Manurhin MR-73

Manurhin MR-73

Manurhin MR-73 - with 3" (Gendarmerie) and 5 1/4" (Sport) barrels

Type: Double Action 
Chamber: .357 Magnum (also 9x19mm Luger/Para) 
Weight unloaded: 910 g (3" barrel) or 1050 g (5.25" barrel) 
Length: 204 mm or 264 mm 
Barrel length: 76 mm (3") or 133 mm (5.25") 
Capacity: 6 rounds

MR-73 revolvers were developed by MANURHIN company of France in 1973. MR-73 is a standart issue firearm of the french Gendarmerie, as well as of some French elite law enforcement agencies (G.I.G.N., R.A.I.D. etc). MR-73 is also a favorite European sporting arm, available also in Sport and Match (.32 SW Long or .38 Spl).

All MR-73s featured all-steel construction, designed to withstand extereme pressures. MR-73 barrels are manufactured by cold-hammering, resulting in long service life and extreme accuracy. Additional cylinders for 9x19mm Luger ammunition available as options, providing ability to use cheaper ammunition for ectensive training. All MR-73's had hand-assembled and ajusted actions, resulting very good to extremely high accuracy and high unit price. Reliability and service life of the MR-73s, combined with the match-grade accuracy, also brings it to the worlds' best service handguns class, along with SIG P-210.

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MAB PA-15

9mm MAB Model R pistol, the 8-shot predecessor / prototype to PA-15

MAB  PA-15 pistol, left side

MAB PA-15 pistol, right side

MAB PA-15 Target / PAP F-1 match pistol

Type: Single Action semiautomatic
Chamber: 9x19 mm Luger/Parabellum
Weight unloaded: 1070 g
Length: 203 mm
Barrel length: 117 mm (140 mm for PAP F-1)
Capacity: 15 rounds

When, in late 1970s  production of the 9mm M1950 pistols ceased, the French army obtained small numbers of commercially available MAB P15 pistols, also in 9x19. These pistols were never adopted for general army service, but saw some use in the hands of French Naval Commando units, Military police and Marines. The long-barreled version of the P15 was used in very small numbers by the French army shooting teams under the designation of PAP F-1.
The MAB P15 pistol (also known as the PA-15, for Pistolet Automatique 15) was developed by the Manufacture d'Armes Automatiques de Bayonne (MAB) during the early 1970s based on the earlier 9x19 MAB Modele R Para pistol, which was originally created for the French army trials of late 1940s. The P15 saw minor use by the French military and was also widely exported for commercial sales. Production ceased in the late 1980s, and while there were rumors of this pistol being made in the former Yugoslavia, it seems that this venture never went past talks or experimenting. The P15 was a solid, accurate pistol with large magazine capacity and low felt recoil. Probably the only “drawback” of this system was its single action trigger, a slightly old-fashioned setup by the standards of the time.

 

The MAB P15 is a delayed-blowback pistol with a rotary barrel. It uses a variant of the Savage-Searle system, originally developed in the USA in 1905-07. The breech part of the barrel has two lugs, one at the top and one at the bottom. The lower lug is engaged in the perpendicular cut made in the frame insert, and allows the barrel to rotate but not recoil. The upper lug follows a curved track cut in the inner surface of the slide. When the gun is fired, the pressure of the propellant gas forces the cartridge case back against the slide. The recoil of the slide, via the cam track, forces the barrel to rotate to the right; at the initial stages of the shot, when the bullet is still in the barrel and pressure is high, the rotation of the barrel and, subsequently, the opening of the slide, are opposed by the inertia of the barrel plus torque created by the bullet following the rifling. As soon as bullet leaves the barrel, the torque force disappears and the slide forces barrel to rotate all the way through the cam arc. There’s a straight cut in the slide which then allows it to go back without any further resistance from the barrel. The trigger is single-action, with an external hammer and a manual, frame mounted safety. There is also an automatic magazine safety. Magazines are of double stack design, and hold 15 rounds. Sights are fixed, with the rear being dovetailed to the slide. Manual safety was a lever at the left side of the frame, above the grip panel. To put on safety, push the lever up; to set to “Fire”, pull the lever down

How to disassemble MAB PA-15 pistol: 1) remove the magazine by pressing the magazine release button; 2) check that the chamber is empty; 3) cock the hammer 4) pull the slide rearward for about 6mm (1/4 of an inch), to align the rear end of a slide stop with the disassembly notch in the slide; 5) pus the slide stop pin inwards from the right, and then pull it out completely from the left; 6) pull the slide forward and out of the frame; 7) turn the slide upside down, and push the base of return spring guide slightly forward, and then pull it up at out of the slide; 8) move the barrel forward until it completes its rotation in the slide (about 8mm), then pull it out of the slide.
Reassemble in reverse order.

