Martin Bascaran Martian
Fabrica de Armas de Martin A. Bascaran · Pistol · Discontinued · 1914
Also known as: Martian, MAB Martian, Eibar pistol, Spanish Ruby
Overview
The Martin Bascaran Martian is a Spanish blowback semi-automatic pistol chambered in .32 ACP, one of the Ruby-type sidearms built in the Basque arms town of Eibar during and after the First World War. Produced by the firm of Martin A. Bascaran, 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, a partly shrouded hammer and a safety lever above the trigger. Bascaran was among the many Eibar contractors that supplied the French Army's wartime demand for inexpensive service pistols, and the Martian was marketed commercially under the 'MAB' monogram alongside the maker's other handguns.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 820 g (28.9 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 920 g (32.5 oz) |
| Overall Length | 155 mm (6.10") |
| Barrel Length | 87 mm (3.43") |
| Height | 110 mm (4.33") |
| Width | 30 mm (1.18") |
| Sight Radius | 118 mm (4.65") |
| 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, Shrouded Hammer
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: 1914-1928
One of at least 45 Eibar-region firms producing Ruby-type pistols; roughly one million Ruby pistols were made in total, with the French Army ordering tens of thousands per month during WWI.
Origin
Country of origin: Spain
Discontinued: 1928
Notes
Marked with the 'Martian' trade name and an 'MB' (or 'MA') manufacturer monogram. Examples with French acceptance markings — oval manufacturer codes and stars on the magazine well — saw French military service. Quality and exact dimensions varied across the dozens of Eibar workshops.
Background
A loophole in Spanish patent law let small Basque workshops copy Browning's pistol freely. When France desperately needed sidearms in 1915, Eibar makers such as Martin Bascaran flooded the front with inexpensive .32 ACP pistols built to no single common standard, the Martian among them.