Do any of you guys have experience with the bersa thunder .22 pistol?
Bersa thunder .22?
- Thread starter Red91
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Originally Posted by Red91
Do any of you guys have experience with the bersa thunder .22 pistol?
Pass. So many good choices for a .22 pistol in the US....
Ruger Mark 2, 3 ,4, Browning Buckmark, Smith & Wesson Victory, among others.
I have shot many Bersa pistols and have never had my skirt blown up. I personally rate them UNDER Taurus pistols, which is quite extraordinary itself.
Do any of you guys have experience with the bersa thunder .22 pistol?
Pass. So many good choices for a .22 pistol in the US....
Ruger Mark 2, 3 ,4, Browning Buckmark, Smith & Wesson Victory, among others.
I have shot many Bersa pistols and have never had my skirt blown up. I personally rate them UNDER Taurus pistols, which is quite extraordinary itself.
I have a Bersa thunder 22 and love it. It is sensitive to ammunition and have found that CC Max is the best. Ed
I've shot a number of Thunder 380. I wouldn't take 2 Taurus for one...
Bubbatime, what is it you don't like about them? As noted by Eddie, I've read they are picky about ammo, typically liking CCI high velocity. Admittedly I've only casually read about them, which is why I'm asking.
If you like that style of pistol and feel like $250 to $300 is a good use of your cash for one, sure, why not?
Skip the bulk pack .22 and run a high velocity round like CCI Minimags through, and they run OK. Not target .22LR accurate, but more accurate than most people running 'em.
Decently made, have some heft to 'em. Simple blowblack operation with fixed barrel, very easy to maintain.
Potential downsides to the Thunder lineup:
- Trigger is true SA/DA. Not everyone digs it. In the case of the Thunder, they also are on the gritty and heavy side.
- Safety is the up for fire, down for safe & decock. Not terribly instinctual and not everyone's cup of tea, but perfectly fine if you're willing to get used to it.
I have to give the Thunders an overall shrug.
I'm on my second Thunder in .380. Literally shot the first one to submission just as a range toy. They're reasonably inexpensive, decent pointer and shooters, comfortable for me to shoot, reasonably durable ... but not a "forever" gun by any stretch. Neither the safety nor the trigger would thrill me in a defensive or carry gun, but these didn't fill that role for me.
To me, the Thunder is quite a bit of fun, but by by no means a "great" gun.
In .22LR, there are other choices that would tempt me more. That said, if I wanted a Walther-style 22LR and wanted to keep my cash outlay conservative, I'd be OK w/one.
Skip the bulk pack .22 and run a high velocity round like CCI Minimags through, and they run OK. Not target .22LR accurate, but more accurate than most people running 'em.
Decently made, have some heft to 'em. Simple blowblack operation with fixed barrel, very easy to maintain.
Potential downsides to the Thunder lineup:
- Trigger is true SA/DA. Not everyone digs it. In the case of the Thunder, they also are on the gritty and heavy side.
- Safety is the up for fire, down for safe & decock. Not terribly instinctual and not everyone's cup of tea, but perfectly fine if you're willing to get used to it.
I have to give the Thunders an overall shrug.
I'm on my second Thunder in .380. Literally shot the first one to submission just as a range toy. They're reasonably inexpensive, decent pointer and shooters, comfortable for me to shoot, reasonably durable ... but not a "forever" gun by any stretch. Neither the safety nor the trigger would thrill me in a defensive or carry gun, but these didn't fill that role for me.
To me, the Thunder is quite a bit of fun, but by by no means a "great" gun.
In .22LR, there are other choices that would tempt me more. That said, if I wanted a Walther-style 22LR and wanted to keep my cash outlay conservative, I'd be OK w/one.
Thanks for the reply. I've been reading on them and people either seem to love them or hate them, so it's nice to hear from someone who's in the middle. Honestly, I'd like to find a cheap .32 to play with, to familiarize myself with a bigger caliber. The bersa thunder isn't offered in .32, so I was thinking maybe the .22 would be fun to play with since I'm already used to it. I've owned three guns thusfar; a jp sauer & sohn Texas Marshall .22 sa revolver, which I sold to a friend; a Ruger Mark II, which I sold to a friend; and I've got a Ruger bearcat now. To me,
32 seems like the practical step up in caliber, so I'm really just looking around at the moment. The bersa thunder just attracts me.
32 seems like the practical step up in caliber, so I'm really just looking around at the moment. The bersa thunder just attracts me.
I really can't give you any direct experience with the .32 ACP, but can give you the heads up that your new firearm selection may be limited, and your ammo price/selection might get a tad on the interesting side.
For the most part, the .32 ACP gets relegated to pocket pistols. That said, Bersa does make (or has made) the Thunder in .32 ACP, but it's hard to find. There's also, of course, the Walther PPK in .32 ACP, but be prepared to part with some cash if you find one.
Re the Thunder .22LR, I have shot one but never owned one. Have had a couple of the .380s. I found 'em a fun little range gun, but I think there are better options for carry.
That said, if you want an alloy- or steel-framed .22LR semiauto with a bit of heft to it, the Thunder is one way to go and it won't break the bank.
If you want to get into a similar gun for around $350 to $450, Walther does make the PPK and PPK/s in .22LR.
Another option, if you can get into the $400-plus range in .22 pistols, might be the Ruger MK IV line. The MK IV is a proven design but with some nice, user-friendly upgrades over its predecessors. And you can get one in particularly any configuration you desire. I have a Mk III in the safe, yet I'm still sorely tempted to pick up a IV.
Also in the $400 and up range is the Browning Buckmark, another good pistol available in many configurations.
In the synthetic-framed .22LR semiauto pistols, I'm rather drawn to the S&W M&P Compact. Perhaps worth checking one out.
