Beautiful revolvers but Togusa used another similar MaTeBa revolver, the 2006M, non-semiautomatic, built in '80-90s, well before the 6Unica. The 2006 model number is not related to year 2006 (2006M was made 20 years before that). Ghost in the Shell appeared 10 years before the 6 Unica surfaced (designed 1997).
The blueing on the revolver is just beautiful. Its so expertly done that it shows immediately upon closer inspection. The craftsmanship that must have gone into making this revolver is mind blowing.
The dude who designed them just really liked guns, as far as I can tell. He wanted his to be the best even if it wasn't practical or economical, they made the theoretical "best" revolvers possible and I love the whole goofy looking family of them
The Unica 6 honestly looks so beautiful. While traditional revolver designs are cool and all, the bottom-bore design of the Unica makes it stand out a lot more even if it's sharing the same calibers as other more well-known revolvers.
Every time I see a Mateba I can't help but think of Togusa from Ghost in the Shell and his preference for his trusty Mateba over any of the high tech weaponry in the movie.
Loved that show but never noticed that. I've watched it through probably a half dozen or so times and never paid any attention to the weapons other than the Tachikoma.
And I thought it was just another double-action revolver. Half of the video in and it's already my favorite modern revolver. It's got everything, clever engineering, unique features, outstanding desing, and comercial failure of the company making it. It was literally designed to be cool af
Ever since I first saw ghost in the shell as a kid I've loved the mateba. I'm far from an engineer but I've been playing with the idea of designing a revolver that works like a mateba but fires from both the bottom and top chamber (so two barrels) because, to quote my younger self "that would be cool af".
@@LadyAnuB well you'd probably have to reduce the calibre either way if you want to make something that is even close to practical but I'd say it's worth a shot..... ;P
togusa constantly practicing was not because he needed to tighten up his gun play, but because he blew so much dosh on the damn thing that he needed to get as much use of it as he possibly could
The Aesthetic is so very Cyberpunk. It could easily be one of those “This looks a bit strange, we can pass it off as futuristic” movie prop firearms. So gorgeous.
It was used in the original "Ghost in the Shell," the anime that popularized the cyberpunk/neotokyo aesthetic. Not as a prop, but as a reference. It is even referred to by its name, they don't try to pass it off as some future space gun
Not sure if you are just joking, but this, along with the Mateba 2006M, were the inspirations for the revolvers used by Togusa in the various Ghost in the Shell manga/anime.
Also those grips are original, they are very rare. Mateba had problems with the French walnut they were using for the grips cracking due to recoil, this was an attempt to rectify that but not many of the solid aluminum ones were made
I sat to the left of my monitor to make this video more authentic. Joking aside the Unica 6 is one of my favorite gun concepts, with a really unique and I think neat look to boot. I can see Scott shuddering in rage with the concept of less recoil.
In our 1911 group on FB, one of our main admins who sadly passed away from a brain tumor back in 2016 I believe had one also in 44 mag with wood grips and it was the most gorgeous thing when he did show it off. Back then I believe he said it was valued at like 6k-8k give or take. Don't know how true that is but his was a safe queen
Idk why makes me think of the revolver in alien isolation. Looks so similar. Might of been the place they took inspiration from. Ultimately its got such a rather unique futuristic look to it. Its pretty cool.
@@robosoldier11 Yeah, Mateba Unica was an inspiration to a lot of movie and video game designs, due to how cool it looks. A revolver firing from the bottom of the cylinder instantly looks sexy
I have a Rhino 30DS, which is basically a very watered down derivative of this, and I really thought the whole bottom cylinder thing was just a gimmick, but the little 3" revolver has less perceived recoil than my Dan Wesson 15-2 with the 8" full lug barrel. Extremely pleasant to shoot.
Rhino was also designed by Emilio Ghisoni. And before Unica he designed Mateba 2006M, all 3 shooting from the buttom of the cylinder. But because of the sliding Unica is not realy low bore and also because of the short sliding and mass that is hard to dampen, there is a strong shock after recoil. Kinetic energy is related to the speed squared and that apply not just for bullets but also for the slide. It can be better dampened by a longer sliding after the gun is cocked. Another problem is that shooting magnum ammo from the buttom of the cylinder it's very easy to leave you without some fingers even with a non sliding cylinder like Rhino and 2006M have.
@@Aperson156 That's exactly what I was wanting one in .44mag/.454 with a short barrel for. Even if they keep it relatively light that'd be fine as I don't mind heavy recoil, but mitigating as much muzzle flip as possible would be a game-changer for bear defense. I thought I'd read they planned to roll out larger magnum's after the .357 but I'm pretty sure that was pre-Covid, and that whole debacle changed a lot of manufacturers near-term plans... Still have my fingers crossed it comes to fruition some day
@@mfallen6894 I have a (UK Spec Long Barrelled Pistol) 9mm version, with a 357 cylinder on the way. I believe they are also available in 40S&W but not here.
Ok so I first heard about this manufacturer in Ghost in the Shell back in the late 90s. I have spent the last decade hoping Ian would review one as I am not likely to ever have a chance to see one myself. Thank you Ian for the review and using all of your ammo. What a huge treat! Can you do a video to review revolvers that don’t fire from the top chamber. As a concept I find that extremely interesting from a dynamic and ergonomic point of view. Thank you again.
Of course not the same - and of course not cheap - but not all guns designed by this fellow are as hard to come by as the Unica 6: if you've not heard of the Chiappa Rhino, you're in for a fun few minutes.
@@yuryyanin7967 No, it says firearm engineers as a whole. It would require more words to specify particular ones, this was a blanket statement praising engineers when the engineers developing firearms today simply copy what past engineers actually invented. There hasn't been a new thought in their head for a long time. Just steal what great men created, change it a little, and stamp your name on it for a profit.
@@maximusjoseppi5904 There is a glimps of truth in your words, but I'd rather disagreed, then feel convinced. Nevertheless, I see no chance to discuss all that here. Your thout is too deep and deserves much more words, then comments can absorb. Less philosophically and more practically I'd consider MTR 8, Inica 6, Chiappa Rhino as interesting firearms among available contemporary ones. More generally every gun was a result of previous developments, as every human is a product of the history of all mankind.
@@yuryyanin7967 I mean, engineers are creating/trying to create totally new technology in batteries, solar tech, AI, vehicles, aircraft electronics, aircraft design, machining processes, medical tech.. The only advancement we've seen in firearms technology is a "smart gun" or rail guns but neither of those are functional yet. Smart guns are bad imo though as an American. The industry is comfortable and complacent. As someone who's been a firearms enthusiast for about 15 years and reviews guns, I haven't seen anything new come out in my adult lifetime. Optics have gotten better, lasers and machining advances allow for better texturing and aesthetics, lights and aiming lasers are better... The gun itself? Same guns we've had for 100 years with very minor adjustments for reliability and accessorizing.
This gun may be one of the reasons I started interesting in firearms actually. I was about 15 when I picked up a magazine where a ton of these guns were on sale here in Italy. And it's unique look made me wonder "how that works", so I started investigating about it. And here we are 15 years after that still looking at this beauty.
I have a Chiappa Rhino, and the low bore axis makes everybody confused and amazed by the easily controlled recoil. 38 special+p shoot like .22lr and 357 is all sound no fury.
