Arizmendi Boltun
Francisco Arizmendi y Goenaga · Pistol · Out Of Production · 1908
Also known as: Boltun, F. Arizmendi Boltun
Overview
The Arizmendi Boltun is a compact blowback-operated semi-automatic pistol chambered in .32 ACP, produced by the Basque gunmaker Francisco Arizmendi y Goenaga of Eibar, Spain, in the years before and during the First World War. Its external layout was a close copy of the Belgian Pieper Model 1907, though its internal mechanism differed: it was a striker-fired blowback with a sprung mobile breech, fitted with a grip safety, a push-button magazine release, and longitudinal grooves around the muzzle for takedown. It was sold commercially in both 6.35mm and 7.65mm chamberings and, like many Spanish pocket pistols of the era, found buyers among French forces seeking sidearms during the war.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 460 g (16.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 120 mm (4.72") |
| Barrel Length | 57 mm (2.24") |
| Height | 90 mm (3.54") |
| Width | 25 mm (0.98") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 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 |
| 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, Grip Safety
- Features: Internal Striker, Push Button Magazine Release, Muzzle Disassembly Grooves, Fixed Sights
Service history
Operators
- French Army · adopted 1915
Conflicts
- World War I (1914-1918)
Production
Production years: 1908-1915
Produced by Francisco Arizmendi (y Goenaga) in Eibar; the Imperial War Museum dates the Boltun to 1908-1912, while other sources extend production into the war years. Exact totals unrecorded among the many small Basque pocket-pistol makers of the period
Origin
Country of origin: Spain
Discontinued: 1915
Notes
Sources vary on magazine capacity; the small .32 ACP Boltun is generally credited with a six-round magazine consistent with its Pieper-pattern design, while related Eibar/Ruby-type pistols used longer nine-round magazines.
Background
The Boltun was one of dozens of inexpensive pocket pistols turned out by small Basque workshops in Eibar, who exploited a gap in Spanish patent law to copy successful Belgian and Browning designs. When the French Army's wartime demand outstripped supply, these Eibar makers fed an enormous appetite for cheap .32 ACP sidearms.