New Thunder .380 problems

35470 Views 16 Replies 12 Participants Last post by Otto Harkaman, May 23, 2018

eglide52

Discussion Starter · Jun 7, 2014 (Edited)

Hello fellow shooters;
New to the forum as I just purchased a new Thunder .380 and took it to my local range today. Range ammo is privy partisan fmj 94 grain. Out of 100 rounds shot today, at least 50% jammed in the gun and had to be re-racked to clear.
I cleaned and oiled the gun when I received it 3 days ago. Saw nothing unusual. This is a brand new never fired pistol, with 2 Bersa mags. 1 is 7 round, the other is 9 round. The gun was called a kit by Bersa because the box contains
the pistol, the 2 mags, a set of walnut grips, a nice conceal-carry holster, and a small cleaning kit. I am baffled at the number of fail-to-feed I experienced. Didn't matter which of the 2 supplied mags I used. Could it be these guns take a lot of break in before they function correctly, or maybe the type of ammo? It seems like a lot of ftf's even for a new gun.
The gunsmith at the range checked it out and said out of 2 mags he put through it, he had 2 or 3 ftf. Told me it my take 500 t0 600 rounds before this would clear up. Really! This is not the store I purchased the gun at, so it was nice of the gunsmith to even take a look at it for free.
On top of that, about 75 rounds into the 100 I put through it today, the front site fell off. The gunsmith re-attached it with Loctite.

Anybody on the site have any ideas.
This will be my wife's gun so I need to have it function as I travel a lot. Great fit and everything, just confused about the break-in period.

Thanks to all.

Update on Thunder .380

All is well with the gun. Went back to range for a 2nd session. Ran around 150 rounds through it with no issues. Took advice of keeping the mags fully loaded for a week b4 going back out. Also locked slide back for same amount of time.
Either the spring in the pistol eased up a little, or the mag springs re-set a little, or the feed ramp finally smoothed out, or all three.. Ran 3 different types of ammo through gun without a hitch. Am now a happy camper with this gun! Wife is starting to enjoy shooting more now that she has a gun to rely on.
Thanks to everyone who replied with advice and suggestions. These forums really work for the benefit of us all.

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Tony1990

· #2 · Jun 8, 2014

Welcome to Bersa Pistol Forum, glad to have you on board.
First BERSA says it should take between 200 - 300 rounds of ball ammo (round nose FMJ ammo) to break in the BT380. As for the ammo, my Bersas has fired every type of ammo I have used in them be it personal defense ammo ( at the range only ) or range ammo. The ammo you are using "PPU" ammo ( Prvi Partizan ) FMJ 94 gr made in Serbia is very good ammo. I have fired over 400 rounds of PPU ammo with no problems.
You said you cleaned and lubricated your gun before you used it, that's great if it was a very good cleaning and lubrication. Also did you take your mags apart and cleaned and lubricated them?? What you can try is loading as many rounds in each mag as you can ( 7 or 9 ) and let them sit that way until your next trip to the range this may help if the springs are the problem.
Now it may also be a limp wrist problem, are you using both hands with fully extended arms to fire??

Happy shooting and do let the forum know how everything turns out with your new Bersa.

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marine1960

· #3 · Jun 8, 2014

I had to return my bt380 cc when I first got it. They did a niece job of tuning it. Polished the feed ramp.
I really believe you need to run 300 plus rounds thru it to break it in. Ball ammo.
These are low priced pistols and it appears the machining is rough out of the box. Check the hammer when it's cocked. Should be centered and not rubbing one side or another. A gunsmith could correct this issue.
These shooters don't like limp wrists. Suggest you extend your arm and keep your elbow locked with a two hand grip. See the above thread.

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Gretschguy

· #4 · Jun 9, 2014

Stovepipes, and failure to feed problems are often associated with "limp wristing". Ensure that you have a firm grip. If the ftf that you reffer to is "failure to fire", note that P.P. ammo has a reputation of having hard primers. Ensure that the firing pin channel is clear, too. Some solvent and compressed air seems to work, although I have never had that problem with any centerfire cartridge. I have some P.P. ammo but I haven't tried to shoot any of it yet. I also have an older Beretta .380 to try if the BT-380 is not reliable with it.