@@WALTERBROADDUSYes! Both the Mateba and Chiappa Rhino revolvers were designed by Emilio Ghisoni. I’ve never had the opportunity to own a Mateba, but I do love the Rhino line of revolvers and I don’t even like revolvers other than a few old colt and military specimens I have lol
With the whole Gyrojet series being covered years ago, the Unica 6 was IMO the only weird-ish but cool famous firearm still missing from this channel. I'm glad this is now fixed, and it certainly is as cool as one might of imagined it being.
And I'm just over here thinking what a Unica 6 going full automatic would be like. And I'm wondering how it never occurred to me before hearing Ian say that, to realize that it could be a thing.
Even as someone who doesn't get to shoot, stuff like this is why firearms are so interesting. As crowded as the space is, as long as you have the tools and an idea, you can make something unique.
@@MrTaxiRobI do shoot, a lot. But I actually like the tech more than the actual shooting. Given the choice of never shooting again or never reading about or watching firearm subjects again I’d easily give up shooting. And I absolutely love to shoot, and I’m pretty decent at it as well.
@@john-paulsilke893 I don't know that I could give up shooting... that's a bold statement. It would certainly save a lot of money on ammo (and more and more guns that I don't need but I "must have" lol)
I am going to guess, that this gun, is the base for the weapon used in Tri-Gun. These bottom cylinder revolvers are always dynamic looking weapons, and this Italian job is perfect example. That it may have been visual inspiration for a stylish space-cowboy, comes as no real surprise. Thanks for showing us something so nice to look at Ian!
@ayebraine I'm willing to believe you there, so thanks for clarifying the timeline a bit. I love discovering "the real thing" like this. These little cultural easter eggs are really what makes education so fun!
I ended up getting some Chippa Rhinos (also fire from the bottom cylinder), 2", 5", 6" - noticed that the least amount of flip was with the 2" model. They all mitigate felt recoil quite a bit, my wife shoots full power .357 through her 2" Rhino with no issues whatsoever.
The Unicas were really smooth shooters with surprisingly low recoil. Prone to jam for a short while (often the trigger screw but also an action lever in the internals) but ran flawlessly once broken in after going through a few cylinder's worth of ammo. There's a little chunk of metal that makes up part of the ejector/cylinder axis that seems a little weak and it shattered on my .357 after maybe 250 rounds through it. Back when Mateba closed shop the first time around, a gunsmith down in Florida bought up all of the available parts in the US market and began charging exorbitant prices for them. I vaguely remember them insisting on doing the gunsmithing work if I wanted the part. I don't know if those guys are still around or have anymore parts but given how rare they are, maybe? There's an online store called the Kommando Store that, maybe about a year before the Pandemic, arranged to be a vendor or importer (I forget which) for Mateba in the US when they (Mateba) was trying to revive itself but I think communications may have inexplicably stopped between the two. I've been meaning to get in touch with Kommand Store about what happened with that but also to check with Chiappa about the possibility of parts compatibility with the Rhino, seeing how they appear to share a couple of dimensional similarities, the two designs coming from the same dad
kommandostore got scammed. the guy that bought mateba is a sketchy dude, and the kommandostore people never actually went to italy to ever see the guns in person 🤡
Mateba revolvers legacy can be found in the "Rhino" revolver family (low bore but not semiauto) built by Chiappa Firearms projected by engineers Antonio Cudazzo ed Emilio Ghisoni (previously designer of Mateba Autorevolver).
@@hardcase-69 Yeah, I can see Mateba DNA in a lot of video game weapons, but especially Destiny. It's a bit of a shame that nowadays its been replaced by the Chiappa Rhino as the quintessential "space revolver". I always preferred the Mateba.
This is the gun that, when i was 12 years old, blew my mind so much that I became an all around gun fanboy/historian. Lucky for me, 4 years later TH-cam would launch and Ian was one of my first subscription! EDIT: I remembered seeing in an old catalogue the carbine version, called the GRIFONE!
I guess my tastes were a little more pedestrian as a kid. The first gun I can remember thinking that was "The Shit" was a sawed off side by side shotgun. And that was due to watching Mad Max. Still think they are cool, but the only thing holding me back now is the tax stamp deal.
@@BradyBubbuhgum-fh4ny That's actually a common myth. Being registered for an NFA weapon doesn't avail you of your 4th Amendment rights. The part about unannounced inspections by the ATF are in connection to FFLs. Having said that, even with standard laws it's no guarantee you won't have your rights trampled.
@@tylerwilliams6022 I've watched cops do too much blatantly illegal shit right in front of my eyes to know they're just gonna try to trample my rights.
The Mateba Unica 6 is probably the coolest revolver ever, likely because it was designed to be cool/quirky. So many systems are different from the average revolver, yet it still performs really well, quite the feat!
During the slow motion phase of the video you can see that the space between the top of the cylinder and the barrel increases during the recoil like the cylinder spindle is bearing all the force of the shot. Over time this might become a failure point.
Yep. I don't think I would shoot this gun. Pause @16:55. Use arrow keys < and > to advance back and forth 1 frame at a time. Advance forward. This frame is absolutely flexing dramatically. The cylinder is also rocking dramatically. I think it's a good thing Ian had a limited number of cartridges. That said, what would be the advantage of an automatic revolver? It can't be rate of fire because a revolver shooting double-action is faster* than a semi-auto. *I mean, if your name is Jerry Miculek and happen to be shooting one of his "sloppified" revolvers...
Ian, your genuine enthusiasm for guns and all the history and engineering is so pure that it easily doubles the entertainment value of these videos. Fellow commenters, i always go into these sections expecting to find a lot of very... loud and outspoken people, to put it as gently as I can, and am constantly shocked by how much of it really is just people sharing their stories and their own enthusiam! After a long day at work in a town half full of self righteous buttholes and half very gung-ho "mah rights/dont tread on me/confederate flags wavers", this warms the soul and reminds me that you can love guns and not be a butt!
I love this gun because it's like looking into an alternate technological path. Like if instead of making traditional semiautos more robust and reliable, we made revolvers semiauto. The end result is frankly fairly similar, and the autorevolver ends up being way too expensive (though it's hard to say whether that's inherent or just that these are so much more, well, unique), but it's just cool to see such a different way to reach the goal. Also by all reports it's just a damn good gun for what is essentially a concept piece. Which is always cool to see.
I'm not sure if autorevolvers have to be this expensive. The Webley-Fosbery revolvers were sold for about 3 pounds a piece in 1915, which translates to about 250 pounds in today's money. That is no more expensive than a modern automatic. The reason the Mateba Unica costs so much is its design. It's basically a double-action revolver slapped on top of a slide with a bunch of complex and precise machinery to make that work. Normally, in a double action, there's an arm which is attached to the hammer which rotates the cylinder when the trigger is pulled. In the case of the Uncia, this arm is housed in the upper frame and has to interface with both the hammer and the sliding mechanism separately. This single part/mechanism and the precision required for it to work is probably most of the reason this gun costs so much. There are other problems with autorevolvers, though. The Webley-Fosberrys were used by cavalry officers in WWI, and they complained that the slide would jam up with rain and mud. Limp-wristing was a large issue too, because there's a lot more resistance in the motion of the slide when it's turning a barrel cam. An ideal autorevolver would use a barrel cam ("zig zag") rather than clockwork, which would enable it to be manufactured for costs similar to other semi-autos, but it would re-cock itself and rotate the cylinder by some means other than a recoil operated slide.
