[robhic]

I wrote about mag problems and jamming a while back. See "I'm NOT Happy" (http://www.bersapistolforum.com/forum/bersa-talk/293-i-m-not-happy.html) about the constant jamming I experienced with 3 magazines every 6th round. It was nuts and I couldn't figure it, no one I talked to and even a friend who is a gunsmith had any idea what was causing it. Did some checking of the extractor and cleaned the weapon then I loaded all 3 of my 7-round magazines with 8 rounds each eek and let 'em "marinate" for 2 weeks.

Took my Thunder 380 out today and put about 150+ rounds through it and NO JAMS! Looks like relaxing the mag springs might've done the trick. I shot slow, fast and did 7 rounds, 6 rounds and 7+1 no problems. I watched to make sure I didn't slip into any "limp-wristing" and all seems OK. This will NOT be a carry gun.

If I want to carry a gun of this approximate size my Glock G26 9mm 10+1 is not even a toss up. But I just really didn't want one of my guns to not be working as well as it should be capable of. Now, I feel a lot better.

 

[Tony1990]

I wrote about mag problems and jamming a while back. See "I'm NOT Happy" (http://www.bersapistolforum.com/forum/bersa-talk/293-i-m-not-happy.html) about the constant jamming I experienced with 3 magazines every 6th round. It was nuts and I couldn't figure it, no one I talked to and even a friend who is a gunsmith had any idea what was causing it. Did some checking of the extractor and cleaned the weapon then I loaded all 3 of my 7-round magazines with 8 rounds each eek and let 'em "marinate" for 2 weeks.

Took my Thunder 380 out today and put about 150+ rounds through it and NO JAMS! Looks like relaxing the mag springs might've done the trick. I shot slow, fast and did 7 rounds, 6 rounds and 7+1 no problems. I watched to make sure I didn't slip into any "limp-wristing" and all seems OK. This will NOT be a carry gun.

If I want to carry a gun of this approximate size my Glock G26 9mm 10+1 is not even a toss up. But I just really didn't want one of my guns to not be working as well as it should be capable of. Now, I feel a lot better.

Boy I am glad you have your problem resolved without sending your BT380 back for repairs..

 

[robhic]

Boy I am glad you have your problem resolved without sending your BT380 back for repairs.

ME TOO! Besides being old and ornery, I am lazy, too. I really didn't feel like going through all the hassle. PLUS ..... it proved the gun, itself, was not to blame, but the mags and their newness that caused the jamming. So I thought that a good thing.

 

[olddog56]

I have a new Thunder CC .380. Just got it last Thursday and took it out to the range Sat. I had the same type problem. It was catching at the top of the chamber and stove piping it has an 8 round clip and I only got thru one without a jam. I tried three different kinds of ammo about 60 rounds all told. I'm not happy either! What I was wondering was your gun jamming with the bullet up on an angle. I really like the gun it shoots where you point it. and I hope the problem is in the mag.

 

[qwiksdraw]

Try using magazines, it should work a whole lot better.

 

[robhic]

I have a new Thunder CC .380. Just got it last Thursday and took it out to the range Sat. I had the same type problem. It was catching at the top of the chamber and stove piping it has an 8 round clip and I only got thru one without a jam.

Interestingly enough, I had a BT380CC and sold it because it was just too small for my hand. And the sights were too small, too. The 8 round mags never gave me problems! After I sold it I got the BT380 that I have now with the 7 round mags and that was where my jamming problem started.

As I recounted in my original thread (I'm Not Happy!), the gun would shoot rounds 1-5 with no problem. Then round #6 would jam between the slide and the top of the chamber mouth sitting on top of round #7 in the magazine. Not a stovepipe. It wasn't too unusual until it did it repeatedly with all 3 of the mags I had and just about every time I fired the gun. And ALWAYS round #6. Curious.

So I shoved 8 rounds into my 7 round mags and let 'em sit for 2 weeks to relax the springs. It seems to have worked as I write above. Don't know if something similar will fix your problems if you stick 9 rounds in your 8 round mags but it might not hurt. I am not a gunsmith.

 

[olddog56]

I'm not really getting a stove pipe it is as you described it, hanging up between the top of the chamber mouth and the slide. I can't say it happens on a given round I didn't pay that close attention. The manual says not to panic before you shoot 200 to 300 rounds of standard ball ammo for a break in period. I will do that as soon as I can find the ammo. Thanks for the reply. By the way I filled my magazine and it is sitting but it would not take more than 8.