Last bit: .22 autoloading pistols can be picky about ammo. If you do go .22LR, I'd start out with something with a bit of velocity like the CCI Minimag. I also like the Aguilla Super Extra.
Have fun looking around.
For the most part, the .32 ACP gets relegated to pocket pistols. That said, Bersa does make (or has made) the Thunder in .32 ACP, but it's hard to find. There's also, of course, the Walther PPK in .32 ACP, but be prepared to part with some cash if you find one.
Re the Thunder .22LR, I have shot one but never owned one. Have had a couple of the .380s. I found 'em a fun little range gun, but I think there are better options for carry.
That said, if you want an alloy- or steel-framed .22LR semiauto with a bit of heft to it, the Thunder is one way to go and it won't break the bank.
If you want to get into a similar gun for around $350 to $450, Walther does make the PPK and PPK/s in .22LR.
Another option, if you can get into the $400-plus range in .22 pistols, might be the Ruger MK IV line. The MK IV is a proven design but with some nice, user-friendly upgrades over its predecessors. And you can get one in particularly any configuration you desire. I have a Mk III in the safe, yet I'm still sorely tempted to pick up a IV.
Also in the $400 and up range is the Browning Buckmark, another good pistol available in many configurations.
In the synthetic-framed .22LR semiauto pistols, I'm rather drawn to the S&W M&P Compact. Perhaps worth checking one out.
Last bit: .22 autoloading pistols can be picky about ammo. If you do go .22LR, I'd start out with something with a bit of velocity like the CCI Minimag. I also like the Aguilla Super Extra.
Have fun looking around.
Originally Posted by Red91
. Honestly, I'd like to find a cheap .32 to play with, to familiarize myself with a bigger caliber.
Cheap? Have you priced .32 ammo? Its expensive. Like $20 per box. You wont shoot it all that often. Plus, .32ACP has a rim unlike most other semi auto pistols, so they suffer from a condition called rim lock. Most .32ACP pistols are not all that reliable because of it.
I'd say if it was 1925 and you were looking for a pistol, then .32ACP would be a good choice. But in 2019? Nope.
.380 is super popular these days and the price of .380 ammo is coming down to pretty affordable. I'd buy at least a .380 if you want to play with a "bigger caliber" as you say.
. Honestly, I'd like to find a cheap .32 to play with, to familiarize myself with a bigger caliber.
Cheap? Have you priced .32 ammo? Its expensive. Like $20 per box. You wont shoot it all that often. Plus, .32ACP has a rim unlike most other semi auto pistols, so they suffer from a condition called rim lock. Most .32ACP pistols are not all that reliable because of it.
I'd say if it was 1925 and you were looking for a pistol, then .32ACP would be a good choice. But in 2019? Nope.
.380 is super popular these days and the price of .380 ammo is coming down to pretty affordable. I'd buy at least a .380 if you want to play with a "bigger caliber" as you say.
Taurus TX22 or Ruger SR22
Checkout Sootch on YouTube. He reviewed the TX22 and its suprisingly good
Checkout Sootch on YouTube. He reviewed the TX22 and its suprisingly good
Agree, If you want a bigger caliber go with a 380.
No, I haven't priced .32 ammo. Maybe I'd be better off to just stick with .22's since I'm familiar with them. I really can't afford to spend more than $300 on a firearm, and would really prefer to spend$200 or less. I'm not looking for a carry piece, just another shooter to keep things interesting. My bearcat was a pleasant pawn shop find, and I have enjoyed it for the most part. Admittedly, I have to be aesthetically attracted to a gun to want it, and the bersa is such a gun.
A Ruger Mark XX will shoot a lot better and give you way more resale value than the Bersa.
I've owned a mark II. I liked the gun, but got tired of the weight.
I'll look into them. I've read they're good guns, but I find them unattractive.
Red,
At just under $300, you should be able to get into a new Thunder 22LR or the Ruger SR22.
The latter certainly isn't a bad choice, especially if you dig light weight. Their ergonomics are pretty nice, actually.
I've seen several students bring 'em to class. What I've seen: Clean 'em regularly, lightly lube 'em and feed 'em some decent high-velocity ammo, and they'll run well and print well.
At just under $300, you should be able to get into a new Thunder 22LR or the Ruger SR22.
The latter certainly isn't a bad choice, especially if you dig light weight. Their ergonomics are pretty nice, actually.
I've seen several students bring 'em to class. What I've seen: Clean 'em regularly, lightly lube 'em and feed 'em some decent high-velocity ammo, and they'll run well and print well.
Originally Posted by Marco620
Taurus TX22 or Ruger SR22
Checkout Sootch on YouTube. He reviewed the TX22 and its suprisingly good
Taurus is a great brand.
Have three of them 1-380, 1-38 special and 1-9.
Never an issue, eats anything, lifetime warranty forever and ever, even if your not the original owner. Not bad.
At CWP class shoot test my wife was using the 9MM Taurus Millennium Pro, out of 9 people or so she was almost dead tied with the best shooter in our group, just about blew out the center star on the target, she likes that gun, smooth and comfortable.
We looked at the Bursa's long and hard (all this was years ago) they are also a nice choice, as with many brands.
Taurus TX22 or Ruger SR22
Checkout Sootch on YouTube. He reviewed the TX22 and its suprisingly good
Taurus is a great brand.
Have three of them 1-380, 1-38 special and 1-9.
Never an issue, eats anything, lifetime warranty forever and ever, even if your not the original owner. Not bad.
At CWP class shoot test my wife was using the 9MM Taurus Millennium Pro, out of 9 people or so she was almost dead tied with the best shooter in our group, just about blew out the center star on the target, she likes that gun, smooth and comfortable.
We looked at the Bursa's long and hard (all this was years ago) they are also a nice choice, as with many brands.
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