Bersa 380

[edgetrip]

I notidced on the edc handgun thread a number of people mentioned this gun and I would like to hear pros/cons from users. A friend just asked me about it and I am not familiar with the particuliar piece so your thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks

[AirForceShooter]

I've had mine for about 2 years now.
for $200 or a little less it's the best buy on the market.
It's incredibly accurate and very reliable.
Light and easy to carry in an IWB, I use a Don Hume and I'm getting a K&D Paddle.
Fun to shoot and if ,you can place the round accurately, deadly as hell.

AFS

[Desertrat1]

In my opinion the Bersa Thunder 380 is an excellent secondary CCW weapon. *It is very small and will easily fit in the small of the back or in an ankle harness. *If you have big hands it feels pretty puny in your hand. *I'm not a big proponent of a .380 as a primary self defense weapon because of the limited knock down power of the cartridge. *That being said, Bersa makes a pretty decent firearm. *They're reliable and sturdy for a small handgun.

[kimigirl]

I love my Bersa. They are inexpensive, very reliable, and have a great service centers when you do need them. Also, it is very light weight and easy to use.

[gearloose]

I work in a gun store and we sell all most as many Bersa's as we do Glocks. They just work.We have a range Bersa that has more rounds through it than any one person could ever expext to shoot, 12K or better. We have had to replace a spring or two but all in all these are really great little guns.Supply chain of Bersa's may hit snag soon with illness of American importer. I f you want one grab it up soon.

[Xring04]

Great little pistols for the money. I even like mine more than a mak.

[michael t]

I ve had mine a little over 2 years will shoot with my PPK/S and has a better trigger. All this for 1/2 the price of a PPK/S.

bersatalk.com is were we can be found

[Jim101]

Ditto, I have had mine for about 2 yrs. love it..

Jim

[adorable_harree]

I've been hearing a lot og good things about this gun. I'm getting influenced by this forum again...Will try to pick one up this year in the 13 shot version.

Looks handsome too.

[DetroitMatt]

Great gun. I ended up trading it for a Kel-Tec P3AT just because I liked the super small size. I miss the Bersa though. It was very well made, reliable, and easy to use and carry. The fit and finish wasn't the greatest, but like I said built very well. For the money, it's an amazing deal.

[DB]

Should have mine in hand in the next week or so. I'm getting antsy waiting for it... :woohoo:

[hso]

They're a good value for a gun that won't be used for in heavy training. We've had 2 people come to classes with them and they both broke by day 2. The solution may be to purchase 2 and use one to train and one to carry.

[Jim101]

I've had mine for about 3 yrs. now with no problems, I shoot it at the range every month or so, ~200 rounds each time..

Jim

[DB]

:mailbox: My Bersa 380 just got in today! Can't wait to get out and break it in... :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:


http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e231/piekkola/submissions/bersa1.jpg

[DB]

Another pic of my new baby...



http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e231/piekkola/submissions/bersa2.jpg

[adorable_harree]

They're a good value for a gun that won't be used for in heavy training. We've had 2 people come to classes with them and they both broke by day 2. The solution may be to purchase 2 and use one to train and one to carry.


wow. Thats bad. How ammo intensive was the course? how many estimated rounds before they broke on day two? So this is the problem with the gun...thanks for the heads-up.

[DB]

wow. Thats bad. How ammo intensive was the course? how many estimated rounds before they broke on day two? So this is the problem with the gun...thanks for the heads-up.


I know three long time owners, and this is the first I've heard of this too. Once I start using mine, I'll report back if I have any problems. *knock on wood*

[DB]

Took it out to the range tonight. Had one jam out of 50 shots, and that was during a rapid fire session. Need to get used to it, but it seems to be a great little gun.

[el_diabl0]

I love mine also. Not a problem with it. I bought the rubber grips with finger grooves also and they feel much better to grip.

As far as .380 for stopping power, I just figure that's why it's not a single-shot. If the first one doesn't work, pull the trigger again. My CCW instructor taught us to use double-taps anyway.

[DB]

I'd like to be able to sight it in better, but noticed I can only adjust left/right. Has anyone replaced the sights on theirs?

[0dBm]

Bersa makes extensive use of investment casting (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Investment_casting) to make their product. It is economical and several firearms manufacturers are currently utilizing this technology to minimize their operating costs and make an affordable product. One notable maker is Ruger. Their current line of semiautomatic pistols consistently capture a significant share of the law enforcement market that was once the stamping ground for such icons as Smith & Wesson and Colt.

Ruger makes a comparatively inexpensive firearm that appeals to the budget-minded administrator because that company also provides support.

Bersa's product does not appeal to the police agencies likely because they do not make a service handgun. Their product's niche is the civilian market.

Bersa's pistols do not receive the additional care in the form of semi-custom fitting and "he-horning"- a process whereby the sharp edges of the firearm that are present due to the casting molds are not rounded and radiused. These pistols receive only the necessary but very perfunctory checks for functionality before shipment.

