My Bersa baby

jimku · June 23, 2020, 11:51 PM

I love my Bersa Thunder Plus 380. Utterly, totally reliable, very accurate, nice trigger and 16 rounds, and for me totally and easily concealable because I wear a puffer vest 90% of the time with large pockets and a longish nylon windbreaker when I'm not. And best of all it is totally safe to carry ready to go with one in the pipe ... with its decocker lever down the hammer is blocked and the trigger totally deactivated. I have well over 1,000 rounds through this gun without a single hiccup. I carry it with alternating rounds of Underwood Xtreme Defendor and Xtreme Penetrator ammo.

Some of us are VERY opinionated and set in our ways like carved in granite. When it comes to striker-fired guns, guns without a safety, and guns without an exposed hammer that can be thumb-cocked and/or de-cocked, I am definitely in that camp and won't even CONSIDER carrying one. I am the same way about all DA-only guns. You couldn't PAY me enough to carry one. Please do not try to convince me otherwise, you will be wasting your time and energy. Please do not consider this a challenge, just regard it for what is, my statement from me to you that on this score I am one of the most opinionated, stubborn, dug-in oafs you will find on this Earth. Admittedly so, but carved in granite nonetheless.

bedbugbilly · June 24, 2020, 10:42 AM

Hey . . . some folks like oranges and some folks like apples . . . .

I would never try to convince someone to carry something that they don't like or they don't feel is "safe".

I agree with you . . . the Bersa 380s are nice - in fact I even owned one that I bought used BUT that the previous owner had done a "trigger job" on - he should have had his tools taken away from him. After the initial DA shot when it went to SA, the trigger was so sensitive that just the recoil and the finger near the trigger would set it off with a double tap. It went back t the LG there I bought it. Would I own another Bersa - certainly and if I could find one at this point in time, I'd buy it.

I carried revolvers for a long time - K frame and J frame and still do carry a Smith 36 snub or the same in a 3" as I have both models. I went to a 9mm Minid Glock as I wanted increase capacity. Never owned a Glock before and I have been shooting for 55_ years. No safety and one in the tube holstered OTWB. Do I feel it is "unsafe"? Not in the least. I also have a couple of Smith Shields - OMG!! They have safeties on them but when I am carrying them in a holster - the safety is off and one in the tube. Do I think they are "unsafe"? No.

Situations happen in nano-seconds and it's up to the individual to train, train and then train and to also keeps their blasstred finger off the trigger unless they intend to shoot. ANY firearm can malfunction . . . . even a Bersa. There is no "perfect" firearm and it's up to the individual to determine what serves them best.

Glad you have found the perfect handgun for your needs . . . enjoy it!

Forte S+W · June 24, 2020, 11:28 AM

I really like the Bersa Thunder 380 Combat and actually came really close the getting one, but ultimately I decided that I wanted a Walther PPK/S more and didn't want to settle for less. (Not to say that the Bersa Thunder 380 is a lesser gun than the PPK/S, merely that I didn't want to settle for less than my own personal desire to own a PPK/S.)

I also came really close to getting a Bersa Thunder 380CC, but ultimately ended up getting a Ruger LCP instead.

Bersa is a company with a really interesting history, it's basically an offshoot of Beretta because it's founders were all Italian immigrants who originally worked for Beretta before they moved to Argentina and began a business of their own. Although oddly enough, most of their firearms are based on Walther designs ratner than Beretta.

What I like most about Bersa is that they offer high quality firearms of more classic design at an affordable price. I've repeatedly eyeballed their offerings with great enthusiasm, but just when I'm about to buy one I end up getting something else instead. *shrugs*

aarondhgraham · June 24, 2020, 12:10 PM

Bersa should be paying me money,,,
I've sold a lot of guns for them.

Like you,,,
I believe that a DA/SA with exposed hammer and de-cocker,,,
Is an ideal weapon both for concealed carry and for training newbies.

I have a matching pair of Bersa Thunders in .22 and 380,,,

They are my go-to guns whenever I take a newbie to the range.

I've been taking college kids shooting for over eleven years now,,,
Several of them have purchased a Bersa for themselves,,,
As far as I know they are all happy with them.

I have only fired the "Combat" version a few times,,,
But I do appreciate the extra rounds and smoother physical profile.

If that were the only fiery-arm I owned,,,
I would feel well armed indeed.

Aarond

.

jimku · June 24, 2020, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aarondhgraham

Bersa should be paying me money,,,
I've sold a lot of guns for them.

Like you,,,
I believe that a DA/SA with exposed hammer and de-cocker,,,
Is an ideal weapon both for concealed carry and for training newbies.

I have a matching pair of Bersa Thunders in .22 and 380,,,

They are my go-to guns whenever I take a newbie to the range.

