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This revolver is a niche product made for a short while since 1976, by a top tier Italian firearm manufacturer. The firearm production has stopped during the last 30 years. This revolver was marketed by Mauser in 1980 as the Mauser Trident .38 Spl. The factory of Renato Gamba, Societa ARmi Bresciane is situated in the gunmaking area of Italy, the Gardone Valley outside Brescia. The Company has a long history reaching back to the early 18th Century, Gamba can trace its history back to the first half of the 1700s. As far as it is known from available documents, the Gamba family came to the Gardone area from Bergamasco in the first half of the 18th century. Considering that a lot of famous families of barrel producers came to the chief town of Val Trompia during this time period, areas where there was important metallurgical activity, it seems safe to say that the Gamba family was originally from the Val Brembana and certainly already active in iron production. The move of the Gamba family to the area surrounding Gardone followed quickly and, on the 5th of June, 1748, Giuseppe Gamba di Giacomo married Maddalena Belleri. Belleri was from an ancient family of local gunsmiths, and the witnesses were Giuseppe Beretta (son of Ludovico) and Vincenzo Cominazzi. The relationship with these famous families permitted the Gambas to build up blood ties with those who represented “the best of the best” in barrels production. With these families we remember the marriage between Giuseppe Gamba and Giulia Bernardelli. (Giuseppe and Giacomo were, in the past, the most common names given to the sons of a family). What followed is yesterday’s history. Today the continuity of the tradition is entrusted to Renato Gamba and his son Enrico Gamba. Renato Gamba is best known for it’s well made shotguns, with a history of international (Olympic) competitionsuccess. But the company also makes double rifles and revolvers. Their products are excellently made, expensive, top tier firearms. From the Renato Gamba website: “We have always been involved in the manufacturing of fine shotguns. These guns are built and finished by skilled craftsmen who must follow the Rules of Art, look after the execution, the performance and carry these points out to the finest detail. These artisans, when beginning a fine arm must consider material, mechanical workings, design as well as aesthetics. The last point should not only be personal and refined, but must also translate the technical and formal content of the object without bending to the rigid laws of ergonomics. It must be done in a way that the relationship between man and shotgun combines the users comfort, the ballistic yield and the performance in the field, be it hunting or sport shooting. A fine arm can be an object with a high degree of technological content and substance, but it cannot be seperated from man’s contribution. n is the only one who can, thanks to his taste for beauty, add to a fine arm in a dramatic way with his eye for the beautiful and majestic. He can distinguish it from another maybe highly successful model in terms of technique and ballistics even though it still remains a simple thermodynamic machine or an object without any kind of personality. But, if machines are only used to “rough shape” the material and the following work is to 60 percent entrusted to the hands of authentic Artists, then a shotgun is no longer simply “fine” but it becomes a unique and unrepeatable piece of Art Work. A Work of Art that is evident and obvious testimony of the passion, along with inspiration and capacity to accomplish what is to everbody a real masterpiece. In the product line of “Renato Gamba” there are only fine arms, including highly technological ones, where the craftsman’s hand takes the place of the CNC machine. Everytime this guarantees better results, accomplished to a large part thanks to the instruments that are guided by the most sensible and sophisticated control systems ever invented: the one formed by the fingers and the brain of a man. With the fitting of wood to metal, stocks made of selected walnut and root walnut, highest quality hand-made engravings by famous masters, the pureness of lines and all of the quality technical and formal aspects, we build some of the finest guns available in the world today. We do not propose to build shotguns for all pocketbooks, but we do guarantee to always offer products with an excellent ratio of quality and design for the price. Add on top of that the added value of a unique and unrepeatable style. From the mid-range side-by-side or over-and-under shotguns for sport or hunting, to the unique examples destined only to the more refined tastes, the shotguns which bear the name of Renato Gamba are always a winning choice. They also have the added advantage of being the product of a perfect marriage between advanced technology and traditional craftsmanship. These guns bear on their shoulders the centuries of experience which has made Val Trompia, Italy a forge of master arms builders unique in all the world.” The interest of this writing is the Renato Gamba Trident CT/59 revolver, so we will look at the handguns made by this Company: Renato Gamba SAA revolver .357 mag - Colt Single Action Army mechanism Renato Gamba Hunter 38Spl/357 mag - Colt E frame mechanism Renato Gamba Trident Match 900 .38spl - Colt E frame mechanism Renato Gamba Trident Match 901 .32 S&W long - Colt E frame mechanism Renato Gamba Trident CT/59 .38Spl - Colt E frame mechanism Renato Gamba G90 9mm Para - CZ75 clone Renato Gamba F.IIi Gaurdian 7.65mm (.32ACP) - Beretta lines Renato Gamba HSc Super 9mm short (.380mm) - Mauser HSc clone Renato Gamba GT76 6.35mm (.25ACP) - Astra Cub clone Renato Gamba Luger -150 Lugers made by Mauser with Gamba stampings The Mauser .38 Special (Renato Gamba 'Trident') This revolver was part of a deal with Renato Gamba in Italy. Renato Gamba got the right to produce and market the HSc pistol in Italy, and Mauser was allowed to market the Renato Gamba Trident revolver on their Markets. The first Mauser .38 revolvers were sold in 1980. A purchase receipt for a .38 special revolver dated the 6th of November, 1979 mentioned that the delivery time would be around 100 days, so well into 1980. The few revolvers encountered all seem to date from the same era, around 1980. The revolvers were available in 4" and 2.5" barrel lengths, with an additional hammer safety at request. The revolvers had highly polished walnut grips, a deep dark Mauser blue similar to that used on the Mauser Parabellum and HSc, so it was most likely also provided by Brünofix. The 2.5 Inch version has the following text on the left side of the (short) barrel: MAUSER WERKE OBERNDORF On the right side there is the caliber: CAL. 38 SP. The grips have a small round brass plate inserted, the plate on the right side is blank, the plate on the left side has the Mauser banner stamped on it. The pistols show Ulm proof markings, the Eagle/N, a 2-letter date code IA for 1980 and the Ulm antler on the bottom left of the frame. Cylinder and barrel also have the Eagle/N proof marking. The cylinder is marked with the pistol's serial number. The serial number is struck on the right side of the frame. Trident CT/59 The first "Trident" revolver by Renato Gamba appeared in 1976; it was a defense model with a two-inch barrel in .38 Special caliber. Then came the 3” and 4” models. Over the years, as is the case for most weapons, it has been affected by a constant evolution that has led to the "Trident Match" version, specific for the shooting activity, which is discussed in these pages. It is available in two calibres: .38 Special ("Trident Match 900" model) and .32 S&W Long ("Trident Match 901"). The undeniable elegance of the form leaps to the eye; the counterweight, keyed on, under the barrel and the sights. It blends well in the overall design, creating a pleasant aesthetic effect on the Match versions. The connoisseur's eye does not miss the excellent level of workmanship of the weapon: the finishes say a lot about the undisputed skill of the manufacturer. From the point of view of handling, we have an excellently balanced revolver (very carefully the weight has been moved forward) which is not particularly heavy. On the other hand, he has to master "soft" cartridges, whose recoil is very well mitigated by the kilogram of weight that the "Trident Match" records on the scale. The mechanics is borrowed from the "classic" Colt. We therefore have a revolver with a closed frame with the roll swinging out on the left side, equipped with an external dog and a double action device (single and double), with a floating firing pin in the frame. The barrel is hot-screwed onto the barrel; on it is the second lug fixed by screws. On the left side of the weapon there is a side plate, (fixed with two screws), whose removal gives access to the mechanics. The kinetic thrust of the hammer is provided by a "V" -shaped leaf spring; the lower prong of the same spring also provides for the return of the trigger through a long lever. The closing of the roll is done by a latch, integral with the opening button, and second latch hold the rod on the star extractor, through the centre of the roll. The automatic transfer bar is activated by a lever, controlled by the trigger, which interposes between the trigger and the hammer (thus preventing any undue contact between the firing pin and the primer) when the trigger is not completely pressed. The sights are well taken care of. The execution of the front sight guarantees a very clear image, since the face facing the shooter always remains in shadow and therefore does not tend to reflect the ambient light. The rear sight is adjustable in both directions: in height by means of a conventional screw (click), in derivation thanks to the knurled knob on the left side. This last adjustment is quite comfortable and allows a very fine adjustment, also in clicks. The rear sight is screwed to the frame on a base similar to the base of the front sight. The width of the bases allows the shooter to easily align The firearm.. Shooting in single action, the trigger is light (1.3 kg), smooth and free from gridliness; the double action trigger, as designed by Colt, makes most shooters happy, even those who, for instance, pull the trigger in one go, without stopping to hold the hammer for aiming. Although it might be a little softer, it allows for excellent shooting speed. The timing is pushed to the limit, ie the roll is locked when the hammer is released; however, this has not given problems of any kind. The percussion is well centered and of enough force; to set hard primers off. We must point out the excellent polished cylinder chambers that drop casings out easily The SAB revolver “CT/59” and "Trident Match" by Renato Gamba is certainly a niche product, intended for customers who, while delighting in target shooting, do not make competition the priority choice and pretend (rightly) to use a weapon made in a certain way, avoiding indignant plastics, light alloys, micro-castings and whatever else modern technology currently offers us. Let's say that this revolver is intended for a slightly snobbish clientele, who likes to stand out with an exclusive or almost exclusive product. As we have anticipated, the excellent maneuverability is one of the strengths of the "Trident", for this reason the weapon is indicated above all to those who approach shooting or, in any case, do not want to undergo fatigue stress. The Mauser connection adds value. We conclude by recalling that “CT/59” is a defense weapon, and the two models of the SAB "Trident Match 900" have been classified as sporting weapons. The indicative public price is prohibitive and seems to be substantially aligned with that of top tier American production. (Ref: https://luger.gunboards.com/showthread.php?29575-Mauser-revolvers-1969-1999, http://web.tiscali.it/armimagazine/trident.html, https://www.renatogamba.it/?page_id=30, https://www.ebay.ie/itm/401000705110, https://www.armiusate.it/armi-corte/rivoltelle/gamba-f-lli-armi-renato-gamba-trident-38-special-9x29mmr_i547956, https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fweb.tiscali.it%2Farmimagazine%2Ftrident.html )

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