mawkie
C&R Whisperer
-In the early days of the war the French government was scrambling to acquire badly needed handguns. The tumult of the Depression with unstable governments and Communist led work stoppages guaranteed that the French Army was ill prepared for September 1939. So besides issuing new contracts for small arms French purchasing agents were actively buying up commercial small arms as well. In 1939 and 1940 MAPF, Manufacture d'Armes de Pyrennees Francais aka Unique, sold Model 17s built for commercial sales to the French Army. Serial numbering for this batch started around 402000 and ended around 420000 for a total of approx. 18,000 pistols in all.
-This example is part of that purchase, with the SN just 150 off of the example listed in Medlin and Huon's French Service Handguns. While many received the slide rivit modification this one escaped getting one. It sports the standard Unique hard rubber grips with the lion. The slide has the 3-line legend, which soon afterwards would be reduced to a single line for the last batch of French Army contract pistols before the German occupation.
-Found this puppy in an Illinois sporting arm auction. These late French military issue Model 17s are very hard to find. Another example of a pistol, like the FN 1922 and MAB Model D, that's more commonly found built during German occupation. I was very fortunate in that this one sold for less than a German issue example. As always I'll be on the hunt for a holster next.
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-This example is part of that purchase, with the SN just 150 off of the example listed in Medlin and Huon's French Service Handguns. While many received the slide rivit modification this one escaped getting one. It sports the standard Unique hard rubber grips with the lion. The slide has the 3-line legend, which soon afterwards would be reduced to a single line for the last batch of French Army contract pistols before the German occupation.
-Found this puppy in an Illinois sporting arm auction. These late French military issue Model 17s are very hard to find. Another example of a pistol, like the FN 1922 and MAB Model D, that's more commonly found built during German occupation. I was very fortunate in that this one sold for less than a German issue example. As always I'll be on the hunt for a holster next.
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