Went to the store to buy a Walther PPK, and came out with this!!!

Went to buy a Walther PPK, walked out with a Bersa Thunder...and I have never heard of Bersa. I have to admit, the lower price almost put me off, since usually cheaper means worse! But the more I held the gun, the more I wanted it, and decided to take a risk.

Initial thoughts After 300 rounds at the range, and some disassembly and cleaning, I have to admit that I am very impressed. It is not Walther quality as far as material and fit and finish, but who cares? It's half the price and so far 100% reliable. I have had no issues with it, which is more than I can say about other guns three times the price of my Bersa.

Is this the kind of gun I would brag to my friends about? Probably not! After all, it's not an overpriced brand name gun like the Walther I wanted, but the real test for me is this: Would I trust my life to this gun? The answer is YES!!!

I have replaced my .38 SW snubby with my new Bersa. For someone that lives in a warm climate, I appreciate Bersa's slimmer profile, and the fact that the gun is about as reliable as my revolver is the icing on the cake.:mrgreen:

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z...1/45ef2c88.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z...1/0cbb8bd8.jpg

Yep, that is a great gun. I have one from my Dad and I have to say it is worth every penny.

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r...0lt_mat_lg.jpg

Congratulations, safe shooting.

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Originally Posted by cougartex

Congratulations, safe shooting.

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Thanks....I plan to go back to the range next week and put another 200 rounds through it.

I looked at the Bersa when I was in the market for the ppk/s. Ended up going with the Walther, but the Bersa is probably a better value for the money. Never heard anyone speak poorly of them. Enjoy, and stay safe!

Bersa has been around a long time and I have heard good things about their .380 in particular. Happy shooting!
Eli

Hey Osallent,Congrats on your new gun.I have had mine (duo-tone)for 6 months now and have at least 800 rounds in it and have only had one problem,they dont like steel case ammo.Otherwise it has been flawless.
PS.Be careful,they like to multiply----I now have the T-9 UC and am planning on getting the T-45 UC in the near future.

We have 2. My wife loves her two tone bersa and has over 3000 rounds through it. With mine, it only has around 1500. They both have been flawless. And yes they do tend to multiply, I have added the Bersa 45uc. Just like the BT380 it is the best value out there. Bersa Chat Forum has a lot of information about the brand.

Congratulations on your new gun.

My best shooting buddy has that exact gun and loves it.

We swap guns when we go to the range and I've shot his and I liked it.

:smt1099

I did the same thing!! Went in to by the Walther came out with a T380 Duo-Tone!!:mrgreen:
It just felt better in my hand!!
I can't wait to shoot it tomorrow!!:smt068

MO:smt1099

I have had two Bersa Thunder 380s over the years, and had excellent luck with both of them.

I had one (Interarms) Walther PPK/s, and the little b...... tried to chew my paw off!

One word of advice on the Thunder 380: Neither of mine seemed to be very impressed with Sellier & Belot ammunition. They both ate Magtech and Fiocchi like candy.

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Originally Posted by Hurryin' Hoosier

I have had two Bersa Thunder 380s over the years, and had excellent luck with both of them.

I had one (Interarms) Walther PPK/s, and the little b...... tried to chew my paw off!

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Roger that on the PPK .380 hammer bite! The same gun in .32 ACP, however, is really sweet, but then you only got a .32!
Eli :mrgreen:

Yeah, my PPK/S will bite me too unless I get a proper grip on it.

:smt1099

Not to derail thread but do the newer longer tanged PPK and /S models (S&W variety I presume) still bite the hand? I had that problem with the standard grip on a Sig P232. Not pleasant. Hogue grip fixed the issue positioning my hand a tad lower in relation to the slide apparently. Not much of a web protecting tang on those P232's. Nice feature about the Bersa.

I can't recall hearing anyone being "bit" by the S&W version with the longer tang. I have never had mine draw blood. I think it addressed the issue pretty well, though many purists feel it takes away from the classic look.

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Originally Posted by MLB

I can't recall hearing anyone being "bit" by the S&W version with the longer tang. I have never had mine draw blood. I think it addressed the issue pretty well, though many purists feel it takes away from the classic look.

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Yeah, well, if the purists want to see a classic look they can look at the classic scar on my d... hand! :rolleyes:

[QUOTE=osallent;223816]Went to buy a Walther PPK, walked out with a Bersa Thunder...and I have never heard of Bersa. I have to admit, the lower price almost put me off, since usually cheaper means worse! But the more I held the gun, the more I wanted it, and decided to take a risk.

good choice on the Bersa. i own four of them.

one bit of advise, be sure to use only factory bersa mags. the pro-mags are totally unreliable. they're ok for range use, but i don't trust them for CC.

trailblazer

Carry my Bersa frequently and love it. I do trust it, but it took awhile. Break in was a bear and I almost took it back. Would have too, since the dealer/smith told me it could have break in problems, being one of the newer Bersa Thunder .380s made. By the 5th box of ammo, I was becoming a believer in what he said. My FTFs and FTEs were as follows, for each of the first five boxes of ammo. FTFs/FTEs - (per box) 1-20, 2-12, 3-7, 4-5, 5-3. There have been over 2500 rounds down the tube since box 5 without a failure until today. I tried some new hollow point ammo that was a bit shorter and flatter on the nose of the round (made by Monarch). The Bersa didn't like it at all though it will handle the Monarch FMJ just fine. Went back to my Hornady HPs and all was right in the world.

Enjoy it, find an ammo that is consistant and shoot it lots.

The only reason to buy a ppk over the t380 is if your name is bond, james bond. My son bought his and now there are 4 of them here. They are like rabbits do not store them together. Well as good as they are go ahead.

I had a PPK and after getting bit a few times sold it....bought a Bersa and its a great little pistol, solid and reliable...JJ

You made a good choice with Bersa. I have a Bersa Thunder .380 and I use it for carry, it is a dependable gun. Do put at least 200 rounds thru it before you carry it to make sure it is broke in and know what ammo it likes best. I also agree buy extra mags from Bersa (Eagle Imports) they are most dependable. There are plenty of IWB holsters out there for the Bersa .380 also. Enjoy your Bersa it's a good gun.

I love my Bersa .380 so much that I went and bought the Bersa Thunder 9mm. Also a wonderful weapon. I carry both on a regular basis. Now I have a Ruger 9mm up for sale.

I wanted to pick up a bersa 380 cc, and they are not going to have them in stock until september?:smt076

I have two Bersa's a Thunder 380 Plus and a Thunder 22. 100% reliability, accurate and fun to shoot. I have other 380's of which there is a Colt Government 380, a Beretta 84FS, and a Ruger LCP. & the Bersa is every bit as good as any 380 costing twice as much. You did well choosing your new Bersa.

Nice Bersa! The Thunder Series of pistols are very good buys for the money.