Bersa Thunder Plus

[ripley16]

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/ripley16/Pistols/Current%20Pistols/BersaTPlus_zps912a684b.jpg (http://s72.photobucket.com/user/ripley16/media/Pistols/Current%20Pistols/BersaTPlus_zps912a684b.jpg.html)

Recently added this to my collection. I've fondled and shopped and shopped and fondled this model until I talked myself into it. The grip really has a nice feel to it, similar to a Beretta 84, (a pistol for which I have much affection).

I've owned Bersas in the past and have a fair opinion of them. They aren't as well made as some, but rather remind me of some of the common surplus "commie" guns people like, seemingly made in a Siberian tractor factory by 250 pound women named Olga, rather than a machine shop in Germany by blond guys named Hans or Gunter. None-the-less, they usually work, are inexpensive, pretty accurate and break rarely. That also describes the Bersa.

Like the Beretta 84, the Thunder Plus has a double stack mag that holds an impressive 15 rounds. Not bad. Otherwise the Plus is identical to the other thunder line mechanically. I hope to get out tomorrow to shoot it, if it isn't too cold. Should be fun. Haven't shot a .380 in a long time.

[JohnR]

Got 3 Bersas, 2 9mms and the 45, and love 'em.

[RevRay]

I'm due to purchase a Bersa Thunder 380 myself sometime this week. I wanted to have a .380 to try out and a friend who knows guns recommended one. No sooner did I start looking than one showed up on Armslist right here in CT for a very nice price.

[muggsy]

My brother bought a Bersa 380. His doesn't feed flat point bullets, but handles ball and hollow points well. Becareful not to over tighten the grip screws or you won't be able to remove the magazine. Not a bad shooting gun.

[RevRay]

My brother bought a Bersa 380. His doesn't feed flat point bullets, but handles ball and hollow points well. Becareful not to over tighten the grip screws or you won't be able to remove the magazine. Not a bad shooting gun.

Thanks for the tip on the grip screws ... I will definitely keep that in mind. On a different thread (from you?), a Military Arms video suggested that for .380 ammo regular ball was probably better for self-defense in any case.

[ripley16]

Interesting that the regular, (7 shot) Thunder has one screw in each grip panel but the Plus has two. Two is always better, more secure, IMHO.

[JohnR]

Best .380 SD load is probably Buffalo Bore. More velocity.

[Bawanna]

Might want to use a rubber washer or thin lock washer if the grip screws are long.

I'd make them fit so they are snug. The rubber washer also helps keep them from working loose.


I definitely endorse ball ammo for 380. If I was going to carry one it would be loaded with ball but it ain't ever gonna happen.

Not a bad looking gun. Kind of PPKish in a way.

[skiflydive]

I have a Bersa Thunder .22 I got for range fun when .22 was everywhere and cheap. It was a bit of a finicky eater until I took a die sinker file to the sharp edge of the chamber rim at the feed ramp. Once I got that smoothed out it settled down completely. Nice gun. Fun to shoot. No hiccups now.

[RevRay]

So I picked up the Bersa Thunder this morning (see below). I haven't had a chance to clean it yet so the picture doesn't do it justice. I need to download a manual so I can learn how it works and how to take it apart, etc. I'm hoping to give it a test run over the holiday weekend. In the end it's probably going to belong to my secretary. She recently took a day-long class and is applying for her CT CCW Permit. As a single mom she wants to have a gun in the house for a greater sense of security.

http://www.kahrtalk.com/picture.php?albumid=117&pictureid=763

[ripley16]

Takedown is simple.
* Clear the gun and drop the mag. Safety first of course.
* Push the takedown lever, on the right side, forward.
* Cycle the slide all the way to the rear, lift the rear of the slide up.
* Let the slide go forward, up and over the barrel.

Goes back together the same way.

Enjoy the Bersa.

[RevRay]

A little while ago I downloaded the manual and followed the instructions. And you're right ... it is simple.

[Bawanna]

I some day hope to be somebody enough to have a secretary myself. If she's cute and nice to talk to, that would be a nice bonus.

But alas I think I'm destined to lick my own envelopes and stamps. These new ones with sticky already on em don't lick for beans.

[Acasper708]

I've been thinkin about gettin a thunder CC. The wife wants something easy to shoot and figured it would be a good pocket gun for me.

[RevRay]

She hasn't had a chance to shoot it, but she could pull the slide back with no problems whatsoever.

[RevRay]

I took the Bersa Thunder 380 out to the range today, and I have to say that I liked it a lot. Of course, being new to guns I don't have a lot to compare it to, so only time will tell. But it was very easy to shoot, obviously not a lot of recoil, very comfortable in my hands, and once I got a couple of mags through it, my shot groups were fairly tight. So all in all I'd say it was a good buy ... especially for $220. I'm looking forward to seeing how my secretary does with it. I have a feeling she'll like it just fine.

[DanTana]

I liked the feel of the Bersa Thunder, I was thinking about the plus model with the double stack magazines. I think the Bersa though is just a tad bit big for pocket carry. Still a good CC weapon if not the pocket. One thing I really liked about it was the fact they have fixed barrels. I might pick one up someday if I can find a good deal locally.

[ripley16]

I finally made it to the range to test the Thunder Plus. The thicker grip makes for a bit softer recoil and nice control. The sights were spot on. The bad news is that it had 3 misfeeds, all corrected by a tap on the slide. The last round in the mag, magic number 15, is a beast to get in. Couldn't use the lula loader. Overall it's a very pleasant and fun gun to shoot.

[johnh]

I have consider the Plus before for the wife as she has small hands, but the CZ 82 and 83 are still available out there so I likely will do that one of these days. Generally surplus of course. I have found them to be excellent guns though, and you get a double stacked mag in a gun about the same size as the Plus. The 82/83 single action triggers are exceptional. Mags are not as cheap as they once were. I understand that is an issue for the Plus as well for some reason. I know the .380 is not the best man stopper, but with 15 rounds on tap, I think the job would get done.

[ripley16]

My main complaints with the CZ82 is that they are almost all used surplus. I've seen, (and owned), some nice ones and I've seen, (and owned), some really shot out pieces of crap. Not having a de-cocker didn't suit me either. I also bought a new 83, but it came with problems related to the caliber, .32acp. Otherwise it was a nice gun, finished better than the surplus guns and modified to fix that failure prone slide stop spring.

The grip on the Bersa Plus and Cz is about the same size. The polymer Bersa grip feels a bit better and more secure than the plastic CZ grip. Both are a tad bit smaller than the Beretta 84, but only just a bit.

Another high capacity .380 I enjoy is the Sphinx AT-380, which is actually a sort of CZ clone, just more refined. It holds either 10 or 11 rounds in a quite compact frame. The Sphinx even uses CZ mags. The DAO trigger is similar to Kahr triggers... long pull, long reset and smooth.

Lots of interesting pistols in this genre. I purchased the Plus mainly because I saw a price that looked good and being a long time Beretta 84 user and fan, I wanted to see what the Bersa was about. Had a Thunder .380 many years ago but traded it for something else, and also use a BT22, so I was at least familiar with the brand.

I bought my extra mags here;
http://www.condorsflight.com/
I'd also heard the Plus mags were tough to find but they had them in stock.

[certified106]

I have a Bersa 380 thunder and my wife loves it! Never had a problem with it other than it hates steel case ammo!!

[RevRay]

So I took my secretary & a couple of others out to the club range today. She was real comfortable with the Bersa Thunder and liked the way it handles. It was only the second time she's ever shot a pistol so hopefully her aim will improve with practice.