# What amo runs best in a thunder .380



## packrat

I have poor luck finding target amo that will run without jamming, I have polished the feed ramps.
I have tried dry lube, oil, and lots of oil. Federal and Remington cost to much to plink with.
There are well under 500 rounds through the gun and the recoil spring still feels stiff to me.


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## denner

What type of ammo are you using? Do federal and Remington run the gun? What type of "jamming are you having?" I've heard BERSA says it should take between 200 - 300 rounds of ball ammo (round nose FMJ ammo) to break it in? If you feel it's over sprung try locking back the slide a week, fully load your factory magazines for a week, field strip and use Hoppes to clean, and lube well with Rem-oil and run it wet at first.

Could be an extractor issue, magazine issue, or recoil spring issue as well, but I'd try the above first. Generally, if you feel it's over sprung you don't break it in with super cheap ammo, but find ammo like WWB, S&B, or hotter ammo at first. If all that fails contact Bersa. I have good luck with Freedom Munitions bulk ammo as well.


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## packrat

Oh it likes Federal, I'm just not going to pay around 20 dollars a box for target amo for a gun I don't like all that much. The mag could be a problem, it only came with one. It will jam every other shot with Herters but run most of a box of cheap magtech with only a couple of jams. It ran better after I cleaned up the feed ramps. the extractor is clean and not chipped, has free movement.


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## Spike12

*Again, "define the jams" Fail to feed, stove pipes, fail to eject, what?*

Are you limp wristing it?

Original Mags? Have you cleaned them? Are they in VG condition? If their feed lips are just about perfect...

If you're under 500 rounds, all this might still be a break-in problem.


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## packrat

> Are you limp wristing it?


 I would like to think I don't.
It's ejecting just fine and always jams when feeding. I run ball amo, what ever Cabalas has cheap.
A magazine problem would not be intermittent. I'm not sure of the round count, maybe 300 at the most.
I tend to get frustrated with it and stuff it back in the safe for a couple of months. 
For target shooting what brand are you guys running ?


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## berettatoter

I have had two Thunder .380's in the past, and the only round I had some issues with (FMJ) was the Winchester White Box FPFMJ. Other than that, they ran just about anything in ball form. For JHP's, I always (and still do) ran the Remington 88 grain JHP's. They're old school, but run good in the only .380 pistol I have now (G42), and in the two Bersa pistols I had.


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## Spike12

packrat said:


> I would like to think I don't.
> It's ejecting just fine and always jams when feeding. I run ball amo, what ever Cabalas has cheap.
> A magazine problem would not be intermittent. I'm not sure of the round count, maybe 300 at the most.
> I tend to get frustrated with it and stuff it back in the safe for a couple of months.
> For target shooting what brand are you guys running ?


Yup, you might be limp wristing it. *IF* you don't hold the frame solidly enough the slide won't work with enough authority to really slam forward, peal off the next round and jam it into the barrel. Now all that sounds pretty simple but when you get down to the actual timing and angles involved it isn't.

Secondly, I don't agree that a magazine problem *would/could* be intermittent.

SO, I would like to suggest the following: We want to establish a base line to work with. Too difficult to trouble shoot with multiple mags, different ammo, etc. are all jumbled together....
1) Stick with only 1 magazine if you have two (we want to keep the variables we're dealing with to a minimum) Mark them if you have to.
2) Shoot only BALL ammo, NOT FROM RUSSIA. 
3) Be sure to hang on to that thing for dear life.

You have a good gun there. It should work just fine.


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## MoMan

I can't offer any help here, other than to tell you I've had my Thunder 380 for over 5 years and it has performed flawless for me!
Hopefully you figure it out because you have a good gun there!!


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## packrat

Well just got back from the range with the little monster, the gun was completely clean and i oiled 
the heck out of the slide and barrel. It ran the first mag all the way out.

After that it would jam on the last round, i tried a double tap with the last two rounds with no luck (worked in a full mag).
I'm going to take the mag apart and clean it. it's $50 for a new mag at gougermountain but that maybe the answer.
(and i was using the mall ninja two hand death grip, so no limp wristing.)


