some obscure revolvers at Modern Firearms website

[max popenker]

just a brief heads-up

i've made a small write-up on following more or less obscure revolvers at my Modern Firearms website:

* Webley-Fosbery automatic revolver

* Mateba MTR-8 (8-shot .357 Magnum)

* Mateba Unica 6 automatic revolver

Any additions / amendments / suggestions are welcome

 

[default]

Excellent work as usual, Max. That MTR-8 is truly bizarre... Here's something for you to consider adding to world.guns.ru:

http://warfare.ru/?lang=&linkid=2290&catid=277

Just about the only gun I was ever curious about that I couldn't find information on at your incredibly comprehensive site.

Thanks for the updates!

 

[Warren]

Max,

If you are willing to stretch just a bit farther into to the past how about a write-up on the Bland-Pryse .577 break-top revolver?

 

[Gas Operated]

http://warfare.ru/?lang=&linkid=2290&catid=277

That is one homely little revolver.

I wish I could buy one.

 

[Nightcrawler]

Hmm...The Russians never had the love for the revolver that the US did. But then, neither did most of Europe.

Odd. While European police forces were issuing semiautomatic pistols for decades, American cops were carrying revolvers. But then, the European police arms were often in .380 or .32, sometimes supplemented by submachine guns. American cops had .38s and .357s, mostly.

A .357 revolver or a .380 automatic as a duty weapon? Hmm...let me think about that...

That ugly little revolver in 9x18 Mak...I wonder if it uses moonclips? If not, how does it extract? Maybe it has a loading gate like a single action, or the old Nagant revolver.

 

[default]

Hadn't even thought of that, Nightcrawler, not really being a wheelgun guy. Good points! Also, in the 2 pictures in the link I posted, it appears as if the gun has a big rectangular hammer in the "action" shot, but the hammer is not exposed in the "still life" picture. I had assumed, based on the static picture with the 5 cartridges, that the hammer was shrouded or otherwise concealed, but the other photograph makes it look as if it has a exposed hammer. See, this is why I brought this up in this particular thread. Perhaps soon we will know who designed it, who manufactures it, when it was introduced, precisely how it works, and whether, on the whole, it's a good design or not.

 

[Nightcrawler]

Okay...looking at it, the hammer is shrouded, but is exposed at full cock. Weird.

It has a swing-out cylinder, that opens to the left. The release appears to be a "pull-to-open" type, like on a Colt revolver.

I'm still really wondering about the extraction, though. Does it use moonclips for rimless 9x18 Mak and .380 cartridges?

 

[Cosmoline]

It's like a warm little puppy that's so ugly you have to love it. I want one!

 

[max popenker]

The R-92 is almost dead project. The local police is either happy with Makarov PM or seeks even more power with hi-cap pistols; the local private security (the only ones other than Gov't that allowed to pack heat) also generally prefer the IZh-71, which is a .380ACP (9x17) copy of Mak. There's simply not enough "revolver culture", as the only revolver generally known to publik is the "revolutionary Nagant" so useful when you have to execute your opponent or blow off your own head (still, special measures should be taken to achieve reliable first-shot suicide!)

But if you think it is ugly, look at that:

DOG-1 revolver, smootbore (!) 32 gauge "short" (12.7x33mm); intended for private security. i wonder if they sold even one of these...

another 12.7mm / .50cal revolover is "Udar" (hit)

its ammo also is based on 32 gauge shotshell case cut back. This one has swing-out cylinder and loaded with 5 rds in flat clip. And is dead as a dog, too.

 

[Gas Operated]

What I never could figure out is why the Russian military went from the excellent S&W revolvers with their effective round, to the peculiar Nagant with its marginal round.

 

[max popenker]

Gas Operated, here in Russia a handgun was most often considered as a badge of office rather than a fighting weapon. A 7.62mm caliber Nagant was much lighter to carry and much easier to shoot (in SA mode), because of less recoil, than S&W #3 Russian in .42 (yes, it is the same as .44 Russian )