Selected Handgun Detail

Manufacturer
	Bersa SA More Info

About the Gun

The Bersa Model 383 DA is a compact all-steel DA/SA blowback pistol in .380 Auto. It uses an external hammer, a slide-mounted safety/decock lever, walnut grips, and low-profile fixed sights. The magazine release sits in the conventional location behind the trigger guard.

Production

Production ran from 1986 through 1988.

Market value

MSRP at production was around $300–$350. Current used market value for examples in good to very good condition ranges $150–$300.

Cartridge Specifications
Cartridge:	.380 Automatic
Alias:	9mm Browning Short
More Info

Analysis

he Model 383 DA (exported to the United States as the 383A or 383-A) was the double-action successor to the single-action Model 383. Introduced in the mid-1980s, it retained the all-steel compact blowback layout but replaced the earlier trigger safety with a magazine disconnect, relocated the magazine release to a 1911-style position, and added a slide-mounted decocker. Production ran only a few years before Bersa moved to the Model 83, which further refined the controls. The Model 383 DA was a civilian defensive and export pistol aimed at shooters wanting first-shot double-action capability in a steel-frame .380 Auto. Surviving examples appear on the used market as older compact carry guns; magazines are not interchangeable with the earlier single-action Model 383.