The "Unamerican Handguns"-serie goes on. The "departement of guns and explosives" heard a long time
nothing from me. Until this April, as I found a very rare, french species.

It is finally a fact. The Manurhin-Revolver-Collection is now complete.
MR73, MR88, MR22 (SA only), MR93, and now finally: MR96!!!

I am still excited about the great find and its quality and condition

Swissman

Photos PLEASE

__________________
John

Yea Swissman, would really like to see some pics of you unique collection of Manurhin's. What calibers do you have? Are the Manurhin's easier to find where you're at? I have a 4" target that was an ex police gun, nice shooter. Larry

This collection was presented two or three years ago.


Since then bites me the bug, to find a MR-96 in good condition for a reasonable price. It is the last version of the Mulhouse-made revolvers. The gun is made with CNC-machines only. Even the lasercontrolled tolerances-checks was made by machines. They were made it in 3", 4", and 6". All in .357 Magnum. And when I stumbled over one of this rare guns somehow and somewhere, they were always e x p e n s i v e and/or in bad condition (in relation to the asked price). But good things comes to good people. I found my little holy grail accidentally in a knive-shop. I could snap this gem for less than $650, all paperworks included.

I am sorry to say, that we have here some members, who don't believe in accidentally circumstances.

Here some impressions of the gun. Sorry for all the lints on the gun. As I said; Quick pictures.....





Locking-system


Transport-system


Clean barrel and a nice muzzle. The frontsight is changed very fast.


Markings-details...






A comparing of the MR96 with an attempt from a gun-making-company-wannabe





Some shootingresults will follow, if the big ape hasn't throwed me out in between.

Swissman

Well, I was going to feel sorry for you until this unnecessary and inflammatory remark was made - now, no "like" for you!

As to the second remark, though I cannot speak for him and his staff, I think you "seriously misunderestimate" their forbearance with these kinds of things. The gun culture here, just as there, is always full of vigorous and uninformed opinions. They are used to it.

Good luck with the '96 and we will stand-by for the shooting results.

If it's any more accurate than the one i fired it will have to stuff them all in one hole! Look forward t shooting results.
Dick

__________________
H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Pretty sharp looking gun, kind of reminds me of some of the heavier Dan Wesson revolvers.....

Your gun is in nice shape and you found cheap. Are the 96's made as strong as the 73's?? It has a different look to it but is a very nice looking gun. Saw one for auction recently and it went for a lot more then what you paid. Nice collection of Manurhin's, what is the one with the Nill target grips on the bottom. Larry

The Ruger-like MR-88 has some sort of crane lock, seen in that dot in the crane. Is this a pin that engages the hole when the crane is closed? Is it just a pin in the frame, or is it it more complicated?

I've wondered about this for years and never saw an explanation.

Thanks for the nice photos, as always, and congratulations on finding the MR-96 at a sane price.

Is Manurhin still in business?

Swissman, is the cylinder release that serrated lever on the RH side forward of the trigger guard? Designed to release with the trigger finger?

Super neat piece, the only thing I don't care for is the hooked trigger guard.

It's obvious that Swissman's remarks about the 'comparision' were strictly tongue in cheek. Made me grin, too.

Hello Texas Star,

The Ruger-like MR-88 has some sort of crane lock, seen in that dot in the crane. Is this a pin that engages the hole when the crane is closed? Is it just a pin in the frame, or is it it more complicated?

I've wondered about this for years and never saw an explanation.


It is an additional locking against horizontal shift of the cylinder/crane-unit.
For more details scroll a bit down here..
http://smith-wessonforum.com/firearm...-pictures.html


Is Manurhin still in business?


Manurhin has stopped making revolvers. They sold the machines to the gunmaker Chappuis Armes

Catalogue:
Manurhin Cata 8p Calameo

Homepage:
Chapuis Armes

Swissman

Hello Larry

Nill-Grip-Gun is a MR22. It is the MR73 with a non-glare surface, single-action only and in .22 l.r. I really like this gun a lot.
I had the luck, that the LGS had mercy on me and sold me this gun with 1400 rounds of Eley ammo from the 1980ies for a
really fair price. I introduced this gun earlier here.
"UNAMERICAN HANDGUNS" -- The MR .22 "Match" from Matra-Manurhin

Swissman

Hello Victor Louis

I can use the middle-finger to press the lever on the RH-side and push the cylinder out with the triggerfinger.
But most of the time I use the left hand, press the lever and push the cylinder out.




Swissman

Hello to all the members here!

The MR96 was this thursday the first time at the shootingrange with me. I tried
first with some .38 Wadcutters. The flatter angle of the grippiece, the rubber
Trausch-Grips and the heavy barrel makes it very easy to keep the gun at the
target, after the firing-pin hits the primer. All five rounds were a bit on the RH-
side. I adjusted to the left and fired the first three rounds of .357. Mag. The
gun pushes the recoil much more direct into my hand and forearm, than a S&W
or a Colt. But the muzzleflip is remarkable less, than with the mentioned guns.
All pictures at 26.5 yards, (25 meters) free standing, both hands, SA, if not
other described:





I get used to the gun, the trigger-characteristics and the heavy foreweight
(2.83 pounds, unloaded) pretty fast. My buddy at the range wanted to
tryout the gun too. Specially, if it is such a rare thing like a MR96. The
break was a good thing for me. The first excitement of the new gun was
gone and I was very focused. This is a nice, very concentrate fired serie in SA.
OK, #3 was to low. I repeated #3 immediatley from the same chamber.



...and another nice group...



We fooled around with DA at 25 meters, slowfire. I could punch this result
into the target with the leftovers of the .38 Wadcutter



and as fast as possible.... (Hey, we were hungry and wanted to go eat a fine
Cordon-bleu)



The gun is great. I got three missfires in DA. I won't blame the gun for it right
now. But I will clean the gun and polish, if necessary, the moving/rubbing pars.

Swissman, over and out

Maybe after "200 hours" of cleaning and polishing the gun will be reliable - and maybe not. 😆

That is nice shooting, Swissman - have to give you that.

That is exceptional shooting. Being a shaky old man the only way I can approach this level of accuracy with a handgun is by resting my hands on a sandbag.

What I find interesting is that the MR96 appears to feature a 2 piece Tensioned Barrel. Is that the case? It also appears that the MR96 copied the Dan Wesson revolvers to some extent by employing a Crane Lock. Is that lock purely a Spring Detent similar to the current S&W models 66 and 69 or is an actual latch used?

BTW, if you ever see one for sale I can recommend the Dan Wesson revolver as a very interesting bit of kit. The cylinder is locked by a latch on the crane and a detent at the rear center of the cylinder so End Shake just doesn't happen on a Dan Wesson. However it does take a bit of time to get used to having to push the cylinder open after releasing the latch. There is also the Tensioned Barrel system which allows the user to change the barrel at will and adjust the Barrel/Cylinder gap to any gap desired. BTW, I run my B/C gap at 0.0035 inch and have shot up to 100 rounds without any hint of drag. About the only negative to the Dan Wesson is that the design just doesn't permit a Double Action trigger pull below 12 lbs., good news is the Single Action trigger breaks at 3 lbs. and is very clean.

Roland, that is much better than I did with your other one. Great shooting. Maybe someday I'll get back and get a chance to try this one. Dick

__________________
H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244