The Bernardelli Vb1 12-gauge magnum is well known in the USA for its versatility of use, used both in hunting for wild boar hunting and for home defense, the shotgun in the United States is very successful.
If in the United States the shotgun in the hunting field has always found enormous success, in the old continent only in recent years has there been a rediscovery of the pump action, both as a weapon for wild boar hunting and for sports competitions. of dynamic shooting.
The characteristics of this rifle are its ease of use, reliability, its adaptability to any type of ammunition, its competitive price and its versatility.
Bernardelli, as many passionate hunters know, is instinctively compared to the production of splendid side-by-side shotguns, characterized by a somewhat dated design and by the construction in machined steel, over-and-under, but also to the modern semi-automatic with Mega gas grip.
Only a few remember a slide action prototype with prismatic charger, which constituted a real breach with the production tradition of the swan company.
This breach led to Bernardelli's choice to try his hand at making a brand new pump-action shotgun, the Vb1 12-gauge magnum.
The Bernardelli, as we have described in a previous article, has always been considered very traditional in terms of design and construction of its weapons, but in this case it has broken this habit with a weapon that, in the segment to which it belongs, still manages to place itself in the wake of tradition. The Vb1 model, both in lines and in design, is a typical US matrix riot gun. It was born in the Torbole plant, where the assembly of parts created on site and parts that are finished in Italy, but that are born in Turkey are carried out. At home Bernardelli kept the experience gained with smoothbore semiautomatics for the Vb1, but he also winked at the Mossberg mechanics, which is considered by many professionals to be one of the best. At a first analysis we are faced, in fact, with the weapon closing, with the loading window "empty" and for which the traditional feeding bucket is missing, the latter replaced by an oscillating bracket, whose movement is controlled from the shutter.
Only by retracting the bolt does the bracket bring its front part down to house the cartridge that comes out of the magazine. When the bolt moves forward, the bracket swings upwards, positioning itself horizontally and guiding the cartridge towards the chamber.
Unlike normal spoons, this "bracket" contains the cartridge through the side walls and simultaneously with the double extractor holds it back, preventing any deviation from its path towards the cartridge chamber.
With this structure it is possible to eliminate the possibility of jams during the feeding phase and even if the bolt is operated slowly while keeping the rifle in any position, the cartridge will be guided precisely towards the chamber.
The shutter of the Bernardelli Vb1 is a typical two-piece shutter, with closure ensured by a bolt housed in the upper part and made to oscillate by the movement between the upper and lower parts, a slide connected to the cocking rods, which carries the shelves inclined for the swing of the latch. The trigger group is made of injection molded technopolymer and is simple, robust and essential like the whole shotgun. In its front part has been placed the safety crossbar (the latter reversible for left-handers), easily reachable even by those who do not have large hands. The trigger is also easily accessible with the finger that naturally falls into position, also thanks to the shape of the butt part upstream of the pistol. The knurling of the latter is not annoying with the recoil, but rather allows an adequate grip and an easy rearrangement of the hand. The stock ends with a thick, ventilated and rubber anti-recoil pad, which is very practical when you quickly bring the gun to your shoulder. The shaft is also in high-strength polymer, has a cylindrical shape and is grooved to increase the grip without creating discomfort to the hand. The grip of the shaft is quite good, even if it is a bit elusive at the time of recoil if you hold the speargun by the hip and there is no time to assume the most correct attitude.
The movement of the rod is very fluid and allows you to reach great speed. The sighting devices of the Vb1 Bernardelli consist of a simple blade viewfinder, very functional and correctly calibrated with adequate light, even if in situations with reduced lighting, dark backgrounds or side light, a fiber optic viewfinder or in translucent and colored plastic. The barrel is treated externally with an epoxy coating resistant to shocks, abrasions, extreme temperatures and chemical aggressions, while inside it is chromed. The external protection is anti-reflective. Some group tests have shown that Remington Nitro express long range with 36 grams of 7,5 lead are very suitable and effective. For use in defense, the Fiocchi Hv 12/70 with 35,5 grams of 4/0 buckshot and the B&P Big game with 9 00 buckshot were both excellent. Shooting series of three Remington shots at 15 meters 91% of the shots are placed in the 750 mm circle, while with the Fiocchi Hv it is 70% of the shot.
Ultimately, with all the standard cartridges (12/67 and 12/70), the operation is always excellent, but if you decide to use the magnums it is necessary, for the ejection of the same, to maneuver the shutter with a lot of force. In addition, the Vb1 Bernardelli is very manageable and controllable at the shoulder. The tank is able to accommodate up to 6 shots and is finished to ensure greater smoothness of the shaft and to be totally resistant to rust. The weight of the Vb1 is 2.800 grams.
In addition to the features listed above, which give an idea of the reliability of the Vb1 even in the hunting field, certainly the price can incentivize even the most rigorous hunters to buy this weapon, since it is very competitive.