So many sci-fi / future / fiction designs can be traced back either to this gun, or to another by the same designer. Aside from this gun appearing in Ghost in the Shell, it also inspired the iconic revolvers from that other popular 90s anime, Trigun. Then there's the famous sidearm from Blade Runner.
I'm glad you were finally able to film one of these for us. Missing out on one all those years ago must have been driving you crazy for ages. Are there any other rare guns that 'got away' like this one did?
FINALLY the Unica 6. What took you so long? I've seen it first in Ghost in the Shell, when Togusa used it and immediately fell for it. This gun is iconic!
One of my favorite firearms. I really hope that they go back into production. American Western Arms was importing them and still lists them on their website, but their site hasn't been updated in a long time.
I’m just here to say that it’s truly astounding how professional you are and how much research you do, down to even the correct pronunciation of the name of the gun and such. You’re one of the bests Ian 💪🏻
The pistol used by Togusa in the movie and Stand Alone Complex is not this but the 2007M, a fictionalised version of the 2006M mentioned by Ian in the video. They are similar but you can tell them apart by the 2006M having a top strap and its much smoother square barrel shroud.
I have one finally! Ive admired this gun for 10 years and finally found one in immaculate condition. Mine is 44 mag as well. The only other one I want to own is the MTR-8. Easily the second coolest looking revolver to the Unica 6. Great video!
And you mentioned the threaded barrel, this was done to accommodate a recoil compensator mateba had as a optional accessory. Some barrels were not threaded and were almost flush to the front of the shroud, and instead used a two pronged "wrench" to remove them
@@jamesstaley1355hardcore made it wayyy better, too. Reduced health and whatnot, I think it was a 2 shot from full health. Hell, even the SR338 was viable
FINALLY you decided (or had the opportunity) to cover this firearm! I've wondered from time to time for years why this gun hadn't made it onto your channel. It is an appropriate addition to all the weird, wonderful, and beautiful oddities you've cataloged.
Thank you so much for making this, Ian. The Mateba Unica is my absolute favorite handgun, and seeing it pulled apart and explained is so cool. So jealous you got to shoot one lol
I find it really sad that there aren’t any good TH-cam channels like your in my country. So there’s almost no good way to get to know more about old, historic, weird, interesting firearms in Brazilian Portuguese… that said. I am really glad you exist Ian. You and your channel are almost my only source of information and entertainment in the firearms subject. Much love from a Brazilian fan. I hope I came someday meet and talk to you. (Like properly do it so… not a “meet and greet” in the way it is…)
Fun fact, for any Fallout fans: this is what more or less what the 10mm pistol was actually supposed to be, but there was a miscommunication between the game designers and the artists, the latter of which were ignorant and didn't know what an "automatic revolver" is.
HOLY CRAP!!!! .357 is my favorite caliber to shoot (and reload). I love my Desert Eagle and this looks like a nice match....now if YOU say they're expensive I'm scared to ask how much....
if the audio in this video bothers you, get the 'soundfixer' firefox addon and click the 'mono' button in it, it will move the audio into both speakers
I am not a huge fan of the shooting videos but I literally cheered when Ian said "let's go ahead and take it out to the range". Once the video got going I kept thinking it would be great to see this hand cannon out on the range but I figured there was no way the owner would allow it. Glad I was wrong about that.
My favorite revolver. I once bump fired this revolver 3 times in a row firing all 6 44 mag rounds and blowing the owners mind. This was done around 20 years ago and filmed with an under sized potato, but its on camera . The first time i did it, i was like "did i just fire 2 rounds?" Its so fast its only one bang. I dont recommend trying to do it due to the recoil, but with my shooting style it just happens automatically and typically one handed.
It stands to reason that you'd be getting the muzzle flip like that; the recoil energy has to go somewhere, and while you're going to get some of that spread out as the recoil spring(s) absorb it and release it over time, when the barrel assembly reaches its travel stop, whatever remains is going to be passed back to the lower frame, and since that's still above the grip line, it's going to bring the muzzle up.
Always loved the idea of a semi-auto revolver for some reason - combining it with a bottom barrel almost makes it a match made in heaven. ^^ Too bad the blowback action mostly nullifies the advantage of the low barrel, my guess always has been that a semi-auto revolver should have some sort of gas piston system to do the job (I even designed one for a game I have worked on a few years ago as a hobby project of mine). Add a muzzle brake which redirects the gas jets on the side slightly upwards and you wouldn't have any muzzle flip at all.
I love the mention about possible suppression. I'd actually love to see the dB data on a suppressed revolver given the cylinder gap. Of course because the barrel has shims it would be awesome to see how gap impacts noise reduction. Clearly a large gap is always going to be loud but what if you can dial it back to a super tight gap. Might it actually provide a reasonable benefit? Plus suppressor design is going to change things as a high back-pressure means more blast through the gap but if it's a smooth freely flowing design??? No idea what that would look like but I want to.
You could probably get away with using a shorter barrel, to compensate for the suppressor's weight. And even then, there exist a few revolvers that can be suppressed, the Nagant M1895 being the most well-known IMO.
This is one of my favorite guns, glad that your looking at it. I heard it was incredibly complex and fragile/difficult to repair but seeing it disassembled doesn't seem that scary anymore
One of the problems with having the barrel in the 6 o'clock position is the shooter needs to position the off hand thumb low and away from the cylinder so as not get the thumb scorched by the flame from the cylinder gap. Jerry Michaluk roasted his thumb shooting a Chippa Rino. There's an older video on Michaluk's TH-cam channel of that happening. He definitely said OUCH when he torched his thumb. Thanks again to Ian for reviewing another example of a unique firearm.
Great video, as usual! Two things-- Waukegan is in Illinois, I think you meant Waukesha, Wisconsin. The other thing is that I'm pretty sure Ian has never watched Ghost in the Shell, where one of the characters uses a Mateba AutoRevolver exclusively, where it's pronounced Mah-Tay-Bah, not Mah-Tee-Bah.
I have this one! One of a few firearms I bought at a somewhat normal price that is now "too valuable to shoot". Mark at C&R took one apart in the pandemic over several videos.
I didn’t know semiautomatic REVOLVERS were a thing. Thank you so much for doing this video and bringing this gun to my attention. I immediately watched your other videos about the Webley guns. Wonderful and fascinating stuff.
The zig zag cylinder mechanism from the Webley fosbery was pushed towards artillery canons. I don't believe anything was manufactured, but there are engineering drawings. Will check if any were ever made
The only reason i knew something about this revolver was for Battlefield 4 and Dragon's Teeth DLC in which the Mateba was used to unlock the Desert Eagle. The time wasted to running with it just to achive 20 headshots was worthed to grab a much more destructive sidearm for all the kits🖤 Now a little history lesson and details behind such gun is really appreciate🤓🤓🤓
My hunch is that they weren't cheap. Mateba's website lists a price of €3259 for the 44 Magnum version, but as Ian points out it's unclear if they actually are making them. The website was last updated in 2019. For comparison Smith and Wesson will sell you a Model 29 for $1359.
