One of the toughest revolvers of the past half-decade is coming back into production. [Manurhin] Revolver snobs might talk about how great their vintage Model 29 or Peacemaker is, but in the modern day, one company makes a wheelgun that casts a shadow over most of the competition. Based in France, Manurhin makes revolvers that are oh, so sweet—and oh, so unattainably expensive. But there’s good news, if you want one; the Manurhin MR88 is back in production. Wild wheelguns @ TFB: Wheelgun Wednesday: Mandatory Montenegrin Gasser Revolvers Wheelgun Wednesday: Mauser C78 Zig Zag Wheelgun Wednesday: Buy Darth Vader's Shootin' Iron Wheelgun Wednesday: Building A Budget Wild West Collection Manurhin historyFounded in the early 20th century, Manufacture de Machines du Haut-Rhin, aka Manurhin, has done a lot of things. They made food processing machinery and scooters. But after World War II, like much of reindustrializing Europe, they were keen to try new things, so they started making semi-auto pistols. First they licensed the Walther PP, PPK, and PPK/S designs, and built a reputation for solid quality. Then, the French government did something that many would find surprising: They asked Manurhin to build them a .357 Magnum revolver.Over the first half of the 20th century, European governments were not known for giving their police and military high-powered big-bore handguns. While America went with the .45 ACP, European militaries went for handguns that had smaller bullets (7.63×25mm Mauser), or slower bullets (.455 Webley), or both (the Euros really loved their .32 ACP). But French leadership wanted a handgun with real hitting power and long-range accuracy, so they reached out to Manurhin. The result was the Manurhin MR73, as issued to the paramilitary police Gendarmerie Nationale as well as the hotshot GIGN anti-terrorist unit.Remember that back in the mid-20th century, airliners were regularly getting hijacked by Communist terrorists, not to mention all sorts of other antisocial hijinks by the PLO, IRA and other revolutionaries funded in part by the Kremlin. The French leaders rightly realized that antiterrorist units would need crushing firepower to terminate such troublemakers with extreme prejudice, but that it would have to be easily concealable and portable. The result, introduced in 1972, was the MR73 revolver. It is still in production today; the company just announced a 250th anniversary version of the revolver.The MR73 was hand-fitted and built to last 100,000 rounds before needing any real mechanical fettling. There was just one problem: It was crazy-expensive for consumers. Enter the MR88! A team-up jobThe MR88 came out in 1988 as a team-up between Ruger and Manurhin. The two companies had worked together previously; Ruger had designed the lockwork and frames for the Special Police F1 revolver, and Manurhin had focused on producing its cold-hammer-forged cylinders and barrels. The MR88 was the consumer version of that revolver, with a strong resemblance to a Ruger GP100, and the French moved production entirely to their home country, instead of combining Euro and American parts. A surplus MR88, from the French forestry service, and now for sale in Colorado. You can now buy a brand-new version of this revolver. [Cabela’s] But it was still a high-quality piece; with the American design and French know-how, you had a revolver that came in at a lower price tag, but was still good for 50,000 rounds without a tune-up. Considering the price of ammo, it’s safe to say that most owners will never fire enough shells through an MR88 to need any mechanical attention, even if it’s only rated for half the use of the MR73.The MR88 was sold in a sport-shooting version (MR88 Sport SX) and also a law enforcement version (MR88 Defense DX). Government surplus shoppers will sometimes also see a version called the MR88 Gendarmerie, with a large rubber grip, that was built for (as the name implies) the French police. Some MR88 revolvers came in .38 Special only, while others were the full-Monty .357 Magnum. There were also some versions with a 9x19mm conversion cylinder. The MR88 returnsDespite its recognition for quality in the revolver world, the MR88 was eventually discontinued. Now, Chapuis Armes, the manufacturer behind Manurhin, says the MR88 is coming back after “several years dedicated to the complete reindustrialization of this iconic project.” That long barrel means the SX model is used for sport shooting, not walking a police beat. [Manurhin] In other words, they’ve redesigned the revolver from the ground up, using modern equipment and CAD techniques to ensure it’s still as high-quality a firearm as it ever was. The manufacturer says the new handgun will benefit from “the same manufacturing requirements, precision and reliability that characterize the legendary MR73.”The first version that’s coming to market is a modernized sport-shooting stainless steel SX model, with barrels in 3-inch, 4-inch, 5.25-inch or 6-inch lengths. We don’t see any MSRP listed on the revolver’s website, but Chapuis Armes says orders are now open and that they’ll start deliveries in Q1 of 2027—and that they’ve managed to keep the sticker shock less shocking: “Despite the scope of this work, we have kept a competitive pricing position for a revolver entirely made in France.”Interested? You can see more details at the Chapuis Armes website here. Presumably, they’ll be floating at the SHOT Show next year.