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The connoisseurs revolver

by John Robinson

Manurhin target revolvers were first introduced in the 1970s and soon established a reputation for excellent competition performance, which has been maintained to the present day.

The MR 73 is the top of the line model in the range and various chamberings and barrel lengths are available in sport and service configurationsWhen revolvers are mentioned, the USA, with more than 150 years’ experience of inventing and improving revolvers for service and sport, immediately comes to mind as the dominant player in the wheelgun market.

Perhaps it is a good measure of the excellence of the original designs by the likes of Colt and Smith and Wesson that these pistols have changed little in their fundamental design for the past 100 years.

A Smith and Wesson revolver (a K38 .38 Special) holds the world centrefire record with a score of 597/600 - a record that has stood since the 1960s.

There have been few challengers to this US dominance, but one exception is the French company, Manurhin.

Manurhin target revolvers were first introduced in the 1970s and soon established a reputation for excellent competition performance, which has been maintained to the present day.

The company has gone through an ownership change and is now owned by Rene Chapuis of Chapuis Armes. The Chapuis name has long been associated with the company’s range of high-grade break action single shot, side-by-side and under and over rifles.

Distribution of Manurhin revolvers has also been rationalised in Australia and is now being looked after here by Hermann Finkenn, who has set up Hermann’s Sporting Arms to handle a range of high-quality European target arms and accessories.

I have tested various Manurhin revolvers in the past so was interested to have a look at some of the latest offerings that Hermann was able to supply for a testing and evaluation session.

There are three types of Manurhin models in the range, with variations within this model range.

The connoisseurs revolverThe MR 73 is the top of the line model in the range and various chamberings and barrel lengths are available in sport and service configurations. The match models are available in single action only if required.

The MR 73 match revolvers are expensive and are currently listed at about $2300 - supplied with a set of K&N match grips. It is a case of looking inside the gun to see where the money has gone.

The heart of the Model 73 is the double-action design, which has a range of adjustments not available on conventional revolvers, particularly the trigger pull weight. Hammer spring adjustment and trigger backlash is also standard on all Model 73 revolvers.

The double-action pull is controlled by an adjustable leaf spring so the double-action pressure does not ‘peak’, as is the case with coil spring operation.

All M73 revolvers use cold hammer-forged barrels to produce consistent high-quality barrels and the cylinders are also finished by a cold burnishing technique that hard faces the cylinders. Manurhin cylinders have been proof-tested by the French Saint Etienne Proof House to more than 90,000psi, which is about double a standard .357 Magnum factory load.

The Model 73s are also hand finished, with the match models not being shipped unless they shoot five-shot groups of 20mm or less at 25m.

The only item on the MR 73 revolvers that is not up to top level target standards are the standard Manurhin grips. For this reason, Hermann is fitting K&N grips to all MR 73 match guns. K&N grips are as good as orthopaedic grips get.

The MR 73 match pistols are available in .32 S&W Long and .38 Special. The .32 is the preferred option with centrefire shooters these days because of its lower recoil and moderate muzzle blast, along with its well-established accuracy.

The connoisseurs revolverThe match pistols have an extended sight radius, with the rear sight protruding over the hammer, which adds about 15mm to the sight radius.

All the .38/.357 Manurhins have the option of using a second cylinder chambered for the 9x19mm (9mm Parabellum).

One of the Manurhin M73 options that should be of interest is the MR 73 Gendarmerie model, which comes with a 75mm barrel in .357/.38 Special chambering. This is a fine candidate for the short barrel match and has the advantage of having adequate weight for a snubby at 910g (32oz).

The match pistols have an underlug barrel and tip the scales at 1080g (38oz), which, in my experience, is a good weight for a target revolver - stable, without being too front heavy. The sporter model does not have such a pronounced underlug, yet the weight of the sporter and the match models are very similar in the same barrel length.

With the standard factory grips, the shooting hand is fairly low on the frame, which is not the best option for a match pistol, where the barrel axis should be as low to the shooting hand as possible.

As the photographs illustrate, the K&N grips solve this problem, moving the shooting hand up at least another 12mm - at least - on the gun.

A set of K&N combat grips were fitted to the MR 73 short-barrelled model for the same outcome, with the hand position again being lifted to a higher position on the frame.

This grip is ambidextrous, as the short barrel match is shot with both or either hand. Recoil control is important in this match and the longer, high set K&N grip gives plenty of hand-holding area.

The fit and finish of the match pistols are superb and will stand the closest scrutiny. The proof of performance comes with the test targets supplied with the pistol.

The connoisseurs revolverThe other models were not available for inspection, as both the MR 88 and MR 96 revolvers are lower cost models intended more for service and sport, rather than top-line bullseye target shooting.

The MR 88 is very similar to the Ruger GP 100 revolvers and I would not be surprised if there was some manufacturing agreement between Manurhin and Ruger with these pistols. The story is that Manurhin did most of the design work on the GP100 before the French and US companies went their own separate ways.

MR 88s are available in both blued and stainless models and the sport models are fitted with adjustable sights, while the defence models have a notched top-strap in place of a rear sight. No samples were available for hands-on testing but they will be here later this year.

The MR 96 is a totally new revolver design that will be the subject for a later review when samples become available. The MR 96 has a removable barrel and shroud assembly, which allows barrel lengths to be altered and fine adjustments to be made to the cylinder gap.

In addition, the trigger and hammer assembly of the revolver can be removed as a unit. It will be worth a closer look when stock arrives in Australia.

If you are looking for a match grade revolver as an alternative to one of the European target autoloaders, the Manurhin MR 73 has the credentials to get you into the winner’s circle, without the hassle of looking for your empty cases.

The test pistols were supplied and are serviced by:
Hermann’s Sporting Arms
C/O Mirboo North Precision
Engineering Pty Ltd
PO Box 359, Mirboo North, Vic. 3871
Ph: 03 5668 1940
Fax: 03 5668 2549