Bersa .380, Love It or Hate It?

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finesse_r

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Is it just me or do others out there also think that the Bersa Thunder .380 is one of the worse handguns on the market today? I may be wrong since I have never actually owned one, but I have seen several of people trying to shoot one of the things.

Every single Bersa .380 I have seen someone shooting has been a jam-o-matic. I realize that is just antidotal evidence and not very strong to form an opinion, but it is really about all I have to go on.

I mean they are pretty good looking little guns and they are certainly inexpensive to buy, but I think I would prefer a good pocket knife to carrying a Bersa.

This is not because it is not a S&W either, as I probably have as many Rugers as I have S&W and in revolvers I have more Rugers than S&W. I have carried Charter Arms and Colts in the past. I might even carry an older Rossi 720 if I had one, or some of the Taurus revolvers. But I really would take a good quality knife and some throwing rocks over a Bersa.
 
My girl friends has never had any problems. The gun feels really great in the hand too. I would chalk most failures up to not lubing or cleaning the thing correctly. Its definitely different from the other semi autos I own.

We bought a used one (not sure what the "break in period" is on them). When I took it apart to clean it, it was full of sludge. Looked like the first guy just pulled it out of the box, slapped a mag in and went to town until the gun stopped working. Then sold it back to the gun store. (gun store owner said this guy buys thing and sells them back a week or so later all the time)

They are kind of a pain to get apart, the way the parts mate makes me cringe... but the little guy shoots really accurate and like I said... .feels great in the hand. Im not trading my 442 or my fnx9 for it though.
 
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My wife has one she uses for a carry gun. It has fired everything we put in it, including hollow points, and my reloads. We looked at a lot of guns and she picked this one because it fit her best. She shoots it well and is comfortable with it.

We did have to make one repair; the slide catch broke. I called Bersa, they sent me one for free, I put it in, and no other problems.

I've shot it; it's a little small for my hands, but it shoots fine. We both like the gun.
 
I HAD one years ago I took in on trade. The metal in the slide was so soft the slide catch rounded off and the slide would not lock back. I literally had to use a file to square it up. I don't think it would be a surpirse to tell you I no longer have this gun and have NO desire to ever posess another.
 
I have had my Bersa 380 for 4 years and love it. One of the sweetest shooting pistols I have ever encountered. My buddy shot it a couple of times and got one for himself and he loves it. I agree you need to keep them clean and lubed but how is that a problem? For the record my other carry guns are a S&W 649 and MP9c and all three shoot accurately and reliably.

Where I'm going and how I'm dressed determines which one I bring but the Bersa is for me, the ultimate in concealed carry (Winchester 95 grain Silvertip hollow points in the 8 round mag).
 
One problem that plagues all mouse guns is limp wristing. I am sure if you contact customer service they will tell you they get guns returned all the time that they cannot duplicate the fault.

I have a Diamondback DB380. When i tried to shoot hollow points it would occasionally jam. If you're going to carry a .380 IMHO you need hollow points. I showed it to the gunsmith at the range and he stripped it ran into the back and I heard wheeeee. I must have looked funny because another clerk pointed to a magazine article posted there and told me Jeff had won awards. It took only a few moments and when I shot the gun again with hollow points they go through like water through a funnel. I still have the gun, but my carry gun is a Kel Tec PF-9.
 
A couple weeks ago I was shooting my Walther PPK/S .380 and my Nephew was shooting his Bersa .380. They shot about the same and each stovepiped once. My nephew was frustrated with the Bersa because the windage rear sight ran out of movement and still shot to one side. but it was pretty informal and both guns stacked up well to each other. His had a key lock and my fixed sight Walther looked like a Cadillac next to a Ford Pinto. Well, a really nice Ford Pinto.
 
My wife had a Bersa Thunder .380 and never had a single malfunction. I thought it was a good gun for the price point, but the metal was a little soft. We sold it recently because she is petite and concealing it was a bit difficult. It was not a high-end pistol, but certainly not a jam-o-matic.
 
I'v had one for several years. Had very few problems, shoots everything I run through it. I qualify with it for my backup every year and have no problems with accuracy or function. I was told by my gunsmith there is a known issue with the safety that the factory is aware of, tends to get tight and may sieze up the firing pin. They're trying to get the repair kits out to everyone right now.
 
Kanewpadle said:
Neither. I simply have no need for a 380 or a Bersa. My J frame solved that problem.;)
Click to expand...

That kind of sums it up for me, but I have to say I've heard and read more positives about the Bersa than negatives.

Apparently some of the people who were having problems traced them to limp-wristing, as mentioned above. Which to me is another argument for the J-frame, but I'm an old throwback.
 
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I rented one with the intention of buying it at the local indoor range It had been shot but was clean and lubed. Like the OP mine was a jamo with HP or FMJ, no limp wristing involved. Who knows, a different sample may have been stellar. In any case, I bought a CZ which ain't jammed yet.

BTW, I didn't buy it for self defense or for any specific reason. I bought it because I liked it. It looked all James Bondish and stuff! :D
 
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I've owned two of them (Bersa Thunder .380) and I didn't have any problems with mine. This was a couple of years ago, and I could not find magazines for them anywhere...so, I traded them. I also bought a BP9CC as soon as it came out, and that gun had the lightest trigger of any gun I have ever felt. If it was three pounds I'd be vastly surprised! I didn't keep it long...with no other safety, I was too worried about that light trigger.
 
GKC said:
I've owned two of them (Bersa Thunder .380) and I didn't have any problems with mine. This was a couple of years ago, and I could not find magazines for them anywhere...so, I traded them. I also bought a BP9CC as soon as it came out, and that gun had the lightest trigger of any gun I have ever felt. If it was three pounds I'd be vastly surprised! I didn't keep it long...with no other safety, I was too worried about that light trigger.
Click to expand...

One huge down side. Took my girl friend and I several months to find an extra magazine.
 
Wife has one and loves it. She's put over 1,000 rounds thru it with no failures. I frog lubed it before it was fired.
 
I bought one a few years ago before the LCP was introduced. I previously carried Beretta 85FS. Th Bersa CC was smaller, lighter, but not half as reliable. After a trip back to Bersa the gun was still semi reliable even with ball ammo. I traded it for an LCP, and advised the shop owner of the issues with the gun. The LCP is flawless.
The quality control of the Bersa was terrible.
 
I have several friends who use a Bersa as a daily carry and love them. I'm not a big fan of .380, but if I could find a Bersa UC 40 or 45 it would be going home with me.
 
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