Thunder or LCP?
- Thread starter Yung.gunr
- Start date
LCP is best CC around
My wife has had LCP with Crimson Trace laser for about two years. Perfect for CC. I carry it when she lets me, in a $9.00 camo cell phone case with a velcro flap, by Fonegear. No print under T shirt.
At first practice shooting at close range 7 to 10 yds at most. Then back up if you wish.
Trigger will soften after about 200 rnds fmj. 200 + rnd break in is a must. I have had no feed problems. I carry 115grn Golden Sabre for the real world.
Check around online. I have seen LCP as low as $289.00. Laser runs $140+
JIM S.
My wife has had LCP with Crimson Trace laser for about two years. Perfect for CC. I carry it when she lets me, in a $9.00 camo cell phone case with a velcro flap, by Fonegear. No print under T shirt.
At first practice shooting at close range 7 to 10 yds at most. Then back up if you wish.
Trigger will soften after about 200 rnds fmj. 200 + rnd break in is a must. I have had no feed problems. I carry 115grn Golden Sabre for the real world.
Check around online. I have seen LCP as low as $289.00. Laser runs $140+
JIM S.
RetiredMajor
New member
I own both. Here's my take.
The Bersa Thunder is quite a bit larger than the LCP and makes a better "Holster" gun because it's easier to get a grip on and almost too big for normal pocket carry (at least for me). Less recoil because the gun is heavier. It holds one more round than the LCP. It has the decocker/safety which you might like. But, the safety pushes up to disengage which is the opposite of most guns made or imported into the US.
The LCP is very small. Pinky and another finger hang off the bottom. Snappy recoil becasue the gun is so light. A perfect "Pocket Carry " Pistol. Thin, small and very light. No manual safety of any sort.
Both will get the job done.
Major
The Bersa Thunder is quite a bit larger than the LCP and makes a better "Holster" gun because it's easier to get a grip on and almost too big for normal pocket carry (at least for me). Less recoil because the gun is heavier. It holds one more round than the LCP. It has the decocker/safety which you might like. But, the safety pushes up to disengage which is the opposite of most guns made or imported into the US.
The LCP is very small. Pinky and another finger hang off the bottom. Snappy recoil becasue the gun is so light. A perfect "Pocket Carry " Pistol. Thin, small and very light. No manual safety of any sort.
Both will get the job done.
Major
tristar viper
New member
Do you wanna carry the gun or shoot it?? LCP is not made to go to the range all the time if that's what you wanna do. Not only that but I find the LCP to be the most disgustingly awful little gun I've ever shot. There is nothing pleasant about it, I don't care what the intended use of it is. My wife has a Bersa Thunder. It's a nice shooting, accurate gun that has given her zero problems. But, it's quite a bit larger than the LCP. It just depends on what you wanna do.
Personally, I would buy 3 Bersas for $260 each before I'd buy 1 LCP for $50, and I'm not exaggerating, my dislike of that little gun is that bad.
Personally, I would buy 3 Bersas for $260 each before I'd buy 1 LCP for $50, and I'm not exaggerating, my dislike of that little gun is that bad.
+1 on what RetiredMajor wrote. I also own both the Bersa and the LCP. The LCP has a long trigger pull which, when combined with its light weight, makes it difficult for me to shoot very accurately. But these were designed to be point blank range pistols (7 yards and in). However it is mostly what I carried when wearing shorts in the summer.
If your going to carry it concealed get the LCP. The trigger takes some practice getting use to it, but you will carry it on more occasions than the Bersa. LCP is 100% reliable and conceals well. Think light for carry or you will leave it behind a lot. The Bersa is pretty heavy for the caliber. Consider the purpose of the gun; are you going to get yourself out of a close quarter jam, or try to shoot crows off a wire at 50 yards? Keep the bigger stuff in the nightstand and the car.
It depends on how you plan on carrying it. Given the choice, I'd strongly lean towards the Bersa.
The grip on the LCP (and similar guns) is too small for a truly steady hold, the trigger is dreadful, and the sights are a wizened afterthought. All of those things do a good job serving the mission of the gun, which is to leave as small of a footprint as possible.