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MAS / MAC mle. 1950

Mle.1950 pistol, right side

Mle.1950 pistol, left side

Mle.1950 pistol, disassembled

Type: Single Action
Chamber: 9x19mm Luger/Parabellum
Weight unloaded: 860 g
Length: 192 mm
Barrel length: 112 mm
Capacity: 9 rounds

At the end of World War Two, the French army had a mixed stock of pistols. The Police were armed with an even wider array of various pocket pistols made by French companies, as well as some foreign pistols, mostly imported from Belgium and made by FN.
Recognizing the need for a more modern and powerful military pistol (which would fire NATO-standard 9x19 ammunition also suitable for sub-machine guns), in late 1946 the French army issued a requirement for a new 9mm military pistol. Several designs were tested and in 1950 the army adopted a design from the state-owned MAS arsenal based in St.Etienne (Manufacture d'Armes de Saint-Etienne). This pistol, known as the Mle.1950 or M1950 was broadly based on the pre-war M1935 pistol, strengthened to use the more powerful 9x19 ammunition which also was intended for MAT-49 sub-machine guns. These pistols were made by two state-owned armories, MAS and MAC (Manufacture d'Armes de Chatellerault) between 1956 and 1978. During their lifetime, many pistols were factory refurbished and returned for service. In general, the troops liked these guns for their strength and durability; accuracy was less than ideal, but still acceptable for a military pistol.
The M1950 pistol was manufactured by the MAC (Chatellerault) factory between 1956 and 1963, and by the MAS (St.Etienne) factory between 1961 and 1978.

The Model 1950 pistol (also designated as Mle.1950 or M1950) is short-recoil operated, locked-breech weapon of all-steel construction. It uses Browning-type locking with the barrel engaging the slide via two lugs made on the top of the barrel, just ahead of the chamber. Unlocking and locking is controlled by the swinging link, which connects the barrel to the frame. The trigger is single-action, with an exposed hammer and a manual safety mounted on the slide. The hammer / sear module is made as a single, easily removable unit, following the 1935-vintage Charles Petter patents. Magazines are of single stack variety, and the pistol is fitted with an automatic magazine safety; the sights are fixed. Manual safety is lever at the left side of the slide, next to the hammer. To put on safety, push the lever up; to set to “Fire”, pull the lever down

How to disassemble M1950 pistol: 1) remove the magazine by pressing the magazine release button; 2) check that the chamber is empty; 3) pull the slide slightly back and hold it there; 4) while holding the slide slightly retracted, push in the slide stop pin from the right, then pull the slide stop out of the frame to the left; 5) release the slide carefully and then push it forward and out of the frame; 6) put the slide upside down, and remove the return spring with its guide; 7) remove the barrel from the slide; 8) pull the hammer unit up and out of the frame.
Reassemble in reverse order.

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Mle. 1935A and 1935S

Mle. 1935A

 

Mle. 1935A

Mle. 1935S

Type: Single Action
Chamber: 7.65x22mm Longue
Weight unloaded: 790 g
Length: 188 mm
Barrel length: 105 mm
Capacity: 8 rounds

The Modele (Mle.) 1935 pistol had been developed by Swiss designer Charles Petter for French company SACM around 1935, and in 1935 this pistol had been adopted by French military as Mle.1935. Initial production began in 1936, and due to low rate of production the pistol had been slightly redesigned in 1938, to simplify manufacture. New model had been designated as Mle.1935S, while original model became Mle. 1935A. Most noticeable change was in the shape of the backstrap and in the lenght of the frame, and in the fact that in Mle. 1935S muzzle protruded from the slide, while in Mle. 1935A muzzle was flush with the slide. Mle. 1935 was official French sidearm until 1950. It was a good pistol, with main drawback being somewhat weak ammunition of 7.65mm caliber. Mle. 1935A was quite an elegant weapon, while Mle. 1935S had much more simplified look. The Mle.1935 had been manufactured by MAC, MAS, SAGEM and SACM factories.