It's very complex, expensive, and heavy, even by revolver standards. Plus, it's not a striker-fired semi-auto so in the current market it's already at a handicap
The gun is used thematically perfect in Ghost in the Shell to symbolize that while Togusa is not a normal human, he does have some augmentations, he is the most cunning and "human" of all section 9. A slow precise, futuristic yet traditional weapon.
It really is perfect for him! He's a beat cop / detective on a team of incredible military commandos and him using a revolver (specifically a cool cyberpunk-ish one) helps cement how different he is from the rest of the team.
16:15 Same thing happens on a chiappa rhino if you use a standard grip like that. It's actually the gases from the cylinder escaping right where your thumb is. It will break skin and make you bleed
Interesting story, In 1977 as a schoolboy, I recieved a first edition if Ivan Hoggs small arms of the world. As a design exercise, I coupled a M1911a1 handgrip with a Webley Fosberry action with the cylinder arrangement inverted so that the bore axis ran along the chord of the hand. The barrel was to be made in stainless steel with the inter land rifiling coated with mica-reinforced teflon coating to reduce foulling. As it was a design exercise and the british arms industry would not take notice of a snotty nosed schoolboy who had not left school, the idea went nowhere. I then today was suprised to see this pistol being featured by Ian with all the main features that I envisioned in my concept. There were some differences where the trigger group was part of the frame and not the slide assembly and a recoil damper was not fitted co-axially with the slide bearings to soften the recoil energy profile. But essential this was the pistol envisioned.I am left thinking that had I been born on the other side of the large pond where guns are socially more acceptable, would my design concept altered the history for this type of combat/target pistol genre. One Wonders.
I got my initial idea from wondering how Deckard's gun from Blade Runner might work, with my knowledge of the Fosberry. I even wrote to Sterling, but they robbed me off...
In my opinion, "thermo-balistic machines" is a very cool definition for firearms.
Machina-Thermo-Balistica!
@@TheMrPeteChannel the correct spelling would be
Macchine Termo Balistiche ;)
In my opinion a full metal jacket would explode your dome just fine.
Yes, sounds fancy and technical, but also badass.
Presumably, the company was originally Ma-Te-Pa, back when they made thermo-pasta machines instead.
"With my trusty mateba? Anytime"
The iconic revolver used by Togusa in Ghost in The Shell - Always loved this design
Not quite. Togusa used a fictionalised Mateba 2006M, the Mateba2007.
@@tdugongHowdy?
@@EdGee1989 howdy doodle-do, my friend. Just how many TH-cam accounts do you have anyway?
@@tdugong Yes.
The other one was for my main phone. This account was a spare.
Beautiful revolvers but Togusa used another similar MaTeBa revolver, the 2006M, non-semiautomatic, built in '80-90s, well before the 6Unica. The 2006 model number is not related to year 2006 (2006M was made 20 years before that). Ghost in the Shell appeared 10 years before the 6 Unica surfaced (designed 1997).
The blueing on the revolver is just beautiful. Its so expertly done that it shows immediately upon closer inspection. The craftsmanship that must have gone into making this revolver is mind blowing.
The dude who designed them just really liked guns, as far as I can tell. He wanted his to be the best even if it wasn't practical or economical, they made the theoretical "best" revolvers possible and I love the whole goofy looking family of them
That is the only thing that can be called beautiful about this revolver.
The Unica 6 honestly looks so beautiful. While traditional revolver designs are cool and all, the bottom-bore design of the Unica makes it stand out a lot more even if it's sharing the same calibers as other more well-known revolvers.
I always admired the engineering and quality of them, heck you'd walk a ways to find something just as well put together.
Chappa rhino (mateba for the Poors you could say) is the only revolver I'm interested in owning for that reason.
@@lieutenantcoloneltanyavond8273 I have a Chiappa Rhino in .357 and it is fun to shoot. I got it just after they first came out.
ah yes the gun that i always wanted on battlefield 4 but at the time i couldnt buy the dlc
I was thinking the same. The bottom bore reminds me of the Laugo Alien, but it seems like having that lower bore takes some getting used to.
We should take a moment to admire and acknowledge the skill and effort put in to make the replacement steel grip.
Every time I see a Mateba I can't help but think of Togusa from Ghost in the Shell and his preference for his trusty Mateba over any of the high tech weaponry in the movie.
Loved that show but never noticed that. I've watched it through probably a half dozen or so times and never paid any attention to the weapons other than the Tachikoma.
I was going to comment "who else just knows this gun from Ghost in the Shell?" but it looks like several people beat me to it.😅
"I like my Mateba..."
“… since it’s my ass on the line out there, use the Zastaba.”
Unlike these automatics, Mateba doesn't jam.
And I thought it was just another double-action revolver. Half of the video in and it's already my favorite modern revolver.
It's got everything, clever engineering, unique features, outstanding desing, and comercial failure of the company making it. It was literally designed to be cool af
They are impossible to find, and they are supposedly still manufactured but... I've never seen one. I've wanted one for around a decade now
This is my all-time favorite revolver
Chiappa is still around producing its spiritual successor: the rhino.
@@TheRestedOne I own one, and while it's awesome, it's not quite the same.
Yeeeeesssss. 😎
Ever since I first saw ghost in the shell as a kid I've loved the mateba.
I'm far from an engineer but I've been playing with the idea of designing a revolver that works like a mateba but fires from both the bottom and top chamber (so two barrels) because, to quote my younger self "that would be cool af".
Would this be a candidate for a Darwin Award? 😅
@@LadyAnuB only if it fails!
@@EnRandomSten What about when it goes off? .500 S&W sounds like it would be getting your "head blown clean off." 😅
@@LadyAnuB well you'd probably have to reduce the calibre either way if you want to make something that is even close to practical but I'd say it's worth a shot..... ;P
I think Ian's done a video on a revolver like this. Two rings of inside and outside ammo firing into two barrels
togusa constantly practicing was not because he needed to tighten up his gun play, but because he blew so much dosh on the damn thing that he needed to get as much use of it as he possibly could
The Aesthetic is so very Cyberpunk.
It could easily be one of those “This looks a bit strange, we can pass it off as futuristic” movie prop firearms.
So gorgeous.
It was used in the original "Ghost in the Shell," the anime that popularized the cyberpunk/neotokyo aesthetic. Not as a prop, but as a reference. It is even referred to by its name, they don't try to pass it off as some future space gun
Not sure if you are just joking, but this, along with the Mateba 2006M, were the inspirations for the revolvers used by Togusa in the various Ghost in the Shell manga/anime.
The overture from cp 2077 is pretty similar in appearance
@@thallan No, the Overture is a standard top barrel design. Visually, it's far closer to the Russian MP412 than the Unica
It was used on Ghost in The Shell for this reason
Also those grips are original, they are very rare. Mateba had problems with the French walnut they were using for the grips cracking due to recoil, this was an attempt to rectify that but not many of the solid aluminum ones were made
I sat to the left of my monitor to make this video more authentic.
