Any thoughts on the Bersa Thunder?

To be specific: would my lovely bride enjoy it? Can she rack it with tenderish arthriticish hands? She's tough as nails, so I'm not THAT worried. Just wondering I she'd enjoy practicing with it. Any and all thoughts/ recommendations appreciated, Gentmen, or their better halves!

If she has arthritis issues and a possibly weak grip, maybe a revolver would be a better choice? If you have an indoor shooting range near you, maybe they have handgun rentals where she could try a few to see what she can handle.

Thanks Mike. She's shot my Ruger revolvers, which I love. She's just got her mind set on a 380 small semi automatic. And also thanks for the suggestion about renting some to try. Could not believe it, but she likes the idea, lol.
Can you say
DATE NIGHT?
lol.

The Bersa Thunder's shape and looks, really reminds me of the Sig P230, which everyone knows, is a classic .380.

I think it's a good little gun with an even better price tag.

I cannot speak to the Bersa, but I have one of the older SIG P230s. Although not that difficult to rack the slide for one with normal strength, I don't know that it would be easy for one with arthritic hands. It is, however a top notch .380 and I would pick it over a Bersa any day for serious defensive purposes. That being said, I would rather have a compact 9mm than any .380 auto. I also suggest going to a range that rents firearms to see what she can handle best, failing that, take her to the LGS and see what pistols she can comfortably rack the slide. A compact 9mm may actually be more easy to rack the slide than a .380.

OkieStubble said:

The Bersa Thunder's shape and looks, really reminds me of the Sig P230, which everyone knows, is a classic .380.

I think it's a good little gun with an even better price tag.

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+1

The Bersa is a second tier gun on its best day. If she is just going to plink and play-fine. If she is going to carry it and/or she plans to bet her life on it, there are much better choices in .380 to include the Glock 42, , Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380, Berretta Model 86 and Walther PX380. There are ways to rack the slide that a quality instructor could show you and/or your wife that would go a long way to mitigating any hand issues re racking the slide. I fully acknowledge that the guns I am recommending are at least 100-200 more expensive that the Bersa.

I would note that I and others, in a different thread a few weeks back, suggested brands other than a Bersa. I would note that I and others, suggested you go to a range that rents the brands we recommended to actually shoot and determine what guns would work best given their interface with your wife's hands and potential manipulation issues.

Indeed, you arguably answered your own question re what gun to buy in the very first line of your post on 8/8/16:

"My wife and I recently handled a .380 S&W Bodyguard. She REALLY liked the fact that she could pull the slide back with her arthritic hands"

That very same day I posted ( after recommending the Bodyguard as a possible choice)

"Additionally-a firearm for a female is the great equalizer against an advisary that is almost always stronger, more agreessive and/or more numerous. This is not the time to be frugal for frugal's sake. Stick to a tier one brand.... and get her 100% buy in on what you all end up buying or she simply will not carry it.

Finally, consider getting her a bit of professional instruction right off the bat...."


Bottom Line: There are much better choices out there than a Bersa for your wife. Try finding spare parts for the Bersa. Night sights for the Bersa, a model specific holster for the Bersa...

The Bersa Thunder has a you know what "load" of excellent reviews online for reliability, durability and quality manufacturing. One of the only few negatives I can find is that it has a magazine disconnect which only allows it to be fired while the magazine is in the gun.

However, some might find that a desirable thing, depending on how you look at it. Here is a great review from Lucky Gunner's site.

http://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/bersa-thunder-review/

Now tell me, who doesn't like or pay attention to what's said on that site for gun reviews? Also, Here is what pistolguru.com who is very knowledgeable on firearms, actually says about "women and the Bersa Thunder .380. and I quote:

"Besides the safety features and good handling, this gun is custom made for the light duty, very concealable role. For our lady shooters, this pistol offers an acceptable amount of firepower in a comfortably sized frame. If you carry often, this would make a great summer handgun."

http://www.pistolguru.com/bersa-thunder.html

In my opinion, we can always recommend a "better" "different" or "more expensive" gun for a women, girl, man or boy. We can always do that, ALWAYS. But the OP asked us "specifically" about "our thought" on the "Bersa Thunder .380" and if we think it is a good gun.

Yes @dave, the Bersa Thunder is a good, quality, reliable and easy to shoot and carry .380 pistol at a very reasonable price. It offers quite a few upswings for it's price and only a couple of downswings, which would be the magazine disconnect and the cerekote type finish isn't the most flawless finish I have seen, but again, for the reasonable price, what kind of finish do we expect?

