bersa 380 jamming a lot.

[beerhunter]

Well the title says it all.
I picked up a new bersa 380 on Saturday because I liked the feel. I was originally planning to pick up a ruger lcp because the shop has them at a very good price.
Yesturday I took her to the range just to blow through a box.

That thing jamed up about as many times as it went bang.
I was very disappointed in it.

I'll be honest, I did not clean prior to shooting or disassemble at all.
It was straight from the box.
Does it need a cleaning to eliminate the reliability issue?
I shot a box magtech ammo.

Thanks for any info. from people with this weapon.

[nam6869usmc]

Well the title says it all.
I picked up a new bersa 380 on Saturday because I liked the feel. I was originally planning to pick up a ruger lcp because the shop has them at a very good price.
Yesturday I took her to the range just to blow through a box.

That thing jamed up about as many times as it went bang.
I was very disappointed in it.

I'll be honest, I did not clean prior to shooting or disassemble at all.
It was straight from the box.
Does it need a cleaning to eliminate the reliability issue?
I shot a box magtech ammo.

Thanks for any info. from people with this weapon.

Here Guy,..this might help ya out..good info for you(Type Ammo, Break in period, Oil/Lube, Hold, etc, etc,...
Re: Bersa Thunder 380 jamming problem

[Robert Kayland]

I don't own the Bersa, but many manufacturers recommend a "breaking in" period of at least 200 rounds (some as many as 500) until "reliable operation" is achieved. See if your manual says anything about it.

The reasoning is because of tight machining tolerances out of the factory (in a quality gun, the usual case)... some fellows talk about doing a "fluff and buff" wherein they take some fine sandpaper (400 grit or higher) and work along the slides very gingerly, followed by some ultra-fine steel wool or the equivalent, but I wouldn't recommend you do that unless you feel comfortable and confident about this sort of DIY activity.

So, clean it out real good, oil it up well, and put about 200 rounds through it... if you continue to have trouble, take it back to the dealer and have him return it for warranty service. Or you might be able to contact the manufacturer customer service yourself and see if they'll pay the shipping... some do.

Note: there's also a phenomenon known as "limp wristing" that could cause FTF/FTE in these smaller guns... basically it means that if you don't keep a firm grip on the gun, the force of the recoil can be dissipated and hence the rounds won't feed properly. So don't forget to keep a firm grip.

Here's the link from another thread that talks about the Bersa .380 and jamming.

http://www.pafoa.org/forum/pistols-4...-380-plus.html

[ar15jules]

"Jams" could be caused by many factors. Don't throw the pistol away just yet. Try some different ammo first and see how that does.
Jules

[P1868]

I have had one for many years and has given me virtually no problems. Sometimes it's the ammo, sometimes it's not. Make sure you clean it well and lubricate it. Shoot it a bunch to break it in (aprox. 200-300 rnds.). If you're still having problems go to www.bersatalk.com and ask questions there.

[jmiro]

I have a keltec 380 that just loaths some ammo. If i run the right stuff in it not a problem.

[Siggy]

My Bersa 380 does seem to periodically (but rarely) jam if I limp-wrist it, but never seems to jam otherwise regardless of ammo I use.

But what you say about firing it straight out of the box doesn't sound too good. I've always understood that you should give any firearm a good cleaning to remove any excessive oil from the vital areas where you don't want it... This could be part of the problem?

If you do have a problem contact the distributor listed on the paperwork (they're in NJ) and tell them you want to send it to a good gunsmith and they will give you the name and reimburse you to ship it. They are very good with service. I had a problem with my safety not disengaging and drove it up to Gander Mountain in Scranton (an authorized Bersa gunsmith). I think he replaced the firing pin and said "all fixed". 50 rounds later I could not disengage the safety. The NJ folks gave me a guy down south to send it to and he fixed it properly.

I do have to send mine in for repair again becasue the slide lock is basically rounded off where it should catch the slide. Lightly popping the magazine in releases the slide. It's a nice little pistol for the price and their customer service has been real good, but a little disappointed with the isues I have had.

[Scrumpyjack]

Note: there's also a phenomenon known as "limp wristing" that could cause FTF/FTE in these smaller guns... basically it means that if you don't keep a firm grip on the gun, the force of the recoil can be dissipated and hence the rounds won't feed properly. So don't forget to keep a firm grip.

This is my first thought as I read the OP. If you are jamming that frequently, it really sounds like limp wristing.

[Robert Kayland]

This is my first thought as I read the OP. If you are jamming that frequently, it really sounds like limp wristing.

Yeah, the more I think about it, it seems the most likely, since Bersa is a reputable manufacturer.

Beerhunter, think of it like this... there's a powerful spring in a semi-auto pistol whose job it is to ensure that the slide returns to its "normal" closed position when the explosion of a bullet has propelled it backwards. This means the frame which houses said spring has to have the necessary counter-resistance so that the full force of the spring can do it's thing.

Sort of like jacking up a car on solid ground... if you try to jack up a car on the lawn, even though the jack is pressing upward on the car, the car isn't going to go up, the jack is going to mush itself down into the soft lawn.

[beerhunter]

I have never had that problem with any other semi pistola.
From SAXD 9mm to 1911 in 45 acp and everything in between.
I suppose I'll try a different ammo brand.
I was using magtech and the other link above also had difficulty with that brand.

The manual posted on their website says nothing regarding a break in period.

thanks for the info.