The Groupe d’Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale, better known by its abbreviated name GIGN, which translates to National Gendarmerie Intervention Group in English, remains France's premier counter-terrorism and hostage rescue unit. Since its founding shortly after the terrorist acts in Munich in 1973, GIGN has risen to prominence among the world's counter-terrorism community. But one piece of gear in particular not only differentiates the unit from others, but it is also deeply ingrained in its lore and tradition—the revolver, and in particular, the French-built Manurhin MR73.
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The revolvers are issued to each GIGN member for symbolic reasons as well as utilitarian ones. A passage from a 2014 issue of the official Gendarmerie information magazine states:
"Respect of human life and fire discipline have always been taught to group members since inception, and each new member is traditionally issued with a 6 shot .357 revolver as a reminder of these values."
GIGN's deep relationship with the revolver gets pretty intense beyond any outright symbolism. Apparently, the unit still practices a 'trust shot' as part of new member initiations where a team member wearing body armor puts a clay pigeon over their center of mass and the newly minted GIGN operator shoots the disc from 15 yards. This type of thing is very rare, at least officially, in elite western law enforcement and special operations units these days, but GIGN seems to have continued with the practice, which is also tied directly to the MR73 revolver.
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Over the years semi-automatic pistols have become more reliable and accurate, so the revolver's relevance outside of very specific situations has waned. But still, the MR73, in particular, is a very well built, heavy, and highly accurate revolver and is widely regarded as being among the finest 'wheel guns' ever built. Clearly, GIGN sees it as a lightsaber of sorts—an elegant weapon whose time may have largely passed for all but the most capable operators. But for those who can employ it with extreme efficiency, it still remains a potent, if not superior in some respects, tool for many applications.