Read the links and decide for yourself. Hope this helps.

nortac said:

I cannot speak to the Bersa, but I have one of the older SIG P230s. Although not that difficult to rack the slide for one with normal strength, I don't know that it would be easy for one with arthritic hands. It is, however a top notch .380 and I would pick it over a Bersa any day for serious defensive purposes. That being said, I would rather have a compact 9mm than any .380 auto. I also suggest going to a range that rents firearms to see what she can handle best, failing that, take her to the LGS and see what pistols she can comfortably rack the slide. A compact 9mm may actually be more easy to rack the slide than a .380.

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Excellent post John. If money wasn't an option, I would choose the Sig P230 over the Bersa Thunder anyday. And you are correct, even in my own personal experience, smaller 9mm's most of the time, are just easier to rack, function, manipulate and handle over smaller .380's. My wife absolutely loves her Glock 43 and shoots and handles it well.

But she also loves her Ruger LCP .380 and shoots and handles it quite efficiently also. I think If someone is looking for that neat, cool factor quality, brand/type/style of firearm that the Sig P230 gives, but they don't/want/have Sig P230 money?

The Bersa Thunder which is a reasonably priced and of efficient quality is a good choice. Again, if a Sig P230 type/style is desired. And while it is small enough for concealability, it has plenty of size and heft for a female to function, train and get good at shooting it.

Thanks all. We need, meaning"I", need to go rent some guns. I just wish she loved my LCR357. She"likes" it, and shoots it fine. Different strokes. As good as she is with it, she's just better with semi autos. Last night we looked at pictures of Kimber's 380 that looks like a mini 1911. Now she wants to look at that one!
So as you can see, the search continues. An interesting side note: her name is Kimberly, some folks call her Kimber, even me half the time.
And price at this point I will not allow cost to be a factor. I just wanted some ideas to narrow down what she/we try. I WANT HER TO OWN AND CARRY AND LOVE THIS GUN. Period.
And doesn't the Kimber micro come in a 9 as well? She may love that one, never know.
By the way, recoil has little effect on her; I just think she needs to practice technique in proper racking, then she'll probably out shoot you guys like she does me, lol.
Again, thanks ALL for the advice/help.

I too have a SWMBO with arthritic hands. What helped her most was Kathy Jackson's article on racking the slide at her blog, Cornered Cat. As mentioned in the article, racking the slide is more about technique than it is about hand strength: you use the power of your arms, not the strength of your grip, to rack the slide.

Your wife may already be doing it this way, in which case, never mind! But if she can rack the slide of a single-stack 9mm with this technique she'd be able to carry a more effective round.

tromboneliness said:

I too have a SWMBO with arthritic hands. What helped her most was Kathy Jackson's article on racking the slide at her blog, Cornered Cat. As mentioned in the article, racking the slide is more about technique than it is about hand strength: you use the power of your arms, not the strength of your grip, to rack the slide.

Your wife may already be doing it this way, in which case, never mind! But if she can rack the slide of a single-stack 9mm with this technique she'd be able to carry a more effective round.

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I was a drummer back in the day, and in my opinion, Buddy Rich was one of the all time greats, so thanks for that quote! I once got a steady gig by being at a bar minutes before the drunken drummer showed up, so I agree, half of life is just showing up!
Back to guns: thanks for the advice, I will watch that now, then get my better half to do so as well. She tends to forget, and use what seems a logical way to rack. When she corrects it, she's always amazed at how little pain and effort went into it. Then muscle memory takes over and she does it wrong again. She just needs to find HER gun, and practice, practice, practice....like everyone else. Thanks again,

PS: Mark, just finished the article you mentioned above. I think my wife will "get it" better by reading and doing it than by a lot of "help" from some of the well meaning folks we know that have given her advice. All being men, and if they do rack it right, they fail to teach it well. Thanks again for your helpful words of encouragement! You must know that gentleman from Oklahoma above us; he could teach a lot of us how to treat others, lol!

The Cornered Cat is a great read, for men or women. I make all of the people that don't know squat about guns go at least through the safety part of it...and usually the whole thing before I even take them out for live fire.

You are definitely on the right track of having her get what SHE wants and not what you think she should have. Kudos!!!

I'll tell ya my new 686 must be a 15# DA trigger that my diminutive wife can't pull.

