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Pistolet Automatique Modèle Rr 1951




This particular pistol was featured in the book Military Handguns of France 1858-1958; Eugene Medlin and Jean Huon; Excalibur Publications; 1993 edition on pages 98 and 99

The Pistolet Automatique Modèle Rr 1951, which the letters Rr stood for “Grand ressort – petit ressort” literally meaning Big spring – little spring, due to the type of recoil spring configuration used by this pistol, was manufactured by Manufacture d’Armes de Pyrénées Françaises better known by the acronym MAPF starting in 1951. MAPF was a civilian commercial company that was founded in 1923 by Mr. José Uria, initially located in the town of Béhobie, which moved to Hendaye soon afterwards. Hendaye is the most southwesterly town in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques Département of Région Aquitaine confined on the edge of both the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrénées Mountains.
In 1928 the company started to produce a civilian type pistol based upon the Pistolet Automatique de 7 millimètre 65 genre "Ruby” but of much superior materials and workmanship that it was later adopted by the French military during the early period of World War II (1939/40) calling it the Pistolet Automatique “Unique” Modèle 17. This pistol was made up to Fall of France on June 22, 1940 and later during the German Occupation. After the departure of the German Occupation Forces and the end of the Second World War, MAPF resumed production of a new type of Unique pistol called the Pistolet Automatique “Unique” R17 for various government agencies which was basically the same as the pre-war models but with an exterior hammer.
In 1951 MAPF began to make improved versions of the “Unique” R17 based on the German Occupation Model called the Kriegsmodell (War Model), which had an exterior case hardened hammer and arched curved grip which gave a more comfortable hold in the shooters hand. There were two main versions made and the differences were the slide markings and grips. The two new pistols were called the Pistolet Automatique Modèle Rr 1951 Police and Pistolet Automatique Modèle Rr 1951.
The Modèle Rr 51 Police was marked on the left side of the slide in one lone legend line: Modèle Rr.51 Police cal. 7.65mm -9 coups, the grips were checkered black plastic with the letters 7.65mm Unique within a circle.
The Modèle Rr 51 was marked on the left side of the slide with a two line legend, the uppermost: 7.65 Court 9 Coups “Unique” and bottom in smaller lettering: Manufacture D’Armes de Pyrénées, Hendaye and the grips were of black plastic with vertical serrations with an entwined RF for République Française in a circle at the top denoting Republic of France and on latter production made pistols, 7.65mm Unique within a circle.
Both versions had a magazine capacity of 9 rounds of 7.65mm Court, 7.65mm Browning or commonly called in the United States .32 ACP and a small lanyard staple fixed to the left side of heal of the butt for attaching a regulation lanyard. The serial number is located below the ejection port on the right side of the frame, and the Modèle Rr 51 are often found with the original serial number milled out in the form of a rectangular hollow being replaced by another stamped number in the slot thus increasing the difficulty of determining the serial number range and numbers of these made. There is a three digit number stamped at the muzzle end of the barrel, inside of the slide over the section containing the firing pin and safety lever flat, all numbers matching the last three digits of the serial number. A magazine safety was retained from the original Pistolet Automatique “Unique” Modèle 17 which only allowed the hammer to fall when the magazine was in the weapon.
These weapons were supplied to the French National Police (Police Nationale, formely called the Sûreté Nationale), till the adoption of the Manurhin MR73 in 1973 and Manhurhin MR88 F1 Revolver in the mid 1980’s. Since 1951, the French police received more than 102,000 of these pistols with the last order in March 1998 of 640 pistols and quite a few are still being held in reseve for national emergencies.
Some of these pistols were also sent to the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية‎ … Al-Mamlakah al-Maghribīyyah) to arm the Moroccan National Police Force (Sûreté Nationale du Maroc) and Royal Military Police Force (Gendarmerie Royalé du Maroc). These were marked on the right side tang of the frame behind the grip with a Crescent over a Pole sometimes referred to as the Palm Tree by some collectors.
These pistols were normally to be carried in the same holster that the Pistolet Automatique de 7 millimètre 65 genre "Ruby” used, the Etui modèle 1916, or in other holsters that were made for other European small frame semi-automatics.
The lanyard that these pistols used were about 29 inches long (74.9cm) and 7/16 inch wide (1.1cm). The ends of the lanyard was closed by a brass rivet or sewn together. The loop end was intended to be attached to the belt. The other end had a metal snap and D-Ring which allowed it to be fastened to the staple on the heel of the butt. These were normally left in the natural leather state and not dyed.


Specifications:
Overall Length: 8.3 inches (210mm)
Weight Unloaded: ……… (720 grams)
Barrel Length: 3.07 inches (78mm)
Caliber: 7.65mm Browning, .32 ACP, 7.65mm Court
Magazine Capacity: 9 rounds

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