Bersa’s Thunder Plus .380 – “Everyman’s” PPK?

I recently reviewed a brand new, shiny Walther PP—why I chose a PP over a PPK is still a mystery—and it brought back memories of when I was a young shaver and would go to the movies to catch the latest 007 flick.

You know… Bond, James Bond… with all his tricky equipment and flashy car. But what always captured my attention were the Bond girls… uh, well, maybe we’ll skip that. I also noticed his pistol, the Walter PPK. It had a presence and was the perfect fit for him and his escapades.

So now, I have before me a gun that looks a heck of a lot like 007’s pistol. It seems that Bersa engineered their .380 after carefully examining the Walter. I can’t call it a clone or a close copy, but the influence was there. Here they are: 

Comparison

Let’s look at some similarities and differences…

Walther | Bersa

• Action: DA/SA with decocker | DA/SA with decocker
• Barrel: Fixed | Fixed
• Capacity: 7+1 | 15+1
• Magazine Release: top of the trigger guard | bottom of the trigger guard, reversible
• Magazines Included: 2 | 1
• Sights: milled, non-adjustable dovetailed, adjustable rear
• Takedown: trigger guard drops down | takedown lever 
• Slide Stop: no | yes
• Warranty: lifetime, no restrictions | lifetime, original owner

These are the major differences. Of course, a close examination of the two will reveal other ones. 

The purpose of this review is to review the Bersa, but I thought I’d address the “elephant in the room”, the natural propensity to compare the Bersa to the Walther. Now that’s done, so we can move along.

Argentina… What?

Bersa is manufactured in Argentina. I think I can explain it best by quoting from their “About Us” web page. Here you go:

I also know that the Ecuadorian Air Force issues Bersa pistols to their pilots. That’s a comfort! 

• Barrel: 3.5 in
• Action: DA/SA
• Trigger Pull: 4.0 lbs SA; 6 lbs., 4 oz. DA (measured with a Lyman digital gauge)
• Caliber: .380 ACP
• Capacity: 15+1
• Frame Material: Alloy
• Frame Size: Micro-Compact
• Front Sight: Dovetail
• Rear Sight: Notched-Bar Dovetail, Adjustable For Windage
• Magazines Included: 1
• Safety: Integral Locking System & Manual Safety
• Height: 4.9″
• Series: Thunder
• Weight: 20 Oz
• Slide: Steel
• Width: 1.3 In
• Model: Thunder 380 Plus
• Finish: Nickel Matte Cerakote
• Grips: Rubber Wrap-Around

Where To Buy

This gun is the high-capacity version of the Bersa Thunder. That gun is an 8+1 .380. But, the specs are so close on both of the guns that I thought why not have the extra capacity? They only ship with one magazine – that’s not right, you need two at least – so I figured 15 was better than 8. 

Examining The Thunder Plus… Some Observations

Let’s face it: this pistol is old-school. I mean, alloy frame? DA/SA? That’s like, old, right? Yessir. I like old things… I have socks older than most of you, I’d bet. And, I’m old. Old does not necessarily equal bad. I mean, look at the 1911. Like it or not, it’s stronger now than I’ve ever seen it, and I’ve had my finger on the pulse of the shooting world for right at 50 years. 

So, we find it’s old. And it’s heavy (well, not really, but if all you compare it with is a polymer-framed, one-pound-wonder, then it’s heavy). It doesn’t fit in a pocket unless you’re Captain Kangaroo. (Google it). It’s chambered for the 9mm’s weaker cousin, the .380. And it only comes with one magazine, as I mentioned above.

Let’s look at each of these statements. Heavy is as heavy does. A gun that feels heavy to me may not be at all heavy to the next shooter. Plus, a bit of extra heft helps soak up recoil. As for the pocket, I don’t have a comeback for that. It’s just too chunky. The .380 chambering is not a liability in this day and age with all the advancements that have been made in bullet technology. And, don’t forget that WWI was started by the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand with a .380 in Sarajevo. The one-magazine thing I can’t help – it needs more than one.

Handling Impressions

When I pick the Bersa up, it fits very well in my hand. The alloy grip frame is covered with a nice rubber wrap-around grip panel. That way, you have texturing on the sides and the front. The backstrap is smooth. 

The gun sits well in my hand, and I have average-size paws. On the 8+1 Thunders, the magazine release is situated at the top of the trigger guard, à la the Walther – that’s different. But on the Plus, it’s where God (and John Browning) intended it to be – at the bottom of the trigger guard. Plus, it’s reversible. Fellow lefties out there, join me in thanking Bersa for doing that! 

