Mab Model D Serial Numbers
One might legitimately wonder why Manufacture d’Armes de Bayonne (MAB). The MAB Model B is a. To share their serial numbers. Photographs of your Model B would.
MAB Model D, a brief history
Fellow Redditors,
I recently (succesfully) applied for prohibited collector status (I'm Canadian), and was granted the 12(6.1) condition on my license. This was all to obtain the MAB Model D that my father wanted to give to me. One of the sections of the application requires that you provide a history of the firearm (or its significance to you, or details explaining why it is unique). Below is my submission for this question.
The MAB Model D, a pistol known for its service in numerous French agencies, and more notoriously for its adoption by Nazi Germany’s Wehrmacht during its World War 2 occupation of France, is an iconic French firearm. Although they were produced in larger quantities as time went on, the original Type1 has become increasingly difficult to find in good condition.
French Mab Pistol Model D Serial Numbers
Manufacture d’Armes de Bayonne (MAB), founded by Léon Barthe in 1920 began production of the first revision (Type 1) of the Model D in September of 1933. It was effectively an enlarged version of the Model C, a handgun based on the 1910 browning – the pistol used by Gavrilo Princip to assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914, arguably precipitating World War 1.
As the Model D grew in popularity, it was adopted by many French agencies including, but not limited to the police, which were stamped accordingly; the Bank of France, serial numbers prefaced with “BF” 2; and eventually the Military in 1939, contracting 16,000 pieces with serial numbers 31000 through 47000 2 as it was mechanically simple and very reliable.
Although MAB has no public records of serial number manufacture dates, it is safe to infer, due to the serial number 2xxxx and production starting at serial number 10730 1, that this specific handgun was produced between 1935 and 1938.
As World War 2 began, sales of MAB’s Model D picked up, in no small part due to its adoption by German Wehrmacht during their occupation. Dastuurka somalia pdf. These firearms, with serial numbers ranging from around 47000 to 97000, plus those prefixed with L1 up to L1160, were also stamped. Eventually, the Model D became MAB’s best-selling firearm, only surpassed in 1966 by the PA-15.
In addition to World War 2, the Model D also saw action in the French Indochina War, the Algerian War of Independence, and the Vietnam War
MAB made many design changes throughout the production of the MAB Model D, the most notable being the removal of the latch securing the barrel bushing in June of 1945, with all Model D’s produced after this change known as Type 2’s. Other changes, with the first serial number affected are as follows: 77281 the extractor is now stamped, 79221 the curved extractor spring was replaced with a straight one, 122041 method for rifling the barrel was changed, 326821 machining was again changed to instead use a Carlstedt machine for drilling and an Alkett machine for the rifling.
As can be gathered from the production changes and serial numbers noted, #2xxxx is the original design of a firearm that was modified many times throughout multiple periods of unrest, by a company which was eventually bought out sometime in the 1970’s by Fabrique Nationale of Herstal (FN), before eventually being forced to close in September of 1982.
In conclusion, the MAB Model D is a French firearm rife with history, having participated in multiple wars for many different factions. It has undergone change after change, with many different serial number lines, and although it was a popular handgun during its production, due to its presence in combat, the supply of original Type 1’s in collectible condition has diminished to frighteningly low quantities, and with the manufacturer out of business, and the records for the most part lost1, the story behind this historical firearm should be preserved. The pristine condition of MAB Model D with serial number 2xxxx makes it the ideal collector piece for this purpose.
1http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?122602-MAB-model-D-serial-number-question
2http://unblinkingeye.com/Guns/MABHist/mabhist.html
I wish I could post pictures, but I cannot yet actually pick up the MAB, as I haven't received the new plastic yet. I'll take some once it's home!