Reader Forum

Bersa Thunder I purchased a Bersa Thunder 380 Plus semi-auto handgun from a private party. Apparently they had trouble with the slide lock and had a gunsmith remove it from the weapon. Before shooting this gun, I want to re-install the slide lock and all necessary parts to make it work properly. Can you tell me what parts will need to be purchased for this to occur, and where they can be purchased from?

I would love to see a complete visual breakdown of this procedure so I can correctly re-assembly my gun as well as a possible explanation as to why this part might have been removed.

Would it be Bersa Thunder 380 Plus (Speci ications subject to change without notice) 1 Slide 2 Rear sight 3 Rear sight blade 4 Rear sight spring 5 Rear sight screw 6 Extractor 7 Extractor spring 8 Extractor pin 9 Firing pin 10 Firing pin spring 11 Manual Safety Lever 12 Manual Safety stop pin 13 Manual Safety spring 14 Barrel 15 Recoil spring 16 Frame 17 Slide stop 18 Slide stop spring 19 Trigger spring 20 Trigger 21 Disassembly lever 22 Trigger pin 23 Slide catch spring 24 Slide catch lever 25 Ejector 26 Barrel pin 27 Drawbar 28 Drawbar spring 29 Magazine catch 30 Magazine catch pin 31 Magazine catch spring 32 Hammer possible to fire safely without the slide lock?

Our standard advice is: Do not shoot any firearm unless it has all the manufacturer’s parts properly in place and functioning. Return your firearm to the factory or take it to a qualified gunsmith for repairs. That said, some Bersa shooters have reported that this pistol can work without the slide lock in place. Your results may vary. Old Ri le Inquiry A friend of my grandson’s gave him an old muzzleloader.

I was going to clean it up and reblue it to make into 33 Hammer spring guide 34 Hammer spring 35 Sear 36 Sear pin 37 Hammer release cam 38 Hammer pin 39 Hammer cam bushing 40 Hammer cam pin 41 Magazine tube 42 Magazine follower 43 Magazine spring 44 Magazine plate rivet 45 Magazine base 46 Firing pin holder 47 Firing pin holder spring 48 Lower grip bushing 49 Grip bushing 50 Grip screw 51 Grip 52 Mag catch bushing 53 Front sight 54 Safety key ring 55 Locking 56 Safety key 57 Automatic safety 58 Hammer pin washer 59 Drawbar retention ring 60 Locking stop pin spring 61 Locking stop pin a wall hanger for him.

In cleaning the old bluing off, I found some numbers but have no idea what they are. One looks like a date and the other looks like a bore size (metric). I did find the word Belgium (partially worn off) on the flat of the barrel just in front of the rear sight. Russ Wilson I haven’t had a chance to mike the bore but I think it’s around a .36 caliber. The center of the hammer has a recess in it to cover a primer cap when the hammer drops. The breech end of the barrel is threaded for a nipple.

The (thumb) cocking lever(?) on the hammer is offset to the right to allow sighting. Attempts to research Belgian firearms has turned up nothing, however, I have learned that the Flobert had an octagonal barrel near the breech end and went to round toward the muzzle. The one I have is full octagonal the whole length. Measurements area barrel length of 22.5" with the flats on the muzzle end being 0.630 and 0.770 at the breech end.

The overall length of the gun is about 37 inches, with the stock itself being around 22- 3/4 inches. It only has two screws that attach the barrel to the stock. One under the barrel through the forearm and the other through the top of the trigger/hammer assembly behind the hammer. The barrel is attached to the trigger assembly by a pin (just ahead of the hammer) and a screw (just ahead of the hammer spring keeper). It looks fully rifled but the bore is a little rough.

Oddly, if it’s a muzzleloader there’s no whole in the forearm for a ramrod. Charles Tibbs

From Mark Hollensen. The rifle looks like an early Flobert (pronounced flow-bare). The first link shows one that was for sale that looks similar (lock work) to the few photos attached to this email. The second link has information about the Flobert guns, most being made in Germany. Two articles to help: Bit.ly/3d Kd AUf and Bit.ly/3uyw7ts From Sergey Lyalko. This is a Louis-Nicolas Flobert Gallery Gun.

His cartridge consisted of a 6mm percussion cap and a small lead ball, inserted in its throat, with no powder inside. Most of the Flobert guns were made in Belgium. What appears to be a nipple hole must be a chamber for 6mm Flobert cartridge. The caliber 6mm is on the side of the barrel. LCP II The March 2021 article "Ruger LCP II and LCR" identifies the LCP II as a blowback design.

That is true of the 22 Long Rifle version, however, the 380 ACP is a locked barrel with the hood in the ejection port when in battery, similar to most modern pistols. The design is similar to the Kel Tec P32 and P3AT; some might say it’s a near clone. My wife has a Kel Tec chambered in 32 ACP and I have an LCP II in 380 ACP. I love all of them in different ways! Steve Gibbs Rimfire Cost Saving Tip I thought I’d pass along a good money-saving tip.

I use yellow plasticribbed anchors from Home Deport (Everbilt #4-#6 x 7/8", 150 for under $6.00) for snap caps or dummy rounds for all my .22 caliber firearms. They work great and can be reused many times over. Jeffrey Raymond FEG PJK I am trying to clean and reblue a FEG 9JK. There is a shaft which the hammer appears to rotate on, but there is ahead on it that is similar to controls on safety switches. I can’t move that and don’t want to force it. Jim Thompson From Dick Maheu.

I cover the FEG Hungarian P9R, a Browning Hi-Power look-alike, in June 2016. The PJK is a Hi-Power clone and disassembled as such. Assuming you have detail striped the pistol down to the Safety Catch point, the shaft of this catch is the hammer cross pin. It is NOT a press fit pin and should remove without forcing. Dried grease, oil, powder residue, dirt, etc. can get into the pistol and cause difficult removal. I usually use kerosene, lacquer thinner, or WD-40 to loosen up any debris.

This should free up the part unless there is damage to the shaft or other associated parts. If you still have to force things, then take the pistol to a good gunsmith for diagnosis. AG