centerfire systems has manurhin 38sp revolvers

These are $699.99 each, tell me about them, I have no clue. kinda pricey to me but I have no clue, just ask my wife

They don't show up on the main page, I only get to them through my email, they've had over 10 for at least a week.

Manurhin MR88 Stainless .38 Special Double Action Revolver - 3"

It doesn’t happen often that I come across a handgun I’d never heard of before

From what I can find, these started out as an actual Frankengun made from US-made Ruger Service Six frames and French-made barrels and cylinders, called the Manurhin Special Police.

After a few years Manurhin began making the entire gun, and added a stainless steel version. Finally, in 1988 the MR-88 was released as a commercial version. They continued (maybe still are?) to be made alongside the more expensive MR-73 by Chapuis.

It would be an interesting curiosity to own, but the price seems high for a police trade-in. But I can’t judge whether the cost-cutting affected the legendary Manurhin quality and durability; if it did not, might be worth it.

I searched and found some info online, centerfire had these listed for a minute as MR73 and at $1300.00 I believe, someone contacted them and said "are you sure them aren't MR88's ?" So they pulled them for a couple of weeks and then relisted. I'm a sucker for a shiny 3" revolver but dang $700.00 used is making me nervous LOL.

Found the below in a article.

Like Korth Combat revolvers, Manurhin revolvers are the stuff of legends, specifically the MR73. The Manurhin factory museum has an MR73 used by the GIGN (the elite police tactical unit of the French National Gendarmerie) on exhibit that has a round count of 96,000 full-power .357 Magnum. This round count is only rivaled by Korth revolvers (and properly built pre-1972 Colt Pythons).

Manurhins aren’t as expensive as Korths though, which is why among the really passionate (and rich) revolver enthusiasts, Korths might be considered the best revolvers in the world but Manurhins are considered the best practical revolvers in the world.

Designed and developed by Chapuis Armes of France, these revolvers are robustly built and guaranteed to be pinpoint accurate out to 25 meters. The specific model we recommend, the stainless MR88, is a 6-shot revolver with a frame and cylinder release that resemble those of Ruger GP100 revolvers (because they purchased the rights to use Ruger’s proprietary investment casting process).

The MR88 is available in 3-inch, 4-inch, 5.25-inch and 6-inch barrel configurations. There is no pricing data available from the manufacturer’s website but I recently emailed them and got a reply from a gentleman named Pierre Laurent. He informed me that the only US importer of these revolvers is Kebco LLC of Hanover, Pennsylvania.

I forwarded the inquiry to Kebco LLC and got a reply from another gentleman by the name of Ken Buch. He told me they will have some 6-inch MR88s available this coming summer and it costs $1,600. It will be delivered straight to my FFL and they’ll require a 50% deposit to reserve one for me.

Given the reputation of these Manurhins for strength and accuracy, I wouldn’t hesitate to shell out $1,600 if money wasn’t a concern (my wife would kill me if I did though, so sadly, no Manurhin for me).

Also I seen one recently sell on GB for $580.00, wondering if the price will come down.

I have not handled a MR88, but both of my MR73s are excellent. I have a 4" fixed sight police model and a newer Chapuis produced 5-1/4" version that I bought from Kebco. While the MR88 may not be on the level of an MR73, I have no doubt it is quite a nice revolver. I do think Centerfire has them priced a little high though.

Allthumbs:

Was that a used or new one? I have been unable to find anything definite on whether these are still in production.

The author of that article you copied/pasted does not seem to have a very deep knowledge of the subject. Chapuis Armes didn’t design or develop the Manurhin revolvers; they just bought the brand in 1998 and continued production on the original machinery. Also, the author shows no awareness of the difference between the classic MR-73 and the cheaper MR-88, which would be of interest to us here. Manurhin’s reputation was built on the .357 MR-73. The question would be whether the “economy version” is equally good.

Chapuis is showing the MR88 on their website at the bottom of this page after you click "Discover our Manurhin": MR73 range

The Chapuis produced MR73s are very nice. I do not own an original target model, but it is every bit as solid as my police model. The fit and finish is superb.

A French revolver. I bet they're built to hold up even when hitting the ground after surrender.