I may have to address the corners of the magazine’s base plate with a file. The rear corners are very pointed and need to be relieved, which I will do. 

One thing you will not see on the Plus that is on the standard model is what some shooters call a “Hillary Hole”. You know, the keyed lock that ties everything up so the gun becomes a very expensive paperweight? The Plus model does not have this … “feature”. Yay! What the gun does have (that I don’t like) is a magazine disconnect safety. The trigger is deactivated unless the magazine is inserted. This can be addressed, but you’ll have to look that up on your own.  

The sights are large enough, with space around the front post. 

They are both dovetailed, so I assume they are replaceable. They are of the three-dot variety. With white dots, I usually will color the front dot with some orange nail polish to get a quick sight picture. Others tend to “Sharpie” out the rear dots so that only the front one is visible. However you handle it, the sights work. Plus, the rear is windage-adjustable, although we didn’t need to utilize that adjustment. We could move it a touch to the left while looking at the targets. Fine-tuning comes later.

Taking the gun apart is so much easier than with a Walther. 

The Bersa has a takedown lever on the right side of the frame. Remove the magazine, press against that lever to hold it down, and pull the slide to the rear and off the frame. When you want to put it back, hold the takedown lever down, re-insert the slide over the recoil spring and barrel, and pull it all the way to the rear. Then, just push it down onto the frame. That’s it.

One feature that I really appreciate on this gun is the slide stop. The $900-plus Walther PPK doesn’t have one. I never understood that. At least there’s one here and it works. 

Speaking of features, there’s another one that I could do without… the hooked trigger guard. I don’t know of anyone who wraps their support hand index finger around the front of the trigger guard anymore, Miami-Vice style, but it’s there with striations cut into it. 

Here’s A Holster That Works

I thought I would mention that I found a holster that works for me. Being left-handed and not exactly ripped (the saying is I don’t have a six-pack but I do have a keg), sometimes it’s difficult to carry IWB.

So, Martin at Falco Holsters came up with a nice OWB paddle holster. Paddle holsters are easier to put on and take off, at least for me. It’s leather and has an open top which I prefer. There was no issue about ordering it left-handed. You gotta love holster companies that provide holsters for both sides! Here’s a link.

The DA/SA Drill

I want to touch briefly on the DA/SA procedure in case some readers are not aware of how it works.

A DA/SA (double action/single action) pistol works basically like a DA/SA revolver. You can fire the gun with the hammer down (against the slide), or cocked. Typically, most shooters will carry the pistol with a loaded magazine, a round in the chamber, and the hammer down.

When you insert a loaded magazine and let the slide run forward, you can press the safety/decocker lever down and it will safely drop the hammer – it has a hammer block to be extra safe. Then, raise the safety lever until it clicks and the trigger is re-engaged. Now, you have a loaded magazine, a round in the chamber, and the hammer down for safe carrying.

Your first shot will be a long DA pull, with subsequent shots having a lighter, shorter SA pull. I like this type of action… you have control over it and can carry the gun however you wish. My only gripe is that I can’t reach the safety lever, as it’s mounted on the slide. A frame-mounted lever like Taurus did with its version of the Beretta 92 is easier for me, at least, to reach. But a slide-mounted lever is more common.

Shooting The Bersa

I had a couple of .380 loads that I wanted to try in the Bersa, so we set some targets up at 15 yards. Here are two representatives:

I was really impressed with the Blazer results. This load would make a great practice load. With the Critical Defense, the target’s not bad, although I would most likely try some other defense rounds in an effort to dial one in. It’s not bad, really, with four mostly together and a flyer. The Blazer is really encouraging. We shot both off a rest and offhand at the mentioned 15 yards. Thanks to Bear Creek Arsenal for providing a really nice ammo box and some targets.

Summing Up

I like this gun so much that I sent Bersa a check for it. It isn’t small and light like my S&W Bodyguard 2.0 .380 (which fits easily into my pocket), but it has an allure all its own. It’s different, on purpose… I overuse the term, but I call it old school, being a DA/SA.

You can hang onto the grip, and the sights are helpful. Also, its “chunkiness” is a plus, as it helps keep recoil down. It was accurate with most of the ammo we shot and reliable. I would not hesitate to carry it. This gun has a stable platform with 16 rounds of .380, nice sights, a decent trigger, and a grip that fits very well.

Even though it’s a bit chunky and requires a holster, I like it. I know of several other shooters who carry Bersas and sing their praises. I think I may join their chorus.