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  Looking for opinions (9 posts)

• Cory Newsome said 6 months, 2 weeks ago:

  I'd like to hear from anyone who has experience with Bersa arms. How does the Thunder 40 feel compared to the Thunder 9? Did anyone pick a Thunder 380 as their CCW? Things like that.

• LearnAboutGuns said 6 months, 2 weeks ago:

  I'm not too familiar with Bersa, but I can say I would take .40 S&W over .380 auto. If concealability is an issue, I can say that my subcompact XD 40 is very concealable…

• David said 6 months, 2 weeks ago:

  I have a Bersa Thunder 380 that I sometimes use as my CC gun in the Summer. I'm not a big guy and can't conceal my XD40 during warm weather months. In the summer I switch between the Bersa and a Charter Arms 38 special. I like the Bersa pretty well. It's reliable and easy to conceal. Like you, however, I prefer the 40 SW cartridge over 380 or 38 special for self defense.

• Cory Newsome said 6 months, 1 week ago:

  Eric just loves the XD. He could start a post about his morning coffee and get to the XD in a single paragraph. I know .40 would be a better manstopper, but I cannot concealed carry in Illinois anyway, so I really can't say I pick guns based on effectiveness. If I could CC, it would be a compact .45 by Kimber, or a .357 Ruger SP-101. As for home defense, I love my Mossberg 12Ga. I feel more safe with it than a .40 pistol. Nothing wrong with a .40, but the shotgun can be more intimidating to an intruder.

• LearnAboutGuns said 6 months, 1 week ago:

  Cory: Hahaha that is so true. Springfield should send me a monthly check, given how often I sing the XD's praises.

  That said, we're in agreement about the superiority of a shotgun for home defense. IMO any handgun is underpowered, and it is just a matter of picking the least underpowered one that meets your particular needs.

• Cory Newsome said 6 months, 1 week ago:

  I think I'd go with a Bersa Thunder 45 with a tac light, if it had to be a pistol. Maybe a .357 revolver, since it can be left loaded indefinitely. By the way David, what is up with that creepy kitty? I showed your avatar to my GF, she said it was startling. And I too like the charter arms revolvers. My next purchase will probably be a .22LR for practice, since .38 caliber rounds are expensive right now.

• David said 6 months, 1 week ago:

  The Avatar is just a picture I thought was cool. Nothing more to it really. I'll probably change it every few weeks.

  Ditto on the shotgun being best for home defense. I think it was Clint Smith who once said “The handgun is what you use to fight your way back to the shotgun or rifle you shouldn’t have left behind in the first place.”

  I like the Charter Arms revolvers because they are reliable and easy to conceal. Honestly I prefer full framed semi-autos but they aren't always practical for concealed carry. Heck, I'd carry a Howitzer if it was legal and I could somehow conceal the darn thing.

• Cory Newsome said 6 months, 1 week ago:

  I just pictured a pickup truck hauling a 142mm artillery. Getting pulled over would be a scream.
  -"What's that for?"
  -"Don't worry officer, I have a permit for that."

  I have heard something similar to what Mr. Clint Smith said. I think it was Jeff Cooper, another great man in our field. The quote went something like, "a handgun is a good holdout weapon, until I can get to my rifle."

  I like Charter Arms because they are inexpensive and do exactly what they need to. I did sample the Ruger LCR for a bit, but I traded it in about 4 months. I took a loss too, but I did learn something important. My hands prefer heavy guns.

• Joseph P. Martino said 1 month, 2 weeks ago:

  My wife had surgery on her shoulder. She can no longer handle a bigger gun. I got her a Bersa 380. She really likes it. She regularly keeps it in her purse. I've fired it. It shoots to point of aim, and is fairly accurate. If I could no longer carry a 1911, I'd try something like it.