I picked up this pistol earlier this week. I spotted it at a show a couple weeks ago and was able to work out a good price with the seller. I have always liked these pistols, but they are few and far between, especially in real good shape. I actually see more of the compact models for sale than I do the full size.
The P018 was introduced in 1982, by the Italian gun company Vincenzo Bernardelli, known mainly for their high end shotguns. Its an all steel, DA/SA semi auto pistol chambered in 9mm and 30 Luger, though I'm not sure any 30 Luger models were imported to the states. Like the CZ 75, it pretty much needs to be carried cocked and locked. This model was produced for about 10 years when it was replaced by the P One (which I also own). The pistol's functional design is common, but the appearance has all the cool angles I've come to expect from Italian pistols designed in the 70's and 80's. It has an exotic look to it, which I love.
All told, the P018 had a few variants that came later. The P One, which was its successor, the P018 Compact, with a shorter barrel and slightly shorter grip frame, and a SAO competition version call the P018 Practical VB (very rare). The P018 itself underwent subtle changes during its 10 years or so of production to include the placement of the mag release, which was on the heel of the grip prior to 1989. Even the slide and frame changed shape slightly during the production run. Besides that, there were other options, such as wood grips, a blued or matte black finish, adjustable sights, etc. Due to all this, its not always easy to find two P018 models that look completely identical (which is true of some other pistols as well).
What makes the model I bought special in my eyes is that it has all the options that I would have wanted. The got the factory polished blue finish, which looks so much nicer than the matte black, the checkered walnut grips, which meet at the back and cover the back strap, and the factory adjustable rear sights, which are not easy to come by. The P018 was a service weapon and 90% of them have the matte finish and probably a greater percentage of them have the standard sights. The walnut grips are actually fairly common on the P018, but many have black plastic grips.
In terms of condition, I'd rate it at 95%, easily. The pistol looks great and its certainly not something you see often. It weighs about 36oz unloaded and the barrel is just shy of 5". The top of the slide is flattened and serrated and the front strap is also serrated. I really like the swan logo too, which is located just above the trigger guard on the right side of the frame. This pistol is marked "AU", which dates it to 1989. The only detractor of the gun is the import mark along the left side of the front strap. Magnum Research imported these guns for a while during the 1980's.
Does anyone here own a P018? I think a couple of you do, IIRC. What's your opinion of them? :dunno:
As always, please enjoy the pics and share your thoughts.
Thanks! :supergrin:
The P018 was introduced in 1982, by the Italian gun company Vincenzo Bernardelli, known mainly for their high end shotguns. Its an all steel, DA/SA semi auto pistol chambered in 9mm and 30 Luger, though I'm not sure any 30 Luger models were imported to the states. Like the CZ 75, it pretty much needs to be carried cocked and locked. This model was produced for about 10 years when it was replaced by the P One (which I also own). The pistol's functional design is common, but the appearance has all the cool angles I've come to expect from Italian pistols designed in the 70's and 80's. It has an exotic look to it, which I love.
All told, the P018 had a few variants that came later. The P One, which was its successor, the P018 Compact, with a shorter barrel and slightly shorter grip frame, and a SAO competition version call the P018 Practical VB (very rare). The P018 itself underwent subtle changes during its 10 years or so of production to include the placement of the mag release, which was on the heel of the grip prior to 1989. Even the slide and frame changed shape slightly during the production run. Besides that, there were other options, such as wood grips, a blued or matte black finish, adjustable sights, etc. Due to all this, its not always easy to find two P018 models that look completely identical (which is true of some other pistols as well).
What makes the model I bought special in my eyes is that it has all the options that I would have wanted. The got the factory polished blue finish, which looks so much nicer than the matte black, the checkered walnut grips, which meet at the back and cover the back strap, and the factory adjustable rear sights, which are not easy to come by. The P018 was a service weapon and 90% of them have the matte finish and probably a greater percentage of them have the standard sights. The walnut grips are actually fairly common on the P018, but many have black plastic grips.
In terms of condition, I'd rate it at 95%, easily. The pistol looks great and its certainly not something you see often. It weighs about 36oz unloaded and the barrel is just shy of 5". The top of the slide is flattened and serrated and the front strap is also serrated. I really like the swan logo too, which is located just above the trigger guard on the right side of the frame. This pistol is marked "AU", which dates it to 1989. The only detractor of the gun is the import mark along the left side of the front strap. Magnum Research imported these guns for a while during the 1980's.
Does anyone here own a P018? I think a couple of you do, IIRC. What's your opinion of them? :dunno:
As always, please enjoy the pics and share your thoughts.
Thanks! :supergrin:
