email ad for Manurhin MR 73.. seconds to act - Page 2

PzGren · February 17, 2015, 05:23 AM

AustinTx,

a 400 grit is not quite a high polish. I am more into Korth revolvers but know that Manurhin gave the commercial models a very good polishing job. Korth did not use a wheel to polish their guns, by the way.

I am not rebluing enough guns to warrant the expense and dedicated work space for a hot bluing tank and setup, so I rust blue my guns. I had toyed with the idea to convert a deep fryer into a bluing tank but never researched it in more detail.

I am also looking for a trade-in MR73 and if you find a source, please pm or email me. Rust bluing is labor intensive but can yield excellent results! Lugers were rust blued until 1936 and everything you need to have for it is the solution and general household items.

AustinTX · February 17, 2015, 04:28 PM

PzGren, I will keep you in mind and PM you here and at GT if I stumble onto an MR73 stash. Please do the same for me, if you'd be so kind!

I actually bought a stunning 99%+ 6" MR73 Sport from Michael a couple of weeks ago, so I've got an example of a beautifully-polished Manurhin. My research here was more about finding a low-cost way to make one of these well-worn surplus guns look serviceable aesthetically. One of the sites says 400-grit is equivalent to or a little better than your average mass-production blued finish -- I'm not sure exactly what it would look like, but I wouldn't expect it to be breathtaking. But now that I'm thinking about it, if I go through the trouble to have one of them refinished, I'll probably spend up a bit for a finer polished look.

Speaking of Korths, by the way, do you have some of them imported? Now that I've got most of my P210 collection taken care of, it's time for me to look at adding some. I've heard that they can be less expensive if you have them imported, but I don't have any experience in that area yet.

PzGren · February 18, 2015, 12:34 AM

From this ....

to that .....

in a couple of days at the expense of $5 and plenty of beer to make sure that I don't get dehydrated. The more layers of blue you will apply, the richer and deeper it will be.

My sons' first project. He did that in kindergarden

.

You can see the rough sanding marks but the bluing fills it in.

AustinTX · February 18, 2015, 02:34 AM

Thanks for the PM, PzGren...and those photos! Those rust-bluing jobs look outstanding!

That looks like the way to go for sure.

PzGren · February 18, 2015, 11:20 AM

A bottle of solution is around $40 plus shipping, steel wool, fine wire brushes, wet dry paper, degreaser and destilled water, a stainless pot, rubber gloves, old towels, and thongs.

That and patience is all that is needed.

Oh ... And the beer

!

I practiced on small scrapped parts first. When you are ready, lmk and I will guide you through it.

BinaryBoris · February 18, 2015, 10:21 PM

Getting caught up on the thread - sorry been a busy few days.

Thank you for the excellent research and links, Austin. I checked all those sites out and it looks like they do great work. It's good to know I have that option.

I'm also thinking about trying to do the bluing myself and have no problems with being patient and taking my time. That looks like some excellent results from the "rust bluing" and definitely sounds like something that I could pull off (and doesn't require a massive amount of investment).

I'm hoping these revolvers show up at my FFL over the weekend, at which time I'll be able to see their actual condition and post up some photos.

bac1023 · February 20, 2015, 03:17 PM

As far as I'm concerned, its the best 357 magnum in the world. Its finer than a Colt Python and stronger than a Ruger GP100.

The Korth Combat is hard to beat for sheer precision and build quality, but there's something I just like better about the Manurhin. There's something I love about service handguns that were built so well that they can be considered among the finest and most accurate handguns ever produced. In this context, the MR73 is only rivaled by the Sig P210, in my opinion. That's great company and that's how good it is.

PzGren · February 20, 2015, 11:55 PM

Brian,

you are absolutely right!

AustinTX · February 21, 2015, 03:05 PM

Quote:

There's something I love about service handguns that were built so well that they can be considered among the finest and most accurate handguns ever produced. In this context, the MR73 is only rivaled by the Sig P210, in my opinion. That's great company and that's how good it is.

Yep, I agree completely. The P210 is the perfect analogue in the autoloader world to the MR73 in that respect.

BinaryBoris · March 13, 2015, 06:22 PM

Sorry it's taken me a while to get these pics up. Here is the first of two MR73's I got from AIM's short supply. The second one is still waiting to be picked up from my FFL.

I am thinking about leaving this first one "As Is" but I am considering having the second one re-blued.

BinaryBoris · March 13, 2015, 06:23 PM

Model12Win · March 13, 2015, 06:53 PM

Nice! How is timing/lock up? And bore condition and trigger?

BinaryBoris · March 13, 2015, 09:10 PM

Thank you

Well, I'm mostly a semi-auto guy, but even given my limited revolver experience I can say this handgun is solid, tight, and feels perfectly timed. Out of 50 rounds of .357 mag and 50 rounds of .38 spec, I did have two cases where the primers were struck but got no bang (both .38 spec) using S&B.

