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I don't know how many came in but they were definitely military surplus and fairly common before GCA '68 cut off imports of all military surplus. They came in at the same time as the first importation of Swiss rifles. I don't know how many there were; they were technically obsolete in Swiss service at that time, being two generations (SIG 210 and Luger) back, but some were reportedly still in service.
I have seen none imported in recent years, and assume the Swiss sold them all off at that time.
They are rather typical of the small caliber revolver (compared with the 10-12mm in earlier use) adopted in that time frame. Others were the Russian Nagant, the Austrian Rast-Gasser 8mm, the Swedish Nagant, the U.S. Colt .38, the Japanese 9mm, and the French 8mm. Of the major powers, only Germany and Britain bypassed that phase - the Germans going directly from large bore to auto pistol, and the British retaining their .455 revolver through two world wars.
Jim
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