doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com 1971 V. Bernardelli Brescia

I just got a 20 ga. Brescia with a 1971 date code. The extractor is marked 75 indicating 3" chambers. It was imported by Stoeger. The closest Shooters Bible I have is '67. That edition makes no mention of the magnum chamber length and the line drawing shows a square Greener cross bolt, and this one is round. The next closest reference I have is a '75 Gun Digest and no Bernie guns were shown being imported. Anyone have '71 or '72 Shooters Bible they could dig out to see what the write up was at that time. The '67 price listed was $140 and the price of an SKB 100 was $150. Just wish it wasn't -20 so I could shoot it a little. Thanks, Mark Robson

Why can't you shoot it? Found a 1970 gun digest. Not much about it. 20 gauge, 26" i.c. and mod. $140. I'd guess it's pretty light, has chrome lined barrels and regardless of chamber length, you should stick to 2 3/4" stuff.

Like this??

https://www.gunauction.com/buy/12642826

Please look at the proofmarks

http://www.shotguns.se/html/italy.html

A picture would assist us in helping you

Mike

P.S. you do know that you can shoot regular 2 3/4 inch or shorter ammo in a 3" gun?

The CAM 70 marking shows 2 3/4 inch chambers
My 12 gauge with 30" barrels looks like this

I believe the 3" guns should be marked with two stars above the PSF. 2.75" chambered guns are USUALLY marked with one star above the PSF but I have seen 2.75" chambered guns with the double star. I also believe my 3" chambered, Stoeger-imported Gamecock Deluxe in 20 gauge is marked on the ejector with "75" as well. I hope that helps...

FWIW, my 1973 Bernardelli Gamecock 20 gauge came with 3" chambers, even though it weighs no more than (and probably a couple of ounces less than) 6 pounds. I think the company was building what the US distributors told them to, without any real concern for how unpleasant setting off a 3" shell in a gun that light would be.

I would be less concerned with the recoil on my shoulder as I would be with the effects on the dainty wrist of the stock...

I had a Roma 6, that had one of the thinnest wrists I've seen on any straight grip gun. It was well layed out and took a lot of abuse. I looked through some stuff a friend gave me, and found a "72 Shooters Bible. The illustration shows the round cross bolt, but no mention of 3" chambers. The proof marks on the gun are what you would expect to see, just the "75" on the extractor. As I said I only shot 6 or 7 shells through it before it got cold again. Typical Bernie quality, just thought and think the chamber length is a bit rare. I plan on shooting it a lot as soon as I can feel my fingers and the trap works.

Love Bernies!

I just bought an O/U Bernardelli Model 220 in 20 gauge with an English stock and SST. That gun will join the ranks of a 12 gauge Elio, a 20 gauge Gamecock Deluxe and a 12 gauge SxS that folds in half.

skeettx, that is the model , mine has a straight grip.

Mark, my guess would agree with what Remington stated above: Stoeger likely assumed that magnum 20's would sell better in this country, regardless of how much sense it makes to have a sub-6# 20ga with 3" chambers. I used to have a Webley & Scott 720 that weighed closer to 5 1/2 than to 6. The Brits made (and proofed) that gun for 3", likely for the same reason--the 720 being essentially the American variation of the Model 702. The Savage Fox A Grade I've been playing around with--they come in right around 6 pounds in 20ga--has 2 3/4" chambers. I think that makes more sense on a gun that light, even if it might hurt possible sales to people who think all 20's should have 3" chambers.