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Hi,

I was in Bretagne last week-end for 2 raisons : grabbing a bit of beach time & comply with one «certified» shoot, a condition to keep my French FAC live . I normally shoot one of my full-bore pistols but for change I decided to use my 22lr Unique DES 69.



The Unique DES was designed for competitive sport shooting & came on the market in 1969, so it is quite an old « vintage » classic. This was my 1st pistol & was already an old club pistol that was sold off to up-grade the armoury with some weird & terribly expensive Sci-Fi looking horror that keep breaking down. I parted with couple of hundred of €uros and with not rounds count, I can only guess that my pistol must have literally shoot 10’s of thousands rounds. It still performs faultlessly. Actually, I can not recall ever experiencing any firing incident with it pass couple of light strikes that I put down to faulty cheap ammo.

I was shooting unsupported single hand @ 25 meters. The first 4 impacts off visual are due to the fact that having just shot my PoA/PoI Glock, I stupidly forgot the DES is sighted «sport» on the lower edge of the black visual. Being used to service type pistols, with a trigger adjusted to 1,5 kg, it is also quite easy to release the shoot a tad to fast.

Anyway, hardly a gun one would start a revolution or rob a post office with, and such a shame I can not have it in my UK safe & shoot it more often instead of those LBP inepties we are only allowed here

Oh ... and that was the beach saturday morning. Not bad either

I had one of these in the '70's........cracking little pistol, but not as accurate (in my hands) as my Margolin.........

Pete

Indeed Pete... Both are in the same class of "Olympic" target 22lr pistols. So given the little I do in that discipline I could hardly justify one. However if we were to get 22lr pistols back in the UK, given my "penchant" for Eastern Guns trust me, I would get a Margolin in a heartbeat over any of those Walther,
Pardini or Hammerli . In their original wooden box , in addition to being superb pistols, Margolin truly are objects of beauty !!

I had one for years and repced it with a Walther GSP. The GSP is still the ultimate in my opinion.
FRed

Yeah, but the Margolin was designed by a blind man:

https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/publicat ... 141003.htm

......how cool is that?

Pete

My first .22 Pistol was a Margolin (Sold as a Vostok), wooden case, palm shelf, barrel weight brand new for £80. It was a very common club pistol at the time. I traded that for a Browning Match 150 then a Britarms 2000, along the way there were other odd .22's. A single six Ruger revolver, Drulov single shot, Webley etc.


The Unique 69 was always very well thought of at the time.

The DES69 was a lovely pistol! Much happier times all round.... and surprisingly an attractive French gun!!!

froggy wrote:... I would get a Margolin in a heartbeat over any of those Walther,
Pardini or Hammerli . In their original wooden box , in addition to being superb pistols, Margolin truly are objects of beauty !!

I fully share your view, but... avoid dry fire with them! The firing pin does not like it and can brake easily. And it is not easy to find the original parts for them ...

My first .22 pistol ws a Margolin. Cost £28 new in 1969. Wish I still had it, but not in the same class as the Des'69 or the GSP.
Fred

Mine was £25, boxed, and everything covered in greasy brown paper. I filed the brown bakelite shoe in the magazines so that it protruded enough to catch the slide after the last shot, and carved a pair of wooden grips.
I'd have another one in a flash if only........

Pete