AKA : The French Rolls Royce
Caliber : .357 Magnum / .38 Special / 9x19mm Parabellum
Weight : 36.96oz or 1040g
Length : 10.39in or 264mm
Capacity : 6 Rounds
Action : Double Action / Single Action
Origin : France
Introduced in 1973 this revolver is the premium French target and law enforcement revolver. Popular with Law enforcement agencies throughout Europe it has even been seen in the hands of Special Forces and Counter Terrorism units. When Manurhin went about designing this revolver the emphasis was undoubtedly on quality, the cylinder on its own is made of such high strength steel that it can handle twice the pressure of the .357 magnum cartridge.
Manurhin early on saw the need to diversify the revolver to meet the needs of the market, thus producing three distinct main variants: G-3 Gendarmerie - 3 inch barrel, G-4 Gendarmerie - 4 inch barrel, S-6 Sport - 6 inch barrel. Though other calibers such as a .22 long rifle, .32 Smith and Wesson long versions and barrel lengths out to 8 inches.
Interestingly the MR-73 also has available a interchangeable cylinder that can convert the revolver to fire the 9mm Parabellum, though using rimless automatic pistol rounds in revolvers in nothing new it is by no means common. Revolver cartridges have a rim at the base of the cartridge so that the round can be dropped into the cylinder and the rim will stop the round falling through. Most importantly the rim helps with extraction, for when the cartridge is loaded the rim rests on top the cylinder and a extractor when the rounds need to be removed extractor rod is manually operated pushing the spent cases out of the cylinder. With rimless cartridges the use of a moon clip that can be pushed by the extractor is necessary, but instead the MR-73 has spring loaded catches within the cylinder walls that capture the rounds when inserted.
The attention to detail during this revolvers construction are unquestionable, internal parts have been finely tuned and polished and the barrels tolerances are extremely tight when using .357 magnum. With its smooth trigger pull and predictable break of 7.7lbs (3.5kg) in double action and 4.2lbs (1.9kg) in single action, the MR-73 is very pleasant to shoot. Accuracy of this pistol has been proved over and over again in many reputable bench tests to be one on par with the very expensive Korth revolvers and Colt Python.
INTERESTING FACT : The interchangeable cylinder in 9mm for this revolver was used as a selling point but in reality 9mm rounds are .354" and do not gain the full advantage of engaging in the riffling during firing causing erratic accuracy.
PRO's : Top Quality, Accurate (.357), Many Variants, ideal sport gun
CON's : 9mm Cylinder a waste of time, Supply a bit 'iffy'
COOL FACTOR : 8/10
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