Ruby pistol


The Ruby 'pistol' was a semi-automatic pistol of.32 ACP calibre made by Gabilondo y Urresti and other Spanish companies. It saw use in both World Wars as the service weapon of the French Army under the name Pistolet Automatique de 7 millim.65 genre "Ruby".
The pistol was closely modeled after John Browning's 1903 Pocket Hammerless design produced by Colt. The French Army decommissioned it in 1958.

Gabilondo and the Ruby

In 1914, just before the start of the First World War, Gabilondo started manufacture of a sturdy self-loading pistol based on the Browning Model 1903 and chambered for the 7.65mm Browning/.32 ACP cartridge. Unusual for the time, the magazine capacity was nine shots instead of the usual six or seven. The pistol was intended for export to the Americas, and despite the small calibre it was designed with military and police sales in mind. Other Spanish manufacturers had copied the Browning since around 1905. The Ruby, apart from the extended magazine appears to be a direct copy of a pistol called the "Victoria" made by Esperanza and Unceta. This pistol used features patented by Pedro Careaga in 1911, and by the Esperanza and Unceta company in 1912. These patents may have covered the frame-mounted safety, and an internal striker.
In 1915 Gabilondo sent examples of the pistols to the French government, who were hard-pressed for all sorts of small-arms, even in this early stage of the war. After testing was completed in May 1915, the French decided to accept the Ruby as the "Pistolet Automatique de 7 millimètre 65 genre "Ruby" and contracted Gabilondo to produce 10,000 pistols a month. By August the target had been raised to 30,000 and later still an incredible 50,000 a month. Despite its size, the company could barely cope with the initial contract and arranged for four partners to manufacture the Ruby for them:
  • Armeria Elgoibaressa y Cia
  • Echealaza y Vincinai y Cia
  • Hijos de Angel Echeverria y Cia
  • Iraola Salaverria y Cia
The contract stipulated that each company would produce a minimum of 5,000 pistols per month. Gabilondo would produce 10,000 guns, carry out overall quality control and arrange delivery to the French authorities in Bayonne. As the number of pistols required increased the company agreed to purchase any pistols in excess of the agreed number at the same contracted price. As demand increased Gabilondo recruited another three partners to help manufacture the Ruby. Estimates of Gabilondo Ruby production are between 250,000 and 300,000 pistols in total. While most Gabilondo contract pistols were of good quality, others were less well made.

Ruby-type pistols by other makers

As the French became more desperate, the procurement process spiralled out of control. Eventually Gabilondo contracted with another three companies and at least 45 other companies contracted with the French directly to produce Ruby-type pistols in a variety of calibres, barrel lengths and magazine capacities.
French officials quickly became aware that few of the Spanish Ruby-types had interchangeable magazines, and insisted the manufacturers mark the base of all magazines. This was to prevent the possibly fatal consequence at the front line of either not being able to insert a new magazine, or having a loaded magazine detach from the gun in action.
Many Ruby-type pistols were plagued by poor finish and incorrectly hardened steel parts which, after a short period of use, could become so badly worn that a very dangerous situation known as a "runaway gun" could result. Another danger characteristic to poorly manufactured Ruby pistols were faulty safety mechanisms - due to improper fitting or the use of inappropriate materials for critical safety components. Despite the existence of faulty and/or dangerous Ruby-type pistols produced by the more unscrupulous sub-contractors, the basic Ruby showed itself to be a well thought out design that, when properly manufactured of appropriate quality components, resulted in a pistol highly regarded for its reliability and accuracy,
although some users were disconcerted by the lack of a visible hammer. About 710,000 Ruby-types were accepted by the French from all sources and by 1920, about 580,000 were still serviceable and in French army stores. Many other allied nations, and some of the new nations created after the War such as Finland and Yugoslavia also used Ruby-type pistols. The French firm of Manufacture d'Armes des Pyrenees Francaise produced the gun under the tradename "Unique," which was adopted by the French army under the name Model 17. During the Nazi occupation of World War II the Germans continued manufacture of the gun but altered the design with an external hammer. After the war MAPF resumed manufacture, retaining the external hammer, under the model name RR51.
Gabilondo ceased production in 1919 and switched to more advanced models, but other firms continued to produce the Ruby-type until the Great Depression wiped out many arms producers. Ruby-types continued to be used until the end of World War II, particularly by Spanish and French Maquis, as well as their Vichy opponents.

