Bersa Thunder .380 Reviews?

[cow35f]

I have bought 3. One for me, one for my daughter and one (firestorm) for a friend. All have been great. You can't go wrong!

 

[dhw9am]

Best Gun

My Thunder 380, is totally relable after hundreds of rounds fired. I have never had any issues, using four different types of ammo.
Low price, extremely reliable, accurate, and so easy to take down and assemble.
I don't think the Thunder 380's (or CC versions) are just good guns for the money, they are the best guns in their class - period.

 

[1911ly]

I bough a new Dual Tone with the Crimson Trace grips. It was neat. Laser was cool but I could not get use to carrying a smaller pistol. My only complaint was steel cased ammo always had FTF issues. I had to bump my palm on the back of the slide to go it to battery. Not a gun issue. Cheap ammo issue! If your looking for small and quality I think it fits the bill. I traded it off but should have kept it for my son.

 

[code_red]

I had a CC. Shot great. Only reason I got rid of it was because I moved away from .380.

[ame]http://youtu.be/YsSqC1hErMc[/ame]

 

[Kev]

Thank you everyone for the feedback. I appreciate it all.
I'll look into the laserlight options, but i'm usually good with open sites.

Time to do some shoppin.

 

[GlockWielder]

I've got 2 of these.

I have 2 Bersa Thunders in my household and I would say they are an alright gun. I don't want to rain on your parade but I'm going to be honest. I have one that is a nickel coated and it is my favorite as far as looks go. The other one is a Bersa firestorm model with a black finish. I have a few complaints with the Thunder for sure. When we first bought the nickel finished Bersa, my initial thoughts went like this. There are now 9mm handguns that are more powerful at the same size and price range (Kahr CW9, Kel-Tec PF9, Ruger LC9). My first question is, why even go with a .380? Unless you are collecting calibers or you want a small pocket gun, the .380 is kinda pointless to me. Then my second thought was that it kind of looked like a Walther PPK which totally turned me on. Thirdly, it had a lot of safety mechanisms which would be good for Mom. So we picked it up and took it out to "The Compound" to see if it was all that everyone said it was. After 3 magazines the nickel coated Bersa had a life or death malfunction in the field. The extractor retaining pin came out resulting in the extractor and extractor spring flying out of the gun. Luckily I had my magnets near by so we found the extractor. I contacted the dealer I bought it from and he made it straight by ordering the extractor spring and the retaining pin. Already that was a big no, no for me. After the parts were shipped to me I installed them and it has been 100% henceforth. After all this, Dad goes and buys himself a Bersa Firestorm that matches moms but is a different color. So far he loves it. I do agree with Bill B on aftermarket magazines. I was shooting Sellier and Bellot ammo through an aftermarket magazine and it would jam up on the last round every time. I loaded up PMC through the same aftermarket magazine and it ran just fine. If you get a Bersa, get FACTORY mags!
After I have shot both of the guns I would say that they are a 7 on my rating list. The most important part of your CCW system is a quality holster that is comfortable. The Bersa scores a B on my ratings for that. There are quality made holsters that you can buy for the Bersa pistol. Fobus makes a decent OWB and Crossbreed and Desantis both make good tuckable holsters for it. In my experience with the Bersas and how they compare to other guns I would advise you to get a STAINLESS steel handgun or one with a very durable finish. When you CCW you are going to carry it a lot which means it will have wear and tear. You most likely will get sweat on your gun and sweat causes a ton of rust. The nickel finish is probably your best bet with the Bersas in this aspect. My final thoughts would be for you to check out the Kahr CW9 and the S&W M&P SHIELD pistol. These are far cheaper to shoot, have good holsters, used by police, and are made in America. If the Bersa is just your second kind of cool, go for it. Bersa stands by their product.

 

[joshualee49]

