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The_Mountaineer
Administrator
| Joined: | 4 February 2005 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 715 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | rifle |
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Posted: 7 January 2008 03:29 PM |
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Well, after pondering for quite a while I broke down and got me a new toy for CC.
I typically have my Beretta 92 9mm with me but the thing is a pain, literally, to lug around so I'd been researching for something different.
To me, a CC weapon is only as good as it is the shooter. I am not a champion pistol shot but I can hold my own. I also believe that there is a reason for the two "C"s to be capitalized in Concealed Carry - it must be Concealable and Carriable - something much easier to do with a smaller package.
As such, I walked away with this:
Having heard more than one HB forum member brag about Bersa pistols. For the price I decided, what the hell.
Haven't fired it yet, though I'm anxious. Very compact and light such that it fits in my side pocket.
Dunno if I'll even buy dies for it as I plan to upgrade to a compact 45 style sometime this year if possible.
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Montani Semper Liber - Mountaineers are always free
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wheezengeezer
addicted handloader
| Joined: | 16 July 2007 |
| Location: | Jeddediah Jones Swamp, Kansas USA |
| Posts: | 609 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | pistol |
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Posted: 7 January 2008 04:00 PM |
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| i carry a 380 for the same reason.it conceals under a t shirt. carry has been,stuck in my belt just behind my 3 oclock belt loop.the muzzle sticks into the corner of my back pocket.i carried all cay yesterday walking while hunting.i did not once have to reposition it. in the winter i have the option to carry my 1911 as well.because of the need to disarm before going in to work i find IWB holsters troublesome.
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I was raised in the 50's on gunpowder and jackrabbits.salt and pepper wooda made'em taste better
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Dirtkicker
addicted handloader
| Joined: | 3 September 2007 |
| Location: | High Plains |
| Posts: | 334 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
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Posted: 8 January 2008 04:25 AM |
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| I carried a .380 PPK/s for many years. And then I got a titanium cylinder hammerless S&W in .38 Special +P. Gun weighs 10 ounces empty and 13 loaded. I can carry it in a pants pocket and forget it's there. It's about half the weight of the Walther. 'Course it's only five shots, but you can't have everything.
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bea175
Board Founder
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Posted: 8 January 2008 04:20 PM |
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Dirtkicker wrote: I carried a .380 PPK/s for many years. And then I got a titanium cylinder hammerless S&W in .38 Special +P. Gun weighs 10 ounces empty and 13 loaded. I can carry it in a pants pocket and forget it's there. It's about half the weight of the Walther. 'Course it's only five shots, but you can't have everything.
If you can't get it done with five round as a civilian CC holder , a few more probably won't help you much. I believe five round will be plenty to save your life.
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Timberghozt
Board Founder
| Joined: | 11 February 2005 |
| Location: | Plaza De Los Armas, Mexico |
| Posts: | 5286 |
| Photo: | [Download] | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
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Posted: 9 January 2008 01:32 AM |
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I carry a Bersa Thunder 380 pretty often,loaded with Corbons..You`ll like it my friend.I am decent with it ,its plenty accurate.In gunfight ranges,I can hold my own with it..with Corbons,it`ll make a bad guy get religion fast.
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"He who fights with monsters might take care, lest he thereby become a monster; For if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - F.Nietzche
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Charley
Administrator
| Joined: | 9 September 2005 |
| Location: | San Antonio, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 2207 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
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Posted: 9 January 2008 04:23 AM |
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| Mountaineer, I've got an old RCBS steel die set in .380. You can have them for the shipping cost if you want, just PM me.
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"You all can go to Hell, I'm going to Texas" David Crockett (and probably George Bush)
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jeff.204
HB Full Member
| Joined: | 4 April 2008 |
| Location: | Maiden, USA |
| Posts: | 22 |
| Photo: | [Download] | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
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Posted: 6 April 2008 07:03 AM |
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| i think the colt mustang pocket lite would have to be the best carry .380 if you can still find one. they are fairly accurate and small they are also very dependable.
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A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
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Charley
Administrator
| Joined: | 9 September 2005 |
| Location: | San Antonio, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 2207 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
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Posted: 6 April 2008 11:07 PM |
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jeff.204 wrote: i think the colt mustang pocket lite would have to be the best carry .380 if you can still find one. they are fairly accurate and small they are also very dependable.
Bought one for Mrs. Charley back when they were available. She wasn't comfortable carrying a SA defense gun, so it ended up back in the safe. Sorry, collectors, I dimpled the frame above and below the safety, and added a red and white dot as an indicator for her, also added a white insert for the front sight.
100% reliable, and light. The locked breech makes recoil a bit easier than on blowback designs. It ridesd in my boot occasionally.
