Echave y Arizmendi Basque
Echave, Arizmendi y Cia (Echasa) · Pistol · Discontinued · 1959
Also known as: Echasa Basque, Basque
Overview
The Echave y Arizmendi Basque is a Spanish blowback-operated pocket pistol built in Eibar in the 1960s by Echave, Arizmendi y Cia (Echasa). Patterned on the Walther PP, it uses a lightweight alloy frame with a blued steel slide and was offered in .22 LR, .25 ACP, .32 ACP and .380 ACP, with magazine capacities of ten, nine, seven and six rounds respectively. Basque was one of several export trade names, alongside Echasa, Dickson Special Agent, Fast and Lur-Panzer, under which the firm sold these guns primarily to the American civilian market.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 454 g (16.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 159 mm (6.26") |
| Barrel Length | 76 mm (2.99") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Double Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 7 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 280 m/s (919 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 180 J (133 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 25 m (27 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Aluminum |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Plastic |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .32 ACP · primary — also known as .32 Auto, 7.65mm Browning, 7.65x17mmSR
- .380 ACP — also known as .380 Auto, 9x17mm, 9mm Kurz, 9mm Short
- .25 ACP — also known as 6.35x16mm Browning, 6.35mm Browning, .25 Auto
- .22 Long Rifle — also known as .22 LR, 22 LR, 5.6x15mmR
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Fixed Sights, Alloy Frame
Production
Production years: c. 1959-1969
Exact figures undocumented. Produced during the ECHASA period (1959-1969) alongside the Echasa, Fast, Dickson Special Agent and Lur-Panzer brands. Output was aimed at the US export market and ended when the Eibar factory closed in 1969 following the 1968 US Gun Control Act's import restrictions.
Origin
Country of origin: Spain
Discontinued: 1969
Notes
Basque was a brand name rather than a distinct design; the same PP-pattern pistols were sold as Echasa, Dickson Special Agent, Fast and Lur-Panzer (the .22 version). Model names were stamped on the slide and grip plates. Dimensions here are for the .32 ACP variant and are shared with the closely related Echasa Fast; other calibers vary slightly in size and magazine capacity.
Background
Eibar in the Basque Country was Spain's pocket-pistol capital, and firms like Echave y Arizmendi sold near-identical guns under a rotating cast of catchy export brand names to stand out in the crowded American market. The 'Basque' name leaned directly on the region's identity. When the 1968 US Gun Control Act barred cheap imported handguns, the export trade that sustained these pistols collapsed and the factory shut its doors in 1969.