Beretta has quietly added two French-made Manurhin MR73 series revolvers to their U.S. offerings, available now through Beretta dealers.

Introduced in the early 1970s – hence the MR73 designation – the full-sized wheel gun is about the same size as a Colt Python or S&W K-frame and has a reputation for being beautifully made with a brilliant polished blue finish and for being extremely rugged. Speaking to the latter, the guns are favored for use by French police, which meant frequent practice with full-house magnum loads. All jokes about recent French martial ability aside, their counter-terror teams have done lots of heavy lifting in recent years. 

"The Manurhin MR73 series of revolvers was developed specifically for the requirements of the French Gendarmerie and special service units of the French Police and Military," notes Beretta. "The pistols feature exceptional accuracy and proven reliability, tested with tens of thousands of rounds of full power .357 MAG during durability testing."

The Manurhin MR73 was previously imported on this side of the Atlantic in 1988 by Century, but that was short-lived. Since then, they typically only come into the country in used condition, often as high-mileage surplus police guns. That's what makes the gun's addition to Beretta's USA catalog – surely a byproduct of Beretta's parent company's 2019 purchase of Chapuis Armes, owner of Manurhin – so important. 

The models listed by Beretta include the Manurhin MR73 Sport and Manurhin MR73 Gendarmerie, both of which are six-shot .357 Magnum double-action revolvers with Trausch-branded rubber finger groove grips and Beretta import marks on the barrel.  
 

The Manurhin MR73, besides being unicorns in the U.S., has long been thought of as one of the strongest double-action revolvers ever made, with quality comparable to German-made Korths. Renowned for their accuracy, the French GIGN counter-terror group even fielded a sniper version of the revolver, equipped with a long barrel, bipod, and optic. 

"With a history and tradition of fine gun making behind them, the Manurhin series of revolvers are truly world-class," says Beretta.

The bad news is that you have to pay to play to get one of these, with MSRP listed as $3,299 for each model, roughly corresponding to a vintage Python or Registered Magnum. Still, for Americans who appreciate well-made wheel guns, the fact that new MR73s are available in the country is something to be happy about.