Let's talk about guns: Bersa 83

[Ronald_55]

So I bought a Bersa 83 recently. I like the feel in my hand, but I have not shot it yet. Anyone got one? What are your thoughts? For a guy that does not like .380, they keep following me home.

[bersaguy]

I guess you can tell by my screen name I am partial to Bersa's. I have a Thunder 380 and a Model 85 and love both of them. I know many people don't think a 380 caliber is a hot enough round but I would not want to find out if it is or not. I think once you put a few mags through it you will like it. I like the wood.

[Ronald_55]

4 minutes ago, bersaguy said:

I guess you can tell by my screen name I am partial to Bersa's. I have a Thunder 380 and a Model 85 and love both of them. I know many people don't think a 380 caliber is a hot enough round but I would not want to find out if it is or not. I think once you put a few mags through it you will like it. I like the wood.

Yeah, no way I want shot even with a .22 Short. I like the weight of it better than a LCP. I think the wood is classic. There is a little crack in one grip, but you have to look for it.

Maybe I will get a few mags worth of time this week.

Is the Model 85 the one where they went to high capacity mags?

[bersaguy]

Just now, Ronald_55 said:

Yeah, no way I want shot even with a .22 Short. I like the weight of it better than a LCP. I think the wood is classic. There is a little crack in one grip, but you have to look for it.

Maybe I will get a few mags worth of time this week.

Is the Model 85 the one where they went to high capacity mags?

Yea, the model 85 was the first one that went to the 15 round magazines. I got the gun on a fluke deal. I had a S&W 380 Body Guard that a buddy of mine wanted so bad it hurt. He had the 85 that I wanted so bad it hurt. So he showed up on day and had it with him and the swap was made.  Believe me finding a back up magazine for it was vertually impossible. I finally got 3 but had to get a little inventive.

I really think you will like the gun after you have put some rounds down range with it. if you decide it is not for you let me know and I will take it off your hands if the price is right.

[bersaguy]

3 hours ago, bersaguy said:

Yea, the model 85 was the first one that went to the 15 round magazines. I got the gun on a fluke deal. I had a S&W 380 Body Guard that a buddy of mine wanted so bad it hurt. He had the 85 that I wanted so bad it hurt. So he showed up on day and had it with him and the swap was made.  Believe me finding a back up magazine for it was vertually impossible. I finally got 3 but had to get a little inventive.

I really think you will like the gun after you have put some rounds down range with it. if you decide it is not for you let me know and I will take it off your hands if the price is right.

If you know of anyone that has a model 85 that might be looking for an extra mag it is easy enough to get. The new Double stack 380 magazines they are making work great with a little tweaking. Just buy one andtake it to about any local gunsmith and they can alter the notch just enough that they will work just great in the model 85's. I have tried about 200 rounds through the 3 I had altered and they work just as good as the factory mag that came with the 85 originally.

[Ronald_55]

27 minutes ago, bersaguy said:

If you know of anyone that has a model 85 that might be looking for an extra mag it is easy enough to get. The new Double stack 380 magazines they are making work great with a little tweaking. Just buy one andtake it to about any local gunsmith and they can alter the notch just enough that they will work just great in the model 85's. I have tried about 200 rounds through the 3 I had altered and they work just as good as the factory mag that came with the 85 originally.

I will have to keep that in mind. Thanks

[Defender]

I've got two Bersas, an Thunder 9 Pro and a Thunder .22LR.  I really regret selling my Bersa 380

 

Also, as far as .22 cal goes...not my self defense weapon of choice, but when i was studying criminal justice some yeasrs ago, I was really surprised to read of the numbe rof people who were killed by .22s.

Edited September 23, 2017 by JAlexanderMSgt

[Ronald_55]

Been too busy or too rainy. Maybe I can get a day this week to pop a few rounds through it. If I like it, I might look for a .22LR one. Been thinking of one to start the kids on.

[rkj]

I have had the Thunders before, and I currently have a 383A.  It is very simular to yours. I like Bersas and I like it better than the Thunder.  You will like it.

 

[tacops]

I really like the looks of those wood grips on your 83.  I had never owned a Bersa until a couple of months ago. I now have 4 Thunder .380s and a stainless Thunder .22lr.  I am very pleased with all of them.  I finally decided enough was enough and stopped buying Thunders (Until I run across a Combat Thunder Plus).  I then ran across the recent sales on Taurus 85s snubby 38s with rebates.  I now have one each in stainless and matte black.  I have been extremely pleased with fit, finish and function of those as well.  I have previously owned both Colt Detectives Specials and S&W snubbys.  I actually like the Taurus better than my previous Smiths and wish I still owned my DS.  They say you live and learn...as long as I have lived you would think I would be smarter by now.

Edited September 16, 2017 by tacops

[bersaguy]

Guess I can post a few pictures of my Model 85..............

 

 

[Ronald_55]

Makes me want to go shoot mine. Lol

[A.J. Holst]

On 9/16/2017 at 4:06 PM, bersaguy said:

Guess I can post a few pictures of my Model 85..............

 

 

Was the 85 the predecessor to the Thunder Plus?

Better same worse?

[bersaguy]

2 hours ago, Gotthegoods said:

Was the 85 the predecessor to the Thunder Plus?

Better same worse?

Actually there was a sister gun to the 85 which was the 86 but is completely rare and both the 85 and 86 were replaced by the Thunder Plus. The 85&86 were discontinued in 1994 and the Thunder Plus was introduced in 1995. The only real difference in the 85 and 86 was in the grip. Where the 85 has somewhat squared off grips the 86 had a more rounded grip but not much else.

I can't see much difference in the Thunder Plus and the 85's. I think I read that there was about 1 ounce difference in loaded weight and the Thunder had the advantage of being the lighter of the 2.

I hunted high and low for a back up magazine and anyone that has them are keeping them. I talked with my gunsmith about the issue. He told me to let him look and see what he could find and asked me if I could leave the 85 with him a couple days so I did. About a week later he called me up and told me to come by when I had time. I stopped in that afternoon.

 He took me down to the range and he went three 3 different mags one being the original and 2 others that he had purchased and modified just a very little and they worked perfectly just as the original did. They were the Thunder Plus magazines that he altered just a tad to make them work. I went through a box of ammo trying them out myself and paid him and left with now having 3 magazines for my 85.

[luvmyberetta]

A few years ago I picked up this nickel plated model 83 for my wife. We love the look & feel of it & it has a nice heft, which helps a lot with the .380's snappiness. We haven't put many rounds through it at all so I can't speak either way of it's reliability, but they're easy to work on & you can replace every spring & most parts for a few dollars.

[Ronald_55]

13 minutes ago, luvmyberetta said:

A few years ago I picked up this nickel plated model 83 for my wife. We love the look & feel of it & it has a nice heft, which helps a lot with the .380's snappiness. We haven't put many rounds through it at all so I can't speak either way of it's reliability, but they're easy to work on & you can replace every spring & most parts for a few dollars.

Now that is good looking...

[bersaguy]

3 hours ago, Ronald_55 said:

Now that is good looking...

Of course it's good looking!!!! It's a Bersa..................

[MK82]

I bought my wife a Firestorm years ago- she didn't like it. I do though! Got me a BP9CC and she liked it so much we had to get her one as well. No problems out of any of them.