I've been taking college kids shooting for over eleven years now,,,
Several of them have purchased a Bersa for themselves,,,
As far as I know they are all happy with them.

I have only fired the "Combat" version a few times,,,
But I do appreciate the extra rounds and smoother physical profile.

If that were the only fiery-arm I owned,,,
I would feel well armed indeed.

Aarond
.

I also have a Bersa Thunder .22 that matches my 380 Thunder Plus except for the grip is slightly skinnier. Fed a steady diet of CCI mini mags, it gobbles them up by the thousand and never even burps. Great for training and murdering tin cans.

But for serious plinking and serious accuracy I go to my Ruger MKIII Competition with a full compliment of Volquartsen parts and a very nice red dot with a small dot. That thing is like shooting a rifle. It totally murderizes pop cans at 100 yards and more all day long. Off of a rest it will shoot full-magazine groups just a little bigger than a dime at 25 yards. It will gobble up any fodder you feed it, but I only shoot CCI mini mags.

jimku · June 24, 2020, 01:19 PM

Sorry I am such a stickler about the type of gun I will carry. I know many swear by their Glocks and other striker-fired guns, and that's fine and I wish them all well. It's just that personally I would never really trust one to be safe and it most likely would be left at home and not there when I might need it. Try as I might, I just can't get my head to embrace a "Don't pull the trigger" concept ... at all. Never mind that I can't shoot a DA gun worth a hill of beans ... would be better off throwing the gun at the bad guy.

I really tried to change my stubborn mind. I bought an expensive Kahr MK40 Elite and REALLY TRIED to like it. But I hate it. I have burned up probably a grand worth of ammo, watching DA trigger mastery videos, tons of dry-firing, on and on, trying to learn to shoot that long, smooth DA trigger to absolutely no avail. I still can't even keep a full magazine on the paper at 7 yards.

jetinteriorguy · June 24, 2020, 05:45 PM

Hey, stick with whatever works for you. I do.

stinkeypete · June 25, 2020, 11:40 AM

Last week I had the first stovepipe (failure to eject) with my Bersa .380. In 20 years.

I am working on accuracy handloads and started VERY light. I am keeping ALL load variations are keeping 8 of 10 on paper at 25 yards and the accuracy loads are all in the scoring ring of nra 25 yard slow fire bullseye targets.

Time to load up more. If we have Bullseye league this winter it might be fun to use the Bersa Thunder for Centerfire. Accuracy is still not what I expect and I’m starting to wonder why- simple blowback... hmmm. I am expecting under 2” at 25 yards.

Prof Young · June 25, 2020, 07:41 PM

I had a Bersa Thunder CC. I really like the way it handled and it had all the features I wanted in a CC gun. But it had to go back to the shop as the slide would not stay locked back. Then it started doing a fail to eject thing and so I sent it on it's way.

Maybe I should try one again.

Life is good.
Prof Young

the45er · July 6, 2020, 08:33 AM

Don't you know a 380 ACP has no stopping power?? LOL

This is what rides between my truck seat and console 100% of the time, a Sig P238 SAS in 380 ACP. When I carry (which is a lot more often now that we live in a country that openly tolerates looters and violent rioters), I have it's big brother, a 9mm Sig P938 SAS.

Don't ever worry about what someone else thinks about your choice of ways to protect yourself!!!!

jimku · July 6, 2020, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the45er

Don't ever worry about what someone else thinks about your choice of ways to protect yourself!!!!

Never fear, I don't give a hoot in Hades what someone else thinks!

Strong side sometimes I pack a 357, sometimes my 1911 45ACP, sometimes my little Llama MicroMax 380 ... but my Bersa Thunder Plus is always on me for a backup.

SwissArmyTenor · July 27, 2020, 06:07 PM

I would love a Bersa Thunder in .22 Magnum!

JDBerg · July 28, 2020, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stinkeypete:

...If we have Bullseye league this winter it might be fun to use the Bersa Thunder for Centerfire. Accuracy is still not what I expect and I’m starting to wonder why- simple blowback... hmmm. I am expecting under 2” at 25 yards.

That should be good for a few laughs anyway. One question I have, is there a Bersa .380 ACP Match Target model out there that I haven’t heard of before?

Trooper Joe · July 29, 2020, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prof Young

I had a Bersa Thunder CC. I really like the way it handled and it had all the features I wanted in a CC gun. But it had to go back to the shop as the slide would not stay locked back. Then it started doing a fail to eject thing and so I sent it on it's way.

Maybe I should try one again.

Life is good.
Prof Young

I had the same problem of the slide not holding back. Was told different reasons from "they are designed that way" to "The slide material is too soft". Bersa replaced my CC model with .22LR model which did the same thing.

