MAB Brevete Model D (made in france)

[cadefoster]

Hey guys,

A friend of mine found this while cleaning his dad's closet who passed away few months back, gun reads MAB Brevete Model D (made in france) Cal 2.66 pistol.

I would like to ask the experts how rare is it and what's it's value?

Thanks in advance!

P.S. Pic is attached

[3/2 STA SS]

The caliber is going to be 7.65 (the D model is .380 I believe) and they are pretty common. $175-225.00 range I believe. Hope that helps.

[Jim K]

The caliber is 7.65 (not 2.66) Browning, known here as the .32 ACP. The gun was made by the Manufacture d'Armes de Bayonne, in Bayonne, France. They are solid, well made guns and most of the ones brought in here were police trade-ins. The value range given above is about right.

Brevete just means "patented".

Jim

[grcsat]

Hi,the model D came in two cals, 32 and 380.
Some of these pistols were reportedly adopted by germany dureing ww2 and would add a few more $$ to the value. But all in all this is a rather common pistol and around $175 to 250 sounds about right.

[fleetwood1976]

I had a german nazi proofmarked one that was taken off a dead german. I thought the guy was nuts because it is a french gun. But later a collector showed me the german proff marks and promptly bought it from me. I probably should have kept that one.

[cadefoster]

Hey thanks one and all for your valuable inputs.

[TheGunClinger]

It is basically a mod C with a longer barrel and a 9 round mag. In 2010 Standard cat. of firearms they go from Poor $90 to Exc. $400. If it has Nazi markings add 100%. Made in 1933.

JIM K, do you know why it isnt in the Blue Book? At least I cant find it.

[Jim K]

Look under "MAB" and it says to look under the "French military heading." Sure enough, there is is.

Re the above, I have never seen one in .380; could they have been made post-GCA '68 for U.S. import? Both the French police model and the German ones were in .32 ACP, the latter would not have been in .380 because .380 ammo was not in the German military/police supply system.

FWIW, I note a couple of errors in that section. The Model 1935A was not blued, it was black enameled, and I have never seen one with wooden grips, checkered or otherwise. The Model 1935S was never made in .32 ACP or .380 ACP, it was made only in 7.65 French Long. It was blued, not enameled. The Model 1935A is, to my mind, one of the neatest looking and nicest pistols to hold that I have ever seen, almost like some French wo..., sorry, that is off topic.

Jim

[grcsat]

Copy of explanations given by the director of the MAB about the serial numbers of the MAB pistols, periods of production, characteristics of the spare parts at different times, date : 10/20/1958.
Model – caliber - date of production - serial number of the first weapon produced
Model C - 9mm (380 ACP) – 9/15/1933 – 10502
Model C – 7,65 (32 ACP) – 10/18/1933 – 10814
Model D – 9 mm (380 ACP) – 9/15/1933 - 10500
Model D – 7,65 (32 ACP) – 9/30/1933 – 10730
Model A – 6,35 (25 ACP)- 1/8/1925 – 10001
Model A nickel plated – 6,35 (25 ACP) – 11/12/1929 – 51801
Model B – 6,35 (25 ACP) – 8/29/1932 - 79144
Model B nickel plated – 6,35 (25 ACP) – 8/20/1932 – 79084
Model E – 6,35 (25 ACP) – 3/25/1949 – 1
Model F 153 mm barrel – 22 LR – 4/26/1950 - 1
Model F 104 mm barrel – 22 LR – 12/26/1950 - 301
Model F 180 mm barrel – 22 LR – 12/26/1950 - 338
Model F 185 mm barrel – 22 LR – 6/25/1951 - 821
Model F 150 mm barrel – 22 LR – 9/24/1951 - 1023
Model F 115 mm barrel– 22 LR – 3/3/1952 - 1642
Model F 173 mm barrel – 22 LR – 7/7/1952 - 1861
Model F 68 mm barrel – 22 LR – 5/3/1954 – 4924
Model R 7,65 (32 ACP) – 2/1/1951 – 605
Model R 7,65 Long – 7/23/1951 – 604
Model R 9mm Luger – 2/11/1952 – 24
Model R 9 mm (380 ACP) – 3/23/1953 - 657
Model R barrel 183 mm – 22 short – 7/26/1954 – 81
Model R barrel 113 mm – 22 LR – 12/6/1954 – 50
Model R barrel 183 mm - 22 LR – 1/31/1955 – 901
Model G – 22 LR – 1/7/1957 – 13
Model C/D – 7,65 (32 ACP) – 1/1/1950 – 1

[Jim K]

Thanks for correcting me in that Modele D's were made in .380 ACP as far back as the 1930's.

Jim

[cadefoster]

Originally Posted by TheGunClinger

If it has Nazi markings add 100%. Made in 1933.

