Hi,
Although I haven't found other sources, the reason for the French Parabellum appears to be a legal matter.
DWM mentioned in their corporate history that they set up a French company, producing ball-bearings. These ball-bearings were an important on-the-side business for them. An interesting bit of info was that DWM's main reason for setting up a French production line was patent rights:
French law in those days only allowed registration and protection of patents for designs that were made in France.
It's not very difficult to think that the creation of the 'French Parabellum' via Manufuracture D'armes es Cycles was just a simple and effective way to register and protect the Parabellum design in France.
Why they chose this particular French firm is not known to me. It would have made more sense for them to use their own French ball-bearing company as 'creator' of the French Parabellum. I'm confident that this 'Manufacture D'armes et Cycles' was one of DWM's customers, purchasing ball-bearings and cycle parts (also produced on the side by DWM).
It would be nice to find a French local who can verify this strange French patent law.
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