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Bernardelli P018S: A Hipster's Service Pistol (ad-free)
🕑 Added 2023-07-05 12:00:04 +0000 UTCBernardelli is (was) an Italian firearms manufacturer in the Val Tromp dating back to the 1600s...but whom few people have ever heard of. They produced 1889 Bodeo revolvers between the World Wars, and after World War Two they had a line of pocket pistols that were never particular popular or respectable in the US.
In 1982, the company released the P018, its effort to create a military and police service pistol. On paper, it was basically completely average for the time. It used a Browning tilting-barrel system, DA/SA firing mechanism, right-handed manual safety and magazine release, steel frame, and double-stack 15-round magazines. It was quite well made, and worked very well. It just never managed to be at the right place and the right time, and was never adopted by any organizations of significance.
A series of pistols followed the original P018, including the P018 Compact, P018S (this example; with a decoder and simple plastic grips), P.ONE regular, P.ONE Compact, and VB Practical (and IPSC competition model). Early models were offered in 7.65mm Parabellum (for maximum hipster points), 9mm Parabellum (for normal people), and 9x21mm (for the Italian civilian market). With the P.ONE, .40 S&W was also added to the offerings. None were bad guns, but none were commercial successful and only a few thousand of all types were made before production ceased in the 1990s.
Comments
Thomas Batha
What a neat pistol! Wonder how I missed it when new. If they have done enough field testing to uncover any weaknesses, I'd gladly carry it. If they changed the locking system to the Glock style as you alluded to, it would probably bring down the unit cost quite a bit.
Guido Schriewer
looks better than those pardini. what isn't hard. so trigger like a cz75. ok. ain't too bad. now I wonder WHAT oddball rifle.
Forgotten Weapons
Can you picture a Taurus PT-1eleven? :)
Brian Jay
9:40 P-ONE? That model sounds more hacker than hipster if you ask me.
EyeBall
Some of the features reminds me of the Sig P226
Martin Morehouse
I think I decoded the term decoder to decocker.
Too bad it take off. Looks like another fine handgun that didn't get any recognition.
Luís Moreira
A very nice pistol, I would say. And the safety/decocking is so so so much better than the Beretta. Too bad it wasn't more accepted. Maybe politics had a finger on the reason.