Again, I'm pretty new to revolvers so I'm working on a good grip that will give me the same kind of strong purchase on the weapon that I can get on semi autos (not used to the damn angle of that grip!) but the first 100 rounds of 38/357 netted some decent accuracy. Definitely some room for improvement though. I've got a nice stack of 38/357 as well as all the reloading stuff, so I'll have plenty of food for the Manurhin!

I did notice that the .38 rounds grouped about 2-3 inches above POA while the .357 was pretty much right on. Not sure why, but once I started holding under by 3" or so w/ 38 rounds it got me back on target.

I'm working up a table-top review and shooting video for YouTube now, but it will probably take a few weeks to actually get it done. I have a bit of a startup channel on YouTube (NotAGunGuy).

Anyway, here are the initial results (5.5" target).

.38 Special at 10 yards:

.357 Magnum at 15 yards:

lee n. field · March 13, 2015, 09:20 PM

Thanks for the pics.

Lots of wear on the grip and finish, but the pawls on the ejector star look really clean.

The wandering drag line is kind of interesting.

Grips listed as available, for cheap: https://www.gunpartscorp.com/ad/1048720.htm.

BinaryBoris · March 13, 2015, 10:17 PM

Absolutely. Yes I found that drag line to be kind of neat too. It definitely shoots a lot "newer" than it looks. The best way to describe it is that it feels like it just got done going through a break-in period of a few hundred rounds - even though it looks like it has fired several thousand (and probably has).

I ordered those grips from Numrich a couple weeks ago but hadn't realized they are for the Police F1, so they don't quite match up (need to do some minor drilling on the inside as well). I may pop a pair on the second MR73 when I bring it home, but the search will continue for MR73 grips.

barnbwt · March 14, 2015, 12:58 AM

Mine also has a wobbly drag line. Does the bolt pivot instead of slide into the grooves, or something? That would explain the back/front motion. Your bolt stops look cleaner than mine, which have some minor peening going on (the bolt, too)

Tell me, did you also find double-action shooting to be more fun than single-action on your gun? Mine was the first revolver I've shot where that was the case (dang trigger is just so smooth on these that the heavier DA really doesn't make my shots drift or spread much --also the hammer is kind of far away

)

TCB

lee n. field · March 14, 2015, 04:00 PM

Quote:

I ordered those grips from Numrich a couple weeks ago but hadn't realized they are for the Police F1,

Sounds like you're on top of things.

Chapuis Armes lists a number of US retailers on their site. Perhaps one of them might have something.

And, by the way, Nill Grips lists the Manurhin as something the make grips for. Darn pricey, in euros.

AustinTX · March 15, 2015, 02:19 AM

Very cool, Boris! Looks like you got a nice one. A lot of the surplus Manurhins look like they've been ridden a bit harder. Still waiting to stumble across a decent 4" surplus MR73 at some point myself.

Be sure to post some pics of the second one as well once you pick it up.

PzGren · March 15, 2015, 09:53 AM

The barrel looks dull in the photo and without sharp rifling. Did you clean the barrel before the photo and is the condition of the barrel really as poor as the finish wear on the outside?

BinaryBoris · March 15, 2015, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Sounds like you're on top of things.

Well kind of.

I knew the 2nd revolver had cracked grips so I figured it could hurt to just order some up and see if I could make them work. I'll check out those links you sent to see if I can get some actual MR73 grips that won't need modified.

Quote:

Very cool, Boris! Looks like you got a nice one. A lot of the surplus Manurhins look like they've been ridden a bit harder. Still waiting to stumble across a decent 4" surplus MR73 at some point myself.

Be sure to post some pics of the second one as well once you pick it up.

Thank you! Well, right now I think the groups will tighten up as I get more comfortable with shooting revolvers in general. It's just a big change from the semi-auto grip that I've gotten so used to.

Quote:

The barrel looks dull in the photo and without sharp rifling. Did you clean the barrel before the photo and is the condition of the barrel really as poor as the finish wear on the outside?

The rifling is quite sharp actually. My understanding is that the rifling is formed as part of the cold forging process (rather than cut out) so it is one of the more durable features. It was actually hard to get a good picture of the inside of the bore because it was so damn shiny.

The more light I got in the barrel, the less you could see the rifling due to the blinding glare. The less light, the more you could make out the rifling - but it ends up looking dullish. So far the rifling is good enough to get me inside about 5-6" at 15 yards which is good for me considering my little experience with revolvers.

BinaryBoris · March 15, 2015, 09:34 PM

Here are a few better attempts at pictures of the inside of the bore. Often easier said than done given the challenges of bright back lighting, a cell phone camera, and shiny steel.

PzGren · March 16, 2015, 05:51 PM

Thanks for the pics. That looks like a good barrel and should get great accuracy.

