The Unique Model 52
Vintage .22 Combines Vintage
Appeal With Pure ‘Shootability’
High precision indeed! The Model 52 came in a plush-lined
leatherette case with a cleaning rod, patch box and spare magazine.
Whether current or not, there’s certainly no shortage of domestic semi-auto .22 pistols. And, to sweeten the pot, there’s practically no end of foreign-made ones as well. The upshot of this preamble? If you are serious about rimfire auto pistols, eventually you’ll most likely get around to some European-made specimens.
But despite darn near a century’s imported avalanche of makes, models and assorted variants, some of the ones that really stand out are going to be — sadly — “out of print.”
Such is the case of an exceptionally desirable French import — the Unique Model 52. Part of its appeal is purely visual but there’s more to the Model 52 than its racy, unconventional appearance.
With its elegant stocks and long barrel, the Model 52 lives up to its
two main components.
Those four ports behind the elevation-adjustable front sight
may seem like overkill for a .22 but adds a modernistic touch.
MAPF it Out
Several excellent pistols tailored for sport and/or competition were made by France’s Manufacture d’ Armes des Pyrénées Françaises with production dates ranging from the early 1950s to the early 2000s. The majority were .22 rimfire, although the company (known by the less cumbersome acronym of MAPF) did produce some models in .25 ACP, .32 ACP and .380.
But let’s examine the Model 52 that caught our fancy. There were several variants but the one our shooting buddy John Wightman landed was an absolute peach. Made in 1952, putting it easily into the Curio & Relic category, its most eye-catching feature is its 9.8″ barrel referred to in the accompanying manual as Canon fixe, long de 250 m/m, which translates to “fixed barrel, 250 mm long.”
It sports a distinctive elevation-adjustable front sight with four vents extending about an inch behind it. There are the attractive checkered thumb-rest walnut stocks (right-handed) though some M52 variants sported plastic grips of French origin, which were problematic in terms of longevity and durability. Various barrel lengths were offered, with our test model sporting the lengthiest.
Control-wise, the pistol features a heel-mounted magazine release, a thumb safety behind and above the trigger guard and a simple, drift-adjustable rear sight.
The unloaded weight tipped the scale at slightly under 29 oz., roughly equivalent to a current 4.75″ barreled Ruger Mark IV auto, but the weight is spread over a much greater overall length. However, the French pistol didn’t seem excessively “whippy” and balanced well during an extended session of offhand plinking.
It came in a black leather case with nickel snaps, a spare 10-round magazine, cleaning rod and a small patch box.
The elderly original magazines gave us no trouble. They can be had for around 50 bucks and up per copy through outfits like Triple K.
As far as the gun itself goes, expect to pay close to a grand, more if all the bells and whistles (leather case and assorted accoutrements) are included. In 2019, such a cased specimen in excellent shape had a listed value of between $1,200 and $1,800 at a Rock Island Auction. Fortunately for us, John managed to snag his for several hundred bucks south of the lower figure.
The factory test target with its 9-shot group is dated 1952.
The distance was 11 meters.
We stretched things out to 50’ for a 5-shot group using
vintage Peters ammo and were even more impressed.
Range Time
Shooting this vintage French import was — to put things simply — “big fun.” The Model 52 rates very high on the “shootability scale” as far as we’re concerned. The sights were quick to acquire, the trigger was a very crisp 3.5 lbs. and the gun’s balance, despite its “Buntline-esque” barrel length, was easily manageable.
The pistol came with the original 1952 factory test target, shot no doubt by a talented MAPF “range grunt” with younger eyeballs than what we were able to offer up. Essentially, it was a 9-shot one hole group shot at 11 meters, about a hair over 36′.
The type of ammo wasn’t specified but in an attempt to try and pay respectable tribute to the Model 52’s age, we loaded it up with some vintage 40-grain Peters Hi-Velocity stuff we had on hand. We also upped the yardage to 50 feet, but downsized things to 5 shots. Our best effort came reasonably close to matching that long-ago test target. Just don’t ask for a repeat!
To disassemble the gun into its two main groups — the fixed barrel/frame and slide/recoil spring assembly — simply rack the slide and lift the rear section up as you do so. This is a fairly simple operation; however, it’s quite possible to inadvertently separate the two pieces if you’re a bit too ham-handed in racking the slide to chamber a round. Ask me how I know this!
The Unique Model 52 may be long-gone production-wise, but it’s well worth seeking out if you want an excellent plinker or paper puncher like nothing else you’re likely to run into. The only drawback to employing it as a small-game pistol would be figuring out a way to holster it for field carry. The long barrel would seem to call for a shoulder or across-the-chest rig. Finding something to fit the gun would be a hassle more than likely, but finding a workable solution might be fun.
