Mamba Pistol
Encyclopedia
The Mamba is a semi-automatic pistol
developed in Rhodesia and later produced in the Republic of South Africa, intended for military and police duty. It is named after the mamba
, an African snake known for its deadly venom
that leaves little to no chance of survival for victims of its bite.
(now Zimbabwe
). Rhodesia in the 1970s was facing an outright rebellion that at the end took the form of a civil war
between the white-dominated Rhodesian Government, and two rival African factions, ZANU and ZAPU. Due to the war, Rhodesia struggled for years against a UN embargo. In a attempt to procure war materials, Rhodesians bought weapons from illegal traffickers and sympathetic governments. They also exploited their small domestic industry as far as it could, having their engineers come out with many interesting designs that were latter developed into functional, commercially viable weapons. Many weapons were produced in neighbouring South Africa, which was about to have UN-imposed arms sanctions as well. The Mamba pistol is an example of this as it was developed in Rhodesia and later produced in South Africa
being intended for military and police duty.
The Mamba was a high-capacity pistol (15 rounds with possibility of 1 additional round in chamber), robustly made in stainless steel and with advanced design traits like a curved trigger guard and the highly effective grip. Prototypes were first produced in 1977
The pistol was a poor seller and with the original manufacturers about to be affected by the imposed arms sanctions in South Africa, the right to manufacturing the Mamba pistol was sold to the Navy Arms Company of the US in the early 1980s by IncRelay Products (Pty) Ltd. and Viper Engineering (Pty) Ltd. The Navy Arms Company production of Mamba pistols only lasted a few years. The total production roll of this handgun, either in South Africa and the US, can be accounted to some hundreds of pieces. Navy Arms manufactured the Mamba Pistol in both 9x19mm and, for countries where 9mm parabellum ammunition was illegal for civilian use, 7.65x21mm Parabellum (a.k.a. the .30 Luger).
and FN GP-35/Browning Hi-Power pistols, the hammer could be locked either in cocked or in lowered position, allowing the gun to be carried in "cocked and locked" state, with safety on. The Mamba doesn't have any decocking system, which is unusual for a SA/DA pistol. The similarities that this pistol bears with the S&W series of full-size semi-automatic pistols are coincidental and superficial. The grip-mounted magazine and the slide stop are placed only on the left side of the pistol, but the frame-mounted safety is placed ambidextrously.The standard magazine issued with the Mamba was a 15-round high capacity type with a single position feed. Also planned were 20, 25, 30, and 40-round high-capacity magazines, but none of these were actually produced.
The Mamba's barrel has 12-groove 'button rifling', an unusual feature which is said to increase muzzle velocity by up to 10%. In addition to the rifling, instead of being supported by a bushing, the barrel is supported only by the machined hole at the front of the pistol's slide to increase accuracy.
A select-fire version of the Mamba was planned and a prototype made, but it never reached production. The selector had semi automatic and three-round-burst settings. The select fire version has a cyclic rate of fire of 1800 rounds per minute on the three round burst setting.
, and the 9x19mm would only become popular when the U.S. Armed Forces adopted a 9mm handgun eight years later. In European markets, pistol shooters used 9x21mm IMI cartridge and disliked the relatively under-powered 7.65x21mm cartridge.
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
developed in Rhodesia and later produced in the Republic of South Africa, intended for military and police duty. It is named after the mamba
Mamba
Mambas, of the genus Dendroaspis , are a group of highly venomous, fast-moving land-dwelling snakes of Africa. They belong to the family of Elapidae which includes cobras, coral snakes, taipans, brown snakes, tiger snakes, death adders, kraits and, debatably, sea snakes...
, an African snake known for its deadly venom
Venom
Venom is the general term referring to any variety of toxins used by certain types of animals that inject it into their victims by the means of a bite or a sting...
that leaves little to no chance of survival for victims of its bite.
