Bernadelli PO18

[modifiedbrowning]

Anyone have any insight about or experience with Bernadelli pistols? A local shop has a used one for sale for around $350. Is this pistol worth that much, is it any good at all? I played with it today and it seemed like a neat pistol. Any info is appreciated.

 

[Handy]

It's a bit old school-no decocker, like a CZ-75. The frames were alloy, there was a rumor that they wore quickly, but I would say that is unsubstanciated. 16 round mags. There was a full size and compact version. Also the P One series was a similar or the same gun.

I did read an article a long time ago that alledged that there was a big pistol trial in Europe in the '80s and the Bernadelli was found to be the most accurate gun in the trial. I don't know if I would bet money on that, but it's possible. The examples I've seen were nicely made.

I found a blue-book type listing. $350 is in the middle of the Very Good pricing for this model. $600 for as new. But a new CZ-75 is less than $350 and is a known quantity.

If you want it, and can find enough mags to make it useful, it might be a nice example of a wundernine. But don't expect to be able to sell it off easy or find many parts. Try low-balling the dealer, maybe you can get it cheap enough for all the question marks to not matter.

 

[Dacos]

The P018 does not have an alloy frame, it's steel. I have read similar accounts regarding accuracy, but also heard there's no firing pin safety so one must be careful and not drop it.

 

[Handy]

Well, the best reference I can find is a 1997 Gun Digest. The description does not list the frame material, but at a weight of 34 oz., it is most likely steel, like Dacos said. I had read a post somewhere earlier lamenting the gun's alloy frame, which must have been false.

The description also says that the gun has both a firing pin block safety, a magazine safety and a decocker and manual safety. Full size has a nearly 5" barrel and a 16 round mag. 4" barrel and 12 round mag for the compact. There were chromed versions available as well.

Given the steel frame, accuracy potencial and long barrel, this may be a really neat gun, if the price is right.