Beretta is bringing in MR73 revolvers

[awp_101]

So I've been putting some thought into this. A $3K+ revolver is a serious commitment by itself but if a person could then afford to pick up a piece of pre-ban ivory big enough for a nice set of grips, that's next level flexing right there. It was popular to have a steer head or Mexican Eagle carved into ivory SAA and 1911 grips so why not have an Imperial Eagle carved into one grip to add another layer? The French/Italian/Roman/Napoleonic threads of symbolism just weave themselves though the layers.

American Holly, one of the synthetic ivory replacements or linen Micarta would probably be just as good and certainly more attainable but the ivory angle sure makes for a pleasant daydream...

[Half Moon]

So I've been putting some thought into this. A $3K+ revolver is a serious commitment by itself but if a person could then afford to pick up a piece of pre-ban ivory big enough for a nice set of grips, that's next level flexing right there. It was popular to have a steer head or Mexican Eagle carved into ivory SAA and 1911 grips so why not have an Imperial Eagle carved into one grip to add another layer? The French/Italian/Roman/Napoleonic threads of symbolism just weave themselves though the layers.

American Holly, one of the synthetic ivory replacements or linen Micarta would probably be just as good and certainly more attainable but the ivory angle sure makes for a pleasant daydream...

Not to enable (TOTALLY enabling) but one of Kebco's options is smooth giraffe bone. Not sure how well it carves and still not ivory, but...

[OlongJohnson]

Lotsa people would mistake the Imperial Eagle for the Nazi Eagle.

[Joe in PNG]

Marianne clutching a sword would be my vote.

[Inkwell 41]

As I understand it, it's from the heat treat. It's more gold than bronze in person.

Agree. I believe that it is similar to the straw color of commercial, pre-war Lugers.

[OlongJohnson]

First Beretta-imported MR73 on GB:

https://www.gunbroker.com/Item/900229288

Pricing suggests that Bud's or KyGunCo might have some attractive offers down the road.

[LittleLebowski]

https://www.beretta.com/en-us/manurhin-mr73-sport-5-25/

They won't be cheap...

I really want one, but not like this. Not like this.

[Ed L]

I bought a NIB MR-73 in the summer of 2019. I hate to be the dissenting voice, but I had issues with it. This is just my experience.

Something was not right with the gun I had because sometimes when I would pull the trigger and the cylinder would lock up in the middle of turning. If I released the trigger and then pulled it again it would complete its cycle.

Next the gun seemed to be out of time, I was getting some off center primer hits and failures to detonate. It also seemed to be shaving lead.

Back at this time 2019, there was no one in the US who serviced the gun. (I am not sure how Beretta will handle any warrantee work for the guns that it sells). I could not even find a qualified gunsmith in the US who would work on the gun.


I took a very experienced revolver enthusiast friend with me and let him shoot it. He did not experience any issues with the gun. He actually witnessed me having the problems with the gun but could not replicate it when he was shooting it. He also let someone else shoot it who experienced similar problems. But it worked for him. So he now owns it.

Attached is a picture of some of the off centered primer hits that I experienced:

[OlongJohnson]

I'd be curious to know whether those off-center strikes were due to the cylinder turning too far or not far enough? Did you survey brass that did fire? Was there a random distribution of firing pin contact locations, and just the ones all the way on the edge didn't fire, or was it an "either/or" scenario?

Quality problems are what I'm worried about. I don't buy for a second that just because something is expensive and made in Europe, it will be right. I have a remarkable record of getting the defective one of anything. I have read a bunch since this thread started, and did find one person over on (I think it was) the blue forum, or maybe one of the generic hunting/shooting forums, who said he'd looked at several recent-production MR73s over the past few years and found issues with all of them.

It's entirely possible that Chapuis is making sure they are pretty but letting some other things slip, since it is no longer selling guns to a switched-on agency with credentialed armorers who will check everything thoroughly and send it back with the power of the government and the weight of all the gun's history and prestige behind them and demand that it be made right.

Also, with Beretta's recent record of shipping obviously defective 92s to customers and a bunch more being marginally manufactured but recoverable into serviceable condition with a little TLC, I don't trust Beretta USA to be the gatekeepers of quality. (And I mean over several years, not just last year, although I started the thread on dovetailed-sight DAOs and then sent mine back when it got here.) I'm also unimpressed with their shotgun stock squishy parts being made with polymers that can't withstand sunscreen and DEET. Because when would either of those get on a shotgun? Basically, the evidence available to me doesn't support betting $3k on, "It's Beretta, it will be fine."

I'd love it if @e_stern would come in here and tell us a little about how logistics of parts support, warranty, etc. is intended to run. Will they have capacity to fix guns in the U.S.? Will parts even be available, or will returning a gun that's not right result in it going in one of two buckets?

1) Send it back and say it's in spec, just shoot it.
2) Decide they can't send it back with a straight face, and replace it with another gun that could have unknown issues of its own.

Does Chapuis have capacity to fix guns? Can Beretta even send a gun back to France and then re-import it?

Is Beretta making any investments in improving Chapuis' production and leveling up quality?

Are there plans to bring in any other guns, such as the 4.25 (necessary for Canada vs. 4 inch), the 3 or 2.75 inch, etc?

My other 5-inch .357 and some ammo are on GB, so this is more than idle internet chatter. My goal isn't to throw stones at Beretta, either. I love my 1301, my Tikkas, and my older 92D Cent.

[Scal]

I’d like those questions answered, too, OlongJohnson. I *really* like revolvers, and they’re one of the few kinds of guns that really get my “Passion of the Gun” juices flowing anymore. I had the money and didn’t want to wait any longer to get one. I sure as hell don’t expect other people to do that. My MR73 shoots pretty well, and it also has no issues with carry-up or timing, but that’s a small sample size.

Ed L, I sincerely appreciate you posting that info here. I wish that someone who knows how to wrench on revolvers could have taken a look at that gun and seen what the heck was causing those issues. I think that having as much data as possible out there, especially if someone has problems with a gun with a notoriously small amount of in circulation stateside is a good thing. I appreciate the P-F hivemind thinking seriously about this stuff.