Beistegui Bulwark
Beistegui Hermanos · Pistol · Discontinued · 1915
Also known as: Bulwark, BH Bulwark, Eibar pistol, Spanish Ruby
Overview
The Beistegui Bulwark is a Spanish blowback semi-automatic pistol chambered in .32 ACP, one of the Ruby-type sidearms produced in the Basque arms town of Eibar during and after the First World War. Built by Beistegui Hermanos under the 'Bulwark' trade name, 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. The larger 7.65mm Bulwark measured about 175 mm in length and held nine rounds, while a smaller 6.35mm pocket version with an added grip safety was also offered. Beistegui Hermanos was among the many Eibar firms contracted to feed the French Army's vast wartime demand for inexpensive service pistols.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 850 g (30.0 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 950 g (33.5 oz) |
| Overall Length | 175 mm (6.89") |
| Barrel Length | 95 mm (3.74") |
| Height | 115 mm (4.53") |
| Width | 30 mm (1.18") |
| Sight Radius | 130 mm (5.12") |
| 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: 1915-1936
One of at least 45 Eibar-region firms producing Ruby-type pistols; roughly one million Ruby pistols were made in total during the period, with the French Army ordering tens of thousands per month at the height of WWI.
Origin
Country of origin: Spain
Discontinued: 1936
Notes
Beistegui Hermanos pistols are marked with the 'BH' manufacturer code. Both the Bulwark and the company's Libia pistol carried the inscription 'PATENT DEPOSE No. 67,259.' Quality varied widely across the dozens of Eibar workshops producing Ruby-pattern guns.
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 — Beistegui Hermanos among them — flooded the front with inexpensive .32 ACP pistols sold under brand names like Bulwark, Libia and Paramount.