's a wide variety of ammo for it, including loads that are good for defensive ranges, but it's a little chubby.
Still a pretty cool gun.
I have the Bersa Thunder, and personally, I like it. It's slim, comfortable, accurate, and enjoyable to shoot. However, if a .380 is good enough defense for you, there's smaller .380s out there including Ruger LCP and the Kel Tec P3AT that are a lot easier to hide.

[Mystro]

Given those two calibers, the 45lc or 410 is waayyy much better over a 380. Hmmmm?.. a 225 grain 45lc or a 90grain 380??? really?
Its not even a ballistic argument if you subscribe to the "shoot the biggest caliber you can comfortably." A 380 makes a great little pocket gun if thats how you are going to carry.

Very accurate and effective Shot pistol ammo review.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flPVBRmTPrg

For that matter, I can head shoot 4 36caliber rounds at one time.
FYI..This round (Federal 00 Buck) tested in ballistic gel penetrated 12"-16"

[Cheapshooter]

Very similar pattern to what I get from my PD Poly Judge with the Federal Premium Personal Defense 000 Buck loads.
But it is considerably larger for CCW than the Bersa. The only drawback for the Bersa I can see in that roll is that many 9MM pistols are available at the same, or in some cases smaller size. If you are going to carry something as big as a Bersa Thunder, why limit yourself to 380acp performance?

[Jamie B]

Originally Posted by Independent George

Why's everybody so dead set against the Bersa? They recoil much less than the micro .380/9mm guns, have better sights, better firing ergonomics, and are DA/SA. They're still nice guns in their own right even if you can find smaller & more powerful options these days.

Cheap gun and too large for .380.

It is a minor caliber.

You get what you pay for.

[WV_gunner]

I have an 18.5 inch barreled Judge and it shoots tight 000 groups. I have no idea how the snubnose ones do. I never liked the way they looked. I wanted a 6 inch one with a shoulder holster, never got one.
The .380 is only good if you need a compact gun. If you can carry something bigger than a micro, no need for a .380. I don't think I'd use either of your choices.

[lechiffre]

Bersa

Why not a Shield, or Nano ?

[Hamm0ckjames]

Just my two cents being tossed in here, as of late I have been carrying my Bersa Thunder 380 Plus as my primary. An early Christmas present, anyway, it shoots very well, is accurate as can be, is a single / double action and I have had no failures of any kind thus far feeding it 95gr FMJ's. From what I've been reading, a 95gr FMJ has roughly 20 inches of penetration in a 9x17 / .380 caliber. I really like the "Mini Me" feel of the gun, it's almost an exact muscle memory grip of my Beretta 92FS, just a tad bit shorter in the grip. The double stack 15+1 fills my hand nicely. I don't know if this will replace my Springfield 1911 .45 as my primary, Yet. I'm leaning towards it becoming my small of back concealment as it is light enough to carry all day with no discomfort. Oh, and the out the door price was just under $400.00 in case your wondering about cost. Any how, as I've heard many times before. The best carry weapon does you no good sitting on the shelf......

[pgdion]

A late post for me also but I'm also for the Thunder 380 (hands down between these two). It's my overall favorite carry combining reasonable capacity, a decent round, easy shooting (its actually fun to shoot), accuracy, and good reliability. I have had no problems with my Bersa. Not quite a pocket pistol, it's still easy to carry and it shoots well. If I can't carry the 9mm Cougar, then I carry this (usually this).

[ttarp]

I've got a soft spot in my heart for the BERSA, it was my first firearm purchase, shortly before I took a CHL course. The BERSA seems to take a bit of flak on forums, but regardless what people tell you they are good pistols for a good price.(unless you shop at Gander Mountain, seen one there for $450)