Alkartasuna Ruby
Fabrica de Armas Alkartasuna, SA · Pistol · Discontinued · 1915
Also known as: Alkar, Kapitan, Eibar pistol, Spanish Ruby
Overview
The Alkartasuna Ruby is a Spanish blowback semi-automatic pistol chambered in .32 ACP, one of the many Ruby-type sidearms produced in the Basque town of Guernica during the First World War. Built by Fabrica de Armas Alkartasuna, it follows the Eibar pattern derived from John Browning's FN Model 1903: a fixed-barrel straight-blowback action, a nine-round detachable box magazine fed through a heel release, an external extractor, slide grasping grooves and a safety lever above the trigger. Alkartasuna was among the firms contracted to supply the French Army's enormous demand for inexpensive service pistols, and some late examples were made with an extended barrel and revised front sight.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 850 g (30.0 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 950 g (33.5 oz) |
| Overall Length | 155 mm (6.10") |
| Barrel Length | 89 mm (3.50") |
| Height | 110 mm (4.33") |
| Width | 30 mm (1.18") |
| Sight Radius | 120 mm (4.72") |
| 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) |
| Maximum Range | 100 m (109 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: External Extractor, Heel Magazine Release, Slide Grasping Grooves, Fixed Sights
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: 1915-1922
One of at least 45 Eibar-region firms producing Ruby-type pistols; roughly one million Ruby pistols were made in total, with the French Army ordering tens of thousands per month.
Origin
Country of origin: Spain
Discontinued: 1922
Notes
Alkartasuna pistols are marked with the 'Alkar' and 'Kapitan' trade names and an AK manufacturer code. Quality varied widely across the dozens of Eibar workshops; collectors generally regard Alkartasuna as one of the better-made Ruby contractors.
Background
A loophole in Spanish patent law let small Basque workshops copy Browning's pistol freely, and when France desperately needed sidearms in 1915 these Eibar makers, Alkartasuna among them, flooded the front with inexpensive .32 ACP Rubies built to no single common standard.