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robhic

· #5 · Jun 10, 2014

I will second the suggestions made above. Load and let the mags set for a week or two if possible. Try polishing the feed ramp -- can't hurt. I used some auto body fine grade compound and a Q-tip. Did it by hand so as not to mess anything up. Make sure everything is clean and lubed, your technique is sound then go shoot off as many rounds as you can. It can take more than you'd like to think to adequately break-in the pistol. It will also enhance the feed ramp polishing. Good luck. NOTE: I had jamming issues specific to the 6th round in every 7rd magazine I had. After loading the mags up and letting them "marinate" for 7-10 days or so the next time I shot my BT380 it didn't jam anymore. I am a happy boy.

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jackson

· #6 · Jun 20, 2014

Eglide52...wow!.....your post is my post. I have almost EXACTLY the same tale to tell. Same Bersa .380 in a Kit, bought through Gander. First time at the range with it. Only difference is I was shooting Academy Sports "house brand" ammo, Monarch 94 gr FMJ.
Granted, its budget ammo, but I have run countless boxes of it in 9mm thru my Glock 17....never had a failure that I recall. Of course it is a Glock, and I paid more for it and expect more from it.

Anyway, I shot 7-8 mag loads thru the Bersa and never made it thru a whole mag. Failure to feed, 1-2 per mag. I think I once got 5 good cycles in a row. I thought about buying some hi end ammo at the range, but its ridiculously expensive there. So I packed up and left. Inspected the gun after, and can clearly see strike marks in the feed ramp. I kept the misfed rounds too. They all have a dimple or mark, just off the nose radius, where they struck the feed ramp, or somewhere near it, and then went somewhere other than in the pipe.
So far I am extremely disappointed, it goes without saying. I read the suggestions here and will try them. I'd be very interested in knowing what progress you made in solving the problem. I really love the feel of this little gun, but for a potential carry, ( my intent) it MUST be reliable. Maybe should have sprung for a higher end gun, but I'm gonna try to work with it, even though I don't think you should have to deal with "new gun" issues to this degree !

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akmark

· #7 · Oct 31, 2014

I have a Bersa Thunder 380 CC, first time at the range. I could feel that the slide was not moving normally and stopped shooting. Now that I'm home and took it down, it appears that the hammer does not cock back far enough to clear the slide.

What I am seeing is that with the recoil spring removed and no mag in, the slide moves backward and is stopped by the hammer, unless it is forced back with the hammer riding the bottom of the slide all the way. Needless to say this causes a lot of friction heat on both the slide and hammer but since this is my first Bersa, I'm not sure whether this is defect, design or wear issue.

I do appreciate any instruction or information you can offer.

caymin last

· #8 · Oct 31, 2014

I'm not sure what the problem might be, you should get in contact with the customer service folks at Bersa/Eagle Imports. Although I have no personal experience in dealing with them, they seem to have a good reputation. I hope it gets corrected for you.

Gretschguy

· #9 · Oct 31, 2014

Welcome aboard from Tampa Bay.
Sorry to hear about this problem with your new 380CC. I'm thinking there may be a burr in there. I presume that you field-stripped it and checked for them. Did you thouroghly clean it prior to shooting it? There may be packing grease underneath something that you missed. (I'm "fishing".) If you have a sonic cleaner, or one available, give that a try. I take mine to my local smitty have him give them a sonic bath. (I also do not have the mechanical prowess to detail strip my guns, so I pay to ensure their safety.)
Good Luck and keep us posted.
Also: P.M. being sent.

Tony1990

· #10 · Nov 1, 2014 (Edited)

akmark said:
I have a Bersa Thunder 380 CC, first time at the range. I could feel that the slide was not moving normally and stopped shooting. Now that I'm home and took it down, it appears that the hammer does not cock back far enough to clear the slide.

What I am seeing is that with the recoil spring removed and no mag in, the slide moves backward and is stopped by the hammer, unless it is forced back with the hammer riding the bottom of the slide all the way. Needless to say this causes a lot of friction heat on both the slide and hammer but since this is my first Bersa, I'm not sure whether this is defect, design or wear issue.

