MAB Model D
Manufacture d'Armes de Bayonne (MAB) · Pistol · Discontinued · 1933
Also known as: MAB Modèle D, Pistole 625(f)
Overview
The MAB Model D is a French blowback semi-automatic pistol produced by Manufacture d'Armes de Bayonne (MAB) from 1933, chambered in .32 ACP and later .380 ACP. Based on a scaled-up, Browning-pattern design with a full-length recoil spring around a fixed barrel, it offered a relatively generous 9-round magazine for a pocket-class pistol. It served widely with French military and police forces, and large numbers were seized and reissued by German occupation forces during World War II under the designation Pistole 625(f).
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 760 g (26.8 oz) |
| Overall Length | 178 mm (7.01") |
| Barrel Length | 101 mm (3.98") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Single Action |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 9 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 280 m/s (919 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 180 J (133 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 25 m (27 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .32 ACP · primary — also known as .32 Auto, 7.65mm Browning, 7.65x17mmSR
- .380 ACP — also known as .380 Auto, 9mm Browning Short, 9x17mm
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, External Hammer
- Features: Browning Pattern Layout, Fixed Barrel, External Hammer, Full Length Recoil Spring Around Barrel
Variants
- MAB Model C — Compact
- MAB Model R — Successor
Service history
Operators
- French Armed Forces
- French Police
- Wehrmacht · adopted 1940 · as Pistole 625(f)
Conflicts
- World War II (1939-1945)
Production
Production years: 1933-1982
.32 ACP produced 1933-1963; .380 ACP continued until 1982. Many examples seized by Germany in WWII as Pistole 625(f)
Origin
Country of origin: France
Discontinued: 1982
Notes
The Model D shares its general layout with the contemporary FN Browning Model 1910/22; its larger grip and 9-round capacity made it more of a service-sized pistol than a true pocket gun. Production continued in .380 ACP into the early 1980s.
Background
When Germany occupied France in 1940, the Wehrmacht happily pressed captured MAB Model D pistols into service under the German designation Pistole 625(f), turning a French civilian pocket pistol into an Axis sidearm.