History
The origins of the "Mamba" pistol date back to the mid-to-late 1970s in RhodesiaRhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
(now Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
). Rhodesia in the 1970s was facing an outright rebellion that at the end took the form of a civil war
Rhodesian Bush War
The Rhodesian Bush War – also known as the Second Chimurenga or the Zimbabwe War of Liberation – was a civil war which took place between July 1964 and December 1979 in the unrecognised country of Rhodesia...
between the white-dominated Rhodesian Government, and two rival African factions, ZANU and ZAPU. Due to the war, Rhodesia struggled for years against a UN embargo. In a attempt to procure war materials, Rhodesians bought weapons from illegal traffickers and sympathetic governments. They also exploited their small domestic industry as far as it could, having their engineers come out with many interesting designs that were latter developed into functional, commercially viable weapons. Many weapons were produced in neighbouring South Africa, which was about to have UN-imposed arms sanctions as well. The Mamba pistol is an example of this as it was developed in Rhodesia and later produced in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
being intended for military and police duty.
The Mamba was a high-capacity pistol (15 rounds with possibility of 1 additional round in chamber), robustly made in stainless steel and with advanced design traits like a curved trigger guard and the highly effective grip. Prototypes were first produced in 1977
The pistol was a poor seller and with the original manufacturers about to be affected by the imposed arms sanctions in South Africa, the right to manufacturing the Mamba pistol was sold to the Navy Arms Company of the US in the early 1980s by IncRelay Products (Pty) Ltd. and Viper Engineering (Pty) Ltd. The Navy Arms Company production of Mamba pistols only lasted a few years. The total production roll of this handgun, either in South Africa and the US, can be accounted to some hundreds of pieces. Navy Arms manufactured the Mamba Pistol in both 9x19mm and, for countries where 9mm parabellum ammunition was illegal for civilian use, 7.65x21mm Parabellum (a.k.a. the .30 Luger).
Technical description
It is entirely made in stainless steel (a first for semi-auto pistols), with polymer grips and high-capacity magazine. The Mamba works in semi-automatic, recoil-operated, locked-breech single/double action based on the Browning principle. Its only safety was a Browning-style frame mounted safety that locks the hammer and the slide. Like the M1911M1911
The M1911 is a single-action, semi-automatic, magazine-fed, and recoil-operated handgun chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. John M. Browning designed the firearm which was the standard-issue side arm for the United States armed forces from 1911 to 1985. The M1911 is still carried by some U.S....
and FN GP-35/Browning Hi-Power pistols, the hammer could be locked either in cocked or in lowered position, allowing the gun to be carried in "cocked and locked" state, with safety on. The Mamba doesn't have any decocking system, which is unusual for a SA/DA pistol. The similarities that this pistol bears with the S&W series of full-size semi-automatic pistols are coincidental and superficial. The grip-mounted magazine and the slide stop are placed only on the left side of the pistol, but the frame-mounted safety is placed ambidextrously.The standard magazine issued with the Mamba was a 15-round high capacity type with a single position feed. Also planned were 20, 25, 30, and 40-round high-capacity magazines, but none of these were actually produced.
The Mamba's barrel has 12-groove 'button rifling', an unusual feature which is said to increase muzzle velocity by up to 10%. In addition to the rifling, instead of being supported by a bushing, the barrel is supported only by the machined hole at the front of the pistol's slide to increase accuracy.
A select-fire version of the Mamba was planned and a prototype made, but it never reached production. The selector had semi automatic and three-round-burst settings. The select fire version has a cyclic rate of fire of 1800 rounds per minute on the three round burst setting.
Demise
The Navy Arms company launched the Mamba Pistol with a vigorous marketing campaign but was hampered by rumors of poor workmanship and sold in unpopular calibers. Poor quality construction and poor alignment of the magazine with the chamber could result in feeding problems. The magazine also featured a slide hold-open latch, but it was of also unreliable as well. In the US, the caliber of choice for the sports shooters was the .45 ACP.45 ACP
The .45 ACP , also known as the .45 Auto by C.I.P., is a cartridge designed by John Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic .45 pistol and eventually the M1911 pistol adopted by the United States Army in 1911.-Design and history:The U.S...
, and the 9x19mm would only become popular when the U.S. Armed Forces adopted a 9mm handgun eight years later. In European markets, pistol shooters used 9x21mm IMI cartridge and disliked the relatively under-powered 7.65x21mm cartridge.