Exact I.D. of 7.65 Ruby-type pistol & value?

CactusAir · May 6, 2012, 07:06 PM

New to The Firing Line and hope someone here (hopefully Bob in St. Louis) can provided an exact I.D. of this 7.65mm Ruby-type pistol. I don't believe it's worth a lot but maybe it's an exceedingly rare model/maker? Thanks in advance!
Tom
P.S. no sights, just a groove
down the top of the slide

James K · May 6, 2012, 09:51 PM

The book "Spanish Handguns" by Gene Gangarosa, Jr., lists "Automatic Pistol" as a post-WWI Ruby type pistol but no maker is listed. That is not uncommon since so many small companies in the Eibar region were making pistols that it is likely impossible at this remove to even know all of them let alone identify their products. In addtion, guns were often made by a group of small shops, and even literal cottage industry, who would make parts for guns that would be assembled somewhere else. In that sense, a lot of those guns were from "exceedingly rare" (as in "totally unknown") makers.

Unfortunately, in such cases, rarity does not translate to value, and you are right, it is not worth a lot, probably under $100 and hard to sell at that.

Jim

Jim Watson · May 6, 2012, 10:13 PM

One of several "Automatic Pistol" variants in the Triple K catalog is the Alazabal, of which they say:

"AUTOMATIC PISTOL ALAZABAL 32 ACP 6RD

ORIGIN - SPAIN
CALIBER - .32ACP
WEIGHT - 18 OZ.
OVERALL LENGTH - 5.22"
LENGTH OF MAGAZINE - 3.02"
Distinguished only by it's unusually small size. Made by Jose Alazabal of Eibar, Spain."

The OP's pistol is proportioned so as to look smaller than the usual run of French contract Ruby pistols. Maybe it is an Alazabal.

gyvel · May 6, 2012, 10:48 PM

They can't be that rare, because I have it's twin and in about the same condition.

At any rate, that particular manufacturer must have had something going for it, because, according to the date code on your pistol, they lasted at least until the late 1920s.

May 6, 2012, 09:51 PM	#2
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	The book "Spanish Handguns" by Gene Gangarosa, Jr., lists "Automatic Pistol" as a post-WWI Ruby type pistol but no maker is listed. That is not uncommon since so many small companies in the Eibar region were making pistols that it is likely impossible at this remove to even know all of them let alone identify their products. In addtion, guns were often made by a group of small shops, and even literal cottage industry, who would make parts for guns that would be assembled somewhere else. In that sense, a lot of those guns were from "exceedingly rare" (as in "totally unknown") makers. Unfortunately, in such cases, rarity does not translate to value, and you are right, it is not worth a lot, probably under $100 and hard to sell at that. Jim

May 6, 2012, 10:13 PM	#3
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,535	One of several "Automatic Pistol" variants in the Triple K catalog is the Alazabal, of which they say: "AUTOMATIC PISTOL ALAZABAL 32 ACP 6RD ORIGIN - SPAIN CALIBER - .32ACP WEIGHT - 18 OZ. OVERALL LENGTH - 5.22" LENGTH OF MAGAZINE - 3.02" Distinguished only by it's unusually small size. Made by Jose Alazabal of Eibar, Spain." The OP's pistol is proportioned so as to look smaller than the usual run of French contract Ruby pistols. Maybe it is an Alazabal.

May 6, 2012, 10:48 PM	#4
gyvel Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2009 Location: Northern AZ Posts: 7,172	They can't be that rare, because I have it's twin and in about the same condition. At any rate, that particular manufacturer must have had something going for it, because, according to the date code on your pistol, they lasted at least until the late 1920s.