Le Français Type Armée - A Strange Service Pistol
This video delves into the Le Français Type Armée, a service pistol developed from a smaller civilian defensive model. Designed by Etienne Mimard in 1912 and cataloged by Manufrance in 1914, the original was a .25ACP pocket pistol with a double-action trigger and tip-up barrel. The Type Armée, introduced in 1928, was a larger variant chambered in 9mm Browning Long, intended for military service. Despite being tested by the Versailles Commission, it was rejected due to its loading and trigger mechanisms being better suited for a pocket gun, and the lack of an extractor. Approximately 4900 were sold, including to officers purchasing their own sidearms, with early models featuring a smooth barrel and later ones (1931 pattern) distinguished by a finned or ribbed barrel.











