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Posted By: BarkeyVA V. Bernardelli Italia 20 ga. SxS Hammer Gun - 02/20/21 11:19 PM
I saw a 20 ga. V. Bernardelli SxS hammer gun at a local gun shop. 25” barrels, Nice engraving, tight lockup, top lever is left of center. Estimated 85% condition. Curious to know the range of value for it. My old Blue Book says the range of values can only be found in their online edition.
There are three grades: Brescia (case colored receiver); Italia (coin finished receiver with rose and scroll engraving) and Italia Extra (coin finished receiver with more engraving and more ornate top lever and hammers). The Brescia might be a $1500-1800 gun in that condition, the Italia a $2000-2250 gun and the Italia Extra a $2500-2750 gun. Maybe a bit of a discount from that for the 25 inch barrels.

They are nice guns and real work horses. I’ve owned an Italia 12 gauge and currently own an Italia Extra 20 with 70 cm barrels.
Thanks. I’ll see if the dealer will let me take some pictures next week to post for your opinion.
I would love to see that! Well.....and shoot it
Originally Posted by 67galaxie
I would love to see that! Well.....and shoot it
If I decide not to buy it, I will let you know where it is.
Mine is the 12 gauge Brescia with 30 inch barrels
Sure is fun to shoot.

[Linked Image from jpgbox.com]

Would love that same gun in 20 gauge with 30 inch barrels

Mike
I assume you mean the top lever is Right of center?
Like I said on the other shotgun site, I do not believe that gun was made with 25 inch barrels. I would suggest examining the muzzles and chokes carefully.
25 inch barrels are a hard sell these days, and shortened barrels demolish the value of the gun.
The picture of a vintage ad in your other posting, shows the Brescia in 20 gauge was only available in 26 inch barrels in N. America, at that point.
I wouldn't be surprised that the gun's barrels were actually finished at 660 mm.
I am just advising due caution in examining the gun.
Originally Posted by Nitrah
I assume you mean the top lever is Right of center?
Yes, Right of Center
Saskbooknut, the dealer measured the barrels again at 25" The chokes measured Cyl/Mod with a plug choke gauge. The next time I am at the dealer's, I will check the chokes with a Skeets Bore Gauge.
Here are some some photos of the Italia. Bluing on the barrels is good. Note scratches on the stock. Curious what your estimate of the value might be after seeing the pictures.
[Linked Image from jpgbox.com]
[Linked Image from jpgbox.com]
[Linked Image from jpgbox.com]
[Linked Image from jpgbox.com]
[Linked Image from jpgbox.com]
[Linked Image from jpgbox.com]
[Linked Image from jpgbox.com]
[Linked Image from jpgbox.com]
The weight of the barrels at proof will be stamped on the underside in grams, which should help you.

In looking at print ads, lifted from Shooters Bibles on eBay, I found one from 1969 showing a 20 gauge Brescia with 25 inch barrels. Other years show 26 inch barrels.
Another lesson to not say " they never made that."
Bernardellis commonly had 25 inch barrels. I have a 20 gauge Gamecock from the early 70s with original 25 inch barrels and I've seen quite a number of other Bernardellis advertised for sale with that length barrels. When I was looking for a 20 gauge hammer gun (which proved surprisingly hard to find, by the way), there were several Bernardellis for sale with 25 inch barrels, but I wanted longer barrels and finally found one with 70 cm barrels, which I still have.
The following numbers are stamped on the underside of the barrels and the frame flat: 653xx that I assume is the serial number.
The number 1173 is stamped on the barrels, frame and inside surface of the trigger guard. Could that be the date the gun was made?

There is XXV stamped on the barrel flat. There is also 15.9 stamped on the underside of each barrel. Also XX on the left barrel and XXXX on the right barrel.

I measure the chokes as .010 for the right barrel (Lt. Mod) and .030" (Full) for the left barrel with my Skeets Bore Gauge.

Although I don't see it marked anywhere, it appears that the gun is chambered for 3" shells. By using a stiff piece of plastic as a gauge, the chambers are about 0.1' longer to the forcing cone than my 20 ga Ithaca SKB that is chambered for 3" shells.
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XXV is the date code for 1969, which would be the year of manufacture.

I can't help with the 1173 number.

If it's chambered for 3 inch shells, I'm pretty sure you'll only fire one in it before you decide you've had all the fun you need. I learned that (the hard way) with my Gamecock.
Choke marking is Improved Modified and Improved Cylinder.
Around 1970 the profile of the crossbolt was changed from square to round. I had a 20 ga Bresica a couple years ago. Shot it well and could cock both hammers at once, most of the time. Missed the left hammer a couple times on wild birds and decided I'd had enough fun. I really enjoyed it and glad I got it, and not sorry about moving it down the road. Still have a nice Husky hammer gun to shoot targets with.
Around 1970 the profile of the crossbolt was changed from square to round. I had a 20 ga Bresica a couple years ago. Shot it well and could cock both hammers at once, most of the time. Missed the left hammer a couple times on wild birds and decided I'd had enough fun. I really enjoyed it and glad I got it, and not sorry about moving it down the road. Still have a nice Husky hammer gun to shoot targets with.
"There is nothing wrong with that gun if you like the barrel length. I have a composed pair (about 4 S/N apart) of Brescia 12s with 30" barrels and they are great guns. I wish mine were Italias. If you like the gun, buy it. They are not that easy to find.
On Gunsinternational right now; I’d love one in 20 gauge with longer barrels.
That’s an elegant, user-friendly little gun you have there.

https://www.gunsinternational.com/g...a-brescia-excellent.cfm?gun_id=101645994
Those Bernies are good, modern hammerguns at reasonable prices.

They made a lot of guns with barrels that are on the short side (at least for current tastes). I seem to recall at one point, their standard barrel lengths for guns exported to the States were 25 1/2" (with the somewhat unusual choke combination of C/M) or 26 3/4" (chokes IC/IM). I had one of those 26 3/4" guns in 16ga (hammerless--one of the Roma series guns, which are also very good guns at reasonable prices). Shot it lights out. Not sure why I got rid of it, but I'd like to find another one. Unfortunately, you don't run into a lot of 16ga Bernies.
I once saw a 16 gauge Bernardelli Brescia hammer gun in a gun show.
Like a fool, I walked by.
I have never seen another one.
When we were importing Bernardelli in the 70-80s the the trend at that time was more toward the 26" bbl guns and some 25". However, I could specify any bbl length that I wanted them to make for us.

So never prejudge the length of the barrels on any European maker

John Boyd
Quality Arms
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