Mec-Gar.380 magazines on sale

Hey Dutch! I quickly received the 3 Mec-Gars I ordered for my maiden BT .380 Combat but have not had a chance to get it out to the range yet.

I did indeed note that the 8 round mag needs a bit more nudge for full insertion than I expected when it's loaded with 8 rds and inserted on an empty chamber. When I insert that same load-out (8) under a chambered round, the nudge requirement rises and I'm not comfortable with that. Curiously, I note the same behavior when manually inserting and cycling the two 8 round OEM Bersa branded magazines that were shipped with the pistol.

I just called Mec-Gar and the service person I spoke with advised me that the 8 round Mec-Gars differ in some specific manner from Bersa's 7 round Thunder magazine but I do not have any specifics on what the differences are at this time. Most significantly he sounded quite sincere when he told me that he was not aware of any problems with the relatively new Bersa 380 magazines to date, and that he was going to contact Eagle and see what they have to say. So I decided to let that run and see that he advises when he calls back.

dutchboy said:

I'm gonna assume then that it does fit in the gun for a total of 9 rounds in the gun. Am I correct with that assumption? If so, then at least you can carry 9 rounds in the gun, which is what I was trying to achieve with mine….I cannot replace that 8th round in the mag and reinsert it into the gun for a total of 9 rounds.

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Affirmative Dutch. I can insert a a fully loaded mag of 8 in the Combat with one in the pipe, albeit with more insertion resistance than I expected. Previously my experience with Mec-Gar's was limited to my trusty 9mm Sig Sauer P226 into which Mec-Gars insert effortlessly and feed predictably.

I've not heard back yet from "David" at Mac-Gar but expect a call back soon - but don't wait on calling him because of me. It may be that there are variations between newer Bersa .380s that will muddy the waters on magazine function & options, especially with the advent of new 8 round mags from both Bursa and Mec-Gar. I'll let you know what I hear from them.

The only thing I can add at this time is that I clearly recall that the fully loaded 8 round magazines were difficult to insert immediately after I received the Combat .380. I believe that I began to perceive a reduction in resistance when inserting the magazine (8+1) over time after I loaded and unloaded each of them a number of times with the BabyUpLULA .22LR-.380ACP single-stack loader and exercised the spring with the UPLULA loader with both seven and eight rounds loaded in the mags. Have you taken down, serviced, and reassembled those problematical magazines?

I need a range run bad to test drive this little beauty which I will view as a remarkable bargain if she performs well during her planned sea trials.

Noting your New Jersey roots takes me back to some of the best years of my life when I schooled in Philly from '66-'70 where two recollections stand out: 1) The birth of the original "God Bless America" Broad Street Bullies and 2) The original Latin Casino in Cherry Hill where on any given evening we could pop cross the river and for the cost of a few beers take in the likes of vintage James Brown perfecting his exceptional skills.

Dutch, that is very close to what David in C.S. said to me. I doubt that he was blowing me off when he advised that he had never before heard situation that we both reported. I cannot say that I was surprised to sense the mismatch with the Combat .380 and my concern at this point in time is limited to it's reliability for CCW or in home/office defense in contrast to my personal go to sidearms of the 9mm Sig Sauer and the 5.7x28 FN Five-seveN. First experience with the BT-22 was instant lust when it came to fit, feel, & fun, but it's a pig when it comes to failure to reliably fire. I spent a lot of time in the other Bersa forums without feeling that I had resolved many of my concerns except to confirm that the BT-22 appears to have more than it's fair share of reliability problems, that the craftsmanship used in it's relatively low-$-end production leaves much to be desired, and that many of it's advocates tend to mumble on on unclear terms. My first impression on the BT-380 in general is that it's design and construction appears to be superior to it's little sister mouse gun. Only time, field testing, and feedback from other users will tell.

On the subject of maximizing your load out, have you considered giving the Bersa Thunder 380 DLX 380 ACP 9-Round magazine a trial run? Midway reviews are impressive except for one that describes the same problem you do when the magazine is filled to capacity - "The Magazine seems well built. It would not seat in my Thunder 380 deluxe with nine rounds in it. had to back off to 8. Still trying to see why."

dutchboy said:

Wow critter, the "Latin Casino" you are showing "OUR" ages, LOL. I as well am actually from Philly and went to high school there, Roxborough. Philly is and always was a great town for sports and great music. I grew up on James Brown the Delphonics, Stevie Wonder, Gamble & Huff (TSOP) you name it. I guess then that you remember Ed Hurst, Jerry Blavic, Steel Pier, Wagners ballroom the Uptown etc. Good to interact with a "Home Boy" so to say.

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Hell yeah, and all I can say is that it was some kind of miracle for me to translocate from bayou country in South Looziana to UP and Liberty Bell Country. Without know any better my first "home" was in South Philly up close to the navy yard but that proved a bit to run or fight adventurous for my maturing stage of life. So it was on to a whole 'nuther world up north by you in Chestnut Hill which ended up being a bit overly little stiff for my social ambitions but which also introduced me to one of the most incredible roadhouses I ever stumbled on right there in your own back yard, The Valley Green Inn, complements of William Penn. Final settle was in West Philly within walking (or sometimes crawling) distance to the university. The music, the Steel Pier, and pre-casino Atlantic City/boardwalk were were incredible but there was the visceral treat of joining the the insanity of humanity in experiencing the temporary glory of poor ole "One Eye" Gypsy Joe Harris in the Arena over on Swanson St., and another one-armed or one-handed guy who fought pretty damned well in some dumpy old arena/gym in West Philly. Between these classical brawlers and the Flyers there was no shortage of action in the City of Bloodely Love. Philly had it all for anyone who had their eyes wide open.

Hey critter, I must say that I enjoy reading your literary expressions of these culinary delights. In response to your question regarding the stability, quality, and longevity of "Geno's" and "Tony Luke's", they are in fact still around. Both have earned their places on the big screen so to say, in that each has been featured on such shows as "Man vs Food" and various television shows associated with the "Travel Channel and the Food Network". While I do enjoy the sandwiches of both places, I'll admit that the best tasting Cheesesteaks and Hoagies can be found in the little or no name (Joe's, Pete's, etc.) sandwich shops or "Greasy Spoons", found on various corners throughout the urban area's of the Delaware Valley. IMHO, these little joints have the best food around and you won't find them on the Food Network!

I see that both of us have gone somewhat off on a tangent so to say. So before the moderators nudge us about not being on topic, I'll get back on point. I'm still waiting on that return phone call from Mec-Gar.