Bernardelli Vest Pocket
Vincenzo Bernardelli · Pistol · Discontinued · 1945
Also known as: Bernardelli VP, Bernardelli VP25, VB 25 Auto
Overview
The Bernardelli Vest Pocket is a compact blowback-operated semi-automatic pistol chambered in .25 ACP, produced by the Italian firm Vincenzo Bernardelli beginning in 1945. As the company's first self-loading pistol, its design was closely based on the Walther Model 9, sharing that gun's slim, striker-fired pocket layout. Intended for discreet concealed carry, it pairs a roughly 57mm barrel and a steel frame with a standard five-round detachable magazine, with an extended eight-round magazine offered as an option.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 290 g (10.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 102 mm (4.02") |
| Barrel Length | 57 mm (2.24") |
| Height | 75 mm (2.95") |
| Width | 23 mm (0.91") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 230 m/s (755 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 86 J (63 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 7 m (8 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Plastic |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .25 ACP · primary — also known as 6.35x16mm Browning, 6.35mm Browning, .25 Auto
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Fixed Sights, Concealed Carry, Compact Frame
Service history
Operators
- Civilian market
Production
Production years: 1945-1968
The original VP Vest Pocket design appeared in 1945; the pattern remained in production and was exported for decades, with examples dated into the 1950s and 1960s.
Origin
Country of origin: Italy
Designer: Vincenzo Bernardelli
Notes
Standard magazine holds 5 rounds; an extended 8-round magazine was also offered. Marked variously as 'VB', 'V. Bernardelli Gardone', and later 'VP25'. Iver Johnson imported and marketed a comparable variant as the Compact.
Background
The Vest Pocket was Vincenzo Bernardelli's first self-loading pistol, launching the Gardone Val Trompia gunmaker into the postwar civilian handgun market with a near-copy of Walther's diminutive Model 9.