.380 Bersa semi--Made in Argentina

[uncle Alan]

Anyone own one ? My son bought a new one to carry & keeps the BIG Iron in his truck. He paid $399 new & today I found a almost cherry one for $200.

My 9mm is a bit bulky & the .45 US revolver is too heavy & bulky. My question is what stopping power does it have? Penetration would be deep vs. impact. Can't locate hollow points . Guess a double or triple tap will do it .


Uncle Alan

 

[Absintheur]

It is better than a .22 or .25...lol. Not one of my favorites as you can get a 9mm in a smaller package for about the same money. If you can't get a local dealer to stock Corbon you can order it online from quite a few places. You will want the 80gr DPX, best possible load in a .380.

 

[Cougar Allen]

I'm with Absintheur -- get a smaller 9mmP. When the Bersa was invented it was smaller than more powerful pistols so it had a niche, but that was a long time ago.

 

[flashedwards]

Uncle A. There are are at least 7 different chamberings for semi-auto pistols in 9mm/.380 world. 9para, 9Makarov, 9Browning, 9Police, .380, 9kurtz, 9ultra and so on....Unfortunately the .380 is on the low end of the power spectrum. If I remember correctly, something in the neighborhood of 300 foot-pounds is minimum needed for a chance at stopping the evil-doer. If you live where it gets real cold during the winter, heavy clothing will plug up the hollow in the hollow point and it will not mushroom sufficiently. This is a problem more so in under-power rounds. I don't want to be a wet blanket but in situations of life/death I would want every advantage on my side.
Stay safe,
Flash CARRY A CANNON

 

[David E]

The Bersa .380 is fine for what it is.....a very heavy .380.

Carrying a $400 (overpriced) bulky and heavy (by todays standards) .380 on purpose for defense is optimistic at best.

For near the same money, you could carry a 9mm or even a .40 and have a far better gun/caliber for personal defense.

Usually, when people say how great their Bersa is, it's because of the price. That's not the case here. Even if it was, it places more importance on money than life and that's just plain stupid.

Relying on "triple taps" fails to take into account that you may only get ONE shot.......and probably not a perfect shot at that. That's a helluva time to find out that your gun/caliber/ammo sucks, big time!

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[David E]

There are are at least 7 different chamberings for semi-auto pistols in 9mm/.380 world. 9para, 9Makarov, 9Browning, 9Police, .380, 9kurtz, 9ultra and so on....]

Not to pick nits, but there are at least 15 calibers using "9mm" in the cartridge name. Throw in ".38" and ".380" and you have at least 21 cartridges for semi-auto pistols.

This can become confusing quickly. For example which is more powerful? The .380, the 9mm Corto or the 9mm Kurz?

Answer: They are all different names for the same cartidge, therefore, equally powerful.

In America, as well as the rest of the world, when one is talking handguns and says "9mm," it is presumed that the cartridge in question is the 9mm Luger cartridge of 1902. Also referred to as 9x19 NATO, 9x19, and 9mm Parabellum, they are all different appellations for the same round.

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[StuntDouble]

uncle alan,

I own one of the Bersa Thunder .380CC's, and I have to say I feel it was money well spent. It's light, very thin, easy to conceal, and accurate, even without traditional sights. I've been able to get 2" groups at 15 yards, which I think is doing pretty well for someone that is still a beginning shooter. Though some decry the caliber as being too weak for social use, I feel if you do your part and place the bullets where they belong, it will do just fine.

Also, if you look around, I'm sure you can find it cheaper. I've seen them for under 300 at a few gun stores in Va.

 

[uncle Alan]

uncle alan,

I own one of the Bersa Thunder .380CC's, and I have to say I feel it was money well spent. It's light, very thin, easy to conceal, and accurate, even without traditional sights. I've been able to get 2" groups at 15 yards, which I think is doing pretty well for someone that is still a beginning shooter. Though some decry the caliber as being too weak for social use, I feel if you do your part and place the bullets where they belong, it will do just fine.

Also, if you look around, I'm sure you can find it cheaper. I've seen them for under 300 at a few gun stores in Va.

I guess I lose Chris . Actually I paid just $200 . I prefer it over a knife though.

I do have a Makarov 9MM that carries well & holsters so an accidental discharge will miss my left cheek . It weighs about 1 & 1/2 pounds so it'll be carry of choice.

Thank all of you for speedy responses.


Uncle Alan

 

[StuntDouble]

uncle Alan,

Sounds like you got a great deal. I wish I shopped around a little bit before I bought mine, but I still think it was worth what I paid. Just curious, does your gun say Thunder on it, or is it an older one?

 

[flashedwards]

David E : I stand corrected [and in awe] but I did cover my ass, I said "at least 7" different chamberings....and yes, there has been numerous occasions when the dumb-shit bad guy's pistol has jammed after the first round due to using 9x19 [parabellum] in one of those other "9's". Most of the evil-doers really are stupid fuckers and that's fine by me. It's a modern form of natural selection...sort of social Darwinism. Let them gang bang themselves into non-existence.
Flash

 

[David E]

Though some decry the caliber as being too weak for social use, I feel if you do your part and place the bullets where they belong, it will do just fine.

Some decry it BECAUSE it's too weak for social (anti-social?) use.

If it were enough, then cops, soldiers and others would select it first, citing high capacity and ease of shot placement. Such is not the case.

