Deactivated WWII Era French Le Français pistol No1 model 802

This is a WWII era French, Le Français pistol No1 model 802. These beautifully engineered and unorthodox pistols are rarely seen in the UK. The design was first developed in 1913 by French small arms designer Etienne Mimard, who at the time worked for the French company Manufacture Française d’Armes et de Cycles de Saint-Étienne. It went into production in 1914 as a pocket-type personal defense sidearm, chambered for then-popular 6.35mm Browning (.25ACP) cartridge. It was intended for the police but was adopted by French forces and is one of the simplest pistols ever produced. It has a minimum of moving parts, and several parts perform two functions. This example dates to after 1935 when the magazine retention was replaced with a conventional magazine release at the bottom rear of the grip. The serial number also confirms this. French resistance and partisans used these types during German occupation.