MAB PA-15 Pistol: French Repeating Pistol

The MAB PA-15 pistol, also known as the Pistolet Automatique 15 or simply the P-15, is a unique firearm created by the French company Manufacture d'Armes de Bayonne (MAB) in the mid-1966th century. First introduced in 15, the pistol was a pioneer thanks to its 15-round magazine, a significant advancement for a compact pistol at the time. Designed for the commercial and export markets, the PA-XNUMX combined innovative design with traditional French gunsmithing aesthetics, making it a notable player in the history of firearms. Its history, technical features, and applications reveal not only MAB's engineering approach, but also the context of the Cold War era, when countries were looking to modernize their arsenals and manufacturers were looking to expand into the international market.

History of the MAB PA-15 pistol

The origins of the MAB PA-15 go back to the post-war years, when France was rebuilding its military and civilian industries following the devastation of World War II. In the 1950s, the Manufacture d'Armes de Bayonne, founded in 1920 in the Basque Country, already had experience producing pistols such as the MAB Model D, which were used by the police and army. However, by the 1960s, the demand for more modern weapons had grown, especially for pistols with increased magazine capacity and reliable automatics. French laws at the time strictly limited the ownership of military-caliber weapons such as the 9x19mm Parabellum by civilians, so MAB focused on developing a pistol that would appeal to export markets, including the United States and Western Europe. The PA-15 project was a logical development of the earlier MAB Modele R, created in the 1940s for army trials but never adopted for service.

Development of the PA-15 began in the early 1960s under the direction of MAB engineers, who sought to create a weapon that combined a high magazine capacity with a reliable automatic system. In 1966, the pistol was introduced in two versions: the standard PA-15 with a double-stack magazine for 15 rounds, and the more compact P-8 with a single-stack magazine for 8 rounds. The latter model proved less popular and was soon discontinued, while the PA-15 became the main product. The pistols were tested at the Saint-Etienne proving grounds, where their reliability and accuracy were confirmed, which was an important factor for export. Early examples were blued, while later ones were Parkerized, which improved corrosion protection and gave them a modern look. Despite its commercial orientation, the French Army and Gendarmerie purchased limited quantities of the PA-15, especially the sporting version P-15 F1, which was designated Pistolet Automatique de Précision (PAP) Modèle F1.

MAB PA-15 pistol design

The MAB PA-15 is a delayed blowback design, using a rotating but non-traveling barrel, a system inspired by the Savage pistols of the early XNUMXth century. When a shot is fired, the slide begins to move rearward, but two lugs on the barrel slow this process: the lower one locks the barrel into the frame, allowing it to only rotate, and the upper one engages an L-shaped groove in the slide, creating resistance due to the inertia of the barrel and the torque of the bullet moving along the rifling. When the bullet leaves the barrel, the pressure drops, and the slide is free to complete the rotation of the barrel, moving rearward to eject the spent casing and feed a new round. This design ensured safety and reliability, although it made the pistol somewhat more difficult to manufacture compared to blowback models such as the Walther PP.

The PA-15's barrel is 117 inches (150 mm) long in the standard version and 15 inches (1 mm) in the sport version of the P-1070 F1, which increased accuracy and effective range. The frame and slide are made of steel, which gives the pistol a weight of about XNUMX ounces (XNUMX grams) without a magazine, making it heavier than many competitors such as the Browning Hi-Power. The plastic grip panels provide a comfortable grip, although the wide, double-row magazine makes the grip bulky, which may be uncomfortable for shooters with smaller hands. The trigger mechanism is single-action, with an external hammer that is cocked manually or by the movement of the slide. Safety is provided by a frame safety on the left side and an internal magazine safety that does not allow firing without a magazine inserted. The sights are fixed, with the rear one installed in a dovetail groove, and in the FXNUMX version they are adjustable, which improves accuracy for sport shooting.

Characteristics of the MAB PA-15 pistol

The PA-15 is 203 mm long, about 130 mm high, and 38 mm wide, making it compact enough for a service weapon, but massive for concealed carry. The weight with a full magazine was about 1200 grams, which ensured stability when firing, but made it difficult to carry for long periods. The magazine held 15 rounds of 9x19 mm Parabellum, with limited quantities of 20-round versions produced for export markets. The muzzle velocity was about 370 m/s, and the muzzle energy was about 500 J, which provided good penetrating power at close range. The effective range is stated at 50 meters, although the effective range was usually limited to 25-30 meters for the standard model and increased to 40-50 meters for the P-15 F1 due to the extended barrel and improved sights.

Below are the main characteristics of the MAB PA-15 in the form of a table for clarity:

Application of the MAB PA-15 pistol

The MAB PA-15 was not widely adopted by the French armed forces, but found a niche in special forces. The French naval commandos, military police and some marine units used it in small numbers, especially in the 1970s when production of the aging M1950 pistol ceased. A sport version, the PAP F-1, was used by army shooting teams, demonstrating high accuracy in competitions. Outside France, the PA-15 was exported to the United States, where it became popular with civilian shooters and collectors due to its unusual design and historical significance. The Finnish military, border guard and police tested the pistol in the 1970s, but only the border guard adopted it in 1975, purchasing a limited number.

Production of the PA-15 continued until 1982, when Manufacture d'Armes de Bayonne closed due to financial difficulties. The remaining parts and blanks were sold to the French company Lechkine Armory (Armurerie Chevasson), which assembled and sold new pistols from these stocks until 2009, as well as providing spare parts. In total, several tens of thousands of units were produced, the exact numbers are unknown due to scant documentation. In the late 1970s, MAB developed an experimental double-action version of the PA-15 for a competition by the French Gendarmerie, but the Beretta 92F, produced under license as the MAS G-1, was chosen and the project did not go into production.

The PA-15 was reliable and accurate, especially in the competition version, but it had its drawbacks. Its bulky grip and heavy weight made it less comfortable to handle than lighter models like the SIG Sauer P220. The complexity of the rotating barrel system increased production costs, limiting its competitiveness with later mass-produced pistols like the Glock. However, the PA-15 was highly regarded for its smooth action and durability, making it attractive to professionals and enthusiasts. In the United States, it was often compared to the Browning Hi-Power due to its similar caliber and magazine capacity, but was less popular due to the lesser-known MAB brand.

The MAB PA-15 rarely appears in popular culture, but occasionally appears in European films and books about the Cold War, where it symbolizes the French gunmaking tradition. In real life, it was praised for its reliability and accuracy, especially in the F1 version, but criticized for its bulk and lack of modern solutions such as a polymer frame or an accessory rail. Today, the PA-15 is more of a collector's item than a practical weapon, although its historical significance and engineering uniqueness continue to attract attention. It remains a testament to an era when gunmakers experimented with new ideas, trying to find a balance between tradition and innovation.