Jeff Cooper was once called to testify on behalf of someone that used a Beretta Model 84 (13+1 .380) to show how fast firing 4 rounds could be done. This point of the case wasn't that the defendant had to shoot the miscreant, but that he shot him "so many times." Clearly, they opined, that anyone hit with one or two shots would immediately stop doing the act for which he was being shot, so any additional shots after that would not be needed, and, therefore, constituted that the defendant then had "murder on his mind" instead of simply firing to stop the threat.

For the "placement is everything" crowd, if it were easy to execute perfect placement in a life or death situation, then everyone would be carrying .22 rimfires.

Granted, a .22 longrifle in the eye at 10 feet should be expected to kill the badguy just as dead as a .44 magnum in the eye. Dead is dead, after all. But while the smaller and less powerful calibers nearly require surgical placement, the larger calibers give you some leeway (to an extent) Keep in mind, you're trying to hit the guy while he is trying to kill YOU. This may disrupt your surgical precision somewhat, in spite of how good you are at the range.

And before someone says, "The Israeli Mossad agents use the .22 rimfire for assassinations..." there is a big difference between going up behind someone and firing a few rounds behind his ear from mere inches away to reacting to someone trying to kill you and being able to hit his eye socket before he succeeds in killing you.

There are 3 reasons to carry a .380 on purpose for defense:

1) It's the largest caliber you can control.

2) It's the largest caliber the govt will let you own/use for defense.

3) It's backing up your real gun. (9x19mm on up)

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[David E]

Most of the evil-doers really are stupid fuckers and that's fine by me. It's a modern form of natural selection...sort of social Darwinism. Let them gang bang themselves into non-existence.
Flash

And let's keep up the myth that "gangsta style" is the only way to shoot !!



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[StuntDouble]

David E.,

I don't want to get into an argument over which caliber is best, as I'm afraid we'll have to agree to disagree. I'm just of the opinion that, if I were just carrying my Bersa, I wouldn't feel under-gunned. Though I have to say, if I could find a 9mm in a similar size, weight and price range that I could control as easily, then I would surely jump on it, if only for the fact that 9mm ammo tends to be cheaper than .380 in most places.

 

[vwb563]

I've had two of these guns and they both were excellent shooting, accurate little pistols. A little heavy like the others said but other than that they're a great little gun! Don't get all discourged about the caliber. If you read Evan Marshals "Street Stoppers" which is compiled of actual street shootings, the 380, with the right load, is as effective as a 38spl snub. In the book it states both have somewhere around 69% to 71% one shot stops. Load the Bersa with any good hollow point like CCI Gold Dots, Remington Golden Saber, Or Federal Hydra Shok (the most effective load according to Marshal) and you will have a very good defensive pistol.,,,VWB.

PS - Don't forget to always carry an extra magazine of shells for any carry gun.

 

[kalama]

i got mine for $125 shoots good,small ,light,i use mine for back-up when bow hunting

 

[David E]

if I were just carrying my Bersa, I wouldn't feel under-gunned.

I've never, ever heard of someone who'd been in a gunfight wish that their gun was a SMALLER, less powerful caliber, or that it held fewer rounds.

Though I have to say, if I could find a 9mm in a similar size, weight and price range that I could control as easily, then I would surely jump on it, if only for the fact that 9mm ammo tends to be cheaper than .380 in most places.

With all due respect, what IS your life worth? Is it worth skimping on your best means of preserving your life in a violent encounter?!??

9mm's of similar, or smaller size ARE available. Do they cost more? Absolutely! But they're better all the way around.

If you cannot control a 9mm, then you should go with the .380, but my daughter was controlling a .45 1911 when she was 16, so I'm pretty sure that you can control a 9mm.


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[David E]

Don't get all discourged about the caliber. If you read Evan Marshals "Street Stoppers" which is compiled of actual street shootings, the 380, with the right load, is as effective as a 38spl snub. In the book it states both have somewhere around 69% to 71% one shot stops.

Understand that these "statistics" are extremely misleading. For example, it totally IGNORES the times where the .380 shooter EMPTIES HIS GUN INTO THE BADGUY without effect.

For more info, click the link: http://www.firearmstactical.com/marshall-sanow-discrepancies.htm

PS - Don't forget to always carry an extra magazine of shells for any carry gun.

VERY good advice, no matter what the caliber !

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[vwb563]

Understand that these "statistics" are extremely misleading. For example, it totally IGNORES the times where the .380 shooter EMPTIES HIS GUN INTO THE BADGUY without effect.

This can happen with ANY caliber. I've shot pit bull dogs with .40 caliber Gold Dot hp's straight through the chest cavity only to watch them run away yelping! The smaller the caliber the more likely this is to happen but, it can happen. I was merely stating that the Bersa loaded with a good quality hollow point is as good or better than a 38 snub. More controllable under rapid fire and a heck of a lot faster reloads.,,,VWB.

 

[David E]

This can happen with ANY caliber.

Of course it can ! So why would one willingly choose to go with a less powerful caliber if they didn't have to?

I was merely stating that the Bersa loaded with a good quality hollow point is as good or better than a 38 snub. More controllable under rapid fire and a heck of a lot faster reloads.,,,VWB.

MAYBE it is "as good as a .38 snub," but that begs the question: how good is a .38 snub?

A better comparison would be against a 9mm of similar size and weight. All the semi-auto advantages remain, but you'd get more power on target than the .380.

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[vwb563]

Awww man you are just wanting to argue! The man stated he already owns one! If he were asking what to go buy I would NOT have recomended a 380 as the first choice gun unless thats the biggets caliber he can handle, which I doubt. So the fact is he might as well use what he has at hand! A 380 is a heck of a lot better than throwing a rock or reverting to knife fighting!,,,VWB.