Campo-Giro
Esperanza y Unceta · Pistol · Discontinued · 1913
Also known as: Campo-Giro Modelo 1913, Pistola Campo-Giro
Overview
The Campo-Giro was a Spanish semi-automatic pistol chambered in 9mm Largo, designed by Army Colonel Venancio Lopez de Ceballos y Aguirre, Count of Campo-Giro. Produced by Esperanza y Unceta in Guernica, it used a simple blowback action with a fixed barrel and a spring buffer to tame the recoil of the powerful 9mm Largo cartridge. Adopted as Spain's standard service pistol in 1913, it served until it was superseded by the Astra 400 in 1921.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1000 g (35.3 oz) |
| Overall Length | 225 mm (8.86") |
| Barrel Length | 165 mm (6.50") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Single Action |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 8 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 360 m/s (1181 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 525 J (387 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 150 m (164 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 9x23mm Largo · primary — also known as 9mm Largo, 9mm Bergmann-Bayard, 9x23mm
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: External Hammer, Fixed Barrel, Spring Buffered Recoil
Variants
- Campo-Giro Modelo 1913-16 — Improved
Service history
Operators
- Spanish Army · adopted 1912 · as Pistola Campo-Giro
Conflicts
- Rif War (1921-1926)
Production
Estimated total produced: 30,000 · Production years: 1912-1919
Approximately 30,000 produced across the Modelo 1913 and 1913-16 variants
Origin
Country of origin: Spain
Designer: Venancio Lopez de Ceballos y Aguirre
Discontinued: 1921
Notes
The improved Modelo 1913-16 incorporated military feedback including a recoil damper and a reinforced grip. The design directly led to the Astra 400 / Modelo 1921 that replaced it.
Background
The Campo-Giro's blowback design had to fire the potent 9mm Largo cartridge without a locked breech, so its designer relied on a heavy slide and a clever recoil-buffer spring rather than a true locking system - a gamble that worked well enough to make it Spain's first standard-issue self-loading pistol.