Where exactly should I look for nazi swastika? i mean which portion of the gun?

Thanks guys!

[TheGunClinger]

I dont know. Blue book doesnt specify. Just look it all over close. If there are any of Nazi markings you should be able to see them.

[fleetwood1976]

if you look at the shell ejector port while shut it will be on the chamber of the barrel and seen while slide is shut. I seem to remember one above the trigger gaurd and maybe a couple more when i had it apart for cleaning. I seem to remember they where wingspread eagles with the swastica on top. Mine had the holster original grips and lucite grips on the gun with old matchbook pin up girls underneath. very cool piece. wish I had kept it. it was a bring back and virtually no finish left on it.

[shahzaman]

Plz tell me about this gun and its importance and value of this gun MAB serial no.D501472 thanks

[shahzaman]

Plz tell me about this gun and its importance and value of this gun MAB serial no.D501472 thanks

[army vet]

Hi;
I just found the 7.65 Mab model D S/N 70559 that my Father in Law brought back from the war.
It has the holster and two clips with additional ammo. The Holster has the Nazi Eagle holding a swastica in it's talons, under that it looks like W 8 AO20
The gun has a similar mark after the S/N with some scratched in numbers and letters, the swastica is not visible on the gun. Any ideas of value? I also have the documents that the Army gave him to take the gun home. The grips are in really bad shape, should I change them or leave the originals? If I should change, where could I find them? I should also note, this gun has a chrome finish.
Thanks for any help.

[Lanrezac]

army vet, I am afraid the chrome plating destroys most of its value as a collectible. Collectors generally do not want refinished guns unless they are very rare, and the MAB D does not qualify on that score. That means its value depends on finding someone who wants a 70 year old, medium sized pistol in 32 Automatic as a shooter or as a re-refinishing project, which can be tough to do.

You should be able to find replacement grips easily. A lot of MAB D's came into the US in the 80's and 90's when French police departments surplussed them out, so parts and magazines are all over the place - like Ebay, for starters.

[Jim K]

Shazaman, that gun is not a MAB Model C or D. The picture in the original post shows a MAB Model D and the C is the same but with a shorter barrel. That gun looks like a Spanish pistol, but a better picture might help identify it.

Jim

[army vet]

Lanrezac;
Thanks for your reply. I was hoping that the Chrome meant it ws an officers gun or something. I know that this is the way it was brought home. I can't believe he had it rechromed, and the chrome is quite worn. Is the old ammo safe? or should I discard it? I plan to shoot it after I have a gunsmith check it over.

[hrf]

Originally Posted by army vet

Lanrezac;
Thanks for your reply. I was hoping that the Chrome meant it ws an officers gun or something. I know that this is the way it was brought home. I can't believe he had it rechromed, and the chrome is quite worn. Is the old ammo safe? or should I discard it? I plan to shoot it after I have a gunsmith check it over.

If the finish is "quite worn" it's probably nickel and not chrome. Good in focus pics of the markings should tell if it's been refinished.

[RJay]

And if perchance it is nickle and original finish, it would not have German military acceptance marks.The Germans did not issue ( not even for Generals ) chrome or nickle plated guns, nor did any modern army that I am aware of.

[Lanrezac]

army vet, as Rjay said, no wartime MAB D would have been chromed originally. Having worn or beat-up guns chromed was quite common in the USA in the 1950's because of all the automobile bumper re-chroming shops around then.

Chrome is a rather white finish, very silvery. Nickel electro-plating is shiny, but a bit more yellowish. Nickel is actually a more common finish for pistols than bright chrome - except for wartime bring-backs, as I said above.

The old ammunition should be safe to use if it looks clean and un-corroded. I don't think anyone was making 7.65mm Browning / 32 ACP with corrosive primers, so the worst that should happen is a dud round. Just my $.02, of course.

PS - I should have said, if the holster is right, it might be worth more than the gun is now. There is quite a lively market for WWII holsters. You might want to put up a picture of it too.

[Dullahan]

Originally Posted by Jim K

Shazaman, that gun is not a MAB Model C or D. The picture in the original post shows a MAB Model D and the C is the same but with a shorter barrel. That gun looks like a Spanish pistol, but a better picture might help identify it.

Jim

Jim That MAB posted with the photo is not a standard pistol made in France (unless it is an extremely early model) because it does not have the safety feature built into the handle. The gun will not fire until this safety feature is depressed by the Grip. Some MAB's were made in Yugoslavia and there are models made elsewhere,
Dullahan.

[army vet]

Thanks for the feedback. Here are a couple of Pix. Not my best work. Does anyone know what the mark is after the S.N ? It looks like a worn out nazi eagle w/o swastica. There are some numbers under it.

[army vet]

No comments on the pictures I posted?