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"You all can go to Hell, I'm going to Texas" David Crockett (and probably George Bush)
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The_Mountaineer
Administrator
| Joined: | 4 February 2005 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 715 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | rifle |
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Posted: 7 April 2008 01:14 PM |
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I saw a few colt 380s at the past couple of gun shows but a bit pricey - $600+. Not my cup of tea for a CC weapon that's going to get sweaty, dirty, dropped, dinged and tucked away everyday.
a couple hundred rounds more with my little Bersa since my last post. Still functioning just fine - not bad for a pistol under $275
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Montani Semper Liber - Mountaineers are always free
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steel13
HB Life Member
| Joined: | 21 December 2007 |
| Location: | I Live In The Rain, Washington USA |
| Posts: | 204 |
| Photo: | [Download] | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
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Posted: 7 April 2008 09:02 PM |
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I am loving my new S&W 640 that I got for my CC summer pistol. I found as alot do , that the full sized side arm is a little difficult to conceal in the short and t-shirt months of the year. I fired 200 rounds threw it the day before yesterday, 100 magnums and another 100 .38 spc. Even with the short Bantam grip I could have stood there and fired off another 500.
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boonyrat
HB Full Member
| Joined: | 25 December 2007 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 35 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | rifle |
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Posted: 8 April 2008 09:08 PM |
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| nice,i just bought the bersa 380 thunder duo tone for a smaller carry gun. for the price these guns are hard to beat!
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rimfirehunter
HB Full Member
| Joined: | 3 November 2007 |
| Location: | South Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 14 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | pistol |
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Posted: 24 May 2008 03:51 AM |
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I bought a Bersa Thunder 380 (Duo Tone) about 4-5 years ago and its been a fantastic pistol since day one. I carried it for a while before finding a sub-compact 9mm that I liked. In 06 the wife got her CWP and started carrying the BT 380, she liked it so much that she has since laid claim to the pistol.
About a year ago my oldest turned 21 and on the same day purchased a Firestorm 380. It fits right in the middle when comparing the size of the BT380, BT380 CC and Firestorm 380. His pistol has also been 100% since day one.
If someone is looking for a light weight, small but not tiny, 380acp the Bersa Thunder 380, Bersa Thunder Concealed Carry or Firestorm 380 is definately worth checking out. I know we have been very pleased with ours and everyone else I know who owns a Bersa Thunder is also pleased with theirs as well.
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SCSlim
HB Life Member
| Joined: | 2 May 2008 |
| Location: | Boise, Idaho USA |
| Posts: | 153 |
| Photo: | [Download] | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
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Posted: 28 May 2008 10:34 PM |
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I'd be interested to know what your experience is/was with your Bersa after you've fired it.
I have one of these little beasties. I bought it and stuck it in the safe, new, unfired and in the box for more than a year, taking it out every few weeks to pass a lightly oiled cloth over it and check for rust.
A few weeks ago, I got a wild hair and decided to try it out at the indoor range. I was sorely disappointed. It jamed on nearly every shot - failures to feed which seem to be related to the magazine lips, as that is where the case rims hang up, causing a jam. No stovepipes - just failures to feed. The best I could do with the Bersa was a two-shot string before it would hang up. Didn't matter whether the magazine was full or only partially stacked. If I put two rounds in, it typically would hang up with a failure to feed on the second round.
I bent the magazine lips outward a about 0.5mm each to see if that would help. With factory ammo (Indepence-brand FMJs, which are made a 6-hour drive north of where I live), the "fix" made no difference. With my defensive load (102gr Remington "Golden Saber") it made a huge difference - I actually got a 6-shot string, with the last round hanging up on the mag lips as before.
So, once more into the breech, as it were. I'll bend the mag lips out another skosh and if I'm lucky, I'll get back to the range later today or tomorrow and see if that did the trick. In the mean time, I ordered a new Bersa mag for the Thunder. If that doesn't do the trick, I'll send it back to the factory or their designated repair shop.
As far as accuracy goes, it has mediocre sights that take a lot of getting used to. I found that point shooting from a modified Weaver stance and a 6 o'clock hold, sighting just over the top of the slide rather than using the sights, put most bullets in the 9, 10 or bullseye rings at 5 yards. Using the sights I was lucky to get them on the paper.
I bought the Bersa primarily for CCW use and it has potential there, but there's no way on God's green Earth I'd stake my life on it a this point in time. So, you might say with regard to my Bersa Thunder, I got ... 
Last edited on 28 May 2008 10:38 PM by SCSlim
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The_Mountaineer
Administrator
| Joined: | 4 February 2005 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 715 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | rifle |
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Posted: 29 May 2008 04:24 PM |
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Been busy here lately and unable to post but I have run about 200 rounds of ammo through this little pistol and so far no hiccups.
