Errasti Smith Americano
Antonio Errasti · Revolver · Discontinued · 1910
Also known as: Smith Americano, Errasti Colt Army Special copy
Overview
The Errasti Smith Americano is a Spanish double-action revolver produced by Antonio Errasti of Eibar in the early 20th century. Despite the Smith & Wesson-evoking trade name, it is mechanically a copy of the Colt Army Special swing-out-cylinder revolver, retaining the Colt-pattern rearward-drawing barrel latch rather than S&W's push-forward thumbpiece. Built on a six-shot solid frame and typically chambered in .38 Special, these Eibar-made revolvers were inexpensive commercial arms assembled with hand-fitted parts, and today are valued chiefly as historical collector pieces.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 900 g (31.7 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 960 g (33.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 267 mm (10.51") |
| Barrel Length | 127 mm (5.00") |
| Height | 135 mm (5.31") |
| Width | 38 mm (1.50") |
| Sight Radius | 160 mm (6.30") |
| Action Type | Double Action Revolver |
| Firing Mechanism | Double Action |
| Trigger Type | Double Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Revolving Cylinder |
| Muzzle Velocity | 260 m/s (853 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 274 J (202 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 45 m (49 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .38 Special · primary — also known as .38 Spl, .38 S&W Special, 9x29mmR
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Revolving Cylinder
- Safety mechanisms: Rebounding Hammer
- Features: Solid Frame, Swing Out Cylinder, Side Ejection, Colt Pattern Barrel Latch
Production
Production years: 1910-1936
Produced in Eibar until the Spanish Civil War disrupted the region's commercial gun trade; exact totals unrecorded.
Origin
Country of origin: Spain
Designer: Antonio Errasti
Discontinued: 1936
Notes
Eibar-made Spanish revolvers of this era were produced under numerous overlapping trade names such as Smith Americano. Build quality and steel varied widely, and surviving examples are generally regarded as collector or display pieces rather than modern shooters. Some examples were also chambered in .38 Long Colt or 8mm Lebel for wartime contracts.
Background
Eibar's gunmakers built a global export trade on affordable copies of American designs, marketing them under English- and Spanish-language trade names like Smith Americano to trade on the prestige of Colt and Smith & Wesson.