Last week I bought my wife a Thunder .380 sice she finally decided she wanted to learn how to shoot. I throughly cleaned and lubed the gun and today was able to try it out. I find the gun very accurate, but on every magazine load fired throught it the next to last round fail to chamber. Sometimes it would stove pipe, while on others it would jam itself against the top edge of the chamber. I suspect it is the magazine, but having no previous experience with this gun I don't know for sure. I picked this gun after all the positive reviews I have seen here, and I had several people approach me at the gun show after I bought to offer testimonials about what a great gun it was. Some of my buddies were very negitive about this brand, and my experience today has just added to their diddain. Any ideas?
Thunder .380 problem
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A couple of things to look at.One is "limp wrist".You probably already have heard of it.Just in case,I'll explain it.It's where you hold the gun loosely in your hands.The spent pressure from the shell wants to eject the slide back far enough to eject the spent casing and load a fresh one.With a loose grip the slide is handicapped from its full slide back due to your hands following the slide back in the same direction.I avoid "limp wrist" by holding a firm grip.I actually push my hands forward,in the direction of the target while pulling the trigger.This puts the full pressure of the spent shell on the slide.
Secondly.Ammo.Mine shoots well with anything,but some swear on certain ammo.Cor-Bon is a biggie in other Threads for the Bersa.
Third.Keep the gun oiled.Mainly the slide.
These may not be the problem,but I like my Bersa Thunder .380.I have the Duo Tone.It jammed once in the first 50 rounds.I cleaned it up and have shot hundreds of rounds since.No problems.Good luck and hope you all the best on finding the fix.
Secondly.Ammo.Mine shoots well with anything,but some swear on certain ammo.Cor-Bon is a biggie in other Threads for the Bersa.
Third.Keep the gun oiled.Mainly the slide.
These may not be the problem,but I like my Bersa Thunder .380.I have the Duo Tone.It jammed once in the first 50 rounds.I cleaned it up and have shot hundreds of rounds since.No problems.Good luck and hope you all the best on finding the fix.
We have two of them. With my wife, she did limp wrist it at first. Once that was corrected, she now has over 2000 rounds through it without a hitch. Mine only has about 1500. Is the gun new or used. Also if it is not a bersa mag, that is often a problem. Got to Bersa Chat Forum for a lot of good information. Sometimes the type of ammo may be the issue. Some of the pistols do not like a particular brand of ammo. Finally if it is new, there is a lifetime warrantee wheere they will make it right quickly.
First off, I've been shooting handguns for over 30 years, I was in the military for 20 , so yes, I do know what limp wristing is, and no, that is not the problem. The gun is new, the magazine is the factory issue one that came with it, and the ammo is Fiocchi. I'm hoping this is just a break in thing and will settle out after another cuople hundred rounds. Fortunately this gun is only intended to teach my wife to shoot. But I want to prove to my shooting buddies that Bersa is not a "cheap" gun, and is capable of being a dependable firearm.
It appears you may have to lie to your buddies then.........at least about this particular Bersa. I know they are inexpensive and Bersa folks stand by them rabidly and blindly.
The finish on a Bersa is sub par at best but the .380's normally shoot well and cycle effectively. I would surely try a different brand of ammo it does make a diffreance. Then I would shoot it myself to see if maybe she was limp wristing it. It is not easy to tell if someone else is limpwristing a handgun.
I would place my concern on can I make the gun my wife has to shot well, before what my buddies think of the brand I bought. If your buddies are gun guys with experiance shooting and with many manufactures, maybe they have some knowlege that a couple guys at a gunshow who only own one gun do........maybe not though.
Good luck getting the little Bersa to run correctly. A faulty shooting gun in a new shooters hands is not a good combo.
RCG
The finish on a Bersa is sub par at best but the .380's normally shoot well and cycle effectively. I would surely try a different brand of ammo it does make a diffreance. Then I would shoot it myself to see if maybe she was limp wristing it. It is not easy to tell if someone else is limpwristing a handgun.
I would place my concern on can I make the gun my wife has to shot well, before what my buddies think of the brand I bought. If your buddies are gun guys with experiance shooting and with many manufactures, maybe they have some knowlege that a couple guys at a gunshow who only own one gun do........maybe not though.
Good luck getting the little Bersa to run correctly. A faulty shooting gun in a new shooters hands is not a good combo.
RCG
Sounds like the pistol is not cooperating in your quest to prove to your buddies that it's capable. Personally, I wouldn't take a Bersa if it were given to me, but alas, you already have it. Definitely try some different ammo as suggested. Also, did you clean the magazines as well? Try that. One new gun I bought had more goop in the magazine body than the gun did.First off, I've been shooting handguns for over 30 years, I was in the military for 20 , so yes, I do know what limp wristing is, and no, that is not the problem. The gun is new, the magazine is the factory issue one that came with it, and the ammo is Fiocchi. I'm hoping this is just a break in thing and will settle out after another cuople hundred rounds. Fortunately this gun is only intended to teach my wife to shoot. But I want to prove to my shooting buddies that Bersa is not a "cheap" gun, and is capable of being a dependable firearm.
then you should know these things (auto-feeders) like to be run in for several hundred rounds and they can be ammo finiky and you should try more than one brand.First off, I've been shooting handguns for over 30 years,
we gotta thunder in the safe and it eat's everything we shove in the pipe, reloads only, and it's dead nuts accruate and has been for oh gosh i dunnow- ever?
no offence but the whole "prove to your buddies" thing aint what guns or shooting's all about. who care's what yer shooting and what others think.
shoot what ya like the best ya can and if that aint good enough? then.....ya need new buddies imho.
too simple
This might seem too simple to work but try loading your magazine with one or two less
bullets. If you find that there are no longer feeding problems you will know it's your
magazine. Try storing your magazine fully loaded for a week or longer before you
use it again.
This might seem too simple to work but try loading your magazine with one or two less
bullets. If you find that there are no longer feeding problems you will know it's your
magazine. Try storing your magazine fully loaded for a week or longer before you
use it again.
Never mind, just noticed how old this thread was!
1 - 9 of 9 Posts
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