However, all those factors also make it difficult to shoot even reasonably well. The Bersa can be shot quite well, having a better grip, trigger, and sights.
If it's to be a gun you carry for protection, you must be proficient with it, and you must be able to shoot it well. The Bersa will be more conducive to that.
While it is a larger gun, how small do you really have to go? It may require a bit more effort to dress around the gun, but concealing one isn't that big of a challenge.
The beauty of the LCP is the size and weight. If your going to try to haul around a pistol as big and heavy as a Bersa CCW then it would make sense to carry a bigger caliber. There are some 9 mm's smaller and lighter. Stronger caliber, eaiser to find ammo and cheaper to shoot in most cases. You could probalby even carry a compact 45 as easy.
I agree with tenusdad... If you're going to carry a gun the size of the Bersa Thunder, you might as well carry a nice 9mm like the Walther PPS or one of the 9mm Kahrs. FWIW, LCP is my @70% EDC but I ALWAYS carry it with the 10-rd. ProMag. This still gives me lightness (@ 12 oz. unloaded) but 11 ready rds. of .380 and is still VERY thin and easily concealable. It's dependable and so comfortable I barely remember it's there all day long. The extended mag also helps a lot with the grip so it's less "snappy" at the range. As other posters have basically said, the LCP IS PRIMARILY AN EASILY CONCEALED, COMFORTABLE CARRY EMERGENCY SD gun. For that purpose, IT'S GREAT imho. (And that's why Ruger has sold over 500,000 LCP's in about 3 years.)
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Cheapshooter
New member
Elsie Pea!!!
Like every one says the Bersa thunder is a holster gun . They make a slightly smaller CC model , that many people pocket carry. LCP is like my KelTec small light always on me pistol. Neither LCP or KelTec are really fun to shoot in 380.
For a little more money you could move to the Bersa 9mm This is a little larger than Thunder but the compact is 13+1 in 9mm Grip is the main difference thicker for double stack mag.
Bersa also makes a 15 +1 380 thunder It has a slightly thicker grip than normal Thunder. Its also a double stack mag. These are little harder to find Than normal Thunder.
For a little more money you could move to the Bersa 9mm This is a little larger than Thunder but the compact is 13+1 in 9mm Grip is the main difference thicker for double stack mag.
Bersa also makes a 15 +1 380 thunder It has a slightly thicker grip than normal Thunder. Its also a double stack mag. These are little harder to find Than normal Thunder.
helodriver
New member
As Mike T said, Bersa makes a 380 Thunder CC that is shorter and a good bit thinner. I pocket carry it in most types of pants - a little tougher in shorts. It is a good little shooter too.
I have to agree with the majority here. Go with the LCP. if you're going to carry a gun as big/heavy as the Bersa you might as well just pack a .38 snubbie, Kahr CW or Walther PPS in 9x19mm. All three of them will still weigh less too.
I own an LCP and have been very pleased with it. It is a hard gun to shoot accurately past close distance. However, it isn't intended to be a target pistol. When I able to find fmj .380 to practice (it's getting easier BUT not really cheaper) a box of 50rds is what I usually will shoot. The recoil is nothing to be of concern. IMHO it's funny to listen to .45acp 1911 guys complain about the recoil from the little .380 LCP. (My all stainless 1911 is way more noticeable.)
The size of the LCP is great. It is a TRUE pocket pistol in this aspect. The Bersa is a good gun. Please do not think I am bashing it. However, it is more of holstered gun in a small caliber. I am not a large caliber guy BUT (IMHO) there is no sense in carrying a .380 in gun that size. This isn't because the .380 is too small a cartridge. It's because you can literally buy twice as much 9x19mm ammo for the price of a box of .380 ammo. Carry ammo is only a little more in .380, so no big deal on that issue.
My suggestion is to go handle them both if possible. If not, buy the LCP and try it for a few months. If you don't like it, sell it to someone. They hold their value pretty well. New ones can be bought for about $280-$290 and I see used ones still being sold for $200-$250.
I own an LCP and have been very pleased with it. It is a hard gun to shoot accurately past close distance. However, it isn't intended to be a target pistol. When I able to find fmj .380 to practice (it's getting easier BUT not really cheaper) a box of 50rds is what I usually will shoot. The recoil is nothing to be of concern. IMHO it's funny to listen to .45acp 1911 guys complain about the recoil from the little .380 LCP. (My all stainless 1911 is way more noticeable.)
