Bernardelli P6

The Bernardelli P6 is a semiautomatic pistol of Italian make. The manufacturer, Bernardelli, seems to share the Italian's well-known obsession with illustrious ancestry and traces his company's origin back to the beginning of firearms history. The company, located in Gardone V.T., was acquired sometime in 1721 and its was apparently Vincento Bernardelli, a talented engineer and entrepreneur, who gave this unit the required impetus. Bernardelli prides itself on using the very latest in gun making technology and their products have featured in many prominent shooting events, including the 1994 Italian and Spanish Shooting Championships. The P6 seems to be the perfect example of what this company can turn out.

The Bernardelli P6 comes in versions that chamber .22 LR, 7.65 x 17 mm/.32 ACP or 9 x 17 mm/.380 ACP rounds. It also comes in the Bernardelli P8 model, to which the P6 is virtually identical. However, the P8 incorporates certain additional safety mechanisms, apparently added to comply with US, Canadian, and Mexican arms regulations. These include a half-cock and manual safeties, magazine safety and an improved firing pin.

The Bernardelli P6 is extremely comfortable to carry, being of a lightweight and compact design that makes the Bernardelli P6 an ideal personal defense weapon. It weighs a mere 17.8 ounces. It is basically similar to the later versions of the Walther PP and has a chamber loaded indicator and adjustable rear sights. It is primarily made of steel but features a light alloy frame. A sporting and target version of the Bernardelli P6 was the Model 90 Sport, which was designed to replace the earlier Model 60 Sport. The Model 60 Sport, known as the AMR in the United States, had an extendwed barrel and came in only one caliber. This model also featured adjustable rear sight and ergonomic wooden grips.

This handy and streamlined pistol is unfortunately not available on the open market in the United States, since there are restrictions on its import. That, of course, has not stopped handgun aficionados from acquiring it for their collections and personal use. Thankfully, ammunition for it is not as hard to procure as the pistol itself. The .22 LR model is equipped with a magazine that accommodates 10 rounds, while the 7.65 mm (.32 caliber) model features an 8-round magazine. The 9 mm Short or .380 ACP version packs a seven-round magazine.

The Bernardelli P6 has extremely pleasing features, and the outstanding aesthetics are further enhanced by a choice between black plastic or walnut grips. These are not just eye candy - Bernardelli has devised means of distributing the pistol's recoil over the pistol's entire steel and wood components. The Bernardelli P6 has near to perfect dimensions for a handgun (6.6 x 4.8 x 1.3 inches) with a barrel length of 3.5 inches. The hammer is not recessed as in many other pistols of this type, giving it better maneuverability and a classic, functional look.

The Bernardelli P6 is most definitely a worthwhile buy as a well-maintained second hand weapon. However, the unfortunate fact is that the company can no longer offer spares or repairs. In its attempt to conquer the global market by developing a 9 mm pistol with a 15-round magazine, it apparently overreached itself financially during the marketing process and is now in the process of liquidation. For this reason, it is highly unlikely that any but the most resourceful and fortunate buyers will be bale to obtain a new Bernardelli P6. The company's products had earlier run into problems when the aforementioned Model 60 was banned in the United States under the Gun Control Act of 1968, along with a number of similar weapons.