spanish ruby pistol serial numbers

-SA · 06-16-2011, 06:14 PM

Heres a picture of the pistol I need ID'd.

My camera died so I did not get many pictures. Pictures can be added if need be. Please let me know what you need pictures of to ID this. There is nothing written on it that I can make out due to wear. I don't even know what caliber it is, 9mm shell would not completely go into the magazine.

Wild Bill Caldwell · 06-16-2011, 06:44 PM

need more photos from different angles.....Have You tried lookin thru Gun Parts catalog (NUMRICH ARMS)....could be .380

Wild Bill

one eye joe · 06-16-2011, 07:02 PM

Put a ruler next to it for a frame of reference as to size. I believe it's a .380. Maybe a Star......

Sarge405 · 06-17-2011, 05:31 AM

Look at the roughness of the work, the pins, triggerguard, screws. No machine work. Looks like one of the third world knock offs to me.

one eye joe · 06-17-2011, 06:02 AM

Sarge, it is VERY rough--even for a Star. Your post prompted me to post "The Guns of Darra" thread in the Gun Talk section--NOT that I think this is one of theirs.......

-SA · 06-17-2011, 03:38 PM

Sorry for the bad lighting. Hopefully be able to trade this in for a few boxes of 7.62x39 I guess, wasn't expecting much out of this but it'd be nice to know what it is! Thanks for the help so far guys!

one eye joe · 06-17-2011, 04:24 PM

THOSE pics cement it for me. That's a Star Ruby, designed in Spain for Spanish and French military use during WW 1. They were manufactured in cottage industry shops, as well as by Gabilondo. That particular example is crudely made, well worn, and pretty beat up .........

-SA · 06-17-2011, 04:38 PM

Hey thanks! After researching a bit after your post, I see I have aquired a dangerous paperweight. Now to see how much it's worth for trade in.

one eye joe · 06-17-2011, 05:14 PM

Good plan, -SA. I wouldn't try puttin' modern .380ACP through it........

dfariswheel · 06-17-2011, 06:05 PM

These Ruby type .32 autos were made by a myriad of Spanish "gun makers" under many names or no names in the 20's, 30's, and 40's.
The desperate German's bought many of the at least moderately better quality versions in WWII.
After WWII, we gave the French and Germans large quantities of fine S&W .38 Victory model revolvers.
The French preferred automatics, so they sold the S&W's and bought some of the more crappy quality Spanish Ruby types.

Many were made in literally cottage industries, in which a farm or sheep herding family would spend the winter hand filing gun parts, and in the spring they'd sell the semi-finished parts to someone who'd assemble them into more or less working guns.

Trying to pin these down even when a makers mark is present is often futile, since Spanish gun makers would form a partnership with other makers and dissolve it, sometimes within weeks.
This was often done as a means of avoiding lawsuits aimed at patent violators.
Proof marks and serial numbers are often meaningless.

Among other known makers of these guns were short lived companies like Paramont, Regina, Cobra, Gregorio Bolumburn, Looking Glass, Trust, and god only knows how many more.

06-16-2011, 06:14 PM	#1
-SA Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Minnesota Posts: 4	Help me ID this pistol Heres a picture of the pistol I need ID'd. My camera died so I did not get many pictures. Pictures can be added if need be. Please let me know what you need pictures of to ID this. There is nothing written on it that I can make out due to wear. I don't even know what caliber it is, 9mm shell would not completely go into the magazine.

06-16-2011, 07:02 PM	#3
one eye joe Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,080	Put a ruler next to it for a frame of reference as to size. I believe it's a .380. Maybe a Star...... Last edited by one eye joe; 06-16-2011 at 08:29 PM.

06-17-2011, 06:02 AM	#5
one eye joe Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,080	Sarge, it is VERY rough--even for a Star. Your post prompted me to post "The Guns of Darra" thread in the Gun Talk section--NOT that I think this is one of theirs....... Last edited by one eye joe; 06-17-2011 at 06:05 AM.

06-17-2011, 04:24 PM	#7
one eye joe Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,080	THOSE pics cement it for me. That's a Star Ruby, designed in Spain for Spanish and French military use during WW 1. They were manufactured in cottage industry shops, as well as by Gabilondo. That particular example is crudely made, well worn, and pretty beat up ......... Last edited by one eye joe; 06-17-2011 at 04:36 PM.

06-17-2011, 06:05 PM	#10
dfariswheel Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Posts: 1,800	These Ruby type .32 autos were made by a myriad of Spanish "gun makers" under many names or no names in the 20's, 30's, and 40's. The desperate German's bought many of the at least moderately better quality versions in WWII. After WWII, we gave the French and Germans large quantities of fine S&W .38 Victory model revolvers. The French preferred automatics, so they sold the S&W's and bought some of the more crappy quality Spanish Ruby types. Many were made in literally cottage industries, in which a farm or sheep herding family would spend the winter hand filing gun parts, and in the spring they'd sell the semi-finished parts to someone who'd assemble them into more or less working guns. Trying to pin these down even when a makers mark is present is often futile, since Spanish gun makers would form a partnership with other makers and dissolve it, sometimes within weeks. This was often done as a means of avoiding lawsuits aimed at patent violators. Proof marks and serial numbers are often meaningless. Among other known makers of these guns were short lived companies like Paramont, Regina, Cobra, Gregorio Bolumburn, Looking Glass, Trust, and god only knows how many more. Last edited by dfariswheel; 06-17-2011 at 06:12 PM.

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06-16-2011, 06:44 PM	#2
Wild Bill Caldwell Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Louisiana Posts: 526	need more photos from different angles.....Have You tried lookin thru Gun Parts catalog (NUMRICH ARMS)....could be .380 Wild Bill

06-17-2011, 05:31 AM	#4
Sarge405 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: U.S. Posts: 393	Look at the roughness of the work, the pins, triggerguard, screws. No machine work. Looks like one of the third world knock offs to me.

06-17-2011, 03:38 PM	#6
-SA Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Minnesota Posts: 4	Sorry for the bad lighting. Hopefully be able to trade this in for a few boxes of 7.62x39 I guess, wasn't expecting much out of this but it'd be nice to know what it is! Thanks for the help so far guys!

06-17-2011, 04:38 PM	#8
-SA Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Minnesota Posts: 4	Hey thanks! After researching a bit after your post, I see I have aquired a dangerous paperweight. Now to see how much it's worth for trade in.

06-17-2011, 05:14 PM	#9
one eye joe Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,080	Good plan, -SA. I wouldn't try puttin' modern .380ACP through it........

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