The size of the LCP is great. It is a TRUE pocket pistol in this aspect. The Bersa is a good gun. Please do not think I am bashing it. However, it is more of holstered gun in a small caliber. I am not a large caliber guy BUT (IMHO) there is no sense in carrying a .380 in gun that size. This isn't because the .380 is too small a cartridge. It's because you can literally buy twice as much 9x19mm ammo for the price of a box of .380 ammo. Carry ammo is only a little more in .380, so no big deal on that issue.
My suggestion is to go handle them both if possible. If not, buy the LCP and try it for a few months. If you don't like it, sell it to someone. They hold their value pretty well. New ones can be bought for about $280-$290 and I see used ones still being sold for $200-$250.
The small pocket pistols like the LCP are a Catch 22. Small, some say too small, for acceptable control, light, and for most folks just too "snappy" (read it hurts to shoot). They are made for one purpose, self defense; a few rounds at very close range. And if your life depends on it, I bet you won't notice the recoil or the unsettled feeling of not quite holding on.
On the other hand, if you are like most of us, you know how important it is to be confident in the feel, and function, of your pistol; especially if you carry it for SD. Of course, that means range time with a pistol that wasn't really designed for that. Catch 22.
After trying a few of the mini's, I bought a Bersa .380 CC. It's a good pistol, but my Kahr CW9 is the same size. I should have realized that the minute I picked up the Bersa. Needless to say, no contest. I've got a minty fresh Bersa available if anyone is interested.
On the other hand, if you are like most of us, you know how important it is to be confident in the feel, and function, of your pistol; especially if you carry it for SD. Of course, that means range time with a pistol that wasn't really designed for that. Catch 22.
After trying a few of the mini's, I bought a Bersa .380 CC. It's a good pistol, but my Kahr CW9 is the same size. I should have realized that the minute I picked up the Bersa. Needless to say, no contest. I've got a minty fresh Bersa available if anyone is interested.
I've got an LCP that I bought for my wife. She doesn't like it at all. I have no problem with it, within its limits. The sights are there and are usable, but only just. I figure that it's a close range gun, just point and shoot.
The one thing that made it 100% better to shoot was a magazine extension from Impact Guns. Besides adding one more round to the mag, it also gave my ring finger a place to sit. I put about a hundred rounds through it on Saturday with no problems.
I have no qualms about relying on it as a carry gun - I drop it in a Galco pocket holster, put it in my pocket and it disappears. It's great for summer carry. If anything shows, it just looks like my wallet is in my front pocket.
As for the Thunder, one of my buddies had one at the range yesterday. I didn't get a chance to shoot it, but his wife was and she handled it a lot better than I think that she would have handled the LCP. But it's also a physically bigger gun.
The one thing that made it 100% better to shoot was a magazine extension from Impact Guns. Besides adding one more round to the mag, it also gave my ring finger a place to sit. I put about a hundred rounds through it on Saturday with no problems.
I have no qualms about relying on it as a carry gun - I drop it in a Galco pocket holster, put it in my pocket and it disappears. It's great for summer carry. If anything shows, it just looks like my wallet is in my front pocket.
As for the Thunder, one of my buddies had one at the range yesterday. I didn't get a chance to shoot it, but his wife was and she handled it a lot better than I think that she would have handled the LCP. But it's also a physically bigger gun.
Well - my LCP ain't no target pistol. I'ts a self defense tool. Choose the right tool for the job. I would not expect to use it past 5 yards. If my threat is much farther than that, I'll probably just run. Shooting somebody is a last resort. But if you must shoot, then having a gun on your person, however you are dressed, is a must. For me, the LCP's, Kel-Tec's, NAA mini-revolvers, etc. make sense. Then keep somthing bigger in the car or house. Not knocking the Thunder at all, I hear good things about it; but I have had a CCW permit for over 20 years and heavy gets left behind. It boils down to what will you have when the Shtf. If you can conceal a Remington 870 and 50 rounds of 12 gauge ammo, go for it.
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