To fully explain why I don't believe the Mateba measures up as a carry gun I should review its operation. Although the Mateba clearly looks like some form of revolver it actually operates more like a traditional double action semi-automatic pistol. Like a DA pistol once you fire the 1st round double action the Mateba is left cocked in single action mode for the remaining shots, unlike a semi-auto pistol though it has no safety or provisions for de-cocking the gun. And it is this feature (or lack of) that I consider the Mateba's one serious design flaw and the main reason that I would never try to carry one or use it for self-defense. This design oversight means once you start firing the Mateba you either have to fire all remaining shots in the gun or you have to try and lower the small nub of a hammer manually on a live cartridge, neither actions very advisable. The chance of an accidental discharge is just too great, especially when considering a self-defense situation where other innocent people might be in the surrounding area.

The Mateba does have other downsides as well. For one some of the internal parts of the Mateba are very small and complex and do not lend themselves to the "do it yourselfer" who might want to tinker with it. My best advice here is just to leave the internals of the gun alone, its main components can be easily broken down for cleaning and maintenance and that is all you should ever need. Again, the inside of the Mateba is a very complicated mechanism made up of many small and delicate parts and my best advise is to just leave the insides alone unless you really have no choice.

Extra parts and accessories are another problem for the Mateba. Because of the small number of guns that were made and imported into the country there really isn't much of a market for companies to cater to, consequently accessories are nearly nonexistent for this gun. Your only chance to find a holster to fit would be to custom make one or maybe try to find one of those generic nylon types. Also, if you would like some nice custom grips for your Mateba, something less awkward than the supplied oversized target grips, you better start carving them yourself because you're not going to find any elsewhere.

So what can the Mateba do? What it can do is shoot magnum loads accurately and comfortably. Because of the gun's weight and how it operates it proves itself to be a fairly accurate and a soft shooting handgun, even with the hottest loads. Matebas are set up at the factory to fire .357 Magnum and the gun must be disassembled and a different spring installed to fire .38 Special, the .38 spring has never even been in mine because the recoil with .357 is so mild. The oversized grips are also comfortable (if not ungainly looking) and the gun has a natural pointing ability, two features that both help make this a natural born target gun. The two biggest advantages of the Mateba are: 1) the recoil, which as stated earlier is mild compared to similar sized revolvers. If you would like to fire .357 magnums but are "recoil sensitive" you would love the Mateba. 2) Quick follow up shots are also much faster with the Mateba, just try doing fast .357 magnum double taps comparing the Mateba to any other DA revolver and you'll quickly see where this gun excels. I doubt that any .357 Magnum handgun could be fired faster and more accurately than the Mateba, it is the one area in which it truly shines.

What else could you expect as a potential Mateba owner? Comments, lots of comments - I have owned a lot of guns over the years, some more accurate, certainly some much more expensive, but I have never owned any gun that has received more comments than my Mateba. Every time I take it to the range I usually get at least 2-3 friendly comments or questions from other shooters. Usually something along the lines of "Hey, that's a ______ looking gun you got there" you can fill in the blank yourself but the words ugly, interesting and strange seem to be the ones that come up most often. If you should buy a Mateba EXPECT to get lots of questions and comments from other gun owners, you'll probably even occasionally get someone that will come right out and ask if they can shoot it.

The Mateba is a fun gun to shoot, but in all honesty probably has no real world use except as a target/plinking gun. All other uses would certainly be possible but not recommended. The gun is still being made and imported into the United States in small numbers. The price has gone up considerably since it was originally imported years ago but anyone that had the desire to own one still has a chance. I like mine, and while it probably won't ever be used for anything except cutting paper I'll probably keep it just because it is so fun to shoot, and sometimes that's more than enough.

3-12-08