Joking aside the Unica 6 is one of my favorite gun concepts, with a really unique and I think neat look to boot. I can see Scott shuddering in rage with the concept of less recoil.
In our 1911 group on FB, one of our main admins who sadly passed away from a brain tumor back in 2016 I believe had one also in 44 mag with wood grips and it was the most gorgeous thing when he did show it off. Back then I believe he said it was valued at like 6k-8k give or take. Don't know how true that is but his was a safe queen
spyderco. good choice sir
Mateba Unica is my most favorite revolver of all time, really surprised it wasn't already covered on this channel
I KNOW, right?! It's SO nice!
I really want one, I have a rhino, but these are so expensive, when available at all.
Idk why makes me think of the revolver in alien isolation. Looks so similar. Might of been the place they took inspiration from. Ultimately its got such a rather unique futuristic look to it. Its pretty cool.
@@robosoldier11 Yeah, Mateba Unica was an inspiration to a lot of movie and video game designs, due to how cool it looks. A revolver firing from the bottom of the cylinder instantly looks sexy
How cold is it in Arizona? I could see Ian’s breath. :) cheers from Canada, 40C degrees right now.
I wish these would make a comeback.
They're rad as hell.
I have a Rhino 30DS, which is basically a very watered down derivative of this, and I really thought the whole bottom cylinder thing was just a gimmick, but the little 3" revolver has less perceived recoil than my Dan Wesson 15-2 with the 8" full lug barrel. Extremely pleasant to shoot.
Rhino was also designed by Emilio Ghisoni. And before Unica he designed Mateba 2006M, all 3 shooting from the buttom of the cylinder. But because of the sliding Unica is not realy low bore and also because of the short sliding and mass that is hard to dampen, there is a strong shock after recoil. Kinetic energy is related to the speed squared and that apply not just for bullets but also for the slide. It can be better dampened by a longer sliding after the gun is cocked. Another problem is that shooting magnum ammo from the buttom of the cylinder it's very easy to leave you without some fingers even with a non sliding cylinder like Rhino and 2006M have.
I've shot a Rhino a few times and they have noticeably less muzzle flip. Are they still only made in .357?
@@mfallen6894 I believe so, unfortunately. Would make a great bear country gun in a larger caliber.
@@Aperson156 That's exactly what I was wanting one in .44mag/.454 with a short barrel for. Even if they keep it relatively light that'd be fine as I don't mind heavy recoil, but mitigating as much muzzle flip as possible would be a game-changer for bear defense.
I thought I'd read they planned to roll out larger magnum's after the .357 but I'm pretty sure that was pre-Covid, and that whole debacle changed a lot of manufacturers near-term plans... Still have my fingers crossed it comes to fruition some day
@@mfallen6894 I have a (UK Spec Long Barrelled Pistol) 9mm version, with a 357 cylinder on the way. I believe they are also available in 40S&W but not here.
Ok so I first heard about this manufacturer in Ghost in the Shell back in the late 90s. I have spent the last decade hoping Ian would review one as I am not likely to ever have a chance to see one myself. Thank you Ian for the review and using all of your ammo. What a huge treat! Can you do a video to review revolvers that don’t fire from the top chamber. As a concept I find that extremely interesting from a dynamic and ergonomic point of view. Thank you again.
Of course not the same - and of course not cheap - but not all guns designed by this fellow are as hard to come by as the Unica 6: if you've not heard of the Chiappa Rhino, you're in for a fun few minutes.
This Mateba Unica 6 is a fascinating piece of firearm history! It's a testament to the ingenuity of firearm engineers
*older firearms engineers.
Modern guns haven't done a single new thing in 30 years
@@maximusjoseppi5904I understood that he wrote about Mateba company, revolver Mateba Unica 6, and about ALL firearm engineers separately.
@@yuryyanin7967 No, it says firearm engineers as a whole. It would require more words to specify particular ones, this was a blanket statement praising engineers when the engineers developing firearms today simply copy what past engineers actually invented. There hasn't been a new thought in their head for a long time. Just steal what great men created, change it a little, and stamp your name on it for a profit.
@@maximusjoseppi5904 There is a glimps of truth in your words, but I'd rather disagreed, then feel convinced. Nevertheless, I see no chance to discuss all that here. Your thout is too deep and deserves much more words, then comments can absorb. Less philosophically and more practically I'd consider MTR 8, Inica 6, Chiappa Rhino as interesting firearms among available contemporary ones. More generally every gun was a result of previous developments, as every human is a product of the history of all mankind.
@@yuryyanin7967 I mean, engineers are creating/trying to create totally new technology in batteries, solar tech, AI, vehicles, aircraft electronics, aircraft design, machining processes, medical tech..
The only advancement we've seen in firearms technology is a "smart gun" or rail guns but neither of those are functional yet. Smart guns are bad imo though as an American. The industry is comfortable and complacent.
As someone who's been a firearms enthusiast for about 15 years and reviews guns, I haven't seen anything new come out in my adult lifetime. Optics have gotten better, lasers and machining advances allow for better texturing and aesthetics, lights and aiming lasers are better... The gun itself? Same guns we've had for 100 years with very minor adjustments for reliability and accessorizing.
This gun may be one of the reasons I started interesting in firearms actually. I was about 15 when I picked up a magazine where a ton of these guns were on sale here in Italy. And it's unique look made me wonder "how that works", so I started investigating about it. And here we are 15 years after that still looking at this beauty.
I have a Chiappa Rhino, and the low bore axis makes everybody confused and amazed by the easily controlled recoil. 38 special+p shoot like .22lr and 357 is all sound no fury.
I was just thinking about the Rhino. Is this made by the same designer?
@@WALTERBROADDUSYes! Both the Mateba and Chiappa Rhino revolvers were designed by Emilio Ghisoni. I’ve never had the opportunity to own a Mateba, but I do love the Rhino line of revolvers and I don’t even like revolvers other than a few old colt and military specimens I have lol
Did you hurt your finger already? This can easily happen if you place it near the gap between the low barrel and the cylinder.
Seeing Ian's thumb position when firing: "oh, that's probably going to go badly."
5 seconds later: "yup."
Revolvers where the barrel is aligned at the bottom are always so cool bro
With the whole Gyrojet series being covered years ago, the Unica 6 was IMO the only weird-ish but cool famous firearm still missing from this channel.
I'm glad this is now fixed, and it certainly is as cool as one might of imagined it being.
I heard that if you hit 15 headshots with the Unica 6 you get a Desert Eagle for free
This is accurate. Unfortunately I am now wanted by authorities.
Good old days...
And I'm just over here thinking what a Unica 6 going full automatic would be like. And I'm wondering how it never occurred to me before hearing Ian say that, to realize that it could be a thing.
Even as someone who doesn't get to shoot, stuff like this is why firearms are so interesting. As crowded as the space is, as long as you have the tools and an idea, you can make something unique.
Well said.
I don't shoot or own any firearms but the tech is soooo damned interesting
@@MrTaxiRobI do shoot, a lot. But I actually like the tech more than the actual shooting. Given the choice of never shooting again or never reading about or watching firearm subjects again I’d easily give up shooting. And I absolutely love to shoot, and I’m pretty decent at it as well.
It's the profitable part that is the really hard part.
@@john-paulsilke893 I don't know that I could give up shooting... that's a bold statement. It would certainly save a lot of money on ammo (and more and more guns that I don't need but I "must have" lol)
I am going to guess, that this gun, is the base for the weapon used in Tri-Gun.
These bottom cylinder revolvers are always dynamic looking weapons, and this Italian job is perfect example. That it may have been visual inspiration for a stylish space-cowboy, comes as no real surprise.
Thanks for showing us something so nice to look at Ian!
Trigun came out in 1995, before this gun was released, it probably was inspired by other Ghisoni revolvers, like the 2006M
@ayebraine I'm willing to believe you there, so thanks for clarifying the timeline a bit.
I love discovering "the real thing" like this. These little cultural easter eggs are really what makes education so fun!
Trigun and imfdb lead me to this channel
I’ve never wanted to see a ludicrous revolver in a BUG match more than this one…
I wouldnt take it to one. There's no real safe way to decock the gun
@@0Asterite0 I’d imagine it’d be a “remove ammo, drop hammer” kind of thing, just like any other semi auto
@@mrb692 it's a revolver, you cant open the cylinder when the hammer is cocked for safety reasons. If it had a decocker, it'd be perfect
@@0Asterite0 point the barrel downrange when releasing the hammer, or only carry 5 like cowboy revolvers
@@0Asterite0
Put your thumb over the firing pin, pull the hammer back; squeeze the trigger, and ease the hammer down. Problem solved.
I ended up getting some Chippa Rhinos (also fire from the bottom cylinder), 2", 5", 6" - noticed that the least amount of flip was with the 2" model. They all mitigate felt recoil quite a bit, my wife shoots full power .357 through her 2" Rhino with no issues whatsoever.
I've been waiting years for this video. Love the look of this revolver.
The Unicas were really smooth shooters with surprisingly low recoil. Prone to jam for a short while (often the trigger screw but also an action lever in the internals) but ran flawlessly once broken in after going through a few cylinder's worth of ammo. There's a little chunk of metal that makes up part of the ejector/cylinder axis that seems a little weak and it shattered on my .357 after maybe 250 rounds through it. Back when Mateba closed shop the first time around, a gunsmith down in Florida bought up all of the available parts in the US market and began charging exorbitant prices for them. I vaguely remember them insisting on doing the gunsmithing work if I wanted the part. I don't know if those guys are still around or have anymore parts but given how rare they are, maybe?
There's an online store called the Kommando Store that, maybe about a year before the Pandemic, arranged to be a vendor or importer (I forget which) for Mateba in the US when they (Mateba) was trying to revive itself but I think communications may have inexplicably stopped between the two. I've been meaning to get in touch with Kommand Store about what happened with that but also to check with Chiappa about the possibility of parts compatibility with the Rhino, seeing how they appear to share a couple of dimensional similarities, the two designs coming from the same dad
kommandostore got scammed. the guy that bought mateba is a sketchy dude, and the kommandostore people never actually went to italy to ever see the guns in person 🤡
@@0Asterite0 That's a shame. Would have been awesome to see them go back into production
Even the sound of the parts fitting together and operating is refined and gorgeous......what a fabulous shootah :)
Exactly what I was about to write. the sound of precision machining.
I knew about this gun, its neat, (also Thanks Zack Hazard for ranting about guns)
This, together with the Mateba 2006M, are what make Togusa happy.
I am not going to risk my life because your firearms preferences...use an automatic pistol (The Major)
@@111222333danielhow bout i do anyway
Mateba revolvers legacy can be found in the "Rhino" revolver family (low bore but not semiauto) built by Chiappa Firearms projected by engineers Antonio Cudazzo ed Emilio Ghisoni (previously designer of Mateba Autorevolver).
Antonio Cudazzo is an architect, but the main designer of the Rhino.
Ah, finally we get a video on the mateba. I've always loved the look of this thing, it's so sci-fi!
This has to be the inspiration for hand cannons in Destiny
@@hardcase-69 Yeah, I can see Mateba DNA in a lot of video game weapons, but especially Destiny. It's a bit of a shame that nowadays its been replaced by the Chiappa Rhino as the quintessential "space revolver". I always preferred the Mateba.
@@hardcase-69yeah that’s what my thought was too, particularly vanilla D1 hand cannons. I have a big soft spot for the visual design of d1 overall
I love when people/companies loan Ian the gun Jesus, guns to make videos about. Especially when he gets to fire them.
Thank you
This is the gun that, when i was 12 years old, blew my mind so much that I became an all around gun fanboy/historian. Lucky for me, 4 years later TH-cam would launch and Ian was one of my first subscription!
EDIT: I remembered seeing in an old catalogue the carbine version, called the GRIFONE!
I guess my tastes were a little more pedestrian as a kid. The first gun I can remember thinking that was "The Shit" was a sawed off side by side shotgun.
And that was due to watching Mad Max.
Still think they are cool, but the only thing holding me back now is the tax stamp deal.
@@tylerwilliams6022yeah the fact that police no longer need probably cause to search your house once you have an nfa item is a deal breaker for me.
@@BradyBubbuhgum-fh4ny
That's actually a common myth.
Being registered for an NFA weapon doesn't avail you of your 4th Amendment rights.
The part about unannounced inspections by the ATF are in connection to FFLs.
Having said that, even with standard laws it's no guarantee you won't have your rights trampled.
@@tylerwilliams6022 I've watched cops do too much blatantly illegal shit right in front of my eyes to know they're just gonna try to trample my rights.
Awesome, I didn't knew that, googled and there is a crazy cool looking chrome one with a scope on it and dark wood, looks insanely good !
Thanks for posting this! Mr. Ghisoni is looking down and smiling.
Silvio from Pavia.
The Mateba Unica 6 is probably the coolest revolver ever, likely because it was designed to be cool/quirky.
So many systems are different from the average revolver, yet it still performs really well, quite the feat!
Behold Mike! The Mateba Model 6 Unica!
Ian, I've been waiting to see this for years, ever since I saw this gun in a big picture book of guns as a child. Thank you.
I really hope they come back, I saw the website was live in 2020, but hadn't checked since. Always wanted one of these though. So cool.
During the slow motion phase of the video you can see that the space between the top of the cylinder and the barrel increases during the recoil like the cylinder spindle is bearing all the force of the shot. Over time this might become a failure point.
Yep. I don't think I would shoot this gun. Pause @16:55. Use arrow keys < and > to advance back and forth 1 frame at a time. Advance forward. This frame is absolutely flexing dramatically. The cylinder is also rocking dramatically. I think it's a good thing Ian had a limited number of cartridges.
That said, what would be the advantage of an automatic revolver? It can't be rate of fire because a revolver shooting double-action is faster* than a semi-auto.
*I mean, if your name is Jerry Miculek and happen to be shooting one of his "sloppified" revolvers...
Ian, your genuine enthusiasm for guns and all the history and engineering is so pure that it easily doubles the entertainment value of these videos.
Fellow commenters, i always go into these sections expecting to find a lot of very... loud and outspoken people, to put it as gently as I can, and am constantly shocked by how much of it really is just people sharing their stories and their own enthusiam! After a long day at work in a town half full of self righteous buttholes and half very gung-ho "mah rights/dont tread on me/confederate flags wavers", this warms the soul and reminds me that you can love guns and not be a butt!