 

[robhic]

I'm not really getting a stove pipe it is as you described it, hanging up between the top of the chamber mouth and the slide. I can't say it happens on a given round I didn't pay that close attention. The manual says not to panic before you shoot 200 to 300 rounds of standard ball ammo for a break in period. I will do that as soon as I can find the ammo. Thanks for the reply. By the way I filled my magazine and it is sitting but it would not take more than 8.

I am not completely sure if the number of rounds in the mags is that important. Just loading to capacity and letting them sit for a spell to relax the mag springs might be helpful. I read of that remedy in other forums for other brand guns/mags and that's where I got it to do for my Bersa. I think a few 100 rounds can't hurt as the filling and letting the mags sit. I think you'll know soon if your problem is a "problem" at all. Good luck.

 

[badgeroh]

I have a Bersa Thunder 380 and I love the feel of it in my hand. I have taken it to the range and used it in the training course for my Concealed Carry License. I have shot about 400 cartridges of various manufacturers using the OEM magazine and a Promag magazine. Almost every attempt to load the last cartridge from a magazine is a failure-to-feed. The factory magazine has more success with the last cartridge than the Promag magazine and the success increases with the use of a true round nose cartridge. Flat tops and hollow points had much higher failures and also some failures on other than the last cartridge from the magazine. Four different shooters have encountered the same FTF with this BT380.

From reading the various forums it appears that all BT380s are not equal. Some will fire certain manufacturer’s cartridges and others will only feed a certain cartridge configuration and others will “level out” after a sufficient number of rounds have gone through the pistol.

I am not a gunsmith and I am not an engineer. However, I have studied my BT380 since I purchased it last summer. The following conclusions are based on my observations of this one BT380 and are presented with my biases. Perhaps my conclusions may be of assistance to some of you or you may see a way to help me correct my difficulties with the three magazines.

My first observation was the angles of the lips of the magazines and the followers are not identical. The last cartridge in the magazine is not being held at the same angle as previous cartridges. I can “rock” the last cartridge while it is sitting on the follower. When the slide moves forward and contacts the last cartridge, the ejector pushes the back of the cartridge down against the follower and the resulting increased angle of the cartridge further prevents the cartridge from entering behind the extractor. As the slide moves the cartridge across the follower, the downward pressure on the back of the cartridge increases and raises the point of the cartridge to where it cannot fully enter the chamber or it becomes jammed in the chamber. The two types of failure-to-feed that I have encountered have been a total failure of the cartridge to enter the chamber and it is jammed into the top of the slide or the cartridge begins to enter the chamber but is jammed with approximately 3/8 inch protruding out the back of the chamber.

I have the magazine that came new with the BT380, a Promag magazine and a nickel plated Bersa magazine. The relationship of the angles between the followers and magazine lips visually appear identical on the 3 magazines, i.e., not the same. I recently purchased two MEC-GAR magazines and the angle of the followers and the lips of the magazine are visually identical. By visual appearance, the angles on the lips of all the magazines are identical.

Due to the scarcity of ammunition I have not taken the BT380 to the firing range since I acquired the last 3 magazines. However, when I put cartridges in all the magazines and manipulate the action by hand, the final cartridge in each of the Bersa magazines and the Promag magazine will jam. The MEC-GAR magazines and have not had a jam. I attribute this to the angle the cartridge rests on the follower that permits the rim of the cartridge to enter behind the extractor.

When I acquire sufficient ammunition for testing, I will again visit the firing range to observe the function of the factory nickel magazine and the two MEC-GAR magazines.

(As an aside, the MEC-GAR magazines will hold 8 cartridges because the follower is not as tall as those in the Bersa and Promag magazines. Further, I do not recommend mixing components between the magazines. I need to investigate further, but I believe that after the last round leaves the MEC-GAR magazine they are designed to have pressure on the follower to keep it down slightly so the slide can move forward when the magazine is empty. This may account for the increased angle on the follower of the Bersa and Promag magazines.)