Technically, the Mle.1935 is a further development of the Colt-Browning M1911 pistol. Mle. 1935 uses same locked breech, swinging link operated locking with single locking lug on the top of the barrel (in the Mle. 1935S the locking lug was formed on the slide, and on the top of the barrel there was a recess). The hammer and lockwork was designed as a single assembly, removable for cleaning maintenanse (first originated in Soviet TT pistol of 1930). This unit contained hammer, sear and mains spring. The slide mounted safety locked the firing pin when engaged. Sights were fixed and magazine single stack, holding 8 rounds.

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Manufrance Le Francais

Manufrance Le Français Pocket pistol, original model in 6.35mm caliber

 

Manufrance Le Français Policeman pistol, caliber 6.35mm

Manufrance Le Français Armee pistol, caliber 9mm

 

Manufrance Le Français Armee pistol, with barrel tipped up for loading. Barrel latch lever is visible above the trigger

Manufrance Le Français pistol in 7.65mm Browning (.32ACP) caliber, model of 1950. Note that it has slide serrations and spent cartridge extractor, unlike all previous models

Diagram from original French patent, issued to Manufrance, showing the typical recoil spring arrangement of all Le Français pistols. The lever which connects the slide with return spring is marked with grey color. Two such levers are concealed under both side grip panels.

	Le Français Policeman, 1922	Le Français Armee, 1928	Le Français 7,65mm, 1950
Type	Double Action Only semiautomatic
Caliber(s)	6.35x16SR / .25 ACP	9x20SR Browning Long	7,65x17SR / .32 ACP
Weight unloaded	350 g	960 g	630 g
Length	157 mm	202 mm	152 mm
Barrel length	87 mm	127 mm	83 mm
Magazine capacity	7 rounds	8 rounds	8 rounds

Le Français (Le Francais) semi-automatic pistols were originally developed in 1913 by French small arms designer Etienne Mimard, who at the time worked for the French company Manufacture Française d’Armes et de Cycles de Saint-Étienne, which was later renamed to Manufrance. This was simple and unorthodox weapon, which was put into production in 1914 as a pocket-type personal defense sidearm, chambered for then-popular 6.35mm Browning (.25ACP) cartridge, and designated as "Le Francais" (the French). In 1922 the basic "Pocket" model was fitted with enlarged barrel and a spare round loop at the base of the magazine, and became the Le Français "Policeman" pistol. this weapon was manufactured by Manufrance until 1968, and sold to various police units in France, as well as to general public. In 1928 Manufrance introduced the biggest of the Le Français series pistols, known as the Armee (Army) model. It was submitted for French army trials but eventually lost. Nevertheless, the Le Français Armee pistol, chambered for 9mm Browning Long ammunition, was put into production, which lasted until 1939, with slightly less than 5000 Army model pistols made. Since 1950 Manufrance also manufactured a 7,65mm Browning caliber pistol under the same label, which was sold mostly for civilian markets. This model was the only one of the whole "Le Français" series to have slide serrations, and it was manufactured by Manufrance between 1950 and 1965.

All Manufrance Le Français pistols used simple blowback action. The return spring was located vertically in the grip, ahead of the magazine well. It was connected to the slide with dual rocking levers, located below each grip panel. When slide recoiled, these levers pivoted back and compressed the return spring. The barrel was connected to the frame by the pivot below the muzzle and by the simple catch below the chamber (breech). There was no extractor, and spent cartridges were thrown out of the barrel by gas pressure. Dud or unfired cartridges were extracted manually, often with the help of the cleaning rod or other similar object. Since there was no normal way to manually cycle the slide, user had to release the barrel lock (push the lever, located above the trigger on the right side of the frame), and then tip the rear part of the barrel up, exposing its breech. Once barrel was tipped up, user was able to load cartridge directly into the chamber or manually extract unfired cartridge. The only standard way to fully load the gun was to manually load the round into the chamber and then insert the full magazine. To facilitate faster reloading, some models were fitted with spare cartridge loop at the magazine base. This loop held additional cartridge which user had to hand load into the chamber before inserting the fresh magazine. Magazines were of single stack design, magazine release was located at the base of the grip. The trigger was of double-action only type, striker fired. No manual safety was provided. The 7,65mm  Le Français pistols of post-WW2 manufacture were modified with addition of conventional external extractor and slide serrations, which allowed for more conventional loading and unloading procedure. The tipping barrel, however, was retained.

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