When shopping for a pistol for personal defense and/or informal target shooting, one has many choices. Everyone has their own preferences regarding the type of pistol and caliber to use. After considerable research I decided on a .380 ACP caliber pistol. A well-designed .380 pistol offers acceptable accuracy and stopping power, mild recoil, and good controllability for fast repeat shots.

At my local sporting goods store a pistol in the gun case caught my eye. When I asked to see it the salesman told me that it was a Bersa. I had never heard of Bersa. The clerk told me that Bersa has been in the business for about 40 years, and while most of their models are imitations of better-known pistols, they produce well made guns.

The Bersa Thunder .380 is similar to the Walther PPK/S, including a seven round magazine with a plastic floor plate extension. There is also a Deluxe 9-shot model. The same basic pistol is also offered in .32 ACP and .22 LR. There are 3 available finishes: matte blue, satin nickel, and Duo-Tone. The pistol has a 3.5" barrel an overall length of 6.6" and a weight of 23 ounces. Magazine capacity is 7 rounds (plus one in the chamber). The sights consist of a front blade integral with the slide and a notched-bar dovetailed rear.

This is a conventional single action/double action pistol with an exposed hammer. The Bersa has multiple safeties. There is a manual safety, which disengages the trigger. The manual safety also acts as a decocking lever and firing pin block to lower the hammer when it is cocked. And there is a magazine safety that prevents the pistol from firing when the magazine is removed.

Full list price for the .380 Thunder (according to the 2007 Shooter's Bible) is $275 in matte blue, $292 for the Matte CC model, $299 in nickel, and $308 for the Deluxe blue model. Some retailers further discount these prices. After handling the pistol and dry firing it a few times, I was satisfied with the fit and feel of the pistol. I decided to make the purchase.

The Duo-Tone model, which is the version I chose, has an aluminum alloy frame. The grip panels are made of black polymer. The heaviest components are the slide and barrel, which are made of steel. The Bersa comes with a limited lifetime service contract, which covers any factory defect for as long as you own the pistol.

I took my new Bersa .380 to a concealed firearm license class and shot it on the Sheriff's indoor firing range. I fired 4 boxes of ammunition (200 rounds). The first couple of magazine loads it jammed on the last shot or two remaining in the magazine. Then the malfunction disappeared. It did not jam once after that.

In conclusion, I have found the Bersa Thunder .380 to be an excellent alternative for anyone who cannot afford, or cannot locate, a better known concealed carry pistol (such as a Walther or SIG). The Bersa pistol is generally of good quality, especially for a pistol that sells in this price range.

Note: J.C's full length review of the Bersa Thunder .380 can be found on the Product Reveiw Page.