Contacted Eagle Imports several years later to see if they had addressed this widely reported problem and all they said that their guns had an excellent warranty.

This problem occurs usually during the first range trip with a new gun. I would like to buy another CC model but after loosing hundreds of dollars on three Bersa's, I hate to send more money away. Bersa needs to copy Advantage Arms and insert a hardened piece of metal at the rear of the slide hold open notch in the slide.

Trooper Joe

jimku · July 29, 2020, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trooper Joe

I had the same problem of the slide not holding back. Was told different reasons from "they are designed that way" to "The slide material is too soft". Bersa replaced my CC model with .22LR model which did the same thing.

Contacted Eagle Imports several years later to see if they had addressed this widely reported problem and all they said that their guns had an excellent warranty.

This problem occurs usually during the first range trip with a new gun. I would like to buy another CC model but after loosing hundreds of dollars on three Bersa's, I hate to send more money away. Bersa needs to copy Advantage Arms and insert a hardened piece of metal at the rear of the slide hold open notch in the slide.

Trooper Joe

I haven't had any problem of any kind whatsoever with either my Thunder Plus 380 or Thunder 22, both purchased during 2020.

Trooper Joe · July 30, 2020, 06:41 AM

"I haven't had any problem of any kind whatsoever with either my Thunder Plus 380 or Thunder 22, both purchased during 2020."

HMM,

Maybe I will try another CC model. Hope they fixed this slide hold open issue.

Any other thoughts gang?

Trooper Joe

June 23, 2020, 11:51 PM	#1
jimku Junior member Join Date: January 2, 2017 Posts: 291	My Bersa baby I love my Bersa Thunder Plus 380. Utterly, totally reliable, very accurate, nice trigger and 16 rounds, and for me totally and easily concealable because I wear a puffer vest 90% of the time with large pockets and a longish nylon windbreaker when I'm not. And best of all it is totally safe to carry ready to go with one in the pipe ... with its decocker lever down the hammer is blocked and the trigger totally deactivated. I have well over 1,000 rounds through this gun without a single hiccup. I carry it with alternating rounds of Underwood Xtreme Defendor and Xtreme Penetrator ammo. Some of us are VERY opinionated and set in our ways like carved in granite. When it comes to striker-fired guns, guns without a safety, and guns without an exposed hammer that can be thumb-cocked and/or de-cocked, I am definitely in that camp and won't even CONSIDER carrying one. I am the same way about all DA-only guns. You couldn't PAY me enough to carry one. Please do not try to convince me otherwise, you will be wasting your time and energy. Please do not consider this a challenge, just regard it for what is, my statement from me to you that on this score I am one of the most opinionated, stubborn, dug-in oafs you will find on this Earth. Admittedly so, but carved in granite nonetheless. Last edited by jimku; June 24, 2020 at 02:16 AM.

June 24, 2020, 10:42 AM	#2
bedbugbilly Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2009 Posts: 3,287	Hey . . . some folks like oranges and some folks like apples . . . . I would never try to convince someone to carry something that they don't like or they don't feel is "safe". I agree with you . . . the Bersa 380s are nice - in fact I even owned one that I bought used BUT that the previous owner had done a "trigger job" on - he should have had his tools taken away from him. After the initial DA shot when it went to SA, the trigger was so sensitive that just the recoil and the finger near the trigger would set it off with a double tap. It went back t the LG there I bought it. Would I own another Bersa - certainly and if I could find one at this point in time, I'd buy it. I carried revolvers for a long time - K frame and J frame and still do carry a Smith 36 snub or the same in a 3" as I have both models. I went to a 9mm Minid Glock as I wanted increase capacity. Never owned a Glock before and I have been shooting for 55_ years. No safety and one in the tube holstered OTWB. Do I feel it is "unsafe"? Not in the least. I also have a couple of Smith Shields - OMG!! They have safeties on them but when I am carrying them in a holster - the safety is off and one in the tube. Do I think they are "unsafe"? No. Situations happen in nano-seconds and it's up to the individual to train, train and then train and to also keeps their blasstred finger off the trigger unless they intend to shoot. ANY firearm can malfunction . . . . even a Bersa. There is no "perfect" firearm and it's up to the individual to determine what serves them best. Glad you have found the perfect handgun for your needs . . . enjoy it! __________________ If a pair of '51 Navies were good enough for Billy Hickok, then a single Navy on my right hip is good enough for me . . . besides . . . I'm probably only half as good as he was anyways. Hiram's Rangers Badge #63

