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
