Acha Hermanos Looking Glass
Acha Hermanos · Pistol · Discontinued · 1920
Also known as: Looking Glass, Looking-Glass
Overview
The Acha Hermanos Looking Glass is a Spanish .32 ACP semi-automatic pistol of the Eibar 'Ruby' type, produced by Acha Hermanos in the Basque arms-making region during the interwar period. Like other Ruby-pattern pistols, it is a simple straight-blowback design copied from the FN/Browning Model 1903, fed by a detachable box magazine and intended for the civilian pocket and export market. 'Looking Glass' was a trade name applied to inexpensive Spanish self-loading pistols of this class.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 615 g (21.7 oz) |
| Overall Length | 155 mm (6.10") |
| Barrel Length | 87 mm (3.43") |
| Height | 110 mm (4.33") |
| Width | 30 mm (1.18") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 9 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 300 m/s (984 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 200 J (148 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 25 m (27 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .32 ACP · primary — also known as .32 Automatic, 7.65x17mm Browning SR, 7.65mm Browning
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Fixed Sights, Heel Magazine Release, Loaded Chamber Indicator
Service history
Operators
- French Army · adopted 1915 · as Pistolet Automatique de 7 millim.65 genre "Ruby"
Conflicts
- World War I (1914-1918)
Production
Production years: 1920-1936
Part of an estimated one million Ruby/Eibar-type pistols produced in Spain; exact Acha Hermanos 'Looking Glass' output is not recorded.
Origin
Country of origin: Spain
Discontinued: 1936
Notes
The 'Looking Glass' trade name was applied to Ruby-type pistols by several Eibar-area makers, including Acha Hermanos and Domingo Acha y Cia. Examples were chambered in both .25 ACP and .32 ACP, with magazine capacities varying between compact 6-round and full-size 9-round Ruby patterns. A distinctive feature of the hammer-fired .32 ACP Looking Glass is a combination front sight and cartridge (loaded-chamber) indicator, an unusual touch for a budget Eibar pistol. Empty weight is roughly 21 oz (~595-615 g) and overall length about 6.1 in (155 mm).
Background
During World War I the French Army's desperate need for sidearms led it to contract dozens of small Basque workshops for 'Ruby' pattern .32 pistols, ordering up to 50,000 per month. After the war these makers, including Acha Hermanos, continued churning out the same blowback design under colourful export trade names like 'Looking Glass' for the commercial market.