[ECII]

Hey folks,
Just got a new Thunder 380, black with nickel slide, lovely pistol. I have other pistols but never have really carried one concealed. My wife and I will be doing so and she will qualify with the Bersa.

I am, however, not real trusting of dropping a hammer using the decocker on a live round. Has anyone ever had a discharge while doing so? I see the physical block, I know the hammer doesn't touch the pin, but is there any chance that the lever could be halfway activated and accidentally released, having the bar snap back while the hamer is travelling down, or any other accidental malfunction, or is this truly a very good decocker design? Id prefer my wife to carry with one in the pipe, safety engaged, rather than to have to fumble with racking a slide.

Not looking for opinions really, looking for solid data if such exists, or personal experience with decocking on live rounds, especially if you have been doing so for a long time.

Thanks!

 

[David]

IMHO, the best way to carry your Bersa is chamber loaded, hammer down, safety off. Its ready to fire. The long trigger pull acts as a safety. The safety/decocking lever is exactly that - a decocking lever. If you use the decocking lever to lower the hammer, it will not fire. HOWEVER, some folks mistakingly try to lower the hammer using the trigger, slowly lower the hammer with thumb, while the safety is off. I have heard of, and seen discharges this way. Extremely dangerous. The best way is to keep your thumb on the hammer, decock using the lever, and slowly lower hammer with thumb.

If it fires using the decocker, thumb or not, then Bersa will replace it.

 

[jpshaw]

Ditto what David said. The pistol is designed to be carried chambered, safety off. The long, hard double action pull is the same as a double action revolver which doesn't have a safety at all. Keep it in a holster that covers the trigger and she will be good to go.

 

[Cornbreach]

Another ditto. I carry a Thunder 9 UC Pro, but it's the same deal. Decocked (with the decocker, not my thumb), one in the chamber, safety off. I trust the Bersa engineers made a safe gun...but I do make sure it's pointed downrange, of course, when I decock it.

 

[CPSinWC]

Agree with David. I have snapped the hammer with the lever before accidentally with no ill effects. However, I highly recommend using your thumb to lower it when you use the decocker. Also, I put the safety on when I chamber a round so the hammer returns to the down position automatically.

 

[Pancho_Villa]

I have had several of these pistols. The dec0cker never failed on any. Best way to carry is as all the above agreed, one in the pipe with the hammer down, safety off.

 

[ECII]

So the consensus is to decock using the lever, but not merely let the hammer freely fly down to strike the decocker bar. But - after releasing the hammer with the decocker lever (not the trigger) - ease it down using the thumb. I see people have simple popped the lever and let the hammer pop down onto the decocker bar safely, that is what I assumed would work, just gves me the heebies letting a hammer fall with a round in the hole. I'll give it some practice to settle my conscience. Thanks for the great answers, really happy to have this little pistol.

 

[dalefan88]

Buy some snap caps and practice while watch tv. I do this with my 92fs and plan on getting some for my wife's bersa so she can practice.

 

[rond]

I have several handguns with the decocker feature and use it as it was designed to be used. You should always be aware of where the muzzle is pointed when loading, chambering or decocking any handgun.

 

[SHOOTER13]

+1...my Bersa and my SIG both have decockers...and work as they are intended.

 

[ECII]

Super, thanks folks!

 

[David]

Buy some snap caps and practice while watch tv. I do this with my 92fs and plan on getting some for my wife's bersa so she can practice.

I used to do this quite often. Would sit on my chair with a snap cap, and repeatedly use the decocking lever to get comfortable with it. The only thing that scared me was... I later realized the muzzle was pointing at my femoral artery.

 

[Don_D]

I have five Bersas and use the decocker as it was intended and have never had any kind of malfunction. I think the way it is engineered it is impossible for the hammer to strike the pin when decocking. I do think that it should always be pointed in a safe direction of some kind when doing anything with it.

 

[chimera388]

Even better. On my wife's Firestorm Mini 40, we had a problem where when the slide went forward to chamber a round the hammer went down on its own WITHOUT the decocker engaged. Still didn't discharge a round. There is a striker block that only goes down when the trigger is depressed. No trigger. No boom.

Fixed that problem btw, deburred the chamber guide. $30 worth of smithing, cakewalk.

 

[RevMark]

The decocker took a while for me to get use to and to trust. This was the first firearm I have owned with one. It is my daily CCW and I have learned to trust it. From a mechanical point of view, this seems very reliable. I have never had an issue with the decocker. It is a bit stiff still but it is improving with more range time.

 

[navylawdog]

I had an FEG .380 when I was younger and it had an accidental discharge once while I was de-cocking it. I almost shot myself in the foot. Then I was out shooting with my Uncle and I saw him use the de-cocker on the same gun and he didn't believe me until it went off on him too. Almost put a hole through the stock of his SKS. So I don't trust them either.

 

[tigwelder56]

I had an FEG .380 when I was younger and it had an accidental discharge once while I was de-cocking it. I almost shot myself in the foot. Then I was out shooting with my Uncle and I saw him use the de-cocker on the same gun and he didn't believe me until it went off on him too. Almost put a hole through the stock of his SKS. So I don't trust them either.

Have you taken your FEG 380 in to a Smith? It's my opinion that you have a defective handgun and would consider it unsafe to use until cleared by a professional! The fact that you had two failures of your decocker tells me you've got a serious problem on your hands.

 

[hilandr]

I guess I would always recommend a cautious use of the handgun and point it toward the ground and away to decock. Always!

 

[Iamthepcguy]

I've had an issue! My decocker failed and fired my gun. I assumed it was user error and after the 2nd time recorded it then sent the gun to the gunsmith. See the video:
https://youtu.be/quj-2o5Mkys

 

[jpshaw]

This is a resurrection of a very old thread but it seems as if you really did have a de-cocker issue. Which is strange because a de-cocker is a very simple straightforward device and must have been manufactured wrong to allow it to do that. That needs to be sent back to Bersa at their expense, or least the de-cocker returned.