I have 2 Bersa Thunders in my household and I would say they are an alright gun. I don't want to rain on your parade but I'm going to be honest. I have one that is a nickel coated and it is my favorite as far as looks go. The other one is a Bersa firestorm model with a black finish. I have a few complaints with the Thunder for sure. When we first bought the nickel finished Bersa, my initial thoughts went like this. There are now 9mm handguns that are more powerful at the same size and price range (Kahr CW9, Kel-Tec PF9, Ruger LC9). My first question is, why even go with a .380? Unless you are collecting calibers or you want a small pocket gun, the .380 is kinda pointless to me. Then my second thought was that it kind of looked like a Walther PPK which totally turned me on. Thirdly, it had a lot of safety mechanisms which would be good for Mom. So we picked it up and took it out to "The Compound" to see if it was all that everyone said it was. After 3 magazines the nickel coated Bersa had a life or death malfunction in the field. The extractor retaining pin came out resulting in the extractor and extractor spring flying out of the gun. Luckily I had my magnets near by so we found the extractor. I contacted the dealer I bought it from and he made it straight by ordering the extractor spring and the retaining pin. Already that was a big no, no for me. After the parts were shipped to me I installed them and it has been 100% henceforth. After all this, Dad goes and buys himself a Bersa Firestorm that matches moms but is a different color. So far he loves it. I do agree with Bill B on aftermarket magazines. I was shooting Sellier and Bellot ammo through an aftermarket magazine and it would jam up on the last round every time. I loaded up PMC through the same aftermarket magazine and it ran just fine. If you get a Bersa, get FACTORY mags!
After I have shot both of the guns I would say that they are a 7 on my rating list. The most important part of your CCW system is a quality holster that is comfortable. The Bersa scores a B on my ratings for that. There are quality made holsters that you can buy for the Bersa pistol. Fobus makes a decent OWB and Crossbreed and Desantis both make good tuckable holsters for it. In my experience with the Bersas and how they compare to other guns I would advise you to get a STAINLESS steel handgun or one with a very durable finish. When you CCW you are going to carry it a lot which means it will have wear and tear. You most likely will get sweat on your gun and sweat causes a ton of rust. The nickel finish is probably your best bet with the Bersas in this aspect. My final thoughts would be for you to check out the Kahr CW9 and the S&W M&P SHIELD pistol. These are far cheaper to shoot, have good holsters, used by police, and are made in America. If the Bersa is just your second kind of cool, go for it. Bersa stands by their product.

Sounds to me like you just got a lemon off the line. Every manufacturer has them from time to time. As mentioned, Bersa CS is awesome and warranty is lifetime. Much like some of the others, I bought a CC Thunder for the Mrs. She hated the low profile sights so we traded it off. Wish I hadn't. That thing ran like a sewing machine.

I didn't have a nickel finish so I can't speak to that - but it makes sense.

Sorry your experience with Bersa was less than excellent. I give them 5 stars all the way for our specimen. The ONLY gripe I had with it was (IIRC) the mag disconnect. Not a fan of it in the first place, especially in a CC pistol.

 

[88E30M50]

I would agree. I, too, have had both and liked the Bersa much better. At least it didn't try to chew my thumb off!

Same experience here. I had, and liked Bersa's, but wished they made one in stainless. Since they don't, I bought a PPK/S in stainless figuring that it would be everything the Bersa was, and more. That was the worst gun money I've ever spent. The PPK feels great and looks like a quality firearm. It would be really good if it only worked as well as the Bersa does. I don't know how Walther can charge $550 and up for a gun that does not work nearly as well as the $270 Bersa 380.

 

[88E30M50]

Sounds to me like you just got a lemon off the line. Every manufacturer has them from time to time. As mentioned, Bersa CS is awesome and warranty is lifetime. Much like some of the others, I bought a CC Thunder for the Mrs. She hated the low profile sights so we traded it off. Wish I hadn't. That thing ran like a sewing machine.

I didn't have a nickel finish so I can't speak to that - but it makes sense.

Sorry your experience with Bersa was less than excellent. I give them 5 stars all the way for our specimen. The ONLY gripe I had with it was (IIRC) the mag disconnect. Not a fan of it in the first place, especially in a CC pistol.

Bersa CS is top notch. One of the Bersa 380s I bought used had a disconnector failure. I was up front about buying it used when I sent it in for service. After getting it, they called and told me that they did not like the barrel pin fit, so they were replacing the gun with a new one free of charge. I have never seen a company stand behind their products like Bersa does. Since then, I've owned a Bersa 9UC, 9HC and 45UC. All have been great guns, but if there ever is a problem, I am confident they will make it right.

 

[vwfred69]

Is the Bersa Firestorm as good as the Thunder? I received one in trade.

I have had one for years and won't get rid of it. My wife loves shooting it too.

 

[GlockWielder]

Sounds to me like you just got a lemon off the line. Every manufacturer has them from time to time. As mentioned, Bersa CS is awesome and warranty is lifetime. Much like some of the others, I bought a CC Thunder for the Mrs. She hated the low profile sights so we traded it off. Wish I hadn't. That thing ran like a sewing machine.

I didn't have a nickel finish so I can't speak to that - but it makes sense.

Sorry your experience with Bersa was less than excellent. I give them 5 stars all the way for our specimen. The ONLY gripe I had with it was (IIRC) the mag disconnect. Not a fan of it in the first place, especially in a CC pistol.

Yes, I agree with the bad lemon. It's been 100% since I've repaired it though.

 

[Kev]

Thanks GlockWielder for the other perspective. The 9mm vs. .380 debate could go on for years... but the name and rep is what has my attention.
Glad to hear things were made right with yours. And I will take to heart the stainless and factory mag comments. Thanks!

