French Model 1935A Service Pistol (PR56216)

The 8-shot 7.65mm French Long caliber Model 1935A pistol was manufactured by S.A.C.M. (Societe Alsacienne des Constructions Mecaniques, Cholet, France) from 1935 to 1945. About 10,000 were made for French military forecs prior to WWII and 24,000 were made during WWII for German forces. This pistol is a pre-WWII French military gun. Interestingly, the 7.65mm French Long cartridge came about because there were millions of excess rounds of U.S. 30 Pistol rounds in France after WWI. This was the cartridge for the secret U.S. Pedersen device which converts the bolt action Model 1903 Springfield rifle into a 40-shot semiautomatic firing a short pistol round similar to the 32ACP. The war ended before the device was put into service and the French took advantage of the situation to develop a pistol to shoot this cartridge which they designated the 7.65mm French Long. The bore on this pistol is excellent. The gun has approx. 95% of its dull blue military finish. The left side of the slide is marked Mle 1935_A followed by a script H followed by the serial number over S.A.C.M. The checkered hard rubber gripa are excellent with no chips or cracks. The magazine base is marked 35_A. The action functions correctly. This fine pistol is ready for your French or European military collection.