MP-412 REX

The MP-412 REX is a Russian double-action/single-action revolver designed by the state-owned Izhevsk Mechanical Plant, with a top break-action cylinder and an automatic ejector, chambered for the .357 Magnum and .38 Special cartridges.

History

The MP-412 was designed in the 1990s, and intended for export. However, it never entered production; it is unclear why this was, though it was likely due to its largest potential market, the United States, being closed, because of an agreement between President of [the United States|U.S. president] Bill Clinton and Russian president Boris Yeltsin in the 1990s, voluntarily banning the import of firearms from Russia to the United States.

Design and features

The MP-412 is unusual in that it has a top-break cylinder design, rather than the more common swing-out cylinder design found on most modern double-action revolvers. It also features a composite lower frame, consisting of steel with a polymer grip.