In concert with casting the parts, avoiding the tedious custom work with this type of handgun definitely has a place in the budgets of many not able to afford others.

I have tested one about 2 years ago. As a pistolsmith myself, I certainly did scoff at the relative crudeness of the product with respect to what I have stated here, however I would not admonish the fact that it only jammed once with the one hundred rounds that I fired through it.

I would have loved to have reworked it so that it would function like the reworked Walther PPK/S that I had brought to compare it.

[Scrotis]

I've had a Bersa Thunder for a couple years now and it's what I choose to carry every day. I find it's the perfect compromise between a "pocket" pistol and a "full size" pistol. It was a little prone to jamming when I bought it, but a polish job on the feed ramp (done at home, took maybe half an hour) and a couple boxes of ammo fixed that just fine. I've put several hundred rounds through it and had no major malfunctions.

Edit: I forgot to mention my favorite characteristic of the Thunder. This pistol without question has the easiest, fastest, most ergonomically-friendly field stripping procedure of any pistol that I've ever owned. None of that pulling on the trigger guard crap, no pins to pound out, et cetera. Just depress the takedown lever with your index finger as you hold the pistol by its grip and pull the slide back, then off. Reverse the operation to replace it. I couldn't think of a better way to disassemble a pistol in the field.

[DB]

I've had a Bersa Thunder for a couple years now and it's what I choose to carry every day. I find it's the perfect compromise between a "pocket" pistol and a "full size" pistol. It was a little prone to jamming when I bought it, but a polish job on the feed ramp (done at home, took maybe half an hour) and a couple boxes of ammo fixed that just fine. I've put several hundred rounds through it and had no major malfunctions.

Edit: I forgot to mention my favorite characteristic of the Thunder. This pistol without question has the easiest, fastest, most ergonomically-friendly field stripping procedure of any pistol that I've ever owned. None of that pulling on the trigger guard crap, no pins to pound out, et cetera. Just depress the takedown lever with your index finger as you hold the pistol by its grip and pull the slide back, then off. Reverse the operation to replace it. I couldn't think of a better way to disassemble a pistol in the field.


I'm interested about the mod you did to fix the jamming. Could you post a pic of the feedramp you worked on so we could see the results?

[Scrotis]

I'm interested about the mod you did to fix the jamming. Could you post a pic of the feedramp you worked on so we could see the results?


Sure. It's simple. Just to clarify for any who aren't familiar with the term, the feed ramp is the bit o' metal that guides the bullet up into the barrel. If it's rough or burred the bullet may hang up and result in jams, which is why making sure the feed ramp is nicely polished is a good place to start if your pistol isn't performing right. If you have a Dremel or similar rotary tool it won't take any time at all. Just buy some light rubbing compound from any hardware/automotive store (not the heavy abrasive stuff, don't want to remove much metal) and spread some on one of those felt wheels for the rotary tool. Dampen it and wipe off excess so it doesn't splatter all over the damn place as soon as you turn the thing on. With the rotary tool on a low RPM setting (if selectable), gently polish the feed ramp with the wheel turning in the direction the bullet will travel (towards the barrel), and care to polish the entire surface evenly so as to not create a low point. Again, you don't want to remove much metal, so just go over the surface of the feed ramp enough to make it all smooth and polished to the touch. You'll want to clean your pistol after this job as you'll undoubtedly have filled the barrel with rubbing compound, metal rubbings, bits of felt and any other such crap.

If you don't have a rotary tool (and don't want to invest $20 in one), you can do the job similarly with some fine emery cloth, or a rag and the same rubbing compound. It'll just take longer and you'll have to pay more attention to keeping your strokes in uniform direction. Here's a picture of my feed ramp now that it's polished.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v441/Pseudo_Name/BersaFeedRamp.jpg

[DB]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v441/Pseudo_Name/BersaFeedRamp.jpg



Thanks! I've just recently gotten my Bersa 380, and I wouldn't even call it broken in yet. I've only put 50 rounds through it, and experienced one jam in the process. I'll wait until I've had a few more rounds through it, and if I'm still having problems, I know what to do!

O0

[Sgt. LED]

Got to agree that it's a best buy. Never had to work on one with a problem. I put close to 1K rnds thru 1, only quit when the chamber was too dirty to fit another round in it. And that only happened 4 times. I like to really work them over before I reccomend a handgun to someone. and Winchester white box 380 @ Walmart is really cheap!

[Hepcat85]

A buddy of mine picked one up for himself.....and then a month later bought TWO more, one for his dad and one for his brother. Great budget pistol.

[BurkC]

EDC my Bersa Thunder 380 in an IWB Uncle Mikes nylon holster. Neither is fancy or expensive but very thin and comfortable to wear. They both work!