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## ScienceWizard

Hi Packrat,

I had a very similar issue when I first had my Thunder 380. Did not see anyone ask if your recoil spring is in the gun with the correct orientation. One end of the spring is just a bit tighter when going on the barrel. It is a very slight difference, but it is noticeable if you know to look. When you slide the spring on to the barrel try and see if there is play back and forth (side to side) in the spring. If there is then turn the spring around and replace the other end on the barrel toward the receiver. If the spring feels just slightly tighter that's the side that goes to the back, if looser return the spring to your original orientation. Reassemble your slide. I agree a limp wrist will also cause stove pipes, and feed issues with the Bersa Thunder. Worth checking the spring orientation out. 

I had the same issue you described when I first got the pistol. 5th and 6th cartridge jammed in both mags. Reversed the recoil spring, and no more problem. Hope this works for you, great gun, I have carried this firearm concealed I.W.B. for 5+ years, have put every type of ammo through it. Works flawlessly!


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## packrat

Nope, tight end went on first. I only have one mag and i'm going to check on the follower. maybe it got bent a little.
The sig amo was very snappy, I don't think that was the cause.


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## CW

Some of us may underestimate the benefit of cleaning magazines. There may even be some manufacturing burrs that need filing/polishing where holes have been drilled or punched.

Although .380s are relatively clean, [my Beretta 84 mags typically needs no more than a wipe down once and a while]
I do have to strip and detail my .22 mags for best performance once the fouling is noticeable.


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## denner

packrat said:


> The mag could be a problem, it only came with one.


Mmmm, after your last outing and the consistent misfeeding on the last round with that one and only magazine makes me believe it's a magazine issue and more suspect is it's spring.

If you can find a XP magazine spring that would be a good bet, but for the price of a Mec-gar magazine, I'd strongly consider that as an option over the $50.00 OEM magazine.

Mecgar makes an excellent magazine probably better than the OEM magazine and would be my first choice, or even pro-mag may be worth a try.

Mec-Gar Bersa Thunder Magazine .380 ACP 8 Rounds Steel Nickel MGBT3808N

MEC-GAR BERSA THUNDER MAGAZINES : Greg Cote, LLC


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## CW

Both my 96a1, and 84 run on MecGar mags. No problems (the MecGars for the 84 were labeled Browning BDA). 

As my PB mags are 10x for the 380, and 12x for the 40sw, they are rarely used as I use the higher capacity Mecs both 13x.


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## denner

CW said:


> Both my 96a1, and 84 run on MecGar mags. No problems (the MecGars for the 84 were labeled Browning BDA).
> 
> As my PB mags are 10x for the 380, and 12x for the 40sw, they are rarely used as I use the higher capacity Mecs both 13x.


I hear ya, I likewise run 13+1 Mecgar's in my 96FS. An excellent choice.


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## packrat

I picked up a new factory mag, it looks like the new mag has more support at the end and the spring is much stiffer. (the new one is the dark one) I have not shot it yet, maybe this weekend.


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## mustang652

There are a few givens that I have learned over the nine plus years that I have carried my first BT380. Especially during break in, use only good quality American made, round nosed, brass cased ammo and never use "white box, flat nosed rounds, or JHPs until you have at least 3 to 5 hundred rounds down the tube. I have no idea of how many rounds I've run through mine, but I still will not use the white box stuff. Though it's a little more expensive, to this day, I still use the better quality ammo and a lack of problems with the gun, mags and/or ammo is the result. There are a couple of other "don't" I suggest, never use steel cased rounds, despite opinions stating otherwise, the do cause excessive wear and stick with the Bersa factory mags, use either the 7 round originals or the DLX 9 round mags. The only time I would consider non factory mags for any gun is for those which are out of production and would use them only for target practice.


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## ZenShot

I have problems with last round jams. DRT ammo seems to be less prone to jams on mine.


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## FearNot

Seems to me I recall that occasionally the mag spring would get put in backwards or maybe upside down. Don't recall, but I seem to remember seeing it on the Bersa Chat forum. You might check there. As to ammo, I've mostly PMC Bronze 90 grains with no trouble at all.

Oh, I see that this is a fairly old thread. Hope you got your problem sorted out. I use my Bersa Thunder as my EDC and trust it completely.


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