doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com V. Bernardelli "Pointer Grade

I have a friend who has a very nice sidelock non-ejector 16 ga.
Bernardelli double. Beautifully engraved, english straight stock, splinter forend with 21&1/2" barrels. Anybody know anything about this gun? It was imported via King of Prussia, Pa. If so what do you think it is worth? Thanks very much. Chopperlump

you sure it's a Vincenzo Bernardelli and not a Piettro Bernardelli?

in either case it is probably not a side lock. do not believe there were any side lock PB's and VB's i think only the VB Holland model was a sidelock. the others had dummy side plates which INCLUDED pins installed from the back to make the plates look like they contained lock parts.

in any case i've only owned one VB and it was a roma 6e and was just a really great gun in every respect. but the lock plates will fake you out. be sure before paying for it you're not paying for a SL and getting a BL.

roger

21 1/2" barrels???????

Years ago Dunn's out of Tennessee sold this gun cataloged as the Pointer Grade. I was heavy into bird dogs and they sold hunting cloths and dog supplies. They also sold Grulla #2's.

V. Bernie did make some short-barreled guns. The Hemingway had something like 23 1/2" barrels.

Agree that it's almost certainly not a sidelock, although their sideplated boxlocks are good imitations. All their sidelocks, to my knowledge, were called "Holland" models.

They did some proprietary models different from their standard guns, including one for Cabela's. Palunc's post makes it sound like this gun is another one.

The gun is marked V. Bernardelli and the barrels are indeed 21 and a half inches. I did not know they faked the sidelocks with pins as the only Bernardelli I knew had true sidelocks was the Holland Grade. This gun is beautifully crafted with double underbites and a Purdey hidden third fastener. I guess the only way to see if it is truly a sidelock would be to pull off one of the plates --- which I would not do. Thanks for your input. Chopperlump

Chopperlump, you don't need to pull the sideplates to tell the difference. The false "pins" are case colored the same as the plate. On a real sidelock they would be polished. Also, watch the tumbler pin when you break the action open. If it doesn't move then it's false.

the logic of the pins being bright versus case colored is fallacious. it took all of 15 seconds searching on the net to find a good side view of a premier gamecock which had case colored sideplates and bright pins. my roma 6e had bright pins and the receiver was coin finished. anybody who goes to the trouble to fake pins can make them whatever color they want.

the tumbler axles would not rotate of course. but were i paying for a gun, and there were any doubt whether it was a sidelock, i'd certainly have no qualms about asking the seller to pull a lockplate to verify. it doesn't take a brain surgeon to remove a side plate.

but in the case of vincenzo bernardelli's only the VB Holland is a true sidelock, no piettro bernardelli's i've seen or heard of were sidelocks, and i'm pretty sure L. Santini Bernardelli made both types.

i think there was a VB Hemmingway model which i've read was a sidelock but have also read it wasn't, maintaining only the HOlland model was.

roger

As most of you know I was the import agent for Bernardelli for about 15 years.
The gun you have was imported by Art Foley of Arms de Chasse. Bernardelli would make any bbl length that you desired. I know of no Hemmingways that were a sidelock gun only box lock and sideplated guns. I was with Bernardelli when we presented the first Hemmingway model to Jock Hemmingway


"The Best Gift to Give is One To Yourself"

Good Shooting

John Boyd
Quality Arms

Mr. Boyd,

Are you available to answer a few questions off forum about V. Bernardellis?