PAMAS G1
Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Etienne · Pistol · Out Of Production · 1989
Also known as: MAS G1, PA MAS G1, GIAT BM92-G1
Overview
The PAMAS G1 is a French semi-automatic pistol manufactured by Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Etienne (MAS) under licence from Beretta, derived from the Beretta 92F. Chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum, it uses an open-slide short-recoil action with a double-action/single-action trigger and a decock-only lever in place of a manual safety. Adopted in 1989, it replaced the MAC 50 as the standard sidearm of the French armed forces and Gendarmerie, with around 97,500 units placed in service over several decades.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 950 g (33.5 oz) |
| Overall Length | 217 mm (8.54") |
| Barrel Length | 125 mm (4.92") |
| Height | 138 mm (5.43") |
| Width | 38 mm (1.50") |
| Action Type | Short Recoil |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Double Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 15 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 390 m/s (1280 fps) |
| Effective Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 250 mm (9.84") |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Aluminum Alloy |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 9x19mm Parabellum · primary · 9mm NATO — also known as 9mm Luger, 9mm NATO, 9x19mm
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Decocker, Firing Pin Block
- Features: Decock Only Lever, Open Slide Design, Drift Adjustable Rear Sight, Three Dot Sights, Double Action Single Action
Service history
Operators
- French Armed Forces · adopted 1989
- National Gendarmerie · adopted 1989
Production
Estimated total produced: 97,500 · Production years: 1989-2000s
Approximately 97,500 units placed in service across the four branches of the French armed forces and the Gendarmerie
Origin
Country of origin: France
Designer: Beretta
Notes
The PAMAS G1 differs from the Beretta 92F in that it is decock-only with no manual safety, and lacks the 92FS slide-retention device. Early French-made slides contained tellurium, leaving the steel brittle with a service life of roughly 6,000 rounds; the French military later refitted Italian stainless-steel slides to extend service life.
Background
Built on the lines of Saint-Etienne under Beretta licence, the PAMAS G1 became the French military's standard sidearm in the late 1980s. A notorious metallurgy flaw, tellurium in the French-produced slides, made many guns brittle and prone to cracking, prompting a later refit with Italian-made slides.