dear bersa i got a new bersa 380 thunder as a consealed handgun for my wife it is the worest firearm i ever had during her ccw class the gun broke befor that it would jam every 5th round no matter what ammo we would use some people say you need to put 200 to 300 round through it to brake it in i never heard of a thing you have to brake a gun in anyways very disappointed when i get her a s&w 380 bodygard im going to take a hammer to the bersa not a gun you can rely on when the time comes
Before you do anything drastic, Bersas have a 1 year warranty & a lifetime service agreement. They'll fix it if it is broke. But first, it's best to make sure the problem is with the pistol. The 380 is prone to limp wristing because of it's design. It requires a firm grip (not a death grip) & a stiff wrist for it to function properly. Also, not all their 380s, but some do have problems with certain brands of ammo. One common ammo that can be a problem is Winchester White Box with the flat nose. Many call it a break-in period, but in reality it is a user's break-in period. First, getting used to the pistol, second learning if it does have a feeding problem with some ammo. It is recommended that you get several different brands of ammo to try until you find one it likes best. Often, after it has loosened up a bit, you will find that it starts cycling all brands okay. Some folks never have a problem from the first round.Originally Posted by tyhamilton
Next, that oily stuff that comes on it is not a lubricant. Did you clean & lubricate it good? Also, did you disassemble the magazine & clean it & remember, no oil in the magazine. It's a good idea to run a cotton swab or q-tip up inside the mag housing, checking for burrs & sand or file them down if you find any. When you reassembled the pistol did you put the small end of the recoil spring toward the breech?
Excellent post mitchr, good points and advice. I hope the OP takes heed of what you said before he drops the hammer on his Bersa.
Hello tyhamilton...
First of all, I am sorry that you are having troubles. You did not specify what "broke" on the pistol, but as previously pointed out, the Thunder .380 comes with a lifetime service contract to the original owner. A list of warranty centers can be found here http://www.bersafirearmsusa.com/warranty.
Almost any product made from machined metal parts (such as cars and firearms) will have some time of break-in period. If you use Google and search for Semi-Automatic handgun break-in period, you will see many articles on breaking in a pistol.
Mitchr has given you some good advice of things to beware of and to check. You may want to have someone else shoot the gun and see if the problem follows the pistol....Best of luck to you and your wife.
Your right the pistol is junk. Please don't hammer it. Just box it up and send to me I am the official Bersa junk yard. I will take care of it.
Go buy the 380 bodyguard or the S&W made PPK/S Their perfect in every way? Better do your home work. They have had some trouble with the 380 Body guard. The S&W PPK/S was recalled last year. Every one S&W made . So their not perfect . Ruger has recalled the 380 LCP 2 times
Most all the above owners will say need couple hundred rounds break in. by way. If designed and made by man will never be 100% perfect. Their will always be a few that need attention.
I suggest you clean your Bersa real good ,lube and try other ammo. Limp wristing is a fact of life. can happen to any one . The 380 is snappy and depends on the recoil to operate at 100%
Give you Bersa a chance . If something is broke then send in for warranty. Pistol deserves a chance to be fixed if need be and prove its self
Many of us have a Thunder and we carry them. I have over 1000 flawless rounds I removed mine from box oiled slide rails and shot my CCW course trouble free .
I know one member on old Bersa board had over 10,000 many in 3000 to 5000 range .
I really hope you give pistol a chance. Their are 1000's of happy owners all over the world
Last edited by michael t; 09-14-2010 at 01:45 AM.
"Hokey religions and plastic glocks are no match for a good BERSA at your side, kid."
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Two days & no response from the OP! I wonder.....
My duo-tone has over 5K through it, and the matte has over 2300 rounds....I know one member on old Bersa board had over 10,000 many in 3000 to 5000 range .
mine has been very reliable but i concur on the WWB flat nose bullets. the only jams have been with that ammo. a friend and I went to a range one day and he complained that his semiautomatic was jamming frequently so I had him shoot my BT380 and it jammed as well even after I'd shot several mags with no problems. i suggested that he might be limp wristing so he firmed up his grip, and presto my BT 380 shot without a hitch and so did his weapon.
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