Bersa Thunder 380 ... what do you think?

jimku · July 1, 2020, 06:46 PM

Bersa Thunder 380 ... what do you think?
https://youtu.be/1Kwa_FMxQfY
https://youtu.be/f77kn9JQXag
https://youtu.be/6F5rPTHcrmg
I carry the Thunder Plus in my vest pocket almost every day, so no need to ask what I think. I keep it loaded with alternating rounds of Underwood Xtreme Defender and Xtreme Penetrator.

SHR970 · July 1, 2020, 06:59 PM

As posted in another thread, I have a "disabled" (aka wheel chair bound) friend that has one and can use it. His wife is also an ADA qualified individual. She can also use it. Theirs has been solid; neither of them feels unarmed.

aarondhgraham · July 2, 2020, 10:11 AM

I've owned one for many years now,,,
Both the .22 LR and .380 versions.

Very solid guns,,,
Dependable as Old Faithful.

I heartily recommend them as good reliable handguns.

Aarond

.

Mosin44az · July 2, 2020, 10:31 AM

Good. My CC version wasn’t perfect, but was reliable enough. Although I found the sights hard to see and the grip tang too short for comfort on recoil. I recommend the standard version as better in both respects.

Actually thought the standard Thunder 380 shot better than a SIG P232 when I rented both once.

These days there are smaller, more pocketable choices that are just as shootable and also more powerful. Time marches on.

But especially for the price, Thunder 380 still a good choice.

JBB · July 2, 2020, 06:18 PM

I’ve had one for years and love it. Perfectly reliable and easy to shoot. The poor man’s PPK. (I have the nickel plated version)

Samantha7 · July 23, 2020, 10:46 AM

I bought a combat version of the Bersa .380 with the green grips 8 shot. It was used in mint condition. It was an impulse buy. This pistol has never jammed! It eats up everything I load into it. I extremely impressed by this pistol. I have 3 factory magazines and a factory holster for it too. I highly recommend this pistol.

KyJim · July 23, 2020, 01:37 PM

I haven't carried or shot my Bersa Thunder in a long time, but it carried and concealed very well. It was also reliable and accurate enough.

zincwarrior · July 23, 2020, 03:12 PM

Both the wife and a friend had one. Both became jammomatics and repeatedly broke after 1,000 rounds.

I would strongly recommend pass. The recoil is harsh, more harsh than a similar sized 9mm. The trigger is long and creepy in either DA or SA. Sights were good though.

jimku · July 23, 2020, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zincwarrior

Both the wife and a friend had one. Both became jammomatics and repeatedly broke after 1,000 rounds.

I would strongly recommend pass. The recoil is harsh, more harsh than a similar sized 9mm. The trigger is long and creepy in either DA or SA. Sights were good though.

Well, I couldn't disagree more. MY Thunder Plus is a joy to shoot, very mild recoil, accurate, eats anything I stuff in it, and has gone well over 1,000 rounds without a single hiccup of any kind, has a very smooth DA trigger and a SA trigger with a very clean break. It is also the safest gun I can find to carry. I can't recommend this gun highly enough.

stinkeypete · July 23, 2020, 05:34 PM

My Thunder .380 had a failure to feed at the range last month. I was stunned. Mine as never failed before. I have found Winchester white box to be good enough to hold the NRA bullseye target at 25 yards offhand and my handloads are even more accurate.

It’s not a good gun for the money, it’s a good gun that just happens to not cost a lot.

Mine is used as a field pistol to drop in my jacket pocket in the Autumn. After getting my revolver, the Bersa stays home more as policing the brass in tall grass is futile.

I like the safety of the double/single action and safety. I’ve trained and grabbing the pistol, disengaging the safety is automatic for me and the trigger, both double and single action, are very good out of the box.

I made the mistake of selling my Bersa and Walther PPK about 20 years ago- a while back I HAD to have my Bersa back so I bought another. Having owned both I honestly like the Bersa better, money is no object.

JERRYS. · July 23, 2020, 05:37 PM

one of the better blow back 380s out there. surprisingly less "felt" recoil than either a Walther pp/ppk or a Sig p232.

Shadow9mm · July 23, 2020, 05:40 PM

had one a several years back. great little gun. it did have a break in period of about 200rnds. before that it would usually fail to feed near the middle of the magazine. My only complaint was slide mounted safety. It works find, i just do not prefer that placement for a safety.