The one thing I do have a problem with is quick fire. It's all me of course, but the 2nd round and those following it are always a bit high simply because I can't get on target quick enough. Oh, it's good enough to take out some thief even at 20 yards but because of its light package it doesn't settle as quickly as other heavier more full sized pistols. Has absolutely nothing to do with the function of the pistol - all me.
Overall a good little pistol, just one I haven't had a chance to shoot as much as I'd like!
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Montani Semper Liber - Mountaineers are always free
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Rapier
HB Pro Staff
| Joined: | 29 October 2007 |
| Location: | Destin, Florida USA |
| Posts: | 79 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
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Posted: 30 May 2008 02:24 PM |
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I have had a CWP here since the second week of avalibility. I have carried everything from 1911 in 45 (various models & mfg) a 9mm major (that shows my age) to a Hungarian Mark and now carry a little KelTec 380 gun that is just fantastic to carry. Most folks never look at a shirt pocket for a CC gun, but the KT will fit in a shirt pocket easily, surprise, suprise. It also rides real nice in a back pocket with a hankerchief outside to hide the contour.
Best,
Ed
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"who can afford so to cover his country with troops for its defense as that 10,000 men descending from the clouds might not in many places do an infinite deal of mischief before a force could be brought together to repel them?" Franklin
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SCSlim
HB Life Member
| Joined: | 2 May 2008 |
| Location: | Boise, Idaho USA |
| Posts: | 153 |
| Photo: | [Download] | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
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Posted: 30 May 2008 06:36 PM |
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Ditto on the KelTec. I have one of their P32 models. Everything you said about your .380 KelTec is true of the P32, including how and where it can be carried. It virtually disappears into just about any pocket and it doesn't print except in the thinnest of materials. The two Kel Tecs are almost identical in their physical dimensions - I would have bought the .380 model (for superior ballistics, etc.) but none of the gun stores around here had them in stock at the time I had the $$$. I handload this caliber and practice alot with the P32 - it's got a long DAO trigger stroke and rudimentary sights, but with practice it can be mastered with accuracy adequate for defensive use at reasonable distances.
I almost always have the P32 on me somewhere, stoked with Hornady XTPs. It practically sits up and begs to go with me when I leave the house.
Attachment: P32.jpg (Downloaded 50 times) Last edited on 30 May 2008 06:57 PM by SCSlim
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Ride hard, shoot straight, and always speak the truth.
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SCSlim
HB Life Member
| Joined: | 2 May 2008 |
| Location: | Boise, Idaho USA |
| Posts: | 153 |
| Photo: | [Download] | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
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Posted: 30 May 2008 11:49 PM |
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Here's a couple shots of my Bersa .380 with jams in situ, action open and how they look when you take the mag out. I've bent the mag lips about as far as I dare, but I'm still getting these failures to feed. I wonder if its related to the mag base plate extension. This is not an after-market attachment - it's how the mag came new in the box.
Any ideas?
(Sorry for the blurry pics - my cell phone doesn't take good closeups in low light.)
Attachment: Bersa FTF.jpg (Downloaded 48 times) Last edited on 30 May 2008 11:51 PM by SCSlim
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SCSlim
HB Life Member
| Joined: | 2 May 2008 |
| Location: | Boise, Idaho USA |
| Posts: | 153 |
| Photo: | [Download] | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
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Posted: 30 May 2008 11:52 PM |
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| Here's the second one. Attachment: Bersa FTF2.jpg (Downloaded 49 times)
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Charley
Administrator
| Joined: | 9 September 2005 |
| Location: | San Antonio, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 2207 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
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Posted: 31 May 2008 03:51 AM |
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| Mrs. Charley carries a P-32 most every day. Hers like Winchester Silvertips. Ntt the latest and greatest in defense ammunition, but still a resonably good load.
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"You all can go to Hell, I'm going to Texas" David Crockett (and probably George Bush)
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SCSlim
HB Life Member
| Joined: | 2 May 2008 |
| Location: | Boise, Idaho USA |
| Posts: | 153 |
| Photo: | [Download] | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
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Posted: 3 June 2008 02:45 AM |
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I water-tested the Silvertip in .32 ACP, alongside a HydraShok. Also tried a HydraShok in .25 ACP while I was at it. The recovered slugs are pictured below. The one on the left is the STHP.
Now I know which round to carry when I anticipate being set upon by a hord of gallon milk jugs full of water.
BTW, I still carry Silvertips in the .32. First round out the tube will be a ST, followed if necessary by a HydraShok ... and there's more where they came from if it comes to that.
Attachment: Expansion LatView.jpg (Downloaded 38 times) Last edited on 3 June 2008 02:47 AM by SCSlim
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