French MAB Model 'D' Morocco Police or Army

**Bill Grist** · 07-31-2011, 06:59 PM

French MAB Model 'D' French Morocco Military or Security Police issue.Cal. 7.65mm.
Mfg. 1953.......BILL

**Nick Hessens** · 07-31-2011, 07:10 PM

Nice pistol, Bill!

Regards

**COLT 1911A1** · 08-01-2011, 05:53 AM

Fine weapon BILL...

Does it have any special marking denoting Moroccan property ?
Is it in 7.65mm Longue or simply 7.65mm Browning ?
Thanks for sharing...Regards, Thanos.

**Bill Grist** · 08-01-2011, 02:28 PM

Right side on trigger guard web is the Morocco Palm tree proof mark that siginifies Police or Military useage.. Cal. is standard 7.65mm .32 auto....BILL

**COLT 1911A1** · 08-02-2011, 05:07 AM

We thank you for the info BILL...I saw the "palm tree" but thought it was some kind of Y ; the initials of the inspector.
Thanks again for sharing, regards, Thanos.

**Gun Shy** · 08-03-2011, 09:31 PM

Nice Type II MAB D, but the manufacturing date is wrong.

MAB D production was restarted in 1945 after the liberation of France (in 1944) as part of the French rearmament. The Type II began production in mid-June 1945. The s/n of your pistol indicates it was made a couple of years later, so probably in 1947.

MAB s/n are very confusing. MAB had a "normal" s/n series it used for military and commercial pistols, and a number of special letter-prefix s/n series used primarily with pistols for various government agencies (mostly, but not only French). It also restarted the "normal" s/n series on all of its pistol models at different times after WWII but before 1950; the exact dates this happened are not known, but sometime before 7/1948 for the MAB D. However, since your pistol is still within the original MAB D s/n series, although near the end of known examples, this also means it was made sometime before 7/1948, with late 1947 to early 1948 a reasonable date range.

A 1953 date would be appropriate for your s/n in the MAB D second s/n series, but there are no known pistols marked for the Kingdom of Morocco with the second s/n series, and other markings on the pistol (the slide legend, for example) had also changed by 1953.

Bill

**Bill Grist** · 08-04-2011, 01:40 AM

by Gun Shy

Nice Type II MAB D, but the manufacturing date is wrong.

MAB D production was restarted in 1945 after the liberation of France (in 1944) as part of the French rearmament. The Type II began production in mid-June 1945. The s/n of your pistol indicates it was made a couple of years later, so probably in 1947.

MAB s/n are very confusing. MAB had a "normal" s/n series it used for military and commercial pistols, and a number of special letter-prefix s/n series used primarily with pistols for various government agencies (mostly, but not only French). It also restarted the "normal" s/n series on all of its pistol models at different times after WWII but before 1950; the exact dates this happened are not known, but sometime before 7/1948 for the MAB D. However, since your pistol is still within the original MAB D s/n series, although near the end of known examples, this also means it was made sometime before 7/1948, with late 1947 to early 1948 a reasonable date range.

A 1953 date would be appropriate for your s/n in the MAB D second s/n series, but there are no known pistols marked for the Kingdom of Morocco with the second s/n series, and other markings on the pistol (the slide legend, for example) had also changed by 1953.

Bill

Thank You very much for this information, it is greatly appreciated.. Yes MAB # surely are confusing....BILL