Unique DES 96U

Reinhamre · Post by **Reinhamre** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 10:57 am

Hi,
Does anyone have any experience of this pistol?
OK, I know they do not make them anymore but that goes for SIG 210 as well and nobody can say that 210 is an obsolet gun.
DES96U is a top loader and the grip is different from DES69U.

Sevice is no problem in Sweden although magazine for my DES32U is hard to find.

deleted1 · Post by **deleted1** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 1:17 pm

I owned a 69U and I still remember the differences were top loading in the 96U and I believe the gun was designed for small hands and a lighter weight than the 69U. It used to appear in the hands of women shooters more often. I sold the 69U after the factory was raped by the new owners with spare parts going into the melting pot.

Reinhamre · Post by **Reinhamre** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 2:36 pm

Hi,
The top loaded models allows for a slimmed grip if neaded, but the pistol does not have low weight in itself, 1140 grams

http://gunsworld.com/french/unique/u-arms/des96u.html

I think it was hard to sell the 96U when so many older Unique pistols was still going on. In Sweden alone some 6000 pistols has been sold.

I hope it will be like an AW93 but slimmer grip and a possibility to add weight in front if neaded. I do not give mutch for redused recoil on AW93!

Kent

Scott H. · Post by **Scott H.** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 5:38 pm

I bought a 96U from Don Nygord, in the summer of 2000.

Beautiful gun. The grip, thanks to the top loading feature, was the best feeling factory grip I've ever used on a Standard Pistol. I didn't find it any lighter, or heavier, than a 69U.

Sadly, I looked in my safe one day, and thought that 3 Unique 22's was one too many. I sold the 96U. I miss it.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 11:59 pm

Bob Riegl wrote:I sold the 69U after the factory was raped by the new owners with spare parts going into the melting pot.

Does anyone know the inside story as to the demise of this company? I remember Don Nygord said something about how they found a new buyer, but the company still went under, and "someone was payed off."

I thought they were located in the Basque region of France, just north of the Spanish border on the Atlantic coast, and I believe the founder of the company was Basque.

The romantic side of me always liked their "three medieval knights" logo. My guess is the founder had three sons.

Reinhamre - thanks for the link. I didn't know their (former) website was still online.

dnovo · Post by **dnovo** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 12:35 pm

I sold my 69U but still have a pair of older Unique in 22 short, one with the fatory-fitted muzzle brake. Both are just outstanding pistols and I was sorry to see the line die off. Dave

ColinC · Post by **ColinC** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 8:51 pm

I still own a DES 69U as my back-up pistol and have never seen a 96U but from the website mentioned above it appears to be just a fancier version of the 69U.

Is mention of it being a top loader a mistake through confusion with the 2000U? The website shows the 96U as still having a magazine up through the grip while the 2000U was the top loader.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 3:47 am

There is no doubt that the 96U is (was) a top loader. I had a 32U for a while and had a bit of a shoot with a 96U (borrowed) and was very impressed.

They were "real steel" pistol, all machined from steel, no plastic or aluminium. But, that was probaly the cause of the demise. Someone that I know visited the factory shortly before it closed and told me that all the machinery was ancient and due to be replaced. Also said that the factory was literally in the mountains and the buildings which stepped their way down the slopes were added to and added to so much over the years that it was a complete shambles.

dnovo · Post by **dnovo** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 7:01 am

Nicely but, no doubt. And not able to compete in price based on old machinery and 'old ways' -- labor costs go up and it is cheaper to use more automated and more modern machinery and parts made in a faster and less expense method. That leaves those of us who appreciate fine workmanship with nice collectables to shot and save for a later generation.

Dave

darrell · Post by **darrell** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 2:27 pm

i also own a 69u and a 32u i like them a lot i was very concerned about braking anything on them so i fond the company in france which bought unique they still make the rifles and very nice they are too theytold me that they had bought all the pistol parts and had about every part even slides for the 32 which is known to be a little weak they also have extractors and retern springs for all modles as well as firing pins with the main parts as well as slides if you send them the broken one they can sent a replacement back though they canot send a mager peice without the broken one its an exchange that way there is no paper work to be done. I have also the aw 93 and can say that i find the pistols very similare when taken to peices.

darrell · Post by **darrell** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 3:49 pm

I looked up the adress for the new unique owners it is www. fmr unique do a google search it comes up every time
.

James Way · Post by **James Way** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 4:32 pm

The above link wasn't working for me. Here is one that I found. http://perso.orange.fr/fmr-pantin/