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So I picked up a Bersa Thunder .380 Conceal Carry model the other day. I was looking for something small that I could I could carry either as a BUG or when other options were not workable. It has an 8 round magazine so at 8+1 it was able to hold more rounds than I expected based on its size. I was also very impressed with the way it shoots.

I shot it at all the standard CHL distances. I shot it SA and DA and I also emptied the magazine as quickly as I could. After a little over 200 rounds through the gun and 3 different types of ammo it never once messed up. No jams, no FTF, no FTE

My overall vote is a good little gun for what it is.....a little gun

Hello and thanks for the report. It is appreciated.

Best.

Congrats and thanks for the report.

I've been very happy with my Thunder 380.

I also like the Bersa Thunder .380.

I carry a .380 CC most of the time. I love the size and the weight. It is a bit bigger than the Kel-Tecs and other "pocket pistols, but it feels better in the hand and shoots so well. I am a big fan of DA/SA pistols. I will be picking up the Mini Thunder Compact 9MM in the future.

One of the blogs I read has a review on one as well.

http://lonelymachines.org/2008/08/12/se ... the-cheap/

frreed wrote: I am a big fan of DA/SA pistols. I will be picking up the Mini Thunder Compact 9MM in the future.

I carried one for a few years, still do on occasion. Mine has been flawless through 4 to 5 thousand rounds.
Make sure you get the 13 round magazines from the start. There are still some ten round mags floating about.

I have severla ladies in my classes that shoot Bersa's. I am always pleased when they show up with these. They shoot well and I don't spend time helping my students to clear malfuntions!

On Saturday I saw 2 young, and seemingly inexperienced, ladies at the range shooting one of these in the lane next to me. It was going well and then when the range officer told everyone to prepare for a cease fire they scrambled to get their new targets off of the bench and knocked the gun to the ground! My friend and I held our breath for about 5 seconds, then realized that we weren't dead. It didn't fire, but it scared me when I saw it falling. The gun did its job...just a case of user malfunction!

This thread makes my heart glad. First of all, I really like the Bersa and it is really good to hear that others feel the same way. I am also heartened to hear that others carry a .380. I visit a Concealed Carry forum where anything less than a 20mm with 30 round magazines is laughed at.

I need a pistol that conceals well, is reliable and will provide a reasonable round for self defense. I also want a pistol that gives me the comfort of a long heavy trigger. The light "safe action" triggers make it, IMHO, too easy to send a round down range. Self defense is not combat. I want to be darn sure that the first round is intentional. After that the SA provides the opportunity for well aimed second and third shots.

As I said, I plan on owning a Bersa 9MM, but I will still carry the .380 often.