POTD: Riveting Warfare – The 1915 Spanish Ruby w/ Rivet

Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! The Spanish Ruby pistol emerged in World War One as a hastily manufactured French sidearm copied from the Colt 1903 by Spanish workshops. Early Rubies proved flawed, especially their unsafe safety mechanisms prone to accidental engagement or disengagement. Some models addressed this through an added rivet which physically blocked the safety lever from flipping unintentionally when holstering or drawing the pistol. While an improvised feature, the rivet improved safety and reliability. The modification exemplifies how practical fixes were innovated ad-hoc to improve mass-produced wartime weapons. The rivet-equipped Rubies proved essential stopgaps, allowing French troops to be promptly armed with basic yet functional pistols until the Great War came to a close.

“Manufacturer: Alkartasuna Fabrica De Armas

Model: Alkar

Type: Pistol

Gauge: 7.65 mm auto

Barrel: 5 inch round

Finish: blue

Grip: hardwood”

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.

Sam.S

Writer | TheFirearmBlog Writer | AllOutdoor.com Instagram | sfsgunsmith Old soul, certified gunsmith, published author, avid firearm history learner, and appreciator of old and unique guns.