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Old 09-01-2011, 11:34 PM
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Cyrano Cyrano is offline
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Thanks to the good offices of Gooney, here's mine. He shrank it to thumbnail size for me. It's a Trocala y Aranzabal , one of the Spanish revolvers that France contracted for in WW I. It's in the 8mm French Mle 92 revolver caliber. There were a couple of makers who produced revolvers for France that looked like S&W M&Ps, at least on the outside. On the inside, they looked like nothing else on earth. I wish I had taken a picture of this one with the sideplate off. There were also a couple of makers who produced Colt look-alikes. Collectively France called them "Modèle 92 Espagnoles". Altogether they made almost 500,000 for France in WW I. France kept them in service, and they were used in WW II, both by the Milice (pro-Nazi militia), and the Maquis (guerillas). They were used until most of them were worn out or blown up. You don't see them very often.

The holster is one that France developed in WW I to replace the clamshell holster for the Mle 92 revolver. It also fits the Colt and S&W look-alikes. The squashed looking things on the front of the holster are three pouches to carry 8mm revolver ammo which was issued in 6 round packets. The packets are very hard to find.
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