Vincenzo · Pistol
Bernardelli Vest Pocket
Blowback (semi-automatic) · .25 ACP · introduced 1945
Also known as Bernardelli VP, Bernardelli VP25, VB 25 Auto
About the Bernardelli Vest Pocket
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.
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.
Bernardelli Vest Pocket specifications
General
- Type
- Pistol
- Action
- Blowback (semi-automatic)
- Firing mechanism
- Striker-fired
- Trigger
- Single action
- Calibres
- .25 ACP
- Magazine capacity
- 5 rounds
- Magazine
- Detachable box magazine
Dimensions
- Barrel length
- 57 mm (2.2 in)
- Overall length
- 102 mm (4.0 in)
- Height
- 75 mm (3.0 in)
- Width
- 23 mm (0.9 in)
- Weight (empty)
- 0.29 kg (0.64 lb)
Barrel
- Rifling
- Right hand
Materials
- Barrel
- Steel
- Receiver / frame
- Steel
- Slide
- Steel
- Stock
- Plastic
- Finish
- blued
Performance
- Muzzle velocity (typical)
- 230 m/s (755 fps)
- Muzzle energy (typical)
- 86 J (63 ft·lb)
- Effective range
- 7 m
History
- Introduced
- 1945
- Production status
- Discontinued
- Country of origin
- IT
- Designer
- Vincenzo Bernardelli
Features
- Fixed sights
- Concealed carry
- Compact frame
Safety
- Manual safety
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.
Similar models
Acha Hermanos Looking Glass
Blowback (semi-automatic) · .32 ACP
Allen & Wheelock Pocket Revolver
Revolving · .31 Caliber Percussion (Cap and Ball)
Bernardelli Model 60
Blowback (semi-automatic) · .32 ACP
Bernardelli P018
Short recoil (semi-automatic) · 9x19mm Parabellum