Retolaza Stosel
Retolaza Hermanos · Pistol · Discontinued · 1914
Also known as: Stosel No.1, Stosel No.1 1914, Stossel, Retolaza Stosel 7.65mm
Overview
The Retolaza Stosel is a Spanish blowback-operated semi-automatic pistol chambered in .32 ACP, built by Retolaza Hermanos of Eibar. Like most Eibar-made automatics of the period the .32 ACP "Stosel No.1" of 1914 was an inexpensive 'Ruby-type' copy of John Browning's FN/Colt Model 1903 pocket pistol, with a concealed-hammer striker action and a single-stack 9-round detachable magazine. It was one of the many cheap Eibar automatics sold under topical trade names during the WWI boom; the firm's smaller 6.35mm Stosel — believed to be an earlier Retolaza pocket pistol following the Browning 1906 vest-pocket pattern — preceded it.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 795 g (28.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 152 mm (5.98") |
| Barrel Length | 83 mm (3.27") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 9 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 282 m/s (925 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 188 J (139 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 25 m (27 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .32 ACP · primary — also known as .32 Auto, 7.65x17mm Browning, 7.65mm Browning
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Fixed Sights, Concealed Hammer, Browning 1903 Pattern, Ruby Type
Production
Production years: 1914-1936
Made by Retolaza Hermanos of Eibar; the 6.35mm Stosel dates to roughly 1906-1907 and the 7.65mm No.1 to 1914, with production ending around the Spanish Civil War. Exact output unrecorded.
Origin
Country of origin: Spain
Designer: Retolaza Hermanos
Discontinued: 1936
Notes
The original 6.35mm Stosel is regarded as Retolaza's first automatic and may predate most of the firm's other models; the .32 ACP version is usually marked "Stosel No.1 1914". Specifications follow the standard Eibar Browning-1906 pattern and several dimensions are estimated from comparable Retolaza pistols.
Background
The Stosel takes its name from Russian general Anatoly Stoessel (often spelled Stosel), briefly famous for his defence and surrender of Port Arthur in the 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War. Retolaza Hermanos, among the pioneers of automatic-pistol making in Eibar, followed the Spanish industry's habit of naming cheap pocket pistols after topical events and figures, alongside its other trade names such as Liberty, Paramount, Titan and Titanic.