Model12Win · March 17, 2015, 10:06 AM

Awesome, AWESOME gun. Not counting the Colt Python, the MR-73 is the best combat revolver ever made.

February 18, 2015, 12:34 AM	#28
PzGren Senior Member Join Date: August 14, 2001 Posts: 1,260	Rustbluing From this .... to that ..... in a couple of days at the expense of $5 and plenty of beer to make sure that I don't get dehydrated. The more layers of blue you will apply, the richer and deeper it will be. My sons' first project. He did that in kindergarden. You can see the rough sanding marks but the bluing fills it in.

February 18, 2015, 11:20 AM	#30
PzGren Senior Member Join Date: August 14, 2001 Posts: 1,260	A bottle of solution is around $40 plus shipping, steel wool, fine wire brushes, wet dry paper, degreaser and destilled water, a stainless pot, rubber gloves, old towels, and thongs. That and patience is all that is needed. Oh ... And the beer! I practiced on small scrapped parts first. When you are ready, lmk and I will guide you through it.

March 13, 2015, 09:10 PM	#38
BinaryBoris Junior Member Join Date: February 13, 2015 Posts: 11	Thank you Well, I'm mostly a semi-auto guy, but even given my limited revolver experience I can say this handgun is solid, tight, and feels perfectly timed. Out of 50 rounds of .357 mag and 50 rounds of .38 spec, I did have two cases where the primers were struck but got no bang (both .38 spec) using S&B. Again, I'm pretty new to revolvers so I'm working on a good grip that will give me the same kind of strong purchase on the weapon that I can get on semi autos (not used to the damn angle of that grip!) but the first 100 rounds of 38/357 netted some decent accuracy. Definitely some room for improvement though. I've got a nice stack of 38/357 as well as all the reloading stuff, so I'll have plenty of food for the Manurhin! I did notice that the .38 rounds grouped about 2-3 inches above POA while the .357 was pretty much right on. Not sure why, but once I started holding under by 3" or so w/ 38 rounds it got me back on target. I'm working up a table-top review and shooting video for YouTube now, but it will probably take a few weeks to actually get it done. I have a bit of a startup channel on YouTube (NotAGunGuy). Anyway, here are the initial results (5.5" target). .38 Special at 10 yards: .357 Magnum at 15 yards: Last edited by BinaryBoris; March 13, 2015 at 09:15 PM.

March 13, 2015, 09:20 PM	#39
lee n. field Senior Member Join Date: October 12, 2002 Location: The same state as Mordor. Posts: 5,569	Thanks for the pics. Lots of wear on the grip and finish, but the pawls on the ejector star look really clean. The wandering drag line is kind of interesting. Grips listed as available, for cheap: https://www.gunpartscorp.com/ad/1048720.htm. __________________ "As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. " Last edited by lee n. field; March 13, 2015 at 09:29 PM.

March 14, 2015, 12:58 AM	#41
barnbwt Senior Member Join Date: May 17, 2012 Posts: 1,085	Mine also has a wobbly drag line. Does the bolt pivot instead of slide into the grooves, or something? That would explain the back/front motion. Your bolt stops look cleaner than mine, which have some minor peening going on (the bolt, too) Tell me, did you also find double-action shooting to be more fun than single-action on your gun? Mine was the first revolver I've shot where that was the case (dang trigger is just so smooth on these that the heavier DA really doesn't make my shots drift or spread much --also the hammer is kind of far away ) TCB __________________ "I don't believe that the men of the distant past were any wiser than we are today. But it does seem that their science and technology were able to accomplish much grander things." -- Alex Rosewater

February 17, 2015, 05:23 AM	#26
PzGren Senior Member Join Date: August 14, 2001 Posts: 1,260	AustinTx, a 400 grit is not quite a high polish. I am more into Korth revolvers but know that Manurhin gave the commercial models a very good polishing job. Korth did not use a wheel to polish their guns, by the way. I am not rebluing enough guns to warrant the expense and dedicated work space for a hot bluing tank and setup, so I rust blue my guns. I had toyed with the idea to convert a deep fryer into a bluing tank but never researched it in more detail. I am also looking for a trade-in MR73 and if you find a source, please pm or email me. Rust bluing is labor intensive but can yield excellent results! Lugers were rust blued until 1936 and everything you need to have for it is the solution and general household items.

