Good thing I usually don't stop to look.

[yenningcomity]

Coming home from class I stopped in 500 Guns on a whim. I am not the type to look unless I am wanting something spefic, but today I figured why not.

Long story bottom corner of the first cabinet I see a Mateba Unica 6. I have wanted one for awhile, but have never seen one in person. After talking I find out the cash price is 1200 so I drive home to let the dog out and mull it over.

Needless to say I went back. It blew most of my gun budget, but I couldn't help it. I figured if I didn't buy it today I would end up kicking myself down the road since they don't come up often. I have enough money left over to add a second gun to my tiny collection. I will probably go with a 357, probably a 586 or Dan Wesson.

Sadly i plan on reloading and it will be awhile before I get to shoot this baby. I don't want to risk it on my first couple batches so it will probably sit for awhile before I take it out.

There was no box/manual/tools/44 special spring which is a downer, but I am still stoked. Since I am going to reload the 44 special spring isn't too big a deal. I did get a nice softcase free with it which I did not expect so +1 for 500 guns.

 

[EvilBlackGun]

What ??

What are all the gee-gaws for, that make it look Mall-Ninja-ish? Do they increase performance?

 

[yenningcomity]

gee-gaws??

It is a bizarre gun, but it is a semi-auto revolver. The barrel is at the 6 oclock position, not the usual 12. Granted the compensator is a bit much, but beggars cannot be choosers. later versions came threaded for it. I have not found out if I can leave it removed. Overall the gun felt light compared to a Mark VII DE in 44.

 

[24Carat]

Shades of " Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome " ! I like it !!

 

[GoDawgs]

That thing is a head turner - I bet you'll get lots of questions at the range. Cool find!

 

[Femme Assise]

Awesome gun! That will certainly catch the eye of spectators at the range.

 

[ghuns]

Just when ya think you seen it all. Never even hear of the thing, but it's cool

 

[wrigleycub]

Just for a self challenge you must attempt to CC that beast!

 

[yenningcomity]

Just for a self challenge you must attempt to CC that beast!

I have a trench coat, it would be a matter of finding a rig to hold it. I would never do so loaded, but there are a few family members that would get a kick out of it. Just too expensive to do though.

I cannot wait to go to the range, but since Mateba is out of business and the guns are rare I do not think I will let others shoot it. If it breaks I can end up being SOL. My goal right now is to get a copy of the manual or to try and see if someone will do a scan.

 

[malern28us]

I am glad you like it! It makes me change my mind that Glocks are the ugliest pistols I have ever seen though.

 

[yenningcomity]

Hurrah for the internet. I found a complete scan of the manual. I will need to work the courage up to tear this beast down and clean it at some point. I am not a huge fan of the compensator, but unless I can find someone selling an unthreaded barrel (the barrel comes off like a dan wesson) then I will leave it on.

The upside is I have run across no reason to shoot lead in this so it will be cheaper to feed then the desert eagle I was planning on getting.

 

[sigmachijc]

That is the most interesting gun I've seen in quite some time! Cool stuff

 

[EvilBlackGun]

Please explain ...

... what a "semi-auto revolver" is. I'm guessing that a selling point of the contraption is the bore-axis being in a more favorable (?) location. Congrats on your find. I'm just not jealous !!

 

[Pip Logan]

Bro that's Mint!

 

[VERT]

I think it is cool! Semi-Auto Revolver? OP tell me more about how the action works. I may have to do a little googling.

Edit: Well google is my friend. Semi-Auto Revolver. Come to think of it I have heard about this gun but I don't think I have ever actually seen one. Very Cool Indeed. Congrats.

 

[Fordtough25]

Stopping by the LGS is hard on my wallet when I find something cool! I feel your pain.

 

[yenningcomity]

... what a "semi-auto revolver" is. I'm guessing that a selling point of the contraption is the bore-axis being in a more favorable (?) location. Congrats on your find. I'm just not jealous !!

Easiest explanation is that everything above the trigger acts like a slide. You fire a round and it goes back about 3/4 of an inch. This cocks the gun and rotates the cylinder for the next shot.

The upside of this is that the gun can be shot very rapidly and thanks to its low bore axis the recoil pushes back and not up. So that being said it gives you the ability to shoot off 6 very fast and accurate shots.

The downside is that it is incredibly complicated and originally were around 1500 new although cdnn clearanced them around 600 at one point. It also means that you have to use a recoil spring for each caliber. Mine is missing the spare recoil spring for 44 special. As such if I load it with 44 special it will fail to cycle.

Mateba was actually a pasta machine making company in italy. Emilio Ghisoni was the owner's son. His father died in the 50's and Emilio dropped out of college to run the company. Firearms were sort of a side business he started. I have heard the early ones were rough. They never did too many, but the ones i know of are the MT1 (22 target pistol), MTR8 (snub nosed 38 target pistol), 2600M, and the Mateba Unica 6. Emilio also designed the Chiappa Rhino. From what I read he was friends with the CEO of Chiappa. Sadly he died in 2008 before it came out.

The best way to sum it up it was an answer to a question no one ever asked. It is a bizarre piece that I have lusted after for years because it is so strange. If I can ever come across an MTR8 I will buy it as well although only 10 were imported to the US.

I will give the designer credit. He tried new things. Not many revolvers have removable barrels (python and dan wesson come to mind). The only other semi auto revolver I know of is the webly fosgate. I cannot think of any open top revolvers outside of black powder. Aside from the rhino and 2600m (never imported to the us) I cannot think of any 6 oclock production revolvers.

 

[Que]

Very nice looking gun. I thought 500 Guns was shut down?