curious,,,> , hope i don't insult anyone, ,

[joe164]

I also love my G30,

i'm thinking about a .380, PPK or Berssa thunder, anyone familiar with the Bersa Thunder 380 or 9mm?
:welcome: :welcome:

[joemerchant24]

.45 ACP: When you care enough to send the very best.









(No insult taken: I subscribe to the theory of a .380 in the pocket beats the .45 in the safe. If you are comfortable carrying the 9mm Kurz, by all means do so. Personally, I swapped my .40 for a .45 and never looked back.)

As for the guns, I have never owned any of the above, but I've been told the following by those that do:

Bersa Thunder .380: Great gun for the money. I tried one on when shopping for the missus (she got a 9mm Kahr). Fits nice. Good heft. PPK-style controls, but with a slide release.

PPK: If possible, find an older Interarms import. The newer S&W produced ones have beau coup problems. I never really cared for the control layout. Got that Bond vibe, though.

Thunder 9: No clue.

[win231]

Today, with 9mm's that are the size of many 380's being manufactured, why handicap yourself with a 380 when there is no size advantage?

[epsylum]

My dad has a Bersa .380, for what it is, it is good. It has not had any problems yet. I looked at one when I wanted an "always on me" gun and it lost out to the Kel Tec P3AT based on size alone. The KT has treated me well and I have it on me every singe day whether or not I have something bigger on me as well (mainly my G30).

[byf43]

Originally posted by win231
Today, with 9mm's that are the size of many 380's being manufactured, why handicap yourself with a 380 when there is no size advantage?

+1!!!!!!!!

Either the G-26 or G-27 or (I hate to admit the S&W 6906) is about the same size as the Walther PPK, but in the full size 9mm, not the Kurz (.380 acp).

The G-36 in .45 acp is even close in size, from what I have read.
That would be a big message from a little package.

My 2¢.

Keith

[MrMurphy]

The Bersa's more accurate and more reliable than the Walther, in the same size for half the price.


However, you can get 9mm's that size or smaller now.

[slick slidestop]

I have an PPK (pre-Smith and Wesson version) and have not carried it in years since I got my G27 and G30.

Its a nice gun, and I'm glad I have it in the collection, but it gathers dust lately.

Contrary to popular belief, my PPK is extremely accurate, and feeds reliably.

But like was posted earlier, there are better calibers/options for concealed carry nowadays.

[jlh2600]

To me, the price of ammo is a factor in keeping me from climbing the caliber ranks from 9mm to something with more punch like .357sig, .40sw, .45 or 10mm etc- but I probably will start (sooner vs later).

I say that only to say this- I'll be DAMNED if I'm going to pay MORE for less effective ammo (.380 cost more per box than does 9mm). Especially when there are WAY too many small packages out there chambered for more potent cartridges.

I shoot 9mm. When I start paying MORE for my ammo, it's going to be for something MORE potent. Not less. IMo, ymmv.

[WillRuss]

My first handgun was a Bersa Thunder 380 Deluxe. At that time, the only Bersa with a finger extension was the Deluxe model, but now they all have it. It was a terrific gun - very accurate and easy to shoot. I sold it to move up in caliber, then they came out with the 9mm, 40 and 45 compact models! If this gun is for a new shooter, I'd highly recommend the Bersa Ultra Compact 9mm over the 380 as ammo is much less expensive. Less expensive ammo makes it cheaper to practice. ...and you should practice OFTEN!

If it's for carry and personal defense, I'd recommend one of the higher calibers. If I couldn't carry my G30 for some reason, I'd probably carry the Bersa 45.

[Sean VHA #60013]

There is always the Glock 39. 6+1 rounds of 45GAP in a Glock 26 size package. Now that is concealability with a bite :supergrin: