doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com value of vincenzo bernardelli gamecock deluxe 20

I know someone who wants to sell me a Vincenzo Bernardelli Gamecock Deluxe 20 gauge in excellent condition. I am having a hard time finding info on this gun. Does anyone have info?

Can't say anything about the value but I can tell you that these guns are way underpriced. Lots of quality in them and very underrated.

A very well made sideplated boxlock. Probably more gun for the money than you'll find with other makers.

I have one. I love it. As others have posted, undervalued, I agree. Nice blueing, good checkering, case colors are nice, good wood/metal fit, jeweled watertable and flats on the barrels, articulated front trigger, lightweight. I don't know where the prices are now, but, five years ago I saw the 20's near $2K and the 12's at $1.2K. When we go to South Dakota for pheasants and sharp-tailed grouse, the Thomas Turner and Son 2 1/2" 12 gauge and the V. Bernardelli Gamecock DeLuxe 20 gauge take turns.

Good Luck!
Hairy

I paid $650 for mine about 10-12 years ago and felt that I was getting a bargain. At the time, I believed that the barrels had been cut, but didn't care because I wanted it for grouse hunting in the jungles of Eastern NYS. Andy's in Syracuse later assured me that they hadn't been cut; now I REALLY think it was a bargain. Can't wait to try it on CA quail next season (assuming that we have enough to hunt).

Hairy, have you ever tried 3" in yours? (I never dared, yet).

Mike,

I have not hunted waterfowl since the lead shot ban was brought about. I always figured it was the governments way of legistating guns out of existance. Stop making Polaroid film and the Land camera become unuseable. Well, my friends thought I was nuts, now they think otherwise. Because of this I only hunt upland birds and have never felt the need for the 3 inchers. But, I have shot a 4 gauge elephant gun modeled after one that Selous used in Africa. So, I can imagine what it might be like to shoot 3 inch in that light little Gamecock! I have never shot 3" in my Ruger Gold Label either.

So far, I have had no trouble with mine. They seem to be somewhat rare, at least here in the midwest. I have no idea how old mine is, but, I am guessing mid 1960's?

My Thomas Turner has 25" barrels and most of the guys I hunt with have wondered if the were cut off. The fellows at the skeet club wondered the same about the Bernardelli, too.

For a number of years one of the guys from our South Dakota pheasant hunt group has ribbed me about my little gun. Then this last fall there was a mix up on who loaded what, after we got to SD. I loaned him the Gamecock...NOW HE WANTS IT!

Glad to hear you like yours.

Hairy

Hi, Hairy! I wouldn't look forward to shooting 3" in my Gamecock. But part of the reason I haven't is that I too have a Gold Label. I have shot 3" in that, but only steel 4s for jump shooting puddle ducks back East (and one coyote); haven't got around to finding a CA location for duck hunting yet. My Ruger seems to handle steel 4s just fine as far as patterning (I use IC/M tubes), but I have to admit that I've only taken pretty easy shots with it. It DOES kick and I've had to be extra careful with my gun mounting. The couple of times I got excited over close flushes of Kansas roosters and didn't get the butt where it should go, I got a blue Ruger buttplate printed on my upper arm and shoulder (Later it turned a kind of charming yellowish green like a tornado sky). That was with 2 3/4" hi-base lead 5s. 3" would have been worse. But at least ducks over decoys give you time to do it right and get hold of the gun properly, if I ever find a good place to hunt 'em.

My VB came with a pad (ratty) and I replaced it with a Pachmyer solid red pad that helps. I don't see much need to go to 3" shells unless you get stuck in a pheasant area that doesn't allow lead. Unfortunately I see more of that coming, especially on public land. We all need "bismuth trust funds"!

My VB was imported by Stoeger's in 1967. I got it used from a private party in MI (No coincidence; you guys up there got grouse!). Wood is handsome but not fancy; rest of the gun is very attractive and I can live with the sideplates, although they aren't my favorite feature on a boxlock.

there's a gamecock premier 20 with it's hard case on gunbroker now for $1595, no bids, doesn't end for 8 more days. on closed items, there weren't any 20ga gamecocks in recent history but there was a roma 3E that closed at $1450 or $1495 which would seem to indicate that $1595 is a little out of line for a gamecock. altho sometimes what things fetch on gunbroker seems bargain basement pricing. i'd think a decent gamecock 20 should be worth something past $1k anyway.

those were the only bernardelli 20's that came up (unless somebody mispelled it bernadelli; didn't look for that) so whatever someone was willing to pay in those cases, if you want one there aren't that many to chose from.

and i agree they're one of the most underrated as to value. i had a roma 6E and it was a really great sxs.

Mike,

When you go back to the old formula of shot charge times 96 equals the weight a shotgun should weigh to have tolerable recoil. It is then easy to see why the RGL @6 lbs. 3 oz. would send a wake up call with 3 inch shells. Even the fast 1 ounce loads I use at skeet can get to an old guy like me after a couple of boxes go off.

My Gamecock did not come with a recoil pad and I have not added one...yet.

Hairy

Gamecock Deluxe is the exact same gun as a Roma 3. 20ga, condition in the mid-90's, I'd say $1500 would be a very good buy. $2K, you can probably look around and do better. I've owned several V. Bernardellis over the years and I agree that they are undervalued on the used market. About my only complaint is that if you want relatively open chokes, then you have to go with the short barreled guns. Of course they can be opened, but the bores are chromed.

Hairy, you can quickly establish a date on your Gamecock. You should find a Roman numeral on the barrel flats, although sometimes you'll find a combination Roman + Arabic, like XX7. Anyhow, add that number to 1944 to get the date.