June 24, 2020, 11:28 AM	#3
Forte S+W Senior Member Join Date: October 12, 2019 Posts: 819	I really like the Bersa Thunder 380 Combat and actually came really close the getting one, but ultimately I decided that I wanted a Walther PPK/S more and didn't want to settle for less. (Not to say that the Bersa Thunder 380 is a lesser gun than the PPK/S, merely that I didn't want to settle for less than my own personal desire to own a PPK/S.) I also came really close to getting a Bersa Thunder 380CC, but ultimately ended up getting a Ruger LCP instead. Bersa is a company with a really interesting history, it's basically an offshoot of Beretta because it's founders were all Italian immigrants who originally worked for Beretta before they moved to Argentina and began a business of their own. Although oddly enough, most of their firearms are based on Walther designs ratner than Beretta. What I like most about Bersa is that they offer high quality firearms of more classic design at an affordable price. I've repeatedly eyeballed their offerings with great enthusiasm, but just when I'm about to buy one I end up getting something else instead. shrugs __________________ Conspiracy theorists are the greatest political spin-doctors of all time. Only they can make the absolute worst political blunders sound like spectacular feats of ingenuity.

June 24, 2020, 12:10 PM	#4
aarondhgraham Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2009 Location: Stillwater, OKlahoma Posts: 8,638	Bersa should be paying me money,,, Bersa should be paying me money,,, I've sold a lot of guns for them. Like you,,, I believe that a DA/SA with exposed hammer and de-cocker,,, Is an ideal weapon both for concealed carry and for training newbies. I have a matching pair of Bersa Thunders in .22 and 380,,, They are my go-to guns whenever I take a newbie to the range. I've been taking college kids shooting for over eleven years now,,, Several of them have purchased a Bersa for themselves,,, As far as I know they are all happy with them. I have only fired the "Combat" version a few times,,, But I do appreciate the extra rounds and smoother physical profile. If that were the only fiery-arm I owned,,, I would feel well armed indeed. 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)

June 24, 2020, 01:19 PM	#6
jimku Junior member Join Date: January 2, 2017 Posts: 291	Sorry I am such a stickler about the type of gun I will carry. I know many swear by their Glocks and other striker-fired guns, and that's fine and I wish them all well. It's just that personally I would never really trust one to be safe and it most likely would be left at home and not there when I might need it. Try as I might, I just can't get my head to embrace a "Don't pull the trigger" concept ... at all. Never mind that I can't shoot a DA gun worth a hill of beans ... would be better off throwing the gun at the bad guy. I really tried to change my stubborn mind. I bought an expensive Kahr MK40 Elite and REALLY TRIED to like it. But I hate it. I have burned up probably a grand worth of ammo, watching DA trigger mastery videos, tons of dry-firing, on and on, trying to learn to shoot that long, smooth DA trigger to absolutely no avail. I still can't even keep a full magazine on the paper at 7 yards. Last edited by jimku; June 24, 2020 at 01:30 PM.

June 24, 2020, 05:45 PM	#7
jetinteriorguy Senior Member Join Date: April 28, 2013 Posts: 3,176	Hey, stick with whatever works for you. I do.

June 25, 2020, 11:40 AM	#8
stinkeypete Senior Member Join Date: July 22, 2010 Location: Madison, Wisconsin Posts: 1,293	Last week I had the first stovepipe (failure to eject) with my Bersa .380. In 20 years. I am working on accuracy handloads and started VERY light. I am keeping ALL load variations are keeping 8 of 10 on paper at 25 yards and the accuracy loads are all in the scoring ring of nra 25 yard slow fire bullseye targets. Time to load up more. If we have Bullseye league this winter it might be fun to use the Bersa Thunder for Centerfire. Accuracy is still not what I expect and I’m starting to wonder why- simple blowback... hmmm. I am expecting under 2” at 25 yards.

June 25, 2020, 07:41 PM	#9
Prof Young Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2007 Location: Illinois - down state Posts: 2,404	Had one but . . . I had a Bersa Thunder CC. I really like the way it handled and it had all the features I wanted in a CC gun. But it had to go back to the shop as the slide would not stay locked back. Then it started doing a fail to eject thing and so I sent it on it's way. Maybe I should try one again. Life is good. Prof Young

July 27, 2020, 06:07 PM	#12
SwissArmyTenor Member Join Date: January 31, 2018 Posts: 15	I would love a Bersa Thunder in .22 Magnum!

July 30, 2020, 06:41 AM	#16
Trooper Joe Senior Member Join Date: January 5, 2005 Location: Michigan Posts: 225	"I haven't had any problem of any kind whatsoever with either my Thunder Plus 380 or Thunder 22, both purchased during 2020." HMM, Maybe I will try another CC model. Hope they fixed this slide hold open issue. Any other thoughts gang? Trooper Joe Last edited by Trooper Joe; July 30, 2020 at 06:46 AM.