February 17, 2015, 04:28 PM	#27
AustinTX Senior Member Join Date: June 19, 2010 Posts: 2,145	PzGren, I will keep you in mind and PM you here and at GT if I stumble onto an MR73 stash. Please do the same for me, if you'd be so kind! I actually bought a stunning 99%+ 6" MR73 Sport from Michael a couple of weeks ago, so I've got an example of a beautifully-polished Manurhin. My research here was more about finding a low-cost way to make one of these well-worn surplus guns look serviceable aesthetically. One of the sites says 400-grit is equivalent to or a little better than your average mass-production blued finish -- I'm not sure exactly what it would look like, but I wouldn't expect it to be breathtaking. But now that I'm thinking about it, if I go through the trouble to have one of them refinished, I'll probably spend up a bit for a finer polished look. Speaking of Korths, by the way, do you have some of them imported? Now that I've got most of my P210 collection taken care of, it's time for me to look at adding some. I've heard that they can be less expensive if you have them imported, but I don't have any experience in that area yet.

February 18, 2015, 02:34 AM	#29
AustinTX Senior Member Join Date: June 19, 2010 Posts: 2,145	Thanks for the PM, PzGren...and those photos! Those rust-bluing jobs look outstanding! That looks like the way to go for sure.

February 18, 2015, 10:21 PM	#31
BinaryBoris Junior Member Join Date: February 13, 2015 Posts: 11	Getting caught up on the thread - sorry been a busy few days. Thank you for the excellent research and links, Austin. I checked all those sites out and it looks like they do great work. It's good to know I have that option. I'm also thinking about trying to do the bluing myself and have no problems with being patient and taking my time. That looks like some excellent results from the "rust bluing" and definitely sounds like something that I could pull off (and doesn't require a massive amount of investment). I'm hoping these revolvers show up at my FFL over the weekend, at which time I'll be able to see their actual condition and post up some photos.

February 20, 2015, 03:17 PM	#32
bac1023 Senior Member Join Date: February 2, 2008 Posts: 1,107	As far as I'm concerned, its the best 357 magnum in the world. Its finer than a Colt Python and stronger than a Ruger GP100. The Korth Combat is hard to beat for sheer precision and build quality, but there's something I just like better about the Manurhin. There's something I love about service handguns that were built so well that they can be considered among the finest and most accurate handguns ever produced. In this context, the MR73 is only rivaled by the Sig P210, in my opinion. That's great company and that's how good it is.

February 20, 2015, 11:55 PM	#33
PzGren Senior Member Join Date: August 14, 2001 Posts: 1,260	Brian, you are absolutely right!

March 13, 2015, 06:22 PM	#35
BinaryBoris Junior Member Join Date: February 13, 2015 Posts: 11	Sorry it's taken me a while to get these pics up. Here is the first of two MR73's I got from AIM's short supply. The second one is still waiting to be picked up from my FFL. I am thinking about leaving this first one "As Is" but I am considering having the second one re-blued.

March 13, 2015, 06:23 PM	#36
BinaryBoris Junior Member Join Date: February 13, 2015 Posts: 11

March 13, 2015, 06:53 PM	#37
Model12Win Junior member Join Date: October 20, 2012 Posts: 5,854	Nice! How is timing/lock up? And bore condition and trigger?

March 13, 2015, 10:17 PM	#40
BinaryBoris Junior Member Join Date: February 13, 2015 Posts: 11	Absolutely. Yes I found that drag line to be kind of neat too. It definitely shoots a lot "newer" than it looks. The best way to describe it is that it feels like it just got done going through a break-in period of a few hundred rounds - even though it looks like it has fired several thousand (and probably has). I ordered those grips from Numrich a couple weeks ago but hadn't realized they are for the Police F1, so they don't quite match up (need to do some minor drilling on the inside as well). I may pop a pair on the second MR73 when I bring it home, but the search will continue for MR73 grips.

March 15, 2015, 02:19 AM	#43
AustinTX Senior Member Join Date: June 19, 2010 Posts: 2,145	Very cool, Boris! Looks like you got a nice one. A lot of the surplus Manurhins look like they've been ridden a bit harder. Still waiting to stumble across a decent 4" surplus MR73 at some point myself. Be sure to post some pics of the second one as well once you pick it up.

March 15, 2015, 09:53 AM	#44
PzGren Senior Member Join Date: August 14, 2001 Posts: 1,260	The barrel looks dull in the photo and without sharp rifling. Did you clean the barrel before the photo and is the condition of the barrel really as poor as the finish wear on the outside?

March 15, 2015, 09:34 PM	#46
BinaryBoris Junior Member Join Date: February 13, 2015 Posts: 11	Here are a few better attempts at pictures of the inside of the bore. Often easier said than done given the challenges of bright back lighting, a cell phone camera, and shiny steel.

March 16, 2015, 05:51 PM	#47
PzGren Senior Member Join Date: August 14, 2001 Posts: 1,260	Thanks for the pics. That looks like a good barrel and should get great accuracy.

March 17, 2015, 10:06 AM	#48
Model12Win Junior member Join Date: October 20, 2012 Posts: 5,854	Awesome, AWESOME gun. Not counting the Colt Python, the MR-73 is the best combat revolver ever made.