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History:
Introduced in the late 1990's by Argentinian firearms manufacturer BERSA, S.A., the Thunder 380 is a small semi-automatic pistol that has enjoyed popularity due to its reputation for reliability, for natural accuracy at short to medium range, and its relatively-low price.
Preceded by the BERSA Modelo 383 SA, Modelo 383 DA, Modelo 83 and Series 95, the Thunder 380 is part of the BERSA product lineup that also involves the Thunder 22, Thunder 22-6, Thunder 32, Thunder 380 Super, Thunder 9, Mini Thunder 9, Mini Thunder 40, and Mini Thunder 45. A variant of sorts is sold by another manufacturer, Firestorm SGS of New Jersey, wherein the pistol is assembled from parts manufactured by BERSA and marketed as the 'Firestorm 380'. A further-lightened variant of the Thunder 380 called the 'Concealed Carry' model is slated for a 2005 release by BERSA in the United States.
Intended Market:
The popular Thunder 380 is intended for general civilian use. This conceptualization might be appreciated in the context that in many South American countries --where the Thunder 380 is quite popular-- .380 ACP is frequently the most powerful cartridge allowed to civilians. Nevertheless, a number of military and law enforcement forces have included the BERSA 380's in their tables of equipment, including the Ecuadorian Air Force.
Design Advantages:
The Thunder 380 has a light aluminium alloy frame that reduces weight for easier carry, and yet the pistol still retains enough mass to help tame recoil. The blowback, fixed-barrel design theoretically aids accuracy, and it seems the vast majority of Thunder 380 users report favorably on that matter. The nearly straight-in alignment of the chamber and the topmost cartridge in the loaded magazine seems to be responsible for the pistol's reliable chambering and cycling during use. The frame features a long rearward tang over the grips, effectively protecting one's thumb-webbing from hammer-bite or slide-bite. There is an abundance of safety features built into the Thunder 380: a slide mounted manual safety -and- decocker that blocks the hammer, a magazine disconnect safety that prevents firing if a magazine is not inserted, a long double-action (DA) first trigger pull, and an integral key-operated trigger lock.
Limitations:
The Thunder 380 protects the hand from being 'bitten' by the movements of the hammer or the slide, but unfortunately has a slide-mounted manual safety lever, which when switched to 'safe' points downwards past the slide's outline: if the user has very large hands and grips the pistol carelessly while manually cycling the slide (with the safety lever on 'safe'), the lever can badly pinch the hand. Separately, the cost of additional factory magazines is higher than one might expect, and no third party manufacturers have yet successfully marketed dependable alternatives. There is, of course, this certain perception among many pistol users (particularly in the United States, the Philippines, and elsewhere) that a .380 ACP cartridge is not powerful enough to provide dependable and timely neutralization of an assailant.
Technical Data:
- Caliber: .380 ACP
- Operation: Double Action (first trigger pull is long double action, all subsequent are short)
- Capacity: 7-round, 9-round and 10-round single stack magazines available.
- Type: fixed barrel, simple blowback
- Frame: AA7075 aluminium alloy
- Slide: 4041 steel
- Finishes: satin nickel; duo-tone; matte black
- Grips: black polymer
- Total Length: 6.61" (168 mm)
- Unloaded Height: 4.72" (120 mm)
- Total Width: 1.29" (33 mm)
- Barrel Length: 3.54" (90 mm)
- Weight (unloaded): 20 oz. (560 g)
- Sights are three dot, one up front and two in the rear:
- Rear Sight: dovetailed into the slide, screw-adjustable for windage
- Front Sight: upright blade, peened/staked to the slide
- Safety Mechanisms:
- manual safety (hammer blocking)
- magazine disconnect safety
- long DA first trigger pull
- key-operated integral trigger lock.
External Links:
Bersa Thunder Resource Site and Forum
--202.78.97.16 10:24, 28 Jan 2005 (UTC) Horge C. Jorge