Got a Manuhrin MR-73 today

Jcordell · #1 08-14-2009, 10:03 PM

Hello there. Some of you know me as Jcordell.

Well today after many years of looking and wondering how the hell I was going to pay for an Manuhrin MR-73 revolver I finally got one today. It's in 357 magnum and has a four inch barrel with adjustable sights.

The previous owner was a shooter (he passed a way a few months ago from Cancer) and there is holster wear to the finish, but it's a beautifully made revolver. Very high quality with a truly amazing action.All the research I've done states that the MR-73 is a hellishly strong revolver. Even stronger than the Ruger revolvers. Evidently it takes twelve days of handfitting at the factory before an MR-73 or it's smaller caliber siblings (32 caliber and 22LR) are shipped from the factory.

The blueing is so deep it's black in appearance. The cylinder and frame are designed to be removed with just the simple loosening of a screw. Which is nice for cleaning purposes. All in all it's a very well though out and handsomely made revolver.

Evidently the one I got (in it's current conditon) lists at $1,500 in the Blue Book. Brand new (if you can find one in the U.S.A.) would sell for somewhere in the range of $2,500.

Well this is Southwestern Idaho not Houston. So it was priced at $900. It's been in my local gunstore for approximately six months and I get the impression I was the only guy who was consistently eyeballing it. I guess the price tag and the fact that it's French drove people away.

Yesterday the gunshop owner said that since the owner had passed away it was now his and he wanted it to move. Which meant trade. So I traded a couple S&W .357 magnum revolvers and a 12 gauge shotgun. I didn't pay anything and the shop owner is happy. His inventory has been guttedby the recent gun buying frenzy and he would rather have several lower priced handguns that he knows will move instaed of one fancy French handgun that will keep taking up space in his display cabinet for many more months.

I can always get another S&W revolver. So there you go. Monday I go to the range. The photo is of the 3" version, but other than the one inch difference it's almost exactly what mine looks like right down to the grips.

Nyles · #2 08-14-2009, 11:28 PM

Nice. I'd be quite interested in shooting a Manhurin someday. I've got a pretty decent collection of French military sidearms and I quite like them mechanically, but it'd be neat to shoot a French pistol in a decent caliber!

Jcordell · #3 08-14-2009, 11:38 PM

Yeah it's one of those handguns that I've wanted for many years.

My "Holy Trinity" is the Webley Mk VI, Luger P08 and a Mauser C96 Broomhandle. Over the past couple of years I've been able to add the Webley and the Luger to my collection. I don't know about the Mauser C96, but perhaps one of the Astra replicas will come along. I found one for sale just this past April for only $1,200 USD. I notice you're from Canada so I'll add the ever important USD.

Anyway the Colt Python, German Korth revolver (yeah that will be the day) and the MR-73 are all revolvers in my "Crown Prince" list. Hey I'm on a roll now. Lets see I put my wish list together approximately 25 years ago and I'm 41 now. So in another 25 years or so I might have most of them. Then I'll croak and my kids will inherit them.

I see that you work for Cabelas. I like to go to the Cabelas in Boise, Idaho (about forty kilometers east of me) and drool over the double barrel rifles and shotguns. They have a Westly Richards side by side shotgun and a Holland & Holland side by side shotgun in the library right now. Those suckers are just beautiful. And their price tages are just as amazing.

Nyles · #4 08-15-2009, 05:25 AM

Actually I haven't worked for Cabela's in about 8 months, I quit to go to Afghanistan with the army. Hey, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

I actually have a very nice Westley-Richards double I inherited from my uncle, who got it from his father. And screwed it right up by cutting down and then extending the butt and firing 2 3/4" shells through a 2 1/2" gun, so it's only worth about $1200, but it's still functional and in beautiful shape. I actually knew his dad before he died as well, so it does remind me of my great uncle's war stories.

I also have a C/96, which I spent about $1000 on, and that's a good price even here, so the deals are out there. Just a question of finding them.

Jcordell · #5 08-15-2009, 05:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nyles

Actually I haven't worked for Cabela's in about 8 months, I quit to go to Afghanistan with the army. Hey, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

I actually have a very nice Westley-Richards double I inherited from my uncle, who got it from his father. And screwed it right up by cutting down and then extending the butt and firing 2 3/4" shells through a 2 1/2" gun, so it's only worth about $1200, but it's still functional and in beautiful shape. I actually knew his dad before he died as well, so it does remind me of my great uncle's war stories.

I also have a C/96, which I spent about $1000 on, and that's a good price even here, so the deals are out there. Just a question of finding them.

I looked at the photos of your collection a couple hours ago. Very nice. And yes I noticed the Westley Richards and the C96. It's amazing the things that people will do to firearms isn't it? I think that if I somehow got hold of a Westley Richards, Purdey, Greener or some other fine British shotgun I would be tempted to put Snap Caps in it and just gloat over it. Of course I would take it to the range, but I'm not sure how often I would shoot it.

Yeah we had some officers deploy to Afghanistan and Iraq over the past few years. They were in the NAtional Guard or the Army Reserve. They all made it back.

I spent fourteen years in the United States Army (1986-2000) until I recieved a medical pension due to a back injury. Never saw combat. However in the past nine years of law enforcement I've seen some action. Go figure.

Jcordell · #6 08-15-2009, 05:33 AM

Yes I was hired with a bad back. It's actually gotten somewhat better. I go to a chiropracter and I stopped running. Now it's walks and bicycling. YOu can be a cop with a bad back, but you have to take care of yourself and have a determination not to be an "invalid". In my opinion at least.

Jcordell · #7 08-29-2009, 03:20 PM

Okay here a couple of photos. As you can see it has some extensive holster wear, But it shoots like a champ. Love that trigger action and very accurate. I'm fairly certain (based on the holster wear and the fact that the trigger and hammer are blued not strawed - more tactical you know) that my specimen was one of the ones previously owned and issued by COBRA.

No not the COBRA that is the enemy of GI Joe.

COBRA is the elite Austrian anti-terrorist unit. From 1980 - 1993 COBRA issued the MR73 to it's officers. In 93 they went with the GLOCK 17. Anyway the MR73's were bought by an importer and sold off in the United States.

Well anyway it's still a sweet shooter. No safe queen here. This baby saw some action. A working man's gun if you like.