Bersa has been making the Thunder series of handguns for decades now. While they haven't always gone by this name, they’ve gained a reputation of being affordable and good-quality Walther PPK clones. While not exactly a 100% clone, they have worked well. After the popularity of the .380ACP models, Bersa then made the .22LR version of these for target practice, pest control and, as a plinking gun in general. Older Bersa 22LR models were mostly based off Berettas, such as the Bersa 62 were based off the famous Beretta 71 series.

This is a DA/SA pistol, featuring a slide-mounted safety that functions as both a manual safety and decocker. It is a very light handgun. I do believe the alluminum alloy used on the .22LR models is thinner and lighter than the .380ACP models, but I can't confirm this at the time of this writing. Mine is the 6" barrel model with a threaded barrel, a version intended mostly for target shooting and is able to give excellent results within a budget. I've been able to hit 5" wide plates at 25 meters with ease using bulk low-quality ammo, most likely courtesy of its fixed barrel design. The trigger is surprisingly crisp on single action, and at least decent on double action with some drag.
The Thunder 22 also comes in models with a 4" barrel, exactly like the Thunder 380 and the Thunder 22X, which is a 4.5" version with just the threaded muzzle protruding out of the slide. All of them share the same magazines, grip panels and many parts.

This specific example was made some time in the early 2000s. It has a magazines disconnect; a “feature” that should be able to be deactivated, though I’ve never bothered. Fortunately, mine was built before Bersa began putting key locks on their pistols. I’m not sure if this change has any practical downsides, besides having an ugly keyhole in the frame.

The threaded barrel comes with a screw on thread protector which also serves to keep the front sight in place. Both front sight and thread protector must be removed for field stripping:

The sights are adjustable to some degree; rear sights have horizontal adjustment, while the front sight is basically "fixed", though it can be tilted a bit to each side when you screw the thread protector on the muzzle end. Very often this will leave you with a front sight which is vertically misaligned.

While newer models sold feature a weaker recoil spring to use with bulk target ammo, I've had very few cycling issues with this pistol. My friend, who I bought this gun from, was the first owner and used it for plinking on his farm. I’m not certain how many rounds he went through before I bought her, but I'd venture to say the spring was well broken in. The few times I’ve had failures-to-extract or stovepipes, I'm 90% sure it was ammo related rather than the gun itself. CBC Magtech .22LR ammo is known for being inconsistent with its loads, or just unreliable in general. Another brand of ammo I've had issues with, not only on this pistol, but with my .22LR rifle is Armscor. The failures were mostly duds, so not exactly the weapon’s fault.

The Bersa Thunder field stripped, some newer variants come with two recoil springs for weaker 22LR ammo:

Bersa used to offer several grip options on their website, which, as far as I know, are compatible with the .380ACP single stack models, but not the "CC" model. Holster options are very limited with the 6" barrel. I mostly used this gun as a range toy for plinking, so I’ve never had a use for one. The older Zastava M70 holster that I've used for my old Bersa 62 did fit it since it had an open end, so I believe most holsters for any "PPK-like" pistol should fit it as long as they have an open end for the barrel.
The disassembly is much like the Walther PPK or similar guns such as the CZ83 or Makarov. Pull back the slide while holding the take-down lever, then bring the slide forward towards the muzzle. For the 6" version you will need to remove the thread protector and the front sight.

Groupings at a distance of 10 meters, first with 20 rounds of CBC Magtech Target bulk ammo, and then 10 rounds of CBC Magtech Hunter high-velocity copper-plated hollow points:

.22LR ammo is usually very dirty, and while I haven't cleaned this gun very often, it is still running near flawlessly. Funny enough, I had two stovepipes with High Velocity CBC Hunter ammo and not with the Target bulk ammo:

I got this gun basically because I wanted a .22LR handgun but couldn't find nor afford a Colt Woodsman. However it has been worth the low price for the fun and training it can provide you. While .22LRs can't simulate the recoil impulse for training with other pistols, it can give you training for sight alignment and trigger control. The 6" model especially gives you greater accuracy with the longer sight radius and better muzzle velocity, which can be a good choice for a small game and pest control. In general, this pistol is what I'd consider a very budget friendly option if you can't afford something like a Ruger Mark IV or Colt Woodsman.

Pros

1. Very budget-friendly
2. Reliable with most ammo you can find, newer models comes with two recoil springs
3. Decocker helps you to train your double action trigger pulls cheaply
4. Good accuracy with the fixed barrel
5. Different grip options if you want or need it, I never felt the need to swap mine

Cons

1. Front-sight is hard to align vertically, and will need to be re-aligned every time you field strip the gun
2. While rare, failures-to-extract often left an empty casing in the chamber, some times racking the slide several times will have the extractor grab them, but not always, leading to a very irritating operation to remove them when it happens
3. The magazine disconnector can be a turn off for some people, while I don't mind it since dry firing rimfire guns is never a good idea

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