Kentos said:

I'll tell ya my new 686 must be a 15# DA trigger that my diminutive wife can't pull.

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Haven't tried that one myself. Would like to, tho. I'm partial to Rugers, but S&W sure makes pretty guns. Pieces of art, really.

simon1 said:

The Cornered Cat is a great read, for men or women. I make all of the people that don't know squat about guns go at least through the safety part of it...and usually the whole thing before I even take them out for live fire.

You are definitely on the right track of having her get what SHE wants and not what you think she should have. Kudos!!!

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Yes, that's why I call her the War Department! I pity the fool that TELLS her to do anything. Ain't happening! Ask politely, and she'd probably help you hide the body, if the person had it coming, lol!

FarmerTan said:

PS: Mark, just finished the article you mentioned above. I think my wife will "get it" better by reading and doing it than by a lot of "help" from some of the well meaning folks we know that have given her advice. All being men, and if they do rack it right, they fail to teach it well. Thanks again for your helpful words of encouragement! You must know that gentleman from Oklahoma above us; he could teach a lot of us how to treat others, lol!

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I'm actually a huge jerk in real life...

You are very wise @dave in "just assisting your wife" towards what she likes and wants versus "dictating or influencing" what she should get. I think us men, way underestimate a females potential and capabilities of learning and handling firearms.

Yet females, can drive a car, chew gum, talk on the cell phone and put make up on and do all these things at the same time while dropping the kids off at school and still getting herself to work on time. I don't know of any man who is that multi-faceted.

I know my wife is just typical of most others, yet she can not only pick up on, but master most firearm training, faster than I can teach her. She absolutely amazes me, how hungry and focused she can be when learning and honing new firearm skills.

While I admit, I am a Glock fanboy, when she decided to upgrade from her Ruger LCP .380, She shot many different compact 9mm's. After she eliminated the Walther PPS, Springfield XDS, Taurus Millenium, Ruger LC9 and the Kimber Solo from the first round, the only three that were left standing from that initial round was the S&W Shield, Glock 43 and Sig 938.

She really liked shooting the Shield, but decided it was just too bulky for her to carry in the type of work attire she wears. I ended up getting her the Glock 43 for Christmas, but a friend of mine, let her carry around his Sig 938 for a couple of weeks in her spare time and she would practice drawing and dry firing between that Sig 938 and the G43 I purchased her.

she really liked both the Glock and Sig and to be honest, I was kinda hoping she would choose the Sig so I could keep the G43 for myself. But damn my luck, she chose the Glock. And I think she sort of knew that I secretly wanted it, because she never let's me be alone in the same room with her gun anymore.

I think she is kind of a jerk in real life also...

Kentos said:

I'll tell ya my new 686 must be a 15# DA trigger that my diminutive wife can't pull.

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Just curious...how many rounds have you put through the 686? My no dash 681 that I bought NIB years ago had some problems with the cylinder stop hanging up before I even put a live round through it. Took it to a police armorer and he took the side plate off, jerked the guts out of it, and went to work on it with files, stones, hammer, and forms. Didn't take him but about 5 or 10 minutes. He put it back together, screwed the mainspring screw all the way in, and told me "Now just go shoot the hell outa it." That thing has the famous buttery smooth S&W action that they used to be famous for. Best DA trigger pull I think I've ever had.

I don't have a trigger pull gauge but that is one smooooth trigger pull. But...it's had a lot of rounds put through it in the last 30 years.

Just go shoot the hell outa it.

simon1 said:

Just curious...how many rounds have you put through the 686? My no dash 681 that I bought NIB years ago had some problems with the cylinder stop hanging up before I even put a live round through it. Took it to a police armorer and he took the side plate off, jerked the guts out of it, and went to work on it with files, stones, hammer, and forms. Didn't take him but about 5 or 10 minutes. He put it back together, screwed the mainspring screw all the way in, and told me "Now just go shoot the hell outa it." That thing has the famous buttery smooth S&W action that they used to be famous for. Best DA trigger pull I think I've ever had.

I don't have a trigger pull gauge but that is one smooooth trigger pull. But...it's had a lot of rounds put through it in the last 30 years.

Just go shoot the hell outa it.

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Brand spanking new, less than 300 rounds down range. It won't even register on my trigger pull gauge lol. It's smooth though no doubt. It's a range toy so I'll likely get a spring set for it one of these days. I think the heavy trigger pull is a by product of the same reason for the hammer lock on it...