HighValleyRanch · July 23, 2020, 06:07 PM

Quote:

one of the better blow back 380s out there. surprisingly less "felt" recoil than either a Walther pp/ppk or a Sig p232

Comparing a Bersa to a Sig P230 or 232 is like comparing a KIA to a Porsche! They both get you their, and the KIA is cheaper, but some people love class and beauty!
Bet you can guess which of the two I have!

defjon · July 24, 2020, 12:04 PM

Bersa duo tone was my first gun, a long time ago.

All I had for years!

Never a failure.

Superior, in my experience, to the sig p230/p232, those have a real problem losing their extractors.

Better sights, recoil, and handling then the ppk, certainly better reliability too.

Military issued weapon for a south American country as well, I believe.

Nowadays, an ec9 might be a better choice for the same kind of money.

But bersa is a good choice in my experience.

jimku · July 25, 2020, 03:51 PM

I really love my Bersa Thunder Plus.

So far (over 1,000 rounds) not a single hiccup.
I really love how safe it is to carry. With the de-cocker engaged, the trigger is completely deactivated, there is a solid steel block between the frame and hammer, as well as an internal safety.
The safety (de-cocking lever) is just back-wards from that of a 1911, but I have gotten to where it is automatic for me to flip it off when grabbing the gun.
I usually carry it in the large inside pocket of my down vest, but I have two very nice easily-concealed holsters for it, one strong-side and one cross-draw.
Any of the three locations work very well for concealment.
My primary carry gun these days is a 5-shot 357 snubby. But my Thunder Plus is ALWAYS there for a back-up with 16 rounds of zombie-whacker.
Loaded with alternating rounds of Underwood Xtreme Defender and Xtreme Penetrator ammo, it is right in there with most 9mm ... dissenting opinions to be ignored.

This is my Thunder .22LR but my Thunder Plus 380 is the same size and fits this same holster very well. The .22 makes for great inexpensive training for my 380 and keeps obsessive wear away from it.

SwissArmyTenor · July 27, 2020, 12:47 PM

Solid guns at a good price. If you feel it would be the gun that fits your needs & likes, don't hesitate.

mk70ss · July 27, 2020, 05:01 PM

Never heard a bad thing about them....ever

July 1, 2020, 06:46 PM	#1
jimku Junior member Join Date: January 2, 2017 Posts: 291	Bersa Thunder 380 ... what do you think? Bersa Thunder 380 ... what do you think? https://youtu.be/1Kwa_FMxQfY https://youtu.be/f77kn9JQXag https://youtu.be/6F5rPTHcrmg I carry the Thunder Plus in my vest pocket almost every day, so no need to ask what I think. I keep it loaded with alternating rounds of Underwood Xtreme Defender and Xtreme Penetrator. Last edited by jimku; July 1, 2020 at 07:13 PM.

July 2, 2020, 10:11 AM	#3
aarondhgraham Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2009 Location: Stillwater, OKlahoma Posts: 8,638	I've owned one for many years now,,, I've owned one for many years now,,, Both the .22 LR and .380 versions. Very solid guns,,, Dependable as Old Faithful. I heartily recommend them as good reliable handguns. Aarond . __________________ Never ever give an enemy the advantage of a verbal threat. Caje: The coward dies a thousand times, the brave only once. Kirby: That's about all it takes, ain't it? Aarond is good,,, Aarond is wise,,, Always trust Aarond! (most of the time)

July 23, 2020, 05:34 PM	#10
stinkeypete Senior Member Join Date: July 22, 2010 Location: Madison, Wisconsin Posts: 1,293	My Thunder .380 had a failure to feed at the range last month. I was stunned. Mine as never failed before. I have found Winchester white box to be good enough to hold the NRA bullseye target at 25 yards offhand and my handloads are even more accurate. It’s not a good gun for the money, it’s a good gun that just happens to not cost a lot. Mine is used as a field pistol to drop in my jacket pocket in the Autumn. After getting my revolver, the Bersa stays home more as policing the brass in tall grass is futile. I like the safety of the double/single action and safety. I’ve trained and grabbing the pistol, disengaging the safety is automatic for me and the trigger, both double and single action, are very good out of the box. I made the mistake of selling my Bersa and Walther PPK about 20 years ago- a while back I HAD to have my Bersa back so I bought another. Having owned both I honestly like the Bersa better, money is no object. __________________ My book "The Pheasant Hunter's Action Adventure Cookbook" is now on Amazon. Tall tales, hunting tips, butchering from bird to the freezer, and recipes.

July 23, 2020, 05:40 PM	#12
Shadow9mm Senior Member Join Date: March 21, 2012 Location: Indianapolis, IN Posts: 3,973	had one a several years back. great little gun. it did have a break in period of about 200rnds. before that it would usually fail to feed near the middle of the magazine. My only complaint was slide mounted safety. It works find, i just do not prefer that placement for a safety. __________________ I don't believe in "range fodder" that is why I reload.

