[rferguson61]

Anybody know the difference between a Bersa 383-A and a Bersa Thunder?

[adjohns3]

I don't know answer to your question.

I don't like the looks of that 383 handle, but that's why women and guns are not the same size.

I have several Bersa's; a CC .380 which is a sweet little shooter, a Thunder .380 with double stack mag and a sub compact in 9mm.
I love them and think they are among the best values in gun market today.

[rferguson61]

My dad just bought a thunder .380 for CC and I love how it feels. One of the better fitting hand guns ive held. Im thinking about getting one as well. I saw the 383 on gun broker and can't figure out the difference. Im also thinking about getting the Thunder .45 and loading it with buffalo bore or hand loads to take hiking with me just in case.

[orangello]

I could totally be wrong, but i was thinking that i had read that the 383 was what they called the Bersa Thunder .380 before the mid-1990's.

edit* I was a liiiiiiiiittle off on that date. http://www.genitron.com/HandgunDB/DB-Handgun-Detail.asp?ID=3692

I think it went 383 then 83 then Thunder .380.

Originally Posted by rferguson61

Im also thinking about getting the Thunder .45 and loading it with buffalo bore or hand loads to take hiking with me just in case.

I really enjoyed my Thunder .380 with its lightweight alloy frame, but i wouldn't want to run +P or "hot" loads through it with an allow frame and blowback operating system. I don't know if their .45 has the same type frame & whatnot, but i would check the manual & website before running any superhot loads through that.

I like the wood grips look with stainless or flat nickel finishes.

[rferguson61]

Originally Posted by orangello

I really enjoyed my Thunder .380 with its lightweight alloy frame, but i wouldn't want to run +P or "hot" loads through it with an allow frame and blowback operating system. I don't know if their .45 has the same type frame & whatnot, but i would check the manual & website before running any superhot loads through that.

I like the wood grips look with stainless or flat nickel finishes.

I really like the nickel with the light wood too...it looks awesome. I also like the dark walnut with the blued frame and slide. My dad bought the duo tone which looks sweet but he beat me to it lol.

So being kinda new to guns why wouldn't you want to run +P or hot loads in an alloy frame or one with a recoil opperated handgun?

[gollygee]

Despite one manufacturer I know about that claims to make .380 +P, there is no such thing as +P in .380 caliber. Therefore, if it doesn't exist, how can a manufacturer determine if his pistol will handle it? Bersa says their other calibers will shoot +P, but states that a consistant diet of it will accelerate wear. Of course, with their lifetime service contract, just means having to send it in for repair at maybe 30K rounds instead of 40K??


To the OP: There is an expert on 'out of production' Bersas on the Bersa Chat forum that can give you a play-by-play run down of the differences. :smile:


P.S. Am I seeing things? A left handed Bersa with ejection port on the left side?

[rferguson61]

Originally Posted by gollygee

Despite one manufacturer I know about that claims to make .380 +P, there is no such thing as +P in .380 caliber. Therefore, if it doesn't exist, how can a manufacturer determine if his pistol will handle it? Bersa says their other calibers will shoot +P, but states that a consistant diet of it will accelerate wear. Of course, with their lifetime service contract, just means having to send it in for repair at maybe 30K rounds instead of 40K??

To the OP: There is an expert on 'out of production' Bersas on the Bersa Chat forum that can give you a play-by-play run down of the differences. :smile:

P.S. Am I seeing things? A left handed Bersa with ejection port on the left side?

I was asking about the +P loads for the Bersa Thunder .45 ACP

I didn't even notice that it was!

[bigjim]

P.S. Am I seeing things? A left handed Bersa with ejection port on the left side?

No, that is the right side of the pistol. Someone Photoshoped the picture and got it wrong.

This is what the left side looks like.

[rferguson61]

Originally Posted by bigjim

No, that is the right side of the pistol. Someone Photoshoped the picture and got it wrong.

This is what the left side looks like.

Good call. If you look reeeeal close the slide reads "PCA 083. LAC" lol

[gollygee]

Originally Posted by rferguson61

I was asking about the +P loads for the Bersa Thunder .45 ACP

I didn't even notice that it was!

Okay, I was thinking in terms of your original post about 380s. The Bersa .45 is okay for +P.