Curious Relics #074: A Historic Gem – The Spanish Ruby
Sam.S 10.04.23
Welcome, if you are a newcomer to this fun bi-weekly segment of AllOutdoor.com! In our previous topic, covered yet another H&R revolver (the H&R 733)…and it is definitely not the last. BUT today we are diving into a misunderstood diamond in the rough. I of course am alluding to the infamous Spanish Ruby pistol. Let’s jump right in!
Recent Harrington & Richardson Content in Curious Relics:
- Curious Relics #070: In The Hall with The Revolver – H&R 733 Guardsman
- Curious Relics #071: H&R 733 Guardsman – A Trusty Sidekick
- Curious Relics #072: The H&R 733 Guardsman Part III
- Curious Relics #073: The H&R 733 Guardsman Part IV
Welcome to our recurring series of “Curious Relics.” Here, we want to share all of our experiences, knowledge, misadventures, and passion for older firearms that one might categorize as a Curio & Relic – any firearm that is at least 50 years old according to the ATF. Hopefully along the way you can garner a greater appreciation for older firearms like we do, and simultaneously you can teach us things as well through sharing your own expertise and thoughts in the Comments. Understanding the firearms of old, their importance, and their development which lead to many of the arms we now cherish today is incredibly fascinating and we hope you enjoy what we have to share, too!
History Abridged: The Spanish Ruby
The rapid onset of World War I marked a drastic shift from organized above-ground warfare to a relentless grind of trench combat. As the nature of battle changed, so too did the technology, with horses replaced by tanks and revolvers superseded by autoloading pistols. The Ruby pistol was not a revolutionary advancement per se, but rather an improvised solution born of necessity.
At the outset of World War I, French soldiers, especially valued officers and fighter pilots, were equipped with the standard-issue Modèle 1892 Lebel revolver as their sidearm. The Lebel was a well-designed six-shot revolver for its time, with its 8mm cartridge and double action outpacing comparable revolvers coveted by Americans. However, the intricate Lebel was expensive and slow to manufacture – highly impractical characteristics when wartime demanded speed, efficiency, and mass production. Moreover, newfangled autoloading pistols were proving their superiority in combat more and more as time and technology rapidly advanced.
Rock Island Auction Company. (n.d.-c). French St. Etienne Model 1892 Revolver [Photograph]. Retrieved August 25, 2023, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/1041/4260/french-st-etienne-model-1892-revolver
Recognizing the need to urgently arm its troops, France desperately sought additional handguns. Importing weapons from the East was impossible (their nemesis was in that direction). Orders placed with American gunmakers like Savage were slow to be produced and shipped across the U-boat-infested Atlantic. France’s needs became pressing enough that they turned to Spain’s newly thriving gun manufacturing industry in Eibar for help.
Rock Island Auction Company. (n.d.-d). Savage Model 1907 Semi-Automatic Pistol [Photograph]. Retrieved August 25, 2023, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/2053/154/savage-model-1907-semiautomatic-pistol
Spanish manufacturers had already been producing unauthorized inexpensive copies of pistols from Colt and Smith & Wesson firearms for years. One clone (the “Victoria” pistol made by Esperanza y Unceta) had emerged copying the popular 1903 Hammerless Pocket Pistol. This unlicensed Spanish-made knockoff would become the progenitor of the Ruby. In 1915, with World War I underway, Gabilondo y Urresti sent samples of the Ruby to the desperate French government. After hurried testing, France agreed to purchase 10,000 Rubys per month starting in May 1915. By August the order jumped to 30,000 per month, and later an astronomical 50,000 per month.
As demand continued ballooning, Gabilondo brought 3 more partners on board. In total, Gabilondo likely produced 250,000-300,000 Ruby pistols. While Gabilondo’s Rubys were well-made, some partners cut corners trying to maximize profits from the lucrative contracts.
With France growing increasingly desperate for arms, the procurement process spun out of control. At least 45 companies eventually contracted directly with France to churn out Ruby clones in various calibers and sizes, with little standardization. Concerned about incompatible magazines, France mandated manufacturers to mark magazine bases to match pistols and mags.
Numerous safety issues plagued the Ruby, with alarming reports of pistols accidentally discharging when tightly holstered or failing to fire when desperately needed in combat. Some later Ruby models attempted to remedy this by adding large protruding rivets to prevent the safety from inadvertently disengaging.
Lot 572: Four European Semi-Automatic Pistols. (n.d.-c). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved August 24, 2023, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/1036/572/four-european-semiautomatic-pistols.
Gabilondo ceased Ruby production in 1919 to focus on more modern pistol designs. Other companies continued making clone Rubys into the 1920s until the Great Depression crippled arms manufacturing. Surplus Rubys saw action in colonial conflicts and World War II, used by French, Spanish, and resistance forces.
End of Part One: The Spanish Ruby
In total, the makeshift Ruby was an imperfect but functional last resort, hastily filling a gaping hole in France’s arsenal during extraordinarily desperate times. It armed thousands of French soldiers through grueling trench warfare, playing a supporting role throughout one of history’s most massive worldwide conflicts.
In closing, I hope our Curious Relics segment informed as well as entertained. This all was written in hopes of continued firearm appreciation and preservation. We did not just realize how guns were supposed to look and function. It was a long and tedious process that has shaped the world we live in. So, I put it to you! Is there a firearm out there that you feel does not get much notoriety? What should our next Curious Relics topic cover? As always, let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.
