Well I guess you can call me a wheeler dealer kind of guy. I traded into this MAB model D in 7.65. Not 100 percent sure it's from ww2 but maybe. All in all I traded $200 worth of stuff for it. Any information on it would be great. Thanks all
I have this old French auto loader from WWII
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LVSteve
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MAB Model D with the screw fit barrel bushing if I'm seeing the pictures correctly. I cannot see the early model latch. It's a .32 I keep looking for at the right price. Yours is at the right price.
The grips look like after market "target" grips.
The grips look like after market "target" grips.
It's French, it's in good condition, assume it was only dropped once in surrender.
jmace57
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I have one of these as well. Yours has the typical changes made to call it a "target" model where it could be imported. The target grips and the plastic rear sight. You can find a correct replacement rear sight pretty inexpensively at Numrich's. You can get a knock-off of the original grips cheaply too. The ORIGINAL grips are terrible for warping and shrinking, so even the originals don't look that good.
On the right side of the frame, you can see where they ground out a serial number (most likely from a run of those made during the German occupation) and re-stamped it after the war when they made a slide. It would have a waffenamt (WA) stamp on it if it had gone into German service. (and you can add about $150 to the value if it does).
I have owned several over the years, including one with the re-done serial number on the frame. I kept the nicest one. They are pretty high quality guns. You can see the frame was likely originally wartime production by the visible tool marks.
If I recall correctly, there were milled triggers and stamped ones. Yours appears to me milled.
In front of the trigger on the right side of the trigger guard is a stamping colloquially known as the "palm tree". There is a lot of speculation that these were made for a middle-eastern contract of some kind, but I don't know if that's true or not (and nobody seemed to know when I was looking into this 6 or 7 years ago).
They are nice to shoot as well. If I recall correctly, SARCO has magazines for around $25 for these.
On the right side of the frame, you can see where they ground out a serial number (most likely from a run of those made during the German occupation) and re-stamped it after the war when they made a slide. It would have a waffenamt (WA) stamp on it if it had gone into German service. (and you can add about $150 to the value if it does).
I have owned several over the years, including one with the re-done serial number on the frame. I kept the nicest one. They are pretty high quality guns. You can see the frame was likely originally wartime production by the visible tool marks.
If I recall correctly, there were milled triggers and stamped ones. Yours appears to me milled.
In front of the trigger on the right side of the trigger guard is a stamping colloquially known as the "palm tree". There is a lot of speculation that these were made for a middle-eastern contract of some kind, but I don't know if that's true or not (and nobody seemed to know when I was looking into this 6 or 7 years ago).
They are nice to shoot as well. If I recall correctly, SARCO has magazines for around $25 for these.
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bulletslap
Member
I have one with French Navy markings, it is a well made good shooting pistol.
OP
Thanks all. I'll have to get out and shoot it some tomorrow
OP
OP
Absalom
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
The "palm tree" is generally considered to be a property mark of the Kingdom of Morocco, which politically and historically does make sense.
LVSteve
Member
Looks pretty close to the pictures I see on the Web. From what I read that makes the production date 1946 or earlier. On Gunboards there is a thread that suggests guns with the serial in a trench were remarked after being rejected for French military use.
Texas Star
US Veteran
Andre-
Thanks. I think I've seen those in French police service years ago in old photos.
As a kid in the 1950's, I saw what I think is this model in the Gun Digest. They were imported to the USA by Western Arms Corp. Grips bore the WAC brand.
I think the MAB's were also sold via ads in gun magazines prior to the 1968 law. Those were probably all French surplus.
I've read that the design is based on the FN M-10/22.
MAB is well known in Europe. Peter O'Donnell had his heroine Modesty Blaise use a MAB .25 when she needed a gun smaller than her usual Colt .32. Those of you who are fans of Modesty and old enough may recall that the MAB .25 was on the cover of the first (1966) US edition of, "Modesty Blaise" and a model held one on the cover of a Pan books UK edition of another book in the series. You can find these covers on the Net. And read about the character. If you enjoy adventure/thriller books, these are among the best. The character also ran in comics in 57 countries. You can buy bound volumes of the comics. The books ran from 1966-1996. I think the comic strip lasted a bit longer.
Thanks. I think I've seen those in French police service years ago in old photos.
As a kid in the 1950's, I saw what I think is this model in the Gun Digest. They were imported to the USA by Western Arms Corp. Grips bore the WAC brand.
I think the MAB's were also sold via ads in gun magazines prior to the 1968 law. Those were probably all French surplus.
I've read that the design is based on the FN M-10/22.