I love this gun because it's like looking into an alternate technological path. Like if instead of making traditional semiautos more robust and reliable, we made revolvers semiauto. The end result is frankly fairly similar, and the autorevolver ends up being way too expensive (though it's hard to say whether that's inherent or just that these are so much more, well, unique), but it's just cool to see such a different way to reach the goal.
Also by all reports it's just a damn good gun for what is essentially a concept piece. Which is always cool to see.
I'm not sure if autorevolvers have to be this expensive. The Webley-Fosbery revolvers were sold for about 3 pounds a piece in 1915, which translates to about 250 pounds in today's money. That is no more expensive than a modern automatic. The reason the Mateba Unica costs so much is its design. It's basically a double-action revolver slapped on top of a slide with a bunch of complex and precise machinery to make that work. Normally, in a double action, there's an arm which is attached to the hammer which rotates the cylinder when the trigger is pulled. In the case of the Uncia, this arm is housed in the upper frame and has to interface with both the hammer and the sliding mechanism separately. This single part/mechanism and the precision required for it to work is probably most of the reason this gun costs so much.
There are other problems with autorevolvers, though. The Webley-Fosberrys were used by cavalry officers in WWI, and they complained that the slide would jam up with rain and mud. Limp-wristing was a large issue too, because there's a lot more resistance in the motion of the slide when it's turning a barrel cam.
An ideal autorevolver would use a barrel cam ("zig zag") rather than clockwork, which would enable it to be manufactured for costs similar to other semi-autos, but it would re-cock itself and rotate the cylinder by some means other than a recoil operated slide.
These are like the Wankel Rotaries of the firearms world.
I definitely think that this gun contributed a lot to the inspiration behind many Destiny hand cannons.
Most of them even have the small swoop bit at the top front of the cylinder
It was featured in GITS and from there it influenced a lot of media so much so its kinda staple look for futuristic hand cannon type of gun.
So many sci-fi / future / fiction designs can be traced back either to this gun, or to another by the same designer. Aside from this gun appearing in Ghost in the Shell, it also inspired the iconic revolvers from that other popular 90s anime, Trigun. Then there's the famous sidearm from Blade Runner.
I'm glad you were finally able to film one of these for us. Missing out on one all those years ago must have been driving you crazy for ages. Are there any other rare guns that 'got away' like this one did?
Been waiting a very long time for this.
FINALLY the Unica 6. What took you so long? I've seen it first in Ghost in the Shell, when Togusa used it and immediately fell for it. This gun is iconic!
Also appeared in the Movies 'Gamer' and 'Looper'. As well as in the Game 'Battlefield 4'. I own it in 6" .357mag. Greetings from Germany.
He also uses the 2006M in the films and the finale of the first series (sort of).
@@FLEXER657that sounds highly illegal
@@chrism4008 why?
It's also in rainbow six siege
One of my favorite firearms. I really hope that they go back into production.
American Western Arms was importing them and still lists them on their website, but their site hasn't been updated in a long time.
I’m just here to say that it’s truly astounding how professional you are and how much research you do, down to even the correct pronunciation of the name of the gun and such. You’re one of the bests Ian 💪🏻
This was in the original Ghost in the Shell animated movie. I was never sure if it was a made up gun or not until recently.
it's even talked about briefly in the gits tv series
Yea me too, I also searched internet, but due to the lack of information everyone presumed it was a made up gun.
Mateber
It actually wasn't, it was mateba 2006m with swing up cylinder
The pistol used by Togusa in the movie and Stand Alone Complex is not this but the 2007M, a fictionalised version of the 2006M mentioned by Ian in the video. They are similar but you can tell them apart by the 2006M having a top strap and its much smoother square barrel shroud.
Knew about this one since before I found your channel. Been wanting to see you cover it since, glad to see that you finally did.
I have one finally! Ive admired this gun for 10 years and finally found one in immaculate condition. Mine is 44 mag as well. The only other one I want to own is the MTR-8. Easily the second coolest looking revolver to the Unica 6. Great video!
Oh wow, congrats! How did you manage to track down one of these unicorns for sale?
And you mentioned the threaded barrel, this was done to accommodate a recoil compensator mateba had as a optional accessory. Some barrels were not threaded and were almost flush to the front of the shroud, and instead used a two pronged "wrench" to remove them
I just love Mateba designs, such unique looking guns.
Yes! This is my favorite revolver of all time! Thanks Ian, you made my day!
Ahh, BF4 memories 😂
I thought it was a good gun
LoL Of course I remember this gun in BF4 also but I also remember using this gun a lot playing Uncharted 4 😄👍
I sadly haven't been able to get the Unica 6 but I have the SW40 and that is hands down my favorite handgun in game
@@jamesstaley1355hardcore made it wayyy better, too. Reduced health and whatnot, I think it was a 2 shot from full health. Hell, even the SR338 was viable
@@LethalShot3190ah, I've actually never played a single uncharted game 😅
FINALLY you decided (or had the opportunity) to cover this firearm! I've wondered from time to time for years why this gun hadn't made it onto your channel. It is an appropriate addition to all the weird, wonderful, and beautiful oddities you've cataloged.
Thank you so much for making this, Ian. The Mateba Unica is my absolute favorite handgun, and seeing it pulled apart and explained is so cool. So jealous you got to shoot one lol
I find it really sad that there aren’t any good TH-cam channels like your in my country. So there’s almost no good way to get to know more about old, historic, weird, interesting firearms in Brazilian Portuguese… that said. I am really glad you exist Ian. You and your channel are almost my only source of information and entertainment in the firearms subject. Much love from a Brazilian fan. I hope I came someday meet and talk to you. (Like properly do it so… not a “meet and greet” in the way it is…)
Togusa's favorite revolver. 🥰
So the CZN-M22 is next on the list.
Or any of the Public Security Section 9 equipment.
Maybe a special on the history of Seburo firearms next april?
Fun fact, for any Fallout fans: this is what more or less what the 10mm pistol was actually supposed to be, but there was a miscommunication between the game designers and the artists, the latter of which were ignorant and didn't know what an "automatic revolver" is.
HOLY CRAP!!!! .357 is my favorite caliber to shoot (and reload). I love my Desert Eagle and this looks like a nice match....now if YOU say they're expensive I'm scared to ask how much....
Indeed
5-10k depending on accessories and how many people are bidding on it. There's 2 different frame styles, the one in the vid can hold an optics rail
if the audio in this video bothers you, get the 'soundfixer' firefox addon and click the 'mono' button in it, it will move the audio into both speakers
What ever happened to life sized potato?
His collection was incredible.
ITS THE ACE OF SPADES FROM DESTINY!!!♠️
I am not a huge fan of the shooting videos but I literally cheered when Ian said "let's go ahead and take it out to the range". Once the video got going I kept thinking it would be great to see this hand cannon out on the range but I figured there was no way the owner would allow it. Glad I was wrong about that.
My favorite revolver. I once bump fired this revolver 3 times in a row firing all 6 44 mag rounds and blowing the owners mind. This was done around 20 years ago and filmed with an under sized potato, but its on camera . The first time i did it, i was like "did i just fire 2 rounds?" Its so fast its only one bang. I dont recommend trying to do it due to the recoil, but with my shooting style it just happens automatically and typically one handed.
I love Select Fire so much. Great store and super cool people running that place. Plus they have G3 mags for 8.99 😂
It stands to reason that you'd be getting the muzzle flip like that; the recoil energy has to go somewhere, and while you're going to get some of that spread out as the recoil spring(s) absorb it and release it over time, when the barrel assembly reaches its travel stop, whatever remains is going to be passed back to the lower frame, and since that's still above the grip line, it's going to bring the muzzle up.
Always loved the idea of a semi-auto revolver for some reason - combining it with a bottom barrel almost makes it a match made in heaven. ^^
Too bad the blowback action mostly nullifies the advantage of the low barrel, my guess always has been that a semi-auto revolver should have some sort of gas piston system to do the job (I even designed one for a game I have worked on a few years ago as a hobby project of mine). Add a muzzle brake which redirects the gas jets on the side slightly upwards and you wouldn't have any muzzle flip at all.
That is an absolutely gorgeous revolver. You can tell somebody designed that with passion.
i am a huge fan of these revolvers since i saw them on Lifesizepotato`s chanel. Sadly he makes no more videos.
The Mateba Unica 6 is my favorite gun of all time, really glad to see you cover it finally.
Love the concept, design and engineering of this revolver. Very unique!
I love the mention about possible suppression. I'd actually love to see the dB data on a suppressed revolver given the cylinder gap. Of course because the barrel has shims it would be awesome to see how gap impacts noise reduction. Clearly a large gap is always going to be loud but what if you can dial it back to a super tight gap. Might it actually provide a reasonable benefit? Plus suppressor design is going to change things as a high back-pressure means more blast through the gap but if it's a smooth freely flowing design??? No idea what that would look like but I want to.
You could probably get away with using a shorter barrel, to compensate for the suppressor's weight. And even then, there exist a few revolvers that can be suppressed, the Nagant M1895 being the most well-known IMO.
Awesome! Thanks so much Ian. All the best, Richard.
Uhhh, did Jonathan forgot to set the audio to mono or am i the only one hearing it on the left side?
This is one of my favorite guns, glad that your looking at it.
I heard it was incredibly complex and fragile/difficult to repair but seeing it disassembled doesn't seem that scary anymore
*Ghost in the Shell* brought me here.
Togusa ftw
Hellsing and Trigun for me 😂
One of the problems with having the barrel in the 6 o'clock position is the shooter needs to position the off hand thumb low and away from the cylinder so as not get the thumb scorched by the flame from the cylinder gap. Jerry Michaluk roasted his thumb shooting a Chippa Rino. There's an older video on Michaluk's TH-cam channel of that happening. He definitely said OUCH when he torched his thumb.
Thanks again to Ian for reviewing another example of a unique firearm.
Great video, as usual! Two things-- Waukegan is in Illinois, I think you meant Waukesha, Wisconsin.
The other thing is that I'm pretty sure Ian has never watched Ghost in the Shell, where one of the characters uses a Mateba AutoRevolver exclusively, where it's pronounced Mah-Tay-Bah, not Mah-Tee-Bah.
Togusa uses as 2006M, the "regular" Mateba revolver, not this one.
Glad I wasnt the only one that caught that. 😃Been to Select Fire a bunch of times.
Great to see the proper ultra slow motion! Please dont neglect it.
I have this one! One of a few firearms I bought at a somewhat normal price that is now "too valuable to shoot".
Mark at C&R took one apart in the pandemic over several videos.
You finally did it, you pulled apart my favorite gun on earth. Might be the only gun I ever buy
I didn’t know semiautomatic REVOLVERS were a thing. Thank you so much for doing this video and bringing this gun to my attention. I immediately watched your other videos about the Webley guns. Wonderful and fascinating stuff.
The zig zag cylinder mechanism from the Webley fosbery was pushed towards artillery canons. I don't believe anything was manufactured, but there are engineering drawings. Will check if any were ever made
Saw this gun in Ghost in the shell when i was a kid and have been in love ever since. SO COOL to get such a good look. thanks you!
The only reason i knew something about this revolver was for Battlefield 4 and Dragon's Teeth DLC in which the Mateba was used to unlock the Desert Eagle.
The time wasted to running with it just to achive 20 headshots was worthed to grab a much more destructive sidearm for all the kits🖤
Now a little history lesson and details behind such gun is really appreciate🤓🤓🤓
My favorite handgun. Beautiful mechanism and profile.
I will never understand why these never caught on. The power and reliability of a wheelgun, and the trigger of a hammer fired semiautomatic.
My hunch is that they weren't cheap. Mateba's website lists a price of €3259 for the 44 Magnum version, but as Ian points out it's unclear if they actually are making them. The website was last updated in 2019. For comparison Smith and Wesson will sell you a Model 29 for $1359.
I think the price is a pretty big reason.
For half the price you can get a higher capacity more reliable semiautomatic with a better trigger.
It's very complex, expensive, and heavy, even by revolver standards. Plus, it's not a striker-fired semi-auto so in the current market it's already at a handicap
Cost, complication, and the fact they are revolvers. Wheel guns only appeal to a certain set of gun owners.
This is the video I have been waiting for!! Thank you so very much for this one Ian.
The gun is used thematically perfect in Ghost in the Shell to symbolize that while Togusa is not a normal human, he does have some augmentations, he is the most cunning and "human" of all section 9. A slow precise, futuristic yet traditional weapon.
It really is perfect for him! He's a beat cop / detective on a team of incredible military commandos and him using a revolver (specifically a cool cyberpunk-ish one) helps cement how different he is from the rest of the team.
16:15 Same thing happens on a chiappa rhino if you use a standard grip like that. It's actually the gases from the cylinder escaping right where your thumb is. It will break skin and make you bleed
Interesting story, In 1977 as a schoolboy, I recieved a first edition if Ivan Hoggs small arms of the world. As a design exercise, I coupled a M1911a1 handgrip with a Webley Fosberry action with the cylinder arrangement inverted so that the bore axis ran along the chord of the hand. The barrel was to be made in stainless steel with the inter land rifiling coated with mica-reinforced teflon coating to reduce foulling. As it was a design exercise and the british arms industry would not take notice of a snotty nosed schoolboy who had not left school, the idea went nowhere. I then today was suprised to see this pistol being featured by Ian with all the main features that I envisioned in my concept. There were some differences where the trigger group was part of the frame and not the slide assembly and a recoil damper was not fitted co-axially with the slide bearings to soften the recoil energy profile. But essential this was the pistol envisioned.I am left thinking that had I been born on the other side of the large pond where guns are socially more acceptable, would my design concept altered the history for this type of combat/target pistol genre. One Wonders.
I got my initial idea from wondering how Deckard's gun from Blade Runner might work, with my knowledge of the Fosberry. I even wrote to Sterling, but they robbed me off...
This has to be my absolute favourite handgun, so I'm thrilled to see you give it some attention. Thanks for showing it!
12:27 imagine seeing a full auto revolver that would be odd
Yeah, my mind immediately started engineering a little lever there on the side...😅
Mark IV auto revolver: *coughs*