Who names a pistol after an ocean liner?

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  • mawkie

    C&R Whisperer
    Sep 28, 2007
    4,338
    Catonsville
    -Having collected just about every version of French military auto pistol there was just one vast arena that I had purposely ignored: the Spanish Ruby. Most are found in the range of poor to good, rarely VG or excellent, having served in most cases for two world wars. I made the decision I wanted one of the versions that the French kept in service post war and then installed the big, ugly slide rivet.
    -Found a fair example built by La Armeria Elgoibaresa, Eligobar – under the odd “Lusitania” name. There were four major producers of the Ruby and a vast host of Mom 'n Pop small shops hammering them out during WWI. This manuf. was one of the major four though you don't see them all that often. The French assigned a manuf. code to many of the Spanish companies and this one happens to be "AE". You'll find the code on the left side of the frame near the tang. You'll also find two French acceptance stars on the bottom of the frame near the magazine heel release.
    -The slide rivet was added to help keep the safety lever from being swept from safe to fire modes when withdrawing it from a holster. It's a big lump of a pistol made from questionable quality steel. Chambered in .32 ACP. This one is matching but for the magazine (bought it sans mag, found an original AE marked one).
    -The barrel looks hand carved and the bore has damned near no rifling left, yet it's not pitted. Can't tell if it's badly worn (it's been said that the French gave Ruby pistols an estimated lifespan of 500 rounds) or just that poor a quality. I'm thinking worn. Let's just say this one is at the bottom of my large inventory list for range duty. I value my life that much.
    -But it did serve at a time when the French losses were so dramatic that they took anything that could shoot. I'm sure 500 rounds was acceptable given the circumstances.
     

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    Bob A

    όυ φροντισ
    MDS Supporter
    Patriot Picket
    Nov 11, 2009
    30,691
    Sounds like the European version of Khyber Pass gunsmithing.
     

    tallen702

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 3, 2012
    5,102
    In the boonies of MoCo
    Sounds like the European version of Khyber Pass gunsmithing.

    Spain and southern France both had a tradition of what can only be described as gunmaker guilds. While there were certainly state-operated manufacturing plants and arsenals, especially for military arms production, a lot of the sporting arms production was carried out by little mom-and-pop shops that were supplied with the main components that couldn't be made outside a factory. For example, my St. Etienne Shotgun is a guild-built one. The boxlock and barrels came from a contract producer, but all the fine parts (lock mechanisms, firing pins, safety lever, etc.) as well as the any wood work and engraving, were all done by hand in a small shop. The same went for a lot of Spanish guns until Franco took over.

    That said, French guild guns tended to be shotguns by and large. What's more French guns had mandatory proofing requirements meaning that their guns were proven not to blow up in your face, generally making them safe. The cost of proofing plus actual guild laws meant not just anyone could make guns, you had to have at least some training.

    Spain, on the other hand didn't require proofing until 1923! The first proof-house was established in Eibar back in 1844, but until the post-WWI era, thanks to international arms treatys, nobody had to proof anything unless they wanted to in Spain. I think that's why all the little Ruby and Eibar pistols gained such a poor reputation and maintain it until this day by and large. Simply anyone could open up a shop, slap together a gun, and off it went. This is why Spanish steel is so suspect until after WWII as well. There was plenty of room for unscrupulous folks to make a quick buck cranking out arms for the Great War.


    Mawkie, that's a pretty neat pistol even if it will mainly sit in the safe. Good lord is that rivet just the biggest wart I've ever seen though! :lol2: How exactly does it prevent the safety from being disengaged while in the holster?

    Edit: I think I see, it keeps the holster from rubbing the safety so that it doesn't accidentally swing to "fire" during the drawing of the gun? Basically creates a stand-off of sorts?
     

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