 

[oldjohnsr]

I don't know if this is where I need to be but I'm Going to try. I purchased a Bersa 380 cc for my wife in August of this year. She has shot probably 800 to 1000 rounds through it with no problems with factory rounds. We do reload and she was having some ftf issues with them. We watch real closely and the ones she had problems with we had crimped the bullet to tight. Just a slight adjustment and we have had no issues with the gun feeding or firing. The issue I have is with one of the Bersa magazines the slide won't lock open after the last round is fired and on the one that does lock open after the last round when you drop the mag the slide moves forward. I don't think I would have an issue with this because I have learned to count my rounds as I fire and I would just replace my mag before the last round. I don't want to put that pressure on my wife in a critical situation. If this is the way the 380cc is designed we will have to work on her counting rounds. If not I would like to know how to cure it. Thanks in advance John

 

[robhic]

The issue I have is with one of the Bersa magazines the slide won't lock open after the last round is fired and on the one that does lock open after the last round when you drop the mag the slide moves forward. I don't think I would have an issue with this because I have learned to count my rounds as I fire and I would just replace my mag before the last round.

I don't think they are ddesigned that way and I have had my mags do that, too, at times. I honestly believe the mag and the hold-back lever itself are just not all that reliable. They're a little weak and possibly too close so that a bit of extra movement causes them to allow the slide to close. I've noticed it and just kinda allow for it. Slap in the next mag and just expect the slide to close. Makes things quicker if nothing else!

 

[badgeroh]

Discussion of this issue here : bersa 380 cc. slide not staying lock back.

 

[Tony1990]

Discussion of this issue here : bersa 380 cc. slide not staying lock back.

Have you tried a different magazine with the same result?? Is this a new BT380CC or a well used one??

 

[badgeroh]

Went to the range yesterday evening and tried my two Mec-Gar magazines.

Using Winchester White Box ammo I had no problems.
This ammo is flat topped, FMJ, 95 grain, 0.940” to 0.945” overall length.

Using PPU (from Serbia) ammo, I had two mis-feeds with ONE of the magazines.
This ammo is round nose, FMJ, 94 grain, 0.950” to 0.975” overall length.
The length is not as consistent as the Winchester.

I would have expected the PPU ammo, being round nose, to feed better than the Winchester but in this test it was not the case.

I shot a full load from each magazine to test the loading of the first two bullets.
I then shot with each Mec-Gar magazine multiple times with only 3 bullets loaded. The last three rounds were where I had problems with the Bersa and ProMag magazines. I was disappointed with the two failure-to-feed instances but this is significantly better than the other magazines that had a 90% to 100% failure rate.

My conclusion, my gun may do better with all magazines when it has been shot more but in the meantime, I will use the Mec-Gar magazines. I have two more on order.

 

[David Perkins]

Went to the range yesterday evening and tried my two Mec-Gar magazines.

Using Winchester White Box ammo I had no problems.
This ammo is flat topped, FMJ, 95 grain, 0.940” to 0.945” overall length.

Using PPU (from Serbia) ammo, I had two mis-feeds with ONE of the magazines.
This ammo is round nose, FMJ, 94 grain, 0.950” to 0.975” overall length.
The length is not as consistent as the Winchester.

I would have expected the PPU ammo, being round nose, to feed better than the Winchester but in this test it was not the case.

I shot a full load from each magazine to test the loading of the first two bullets.
I then shot with each Mec-Gar magazine multiple times with only 3 bullets loaded. The last three rounds were where I had problems with the Bersa and ProMag magazines. I was disappointed with the two failure-to-feed instances but this is significantly better than the other magazines that had a 90% to 100% failure rate.

My conclusion, my gun may do better with all magazines when it has been shot more but in the meantime, I will use the Mec-Gar magazines. I have two more on order.[/QUOTE

Reading your earlier posts, you had 2 types of fail. Since you are feeding WWB ok but not PPU, I am guessing that you are now having the second type of FTF, the bullet is partially chambered but not under the extractor. If this is the case, you may need to have the extractor tuned, or more simply shoot the ammo that works consistently. You noted as I did that Bersa mags are quirky in that when loading one round you can rock the round because the lips and follower are not parallel. Also, how many rounds fired? Several here (me included) have been able to shoot PPU after 4-500 rounds. Note that PPU and Monarch from Academy are the same ammo. The first time I shot my Bersa I used PPU and never got through a whole mag. If I had shot nothing but Fiocchi, I would be reporting 100% reliable.