The left side of the slide is marked in all capital sans-serif characters:

.22 L.R.
PISTOLET AUTOMATIQUEMABBREVETE -S.G.D.G.

Mab

The right side of the slide is marked MADE IN FRANCE.

MAB pistols were imported in the United States during the 1950s by the Western Arms Corporation of Los Angeles, California and sold by its distributor, the Winfield Arms Corporation. Eventually the various guns were given names instead of letter designations, so the R22 became “Le Chasseur,” the hunter. Guns for export to the United States were marked on the left side of the slide:

.22 L.R.
“LE CHASSEURMADE BY “MAB” IN FRANCE FOR “WAC”

The right side of the slide is unmarked.

Pistol
Two different front sights were available for the R-22, one with a graduated thumb wheel to raise and lower the sight, and another with a screw. Grip plates appear to be made of plastic, but the plates are thick and both guns I own have grip plates that are in excellent condition--no sign of shrinking or cracking. Grip plates have the MAB monogram in an oval near the bottom and an R in a circle at the top. Most guns came with an extra left side grip plate with an extended thumb rest at the top instead of the R in a circle. The grip plates for guns imported into the U.S. have the word “Winfield” in an oval near the bottom instead of MAB, and at the top is a circle with “.22 LR” in it.
Like all the MABs, the R22 was well made. Though not as highly polished or carefully finished as a Colt or a Smith & Wesson, the MABs were nonetheless manufactured with great precision and careful quality control. My R-22 is extremely reliable and quite accurate. My only complaint about the gun is that, unlike the other R-series guns, there is no provision for locking the slide open when the last round is fired. This means you must count rounds if you do not wish to have the firing pin impact the top of the barrel if it should fall on an empty chamber.

Mab Brevete Model D Serial Numbers

Field Stripping the R-22

MAB R-22 Field Stripped

The R22 has a latch on the left rear of the frame with two holes in it. The latch requires a special tool, which must be inserted into the lower hole, to open. A spring -loaded plunger in the bottom hole holds the latch in place. Field stripping is accomplished as follows:
  1. Pull the slide back about 1.5 cemtimeters and lock it open by moving the safety lever up into the middle detent on the slide.
  2. Insert the take-down tool into the bottom hole in the latch and pull the latch downward. The spring-loaded plunger beneath the latch will catch in the upper hole and hold the latch open.
  3. Pull the safety lever down. Grasp the slide, pull it to the rear, and lift it up out of the rail on the frame.
  4. Carefully ease the slide off the front of the gun.
My R-22 did not come with the take-down tool. I made one from a brass end that came with a gun cleaning kit. The brass piece was for pushing cotton patches through gun barrels, and had a long point on the end. I ground the point down to the correct diameter, ground the length down to the same depth as the latch (about 9/64 inch) and rounded the end with a file. It isn’t perfect but it suffices, and the brass will not scratch the gun.
Production of the large caliber Model R pistols ended in 1963, whereas production of the R-22 ended in 1965.
* If you have a high serial number Model R-9, or any other MAB Model R pistol, please e-mail me. Photographs would be greatly appreciated.