The "SANS PAREIL"
This pistol is one of the innumerable guns copying the FN Baby. This one was manufactured by the "MANUFACTURE D’ARMES DES PYRENEES HENDAYE" (MAPF).
After 1940, during the German occupation this manufacture manufactured a quantity of weapons of this kind to the exotic commercial names: Burgham Superior, Capitan, Cesar, Chantecler, Chimère Renoir, Colonial, Prima, Rapid-Maxima, Reina, Demon, Demon Marine, Ebac, Elite, Gallia, Ixor, Le Majestic, Saint Hubert, Selecta, Sympathique, Touriste, Le Sanspareil, Le tout acier, Mars, Perfect, Triomphe Française, Etc, etc…
It was necessary well to live and it manufacture was under German supervision!!
Work continued and the “UNIQUE 17” had been selected like Modèle of war, manufacture had thus all the reasons to want to survive by producing something which was with the mode!!
The earliest examples duplicated the pre-war commercial model, but plain black grips were used and 7,65mm/M 9 SCHUSS appeared on the right side of the slide. The rear of the grip was then rounded to improve comfort, and then an external hammer was added to suit German preferences. Many of these pistols will be found with German acceptance marks, but appreciable quantities of pistols without ordnance marks suggest that they were sold commercially during the war.
The system of nomenclature was revised when production resumes after the end of the Second World War.
Alain