July 25, 2020, 03:51 PM	#15
jimku Junior member Join Date: January 2, 2017 Posts: 291	I really love my Bersa Thunder Plus. So far (over 1,000 rounds) not a single hiccup. I really love how safe it is to carry. With the de-cocker engaged, the trigger is completely deactivated, there is a solid steel block between the frame and hammer, as well as an internal safety. The safety (de-cocking lever) is just back-wards from that of a 1911, but I have gotten to where it is automatic for me to flip it off when grabbing the gun. I usually carry it in the large inside pocket of my down vest, but I have two very nice easily-concealed holsters for it, one strong-side and one cross-draw. Any of the three locations work very well for concealment. My primary carry gun these days is a 5-shot 357 snubby. But my Thunder Plus is ALWAYS there for a back-up with 16 rounds of zombie-whacker. Loaded with alternating rounds of Underwood Xtreme Defender and Xtreme Penetrator ammo, it is right in there with most 9mm ... dissenting opinions to be ignored. This is my Thunder .22LR but my Thunder Plus 380 is the same size and fits this same holster very well. The .22 makes for great inexpensive training for my 380 and keeps obsessive wear away from it. Last edited by jimku; July 27, 2020 at 07:06 PM.

July 1, 2020, 06:59 PM	#2
SHR970 Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2011 Posts: 1,427	As posted in another thread, I have a "disabled" (aka wheel chair bound) friend that has one and can use it. His wife is also an ADA qualified individual. She can also use it. Theirs has been solid; neither of them feels unarmed.

July 2, 2020, 10:31 AM	#4
Mosin44az Senior Member Join Date: January 15, 2006 Posts: 2,585	Good. My CC version wasn’t perfect, but was reliable enough. Although I found the sights hard to see and the grip tang too short for comfort on recoil. I recommend the standard version as better in both respects. Actually thought the standard Thunder 380 shot better than a SIG P232 when I rented both once. These days there are smaller, more pocketable choices that are just as shootable and also more powerful. Time marches on. But especially for the price, Thunder 380 still a good choice.

July 2, 2020, 06:18 PM	#5
JBB Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 2007 Location: SW Florida Posts: 105	I’ve had one for years and love it. Perfectly reliable and easy to shoot. The poor man’s PPK. (I have the nickel plated version)

July 23, 2020, 10:46 AM	#6
Samantha7 Member Join Date: October 27, 2019 Posts: 17	I bought a combat version of the Bersa .380 with the green grips 8 shot. It was used in mint condition. It was an impulse buy. This pistol has never jammed! It eats up everything I load into it. I extremely impressed by this pistol. I have 3 factory magazines and a factory holster for it too. I highly recommend this pistol.

July 23, 2020, 01:37 PM	#7
KyJim Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2005 Location: The Bluegrass Posts: 9,142	I haven't carried or shot my Bersa Thunder in a long time, but it carried and concealed very well. It was also reliable and accurate enough.

July 23, 2020, 03:12 PM	#8
zincwarrior Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2011 Location: Texas, land of Tex-Mex Posts: 2,259	Both the wife and a friend had one. Both became jammomatics and repeatedly broke after 1,000 rounds. I would strongly recommend pass. The recoil is harsh, more harsh than a similar sized 9mm. The trigger is long and creepy in either DA or SA. Sights were good though.

July 23, 2020, 05:37 PM	#11
JERRYS. Senior Member Join Date: September 23, 2013 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,968	one of the better blow back 380s out there. surprisingly less "felt" recoil than either a Walther pp/ppk or a Sig p232.

July 24, 2020, 12:04 PM	#14
defjon Senior Member Join Date: January 14, 2005 Posts: 785	Bersa duo tone was my first gun, a long time ago. All I had for years! Never a failure. Superior, in my experience, to the sig p230/p232, those have a real problem losing their extractors. Better sights, recoil, and handling then the ppk, certainly better reliability too. Military issued weapon for a south American country as well, I believe. Nowadays, an ec9 might be a better choice for the same kind of money. But bersa is a good choice in my experience.

July 27, 2020, 12:47 PM	#16
SwissArmyTenor Member Join Date: January 31, 2018 Posts: 15	Solid guns at a good price. If you feel it would be the gun that fits your needs & likes, don't hesitate.

July 27, 2020, 05:01 PM	#17
mk70ss Senior Member Join Date: January 12, 2008 Location: Tennessee Posts: 1,598	Never heard a bad thing about them....ever __________________ Say when.....