Victoria
Esperanza y Unceta · Pistol · Discontinued · 1911
Also known as: Victoria 1911, Hope, Esperanza y Unceta Victoria
Overview
The Victoria is a compact .25 ACP (6.35mm Browning) vest-pocket semi-automatic pistol manufactured by Esperanza y Unceta in Eibar, Spain. Introduced in 1911, it is a blowback-operated, hammerless design closely patterned on John Browning's FN Model 1906/1903 layout, incorporating improvements patented by Pedro Careaga that substituted a frame-mounted safety for the original grip safety. It was one of the first vest-pocket .25 caliber pistols made by the firm that would later become Astra-Unceta y Cia, and was sold widely on the civilian market and as a backup arm, with some examples reaching French and Italian service in the First World War.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 369 g (13.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 110 mm (4.33") |
| Barrel Length | 54 mm (2.13") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 230 m/s (755 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 86 J (63 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 15 m (16 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .25 ACP · primary — also known as 6.35x16mm Browning, 6.35mm Browning, .25 Auto
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Vest Pocket Size, Fixed Sights, Frame Mounted Safety
Service history
Operators
- French Army
Conflicts
- World War I (1914-1918)
Production
Estimated total produced: 50,000 · Production years: 1911-1916
Over 50,000 produced in Eibar between 1911 and 1913 before manufacturing relocated to Guernica; the Victoria name was used until the Astra brand took over in the mid-1910s.
Origin
Country of origin: Spain
Designer: Pedro Careaga
Discontinued: 1916
Notes
Marketed under the names Victoria, Victoria 1911 and later the export name Hope (Esperanza is Spanish for hope). Slides and magazines were often marked with the EU monogram. A larger .32 ACP version of the Victoria was also produced.
Background
The Victoria was made by Esperanza y Unceta, a partnership of Juan Esperanza and Pedro Unceta that began producing pistols in the Basque arms town of Eibar before relocating to Guernica. The firm later adopted the Astra trademark and became Astra-Unceta y Cia, one of Spain's most prominent twentieth-century pistol makers.