Favorite Firearms: A WWII Vet's MAB Modele C

posted on December 22, 2020
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
mab.jpg

My father was a World War II veteran. He was a Marine who had served in the South Pacific from 1943 to 1946, and growing up, I knew practically nothing about his service. Like many of his buddies, he didn’t talk about his service, but urging him to talk a few years before he died, I learned he had done amphibious landings in combat at Tinian, Saipan and Iwo Jima. 

His stories were sobering. Like many veterans, my dad didn’t hunt or shoot after the war, but he did own one gun that he had been given by his father: a French-made Manufacture d’Armes de Bayonne (MAB) Modele C, chambered in 7.65 mm Browning (.32 ACP).

Dad kept it in a cardboard cigar box on the top shelf in his closet. MAB sold these just after the war for personal protection, and my maternal grandfather bought one in the early 1950s. When my father’s health started to decline, mom asked me to take the MAB for safekeeping, making it my first firearm.

The Model C was a design based on the John Browning-designed FN Model 1910. Mine is in pristine condition, and I doubt my father ever fired it. He liked the design and we spoke about it and its exceptional machining and action. It is because of this gun that I began collecting a few small pre-war pistols and became fascinated by their designs.

After my father died, I pulled out the MAB Model C, and I keep it in the gun safe now—well-oiled and holding a lot of memories of my father, my grandfather and how it was the gun that first sparked my interest in becoming a firearm collector and enthusiast.

—James Hawkins, Georgia

Latest

Cz600 Review Right
Cz600 Review Right

Review: CZ 600 Alpha

One of several models in the CZ 600 series of rifles, the CZ 600 Alpha is an affordable bolt-action design with a unique action that incorporates a lightweight receiver and a "hybrid controlled feed" system.

San Tan Tactical Launches Defender Program

San Tan Tactical has launched a Defender Program to provide increased support for the professional community of law enforcement officers, servicemen and women and veterans.

I Have This Old Gun: The Ortgies Pistol

One of the lesser-known, German-made handguns from the early 20th century, the Ortgies pistol has a fascinating history stretching from the end of World War I all the way to the conclusion of World War II.

New For 2025: Taurus GX4 Strike Bravo

In a collaboration with Strike Industries, Taurus USA has launched its GX4 Strike Bravo, which combines elements of its popular micro-compact handgun with a chassis-frame design capable of accepting a stabilizing brace.

PenFed Touts Successful Three Quarters In 2025

In a quarterly update to members, PenFed Credit Union CEO James Schenck highlighted the company's strong financial position while also sharing some of his financial insights.

2026 NRA Youth Education Summit Applications Open

Applications are now open for the 2026 NRA Youth Education Summit (Y.E.S.), an all-expenses-paid, six-day leadership and scholarship program for rising high school juniors and seniors.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.