Troubleshooting misfeeds in a Bersa thunder 380?

[Sikvenum93]

I had this exact problem with a very similarly designed .380 blowback pistol I bought new in 1996. (it was a Sig Sauer not a Bersa). I took the magazine apart and stretched the magazine spring to about 150% of its original length, then de-burred the feed shuttle edges and corners. I applied the tiniest possible amount of gun grease to the inside walls of the magazine and then reassembled it. That solved my feeding problem forever and it has been a totally solid, reliable joy to shoot ever since.

I'm not recommending you take your factory magazine do this although its not very hard to do. I just thought the solution to my gun's "after 4 feeding issue" might be of interest you.

slipinkramer

Thanks i got 3 mags so i'll definitely give that a try.

Sent from my LGLS990 using Tapatalk

[Old4eyes]

Bersa owner here, two thoughts.

The recoil spring is not symmetrical. One end is slightly larger than the other. The one that fits tightest goes to the breach end of the barrel, the loose side to the muzzle.

On my Firestorm I found that the breach face was not milled correctly and the area right next to the tip of the extractor was higher than the rest of the breach. This caused cartridges to tilt to the left. Pull the slide off, put a cartridge under the extractor and see how it fits.

On my Thunder, I replaced the safety/decocker when it broke. I started having feed problems when I hadn't before. When I sent in for repair the gunsmith (who is reputable) stated he couldn't induce a problem with 90 rounds, including a magazine worth being shot by his 10 year old son. Maybe I ran out of Wheaties for a while. I really concentrate on not limp wristing it now but it may be a matter of concern.

[Horrendo Revolver]

The elephant in the room. Send it back to Bersa for them to fix. Or is there some rule or regulation in California which makes this difficult?

[Old4eyes]

Some manufacturers, I can think of Sig and Springfield, had misgivings on sending back to California guns that were not (or never had been) on the roster. Probably someone from Kamala's staff had made veiled threats on the issue. For Springfield it was prompted during the XDS recall and for Sig, some had reported problems when contacting Sig for warranty repair.

Shouldn't be a problem for the OP, that gun is a Bersa Firestorm, not a Bersa Thunder. The Firestorm is on the roster, the Thunder is not. Not that it matters, as long as the serial number on the gun doesn't change it's not a new gun.

[dwtt]

Why aren't the people who claim these Bersa's to be of good value posting remedies to OP?

I have a Bersa Thunder 9 compact and don't have the problem the OP has. Maybe it's because I got a 9mm, but I can't post a remedy for a problem I didn't experience. Ask me about fixing keyholing problems shooting coated bullets through a stock Glock and I can offer a remedy.

[RedFord150]

I bought this Bersa Firestorm 380 brand new awhile back and I put about 500+ rounds through it and tried 3 different magazines and it still jams. It always misfeeds on the 4-5th round with every magazine without fail and with all types of ammo.(steel, brass, nickel plated, fmj, jhp, etc.) I'm on the verge of just giving up and selling this. Any ideas? ...

Before you do anything, take it to a local Gunsmith and have it checked out. It could be a simple problem that someone who is familiar with the gun could easily spot. You might even contact Bersa directly and ask if they have someone local to you they could recommend.

Why aren't the people who claim these Bersa's to be of good value posting remedies to OP?

As a long-time Bersa owner, I recommend using factory magazines. The ProMags are hit and miss. Other than a lousy after-market magazine, mine has been trouble free. I cannot suggest a remedy for a problem I have never experienced.

The Bersa is a great value. If you do not agree with me, you should buy something else. Not every gun is perfect for every shooter.

[code_blue]

Had a new shooter with BNIB Bersa do the exact same thing. Limpwristing was the culprit. Corrected his grip then not one issue after.

Change your grip or better yet, post photos of how you hold the pistol. Just mock photos with someone else taking the photos from your left and right side.

I see a revolver on the table. Revolver guys that switch to semis believe they know how to shoot/hold semis, but they don't. It's a different animal especially when the animal gives the old, revolver shooters slide bite.

[Pipe Smoker]

In a lethal threat situation, you might limp-wrist the pistol even if you don't do so at the range, so I wouldn't trust a pistol that's sensitive to limp-wristing. I've verified that my SIG P238 .380 cycles reliably, even when deliberately limp-wristed. 900+ rounds with only one early-on cycling issue.

[RedFord150]

...It's a different animal especially when the animal gives the old, revolver shooters slide bite.

The Bersa Thunder has a nice "Beaver-Tail". This does a perfect job of preventing "Slide Bite". Not sure about the Firestorm.

My Bersa has been fired by several newbies, including a few women, with no issues at all. I am not aware that limp-wristing is an issue with the Thunder. This is the first time I have heard this claim.

[dachupacabra]

Oddly, same thing happened with my Bersa Thunder .380 yesterday, for the first time. It was constantly jamming, where it had been perfection prior to this.

My culprit might be ammo, though. Bought cheap reloads online and you get what you pay for. After about 5 straight times clearing the feed, the trigger wouldn't even reset. Seems okay now after a cleaning, but I have yet to go back to the range to see if it's okay. I'm going to deal with the devil and buy ammo at the range to test, just to make sure it's the reloads...

[slipinkramer]

Well,

Half the time the problem is the magazine.

Let's face it. The magazine is half the auto-loading gun. The best tuned pistol with a crap magazine will make you wish for a pot metal Hi-Point that loads every round.

[jeremyro]

I have the same gun, it is actually surprisingly accurate, bit would have feed issues till I manned up and put some weight behind it. It really is sensitive to limp wrist

[code_blue]

The Bersa Thunder has a nice "Beaver-Tail". This does a perfect job of preventing "Slide Bite". Not sure about the Firestorm.

My Bersa has been fired by several newbies, including a few women, with no issues at all. I am not aware that limp-wristing is an issue with the Thunder. This is the first time I have heard this claim.

The Firestorm and Thunder are essentially the same gun, just with different names for different markets and a few other knick knacks.

The slide bite comes from the old revolver, support thumb behind the hammer hold so a beaver tail wouldn't help there.

[Sikvenum93]

Oddly, same thing happened with my Bersa Thunder .380 yesterday, for the first time. It was constantly jamming, where it had been perfection prior to this.

My culprit might be ammo, though. Bought cheap reloads online and you get what you pay for. After about 5 straight times clearing the feed, the trigger wouldn't even reset. Seems okay now after a cleaning, but I have yet to go back to the range to see if it's okay. I'm going to deal with the devil and buy ammo at the range to test, just to make sure it's the reloads...

I've never used reloads in my gun only new ammo. Tulaammo, pmc, perfecta, prvi partizan, and they all jam.

Sent from my LGLS990 using Tapatalk

[slipinkramer]

Try giving it the grip of Thor next time you shoot it. Maybe a super firm grip will help.