MAB is well known in Europe. Peter O'Donnell had his heroine Modesty Blaise use a MAB .25 when she needed a gun smaller than her usual Colt .32. Those of you who are fans of Modesty and old enough may recall that the MAB .25 was on the cover of the first (1966) US edition of, "Modesty Blaise" and a model held one on the cover of a Pan books UK edition of another book in the series. You can find these covers on the Net. And read about the character. If you enjoy adventure/thriller books, these are among the best. The character also ran in comics in 57 countries. You can buy bound volumes of the comics. The books ran from 1966-1996. I think the comic strip lasted a bit longer.
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The French have a history of being tremendous fighters when properly led - witness the Napoleonic era and WW I. Witness our own battles and wars when bad political and military leadership took priority over victory.
For $200 I'd say you're in good shape. Seems like there is a group of people who enjoy collecting European .32 ACP pistols.
bulletslap
Member
I have an appreciation for French Arms.
The French Unique Model Rr51 semiauto pistol are often found with the same milled out serial number trench and the # stamped down in the cut out.
The Model Rr51 and the Rr51 Police are both 1950/51 improvement models of the Unique 17.
Many of these also are found with the so called 'Palm Tree' marking on them. Others call it a Cresent and Pole marking.
The seemingly head nod agreement theory as to what it means is a contract to Morocco.
Say it enough and it becomes fact. Sounds entirely plausible and makes sense, but I've never seen any proof of it in print/document.
A lot of things are like that.
The MAB pistols are well made. The 25 and 32 cal Models were once very common and very affordable. The 380's not as common.
The Model 'C' MAB is a nice pocket pistol being about the size of the FN1910.
Of course anything Waffenampt stamped got more attention but even then not as much as you'd expect.
The adj rear sight on the OP's 'D' along with the 'Target Grips' are most likely an importers addition after 1968 to get the pistol enough points on the ATF chart to allow importation. That was common.
The lack of any Military use/markings (MilSurp) would have allowed the pistol to be imported after 1968 if it met the points system.
(The Palm Tree marking not identified at the time?)
If it was a Military Surplus weapon,,it could not be imported post-GCA68 no matter how many points it made on the chart.
Lack of any 'Importers Marking' would make it an import under those conditions betw 1968 and 1986. Those importers markings not required till 1986.
1986 the Fed law changed.
The Military Surplus firearms were once again allowed to be imported.
Pistols still had to make the GCA68 point system minimum to be allowed importation.
But Military Surplus sourced pistols once again became available on the market.
ALL imported firearms (Surplus or Commercial Sporting] were and still are required to have that 'Importers Marking' applied to the firearm.
The Model Rr51 and the Rr51 Police are both 1950/51 improvement models of the Unique 17.
Many of these also are found with the so called 'Palm Tree' marking on them. Others call it a Cresent and Pole marking.
The seemingly head nod agreement theory as to what it means is a contract to Morocco.
Say it enough and it becomes fact. Sounds entirely plausible and makes sense, but I've never seen any proof of it in print/document.
A lot of things are like that.
The MAB pistols are well made. The 25 and 32 cal Models were once very common and very affordable. The 380's not as common.
The Model 'C' MAB is a nice pocket pistol being about the size of the FN1910.
Of course anything Waffenampt stamped got more attention but even then not as much as you'd expect.
The adj rear sight on the OP's 'D' along with the 'Target Grips' are most likely an importers addition after 1968 to get the pistol enough points on the ATF chart to allow importation. That was common.
The lack of any Military use/markings (MilSurp) would have allowed the pistol to be imported after 1968 if it met the points system.
(The Palm Tree marking not identified at the time?)
If it was a Military Surplus weapon,,it could not be imported post-GCA68 no matter how many points it made on the chart.
Lack of any 'Importers Marking' would make it an import under those conditions betw 1968 and 1986. Those importers markings not required till 1986.
1986 the Fed law changed.
The Military Surplus firearms were once again allowed to be imported.
Pistols still had to make the GCA68 point system minimum to be allowed importation.
But Military Surplus sourced pistols once again became available on the market.
ALL imported firearms (Surplus or Commercial Sporting] were and still are required to have that 'Importers Marking' applied to the firearm.
shouldazagged
Absent Comrade
The French have a history of being tremendous fighters when properly led - witness the Napoleonic era and WW I. Witness our own battles and wars when bad political and military leadership took priority over victory.
People who joke about French cowardice and instantaneous surrender need to read a lot more history.
Some time spent reading about the Resistance in WWII would be useful, but there's plenty more to learn.
We would not even exist as a country without all the help we got from the French!
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