Ruby
Gabilondo y Urresti · Pistol · Discontinued · 1914
Also known as: Eibar pistol, Pistolet Automatique genre Ruby, Ruby Mle. 1915
Overview
The Ruby is a Spanish blowback-operated semi-automatic pistol chambered in .32 ACP, first produced by Gabilondo y Urresti in 1914 and heavily based on John Browning's FN/Colt Model 1903. Adopted by the French Army during World War I to meet desperate wartime demand for sidearms, the simple, robust design was mass-produced by Gabilondo and subcontracted out to more than 45 small workshops in and around the Basque arms-making town of Eibar, giving rise to the generic name 'Eibar' pistol. It features a nine-round detachable magazine with a heel release, a manual safety lever above the trigger, fixed sights, and wood grips.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 850 g (30.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 155 mm (6.10") |
| Barrel Length | 83 mm (3.27") |
| Height | 110 mm (4.33") |
| Width | 30 mm (1.18") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer 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, Heel Magazine Release, Wood Grips, Muzzle Disassembly Grooves
Service history
Operators
- French Army · adopted 1915 · as Pistolet Automatique de 7 millim.65 genre Ruby
- Italian Army · adopted 1915
Conflicts
- World War I (1914-1918)
- Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)
- World War II (1939-1945)
Production
Estimated total produced: 1,000,000 · Production years: 1914-1920s
At least 750,000 Ruby-type pistols were built by Gabilondo y Urresti and over 50 other firms; around 710,000 were accepted by the French. Gabilondo's own production is estimated at 250,000-300,000.
Origin
Country of origin: Spain
Designer: Gabilondo y Urresti
Discontinued: 1930
Notes
Because so many independent Eibar workshops built the gun to varying standards, quality and exact dimensions vary widely between examples; magazines are frequently not interchangeable between makers. Many guns are marked only with letter codes in ovals plus French acceptance stars rather than a full maker's name.
Background
When the French Army's wartime pistol shortage became acute in 1915, Gabilondo offered a Browning-pattern .32 it could deliver in quantity. A standing order beginning at thousands of pistols per month grew to as many as 50,000 monthly, far beyond any single Spanish factory's capacity, so the contract was repeatedly subcontracted down a chain of ever-smaller Eibar workshops.