Absalom said:

Allthumbs:

Was that a used or new one? I have been unable to find anything definite on whether these are still in production.

The author of that article you copied/pasted does not seem to have a very deep knowledge of the subject. Chapuis Armes didn’t design or develop the Manurhin revolvers; they just bought the brand in 1998 and continued production on the original machinery. Also, the author shows no awareness of the difference between the classic MR-73 and the cheaper MR-88, which would be of interest to us here. Manurhin’s reputation was built on the .357 MR-73. The question would be whether the “economy version” is equally good.

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I believe it was also a used PD trade in. It says import mark in the description, they have one going on now it's currently at $180.00 but it says box and papers.

They are still making them, Guns international has a 6" MR88 for $1600.00 It say's current production, and they are taking orders on new ones with a 6 month wait. CRAZY !

sheepdawg said:

A French revolver. I bet they're built to hold up even when hitting the ground after surrender.

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Your comment make my day!

Note that the MR-88 has some sort of crane lock not used on the parent Ruger Security-Six.

I've noticed some Rugers with slight motion in the crane. Probably, this feature cured that. But I've never seen an explanation of it, and would like to.

Texas Star said:

Note that the MR-88 has some sort of crane lock not used on the parent Ruger Security-Six.

I've noticed some Rugers with slight motion in the crane. Probably, this feature cured that. But I've never seen an explanation of it, and would like to.

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I just looked at a couple different M88’s on various websites and it looks like they even have a side plate similar to an M73. This surprised me because I would think opening up the gun like that would cause numerous issues. It definitely would be interesting hear about the details of the design.

Sho look like a Ruga...

The MR88 was procured with Raymond Sassia's influence, after he spent some time training with U.S. law enforcement and developed a particular love for the 3 inch revolvers. Sassia ordered the Rugers and then the French struck a deal with Ruger to manufacture the guns in France. Shortly afterwards the MR73 was developed with influence of Sassia. The French also procured some 500 S&W three inch barreld M19-3s with fixed sights, of which only very few were going to private customers.

The MR88 is a little better made, especially the inside finish, than a Ruger SP101 and might be interesting to a collector but I find the price a little stiff for a surplus revolver of Ruger's design.

shouldazagged said:

I've found that reading more history clears up some of my old misconceptions. The term "Resistance" comes to mind.

Just an observation.

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The French have a formidable military history and suffered the brunt of the Reichswehr's fury during WWI. My grandfather was in a Prussian unit and fought the French at Verdun, while he considered the French the enemy of our blood, he did not consider them cowards. He was a combat soldier in two world wars and was highly decorated and I trust his opinion more than common internet lore.

As to the resistance, they were mostly formed of non-French volunteers. A friend's father had fought in the resistance. He was a German jew and his comrades were mostly German and American communists or Jews and a British officer as a liaison for supplies.

Nice Froger (Frog Ruger) but in .38 S&W SPC CTG only and with no spare parts available, I think I’d sooner a Ruger’s or better yet a Smith’s & Wesson’s K.

It is Holocaust Rememberance Week. I had a French Catholic relative die, aged 21, in a concentration camp outside Berlin for resisting. They faced complex times, including whether to lay low or to resist. The Maginot line was built in large part because of France’s low birth rate after the slaughter of two generations of young men in WWI.

The dropped once trope is pretty cheesy. There aren’t many complaints from the US soldiers that served in Afghanistan with the French. Nor the French and US troops in Libya, Mali and the Sahael today. The radical Islamists didn’t randomly pick Paris’s soccer stadiums and the Bataclan Theatre to attack... The French are the major European voice against the Radical Islamists.

Back to revolvers, I am debating the MR88. The pinned front sight looks pretty positive.

Since the MR88 was made under Ruger's license, I expect most parts to interchange, so that spare parts should not be a problem.

I consider the Polish and Hungarians the biggest opposition to moslem immigration in the E.U. Both nations having been reprimanded for their refusal to accept the so called asylants from Syria.

I have a Chapuis made MR 73, bought new in 2009 for $ 2000.-

Beautiful gun, and a great shooter.





The MR 88 was developed (with Ruger) as a cheaper alternative to the expensive MR 73 equipping some police force.

I wouldn’t buy one.