Advantages and disadvantages

The Ruby-type pistol is very intuitive to operate, even for novices. The slide stop doubles as a safety and field stripping is remarkably simple. The small size and large magazine capacity was an advantage, making it a popular "backup" weapon for troops involved in trench warfare, as well as the standard issue weapons for telephonists, stretcher bearers, machine-gun, machine-rifle, tank, and mortar crews, and rear-echelon personnel of all descriptions. The comparatively weak cartridges these pistols were chambered in gave little recoil, making them easier for novices to use effectively.
The primary disadvantage of these pistols is the relatively weak cartridges they were chambered in, reducing the pistol's stopping power.
The reliance on only one type of safety, and the lack of a visible hammer make these pistols very dangerous to carry "cocked and locked". Early models could come off safety when holstered in a tight-fitting holster and a large protruding stud was added to the slide in order to prevent this.
In later years, Ruby-types became notorious for the lack of standardization of parts between different manufacturers, resulting in a widespread incompatibility of spare parts that made the Ruby-types difficult to maintain. Some of this is due to the persistent confusion over exactly who made which Ruby-type pistol.

Influence of the Ruby

The Ruby directly influenced the design of the FN Model 1910/22, which was a nine-shot version of the M1910 developed for Yugoslavia. Finland, Netherlands, Greece, Turkey, Romania, France, Denmark, and Germany also adopted this pistol at various times. Several commercially made French pistols by M.A.B and were heavily influenced by the Ruby.

Users

"Official" Rubies
  • Gabilondo y Urresti - French Military code stamp GU
  • Alkartasuma - French Military code stamp AK
  • Armeria Elgoibaressa y Cia - French Military code stamp AE
  • Beistegui Hermanos - French Military code stamp BH
  • Echealaza y Vincinai y Cia - French Military code stamp unknown
  • Erquiaga y Cia - French Military code unknown, possibly EC
  • Hijos de Angel Echeverria y Cia - French Military code stamp HE
  • Iraola Salaverria y Cia - French Military code stamp IS
Ruby copies under direct contract to the Allies
  • Acha Hermanos y Cia - French Military code stamp AH
  • José Aldazabal - French Military code stamp unknown
  • Aldabazal, Leturiondo y Cia French Military code stamp AL
  • Arizaga - French Military code stamp A
  • Francisco Arizmendi/ Arizmendi y Goenaga - French Military code stamp AG
  • Arizmendi, Zulaica y Cia - French Military code stamp AZ
  • Arrizabalaga - French Military code stamp unknown
  • Arrostegui - French Military code stamp unknown
  • Azanza y Arrizabalaga - French Military code stamp AA
  • Martin Bascaran - French Military code stamp MB
  • Fabrica de Berasaluce, Arietio, Aurteña y Cia - French Military code stamp BA
  • Victor Bernedo sometimes marked Vincenzo Bernedo)French Military code stamp VB
  • Gregorio Bolomburu French Military code stamp GB
  • Javier Echaniz– - French Military code stamp JE
  • Echave y Arizmendi French Military code stamp unknown
  • Echealaza, Vincinai y Cia French Military code stamp unknown, possibly EC
  • Bonifacio Echeverria - French Military code stamp I
  • Antonio Errasti - French Military code stamp unknown
  • Esperanza y Unceta -French Military code stamp EU
  • Fabrica De Armas, Durango - French Military code stamp VD
  • Fabrique d'Armes de Guerre de Grande Précision - French Military code stamp unknown
  • Garate, Anitua y Cia - French Military code stamp GN
  • Isidro Gaztañaga - French Military code stamp IG
  • Ignacio Ugartechea - French Military code stamp unknown
  • Hijos de Calixto Arrizabalaga French Military code stamp unknown
  • La Industrial Orbea - French Military code stamp IO
  • Laplana y Capdevila—French Military code stamp LC
  • Lasangabaster Hermanos, Eibar - French Military code stamp LH
  • Modesto Santos - French Military code stamp unknown
  • Retolaza Hermanos French Military code stamp RH
  • San Martin y Cia - French Military code stamp unknown
  • Sociedad Española de Armas y Municiones or S.E.A.M. - French Military code stamp unknown
  • Unknown manufacturer - French Military code stamp unknown
  • Unknown manufacturer - French Military code stamp unknown
  • Unknown manufacturer - French Military code stamp unknown
  • F. Arizmendi y Goenaga Eibar - French Military code stamp AG
  • Unknown manufacturer - French Military code stamp unknown
  • Unknown manufacturer
  • Unknown manufacturer - French Military code stamp unknown
  • Unknown manufacturer
  • Unknown manufacturer - French Military code stamp unknown
  • Unknown manufacturer - French Military code stamp unknown
  • Unknown manufacturer - French Military code stamp unknown
  • Unknown manufacturer - French Military code stamp unknown
  • Unknown manufacturer - French Military code stamp unknown
  • Unknown manufacturer - French Military code stamp unknown
  • Unknown manufacturer - French Military code stamp unknown
  • Urrejola y Cia - French Military code UC
  • Tomás de Urizar - French Military code stamp unknown
  • M. Zulaica y Cia - French Military code stamp ZC