 

[LoriW]

My 2ndname handgun was a Bersa 380. I loved it! It shot well, fit very well in my (smaller) hands and was actually fairly easy for me to conceal IB when I wanted to. I wish I hadn't sold it now and it's on my list of potential guns to buy next year when my extra money isn't going towards a wedding.

 

[Redtbird]

In January I bought a Bersa Model 97 at a gun show. Great gun. Fit my hand perfectly. Good shooter. Only problem with it is I have never been able to find any additional magazines for it. Oh well...

August 4th, I purchased a new Bersa Thunder .380 Duo-Tone. I had the opportunity to take it to the range the next day, and all I can say about it is, "WOAH!" It ran smooth, felt as tho it had less recoil than the 97, and fit in my hand as nicely as the older Bersa.

I picked up four ProMags from Centerfire Systems ($16.99 each), and went back to the range on the 11th. Everything was fine. However, I did have two instances where the last round in the mag hung up. Dropped the mag, reseated the round and fired it. Don't know tho, if it was the same magazine both times. I will check on this the next time I go. I figure it might be the mag, but it could be the ammo.

Either way, I am VERY pleased with the Thunder. Next step will be getting a mag loader and walnut grips for it.

 

[Kev]

Loving the feedback! I went to a local dealer today and found a few models. Fit my hand nicely.

In addition to the gun reviews, I'd also like to open up recommendations for a good holster with the Bersa.

Those of you that have had the Thunder, any names/makes of a holster you would not live without??

I will primarily carry this when I want to CC. So keep that in mind. When I OC, I have my 1911. I am interested in right draw hip and small of back fittings.
Just doing all the homework I can!!

 

[Foxxwoof]

I just bought my T380 a couple of weeks ago because my full size 9mm was just too dang big to carry in everyday in the summer. I need more range time with it before I can attest to that part of it...

But on the holster question. I had bout a Galco Tuck-n-Go which I wore for less than a week and hated. I ended up picking up a Old Faithful Holsters stage 2 kit. It's similar to a Galco King Tuk or Crossbreed Supertuck and I love it. Plus it works out to about half the cost of the aforementioned 2 because (some assembly required) :P

 

[exphys2010]

I have one of the two tone Bersa Thunder 380's and I carry it occasionally. I do not have a bad thing to say about this firearm. 400 rounds through it and not one misfire, it is more accurate than most firearms with this barrel size, and the trigger pull is great. However, it is a bit bulkier than some of the other 380 pocket pistols that are currently on the market, but this bulkiness makes it a better shooter and seems to improve accuracy for me at least. If I were you I would definitely buy one, you will not have any regrets.

 

[IncendiaryGunner]

They are reliable, inexpensive, and pretty accurate for their size. My second carry gun was a Bersa Thunder, and after many other more costly purchases over the years I still carry mine on rare occasion.

I am able to fire my little Bersa with more consistent accuracy than most of my other pocket handguns. Maybe that is just me and my experiences, but as far as accuracy goes - the fixed barrel seems to lead to a pretty accurate pocket gun.

Cons - .380 is expensive, and is the weakest round I feel safe carrying for self defense. Modern pocket guns of similar size can be had in more powerful rounds.

Still, for a $200-$300 handgun that is reliable and easily concealed, the decision to buy one would not be a bad one in my opinion. Plus, at the price you pay for a Bersa Thunder, you don't worry as much about carry wear.

 

[Roadie]

A Bersa Thunder 380 DuoTone was my first handgun, and I wish I had never sold it. They are a great gun for the price. They can be a little picky on ammo, but the only brands I remember for sure that mine didnt like was the Blazer Aluminum and Wolff. YMMV

Do not, I repeat do NOT "fluff n buff" the feed ramp. The Bersa barrels are anodized, and the coating can be worn off if you try to machine polish it.

If you get the Nickel model, don't use acetone cleaner, it can pit the finish.

 

[dhw9am]

Only Bersa Mags

In January I bought a Bersa Model 97 at a gun show. Great gun. Fit my hand perfectly. Good shooter. Only problem with it is I have never been able to find any additional magazines for it. Oh well...

August 4th, I purchased a new Bersa Thunder .380 Duo-Tone. I had the opportunity to take it to the range the next day, and all I can say about it is, "WOAH!" It ran smooth, felt as tho it had less recoil than the 97, and fit in my hand as nicely as the older Bersa.

I picked up four ProMags from Centerfire Systems ($16.99 each), and went back to the range on the 11th. Everything was fine. However, I did have two instances where the last round in the mag hung up. Dropped the mag, reseated the round and fired it. Don't know tho, if it was the same magazine both times. I will check on this the next time I go. I figure it might be the mag, but it could be the ammo.

Either way, I am VERY pleased with the Thunder. Next step will be getting a mag loader and walnut grips for it.

This is one time, when the gun maker tells you only to use thier magazines, and they are correct. Bersa mags. are expensive, BUT they
work, everytime.
See Bersa Forum.