Errasti Dreadnought
Antonio Errasti · Pistol · Discontinued · 1915
Also known as: Dreadnought, Dreadnaught, Errasti Ruby
Overview
The Errasti Dreadnought is a Spanish blowback-operated semi-automatic pocket pistol chambered in .32 ACP, produced by Antonio Errasti of Eibar. It is one of the many 'Ruby-type' Eibar pistols based on the FN Browning Model 1903/1906 layout, supplied in large numbers to the French Army during World War I. The design uses a fixed barrel, an internal/shrouded hammer, and a single-stack detachable magazine, with a safety lever mounted above the trigger.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 875 g (30.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 157 mm (6.18") |
| Barrel Length | 87 mm (3.43") |
| Height | 110 mm (4.33") |
| Width | 28 mm (1.10") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 9 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 290 m/s (951 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 183 J (135 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 25 m (27 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: Fixed Barrel, Single Stack Magazine, Lanyard Loop
Service history
Operators
- French Army · adopted 1915 · as Pistolet Automatique de 7 millimetre 65 genre Ruby
Conflicts
- World War I (1914-1918)
Production
Production years: 1915-1925
Part of roughly one million Ruby/Eibar-type pistols produced in Spain between 1914 and the 1920s; the French Army ordered up to 50,000 per month at peak.
Origin
Country of origin: Spain
Designer: Antonio Errasti
Discontinued: 1925
Notes
'Dreadnought' was one of several trade names Antonio Errasti applied to its pocket pistols; the firm also used the name on a .32 Long revolver. Quality and dimensions varied between Eibar makers despite shared mechanical layout.
Background
During WWI the French Army, desperate for sidearms, contracted dozens of small Eibar workshops to mass-produce .32 ACP blowback pistols under the generic 'Ruby' specification, each maker marketing its output under colorful trade names such as Errasti's 'Dreadnought'.