I do appreciate any instruction or information you can offer.

Welcome to Bersa Pistol Forum, glad to have you on board from the Lone Star State.

Tony1990

· #11 · Nov 3, 2014

2

I agree with Gretschguy, if it a new first time used BT380cc I hope you cleaned it completely. From what I understand the slide push's the hammer rearward to a certain point then it does ride over the hammer so lubrication may be the problem. If it does not solve your problem I would suggest that you have a gunsmith look at it or send it back for warranty work since it may be a decocking lever problem.
I am sending you a picture showing how far back the hammer goes on my BT380cc. I have over 1500 rounds used on my BT380cc without any problems.

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RCardy

· #12 · Jul 20, 2015

I have a round stuck in the chamber of my Bersa Thunder. I cannot get the slide back to dislodge the round. Suggestions?

Tony1990

· #13 · Jul 22, 2015

RCardy said:
I have a round stuck in the chamber of my Bersa Thunder. I cannot get the slide back to dislodge the round. Suggestions?

Welcome to Bersa Pistol Forum from Texas.

First if it is a live round be very careful you don't get hurt or worst.
Can you get the mag out? if so and you still can not rack the slide normally (without the use of a hammer) I would take it to a gun smith which would be the safe and wise thing to do.
Maybe someone else has a better idea.

Good luck

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Manfredi_jimmy

· #14 · Nov 29, 2015

For what it is worth, I had mentioned what you are speaking of in a previous post as far as the FTF issues. I could feel a sharp edge at the base of the ramp and also a sharpness near where the slide hold latch is. I used some extra fine grade emery cloth (black sand paper) just to smooth out these sharp edges and polish the ramp. Not enough pressure to alter the shape of anything, just to smooth. I saw on mine where the rounds were chewing away the the so called extra though anodized coating on the feed ramp so mine has been polished to a mirror finish. That seems to have alleviated the feed problem with most decent ammo. It even worked great with some reloads I bought at the range. The only feed issue I have seen since was with the cheap $10.00 / box Walmart PerFecta ammo which I see is made by Tula, which is also junk ammo. It is noteworthy to mention that even with the PerFecta ammo I only saw about 2 FTF issues out of about 80 rounds. That is still too much for what I plan on using as my CCW but my hunch at this point is that with the use of decent ammo and repeated firing, it will work itself out. We'll see.

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9UC

· #15 · Dec 2, 2015

Can't give any further advice other than what other members have given, but wanted to add another welcome from the great state of Texas,

Otto Harkaman

· #16 · May 23, 2018

Hmm I just bought a New Bersa Thunder 380 plus, popped off a 100 rounds of Browning Court 380, having the same problems with FTL, FTF and stovepipes. I'll try the suggestions here.

Otto Harkaman

· #17 · May 23, 2018

Took the gun back to the range today after doing a really thorough cleaning and used a little more oil than I am use to. I had the range officer take a look at the gun before I shot it, he noticed there was some scarring on the feed ramp. We talked about polishing it and gave me the contact information for a gunsmith nearby. I shot 85 rounds of Browning Court and got two jams and one FTF (I looked at the round after ejecting, it did have strike mark from the firing pin). I had used gun scrubber in the firing pin chamber and was amazed how dirty it was before bringing it to the range this time. I noticed when packing up that the hammer has been rubbing on the right side of the tail so that isn't aligned. I didn't shoot fifteen rounds so I could load them into the magazine and let it sit for awhile. I had thoroughly cleaned and disassembled the magazine. I had also made sure the tight end of the recoil spring went on the barrel correctly.

I like the look of this gun, when it handles properly it is fun to shoot and accurate. But its a great disappointment the the quality control is so bad. I don't mind the rough look of the finish but not functioning properly? I guess you only see the positive reviews when you desire a gun then notice all the negatives after you get the gun and have problems. I don't think its reliable enough in a life or death situation. So in the end this gun is more expensive because it still needs work after being shipped from the factory. I have had cheap .22lr pistols function better.

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