Bersa Thunder 40mm

Question
Hello,
    I would like to know your thoughts on a Bersa Thunder 40 S & W and is this gun reliable?
         Thank You

Answer
Christopher,

I don't have any personal experience with this particular gun, but I did some research and found several people that offered some opinions based on their personal experiences.  I have summarized those opinions below:

"I love this gun. I can shoot it quite well. The weight makes recoil is very manageable, and the .40 cal is, in my opinion, the perfect pistol caliber. It's nice to have 13 rounds per mag."

"I have big hands, so the Thunder .40 fits me well. If you have small hands, I'd forget the full size Bersa. Get the Compact model."

"Warning: Bersa is NOT a high-end pistol which will be perfect right out of the box. A serious break-in period is needed. You should be prepared to fire at least 300 rounds out of that puppy. Likewise, dry-firing and working the controls loosens the pistol. Mine's smooth as silk now."

"Bersas works better if you shoot them a lot and play with them.  If you just want a gun to buy and store it until needed, buy another brand - or get a revolver."

"Buy your extra mags from Eagle Imports, and get 'em quick. They appear to be getting hard to find. There are no after market mags I know of."

"All in all, Bersas are a great alternative to pistols which cost 2 or 3 times as much. I plan to get a Bersa .40 Compact in the future. "

From what I can see, the accessories such as holsters and magazines are a little difficult to find for the Bersa.  They are made in Argentina and don't seem to have a big following in the US in comparison to Glock, SIG, Springfield, H&K and the like.  It does sound like they are a good value and reasonably reliable.  For the price range, people really seem to like them.

You can see more opinions at:

http://bersatalk.com

Hope this helps you out....

Doug