The Manurhin MR73 was a six-shot revolver appearing during the Cold War period (1947-1991) and originating from French arms-maker Manurhin in 1973. It was a largely traditional product with special attention given to quality and reliability - which ultimately limited its adoption by various services around the globe (mainly police). However, this quality made the gun prohibitively expensive for militaries and the MR73 did not see widespread adoption in those circles.
Internally the revolver utilized a tried-and-true Double-Action (DA) system of operation. The hammer was exposed at the rear of the frame in the usual way. The six-shot cylinder rotated in the action and swung out for loading / reloading (and cleaning). The iron sight featured a webbed section to promote better drawing from a holster. Barrel lengths ran from 2.5" to 5.25" and saw the gun take on various shooting forms as a result - concealed-carry, security, law enforcement, target shooting, etc... Chamberings proved various and ran the gamut of usual offerings: .22LR, .32 S&W Long, 9x19mm Parabellum, .38 Special, and .357 Magnum. The rimless 9mm cartridge could be fired by replacing the cylinder itself.
The "Gendarmerie" became a special version of the MR73 sporting adjustable rear sights and revised front sights. Other versions included the MR32 (in .32 S&W Long), the Special Police F1 (MR88), the MR93, and the MR96.
One notable operator of the MR73 remains EKO Cobra, the special counter-terrorism force of Austria.
Austria; Burkino Faso; Cameroon; Chad; France; Gabon; Ivorty Coast; Malaysia; Mauritius; Senegal; Seychelles; Togo
