This is a Navy release according to Astra's conventions. I believe it's a model 300. It seems that the post-war German Police marked the frame/slide serial number or a sub-portion of it on the magazines, barrel bushing, and the barrel bushing lock, beyond what the Spanish did during original manufacture. I'm thinking they were brought over sometime in the early 60's? Give a Gift I have examples above 10500 LBPN marked that have a full set of additional serial numbers, and examples without LBPN that only have frame / slide serial numbers. The first 10,500 were delivered to the Germans from mid-May to mid-July 1944 to the German occupied seaside town of Hendaye France, just across the border from Spain. Just as with the 400, there are two types of the Model It was a little lighter and shorter than the 400 as well. The examples I have seen are toward the high end of the range, in 8XXX and 9XXX, so perhaps the later shipments were accepted but never issued. Beginning in 1929, Type II pistols bear the Astra U/C logo atop the slide and are marked UNCETA Y COMPAIA S.A., GUERNICA ESPAA. also featured a thumb safety, a magazine safety, and a slide that locked open when the last round was fired. If you think Im missing something, let me know. Overall, it looks good; my guess is85 to 90 percent for the condition and bluing. Later grips were checkered walnut with an Astra medallion or plain Paul, Paul, first contract Astra 600s (1st 10,500) are prized by collectors. This is very rear pistol in good condition. Left side frame under grip marked Unceta y Compania logo and last four digits. Paid a little more than I wanted but well within its value so I'm happy. the .32 version holds 7. There's also some light areas of white mold growing - but this . The 300 was a smaller "pocket" version chambered in 9 mm Corto (.380 A.C.P. A community dedicated to Lugers, Central Powers, Axis, Allied and related WW-I and WW-II pistols by their scholars, collectors, owners and enthusiasts. The overall condition is nearing fine. The pistol is not unit marked and the holster is only marked with the Akah manufacturers stamp. As with the Model 4000, the primary innovations were the I have one Astra 600 above 10500 that is LPBN marked on the grip strap. There are a multitude of minor variations of the Model 400, with many different proof and acceptance stamps--for details on these please refer to Mr. Antaris book Astra Automatic Pistols. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. Sales of the Model 4000 were never robust in the U.S., and It did come with the correct black leather full flap police/military type holster. Astra 600/43 Semi Auto Pistol in 9mm. These Astras were Eagle over WaAD20 proofed in France by the Germans, and made ready for use by the Wehrmacht. Model: ASTRA Model 600/43 Serial Number: 50137 Year of Manufacture: 1945 Caliber: 9mm Parabellum Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto Pistol with Removable Magazine Markings: The top right rear of the slide is marked "UNCETA & COMPANIA S.A. / GUERNICA ESPANA". loaded chamber indicator. The new 9mm suppressor can mount easily to any pistol barrel threaded x28 inches and doesn't compromise on sound suppression, gas blowback or recoil. This Astra 600/43, displayed on an Armory Racks Wall Hugger, is unusual in it has markings of a wartime accepted gun, and a post-war deployed German Police gun. Manufacturing of the 600 started in 1943. Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto Pistol with Removable Magazine. In January 1938, the German Heereswaffenamt requested a lightweight, compact, rapid firing 9 mm weapon for paratroopers and armored crews. In 1945 the Astra company updated the Model 400 by lightening the slide, giving it a curved backstrap, moving the magazine release to the left side grip (as on the Models 300 and 600), and I always thought they were neat-looking pistols. Their purpose was to help Astra redesign the Model 400 (1921) for the 9mm Parabellum, then the regulation military cartridge of Germany and most of central Europe. Astra designed the Model 600 (43) to satisfy the German request. The "O" is the year code. Catalogue of the choice and valuable collection of Rare Antique Guns and Pistols, Edge Weapons, Accessories, Etc. Theproof on the right tang was applied by the Germans after acceptance of the guns in France. It looked similar, had the same hefty recoil spring surrounding the barrel, but was slightly smaller and chambered in 9mm Parabellum due to an order by the Germans in 1943 who called it the Pistole Astra 600/43. The numbers on your gun should be the same, so somewhere along the line the frame and slide became mismatched. . I think this is LBPN practice. In 2008, a Swiss firearms maker located in the city of Sion adopted the name Astra Arms S.A. and took over the rights to the Astra trademark. I understand that serial numbers up to 10500 were delivered to the Germans and WaAD20 accepted on the right tang. There is no way to know if it saw Wehrmacht service before the end of the war. The Astra Tubular Slide PistolsModel 400, 300, 600, Etc. Grips show minor handling wear and pistol has correct magazine. frame, a grip safety operated by a flat spring, and a Browning-designed Colt-style disconnector. the left grip (like the Models 3000 and 4000). So I assume it made its way to post war Germany? It was discontinued sometime around 1986. In 1956 Astra introduced the Model 4000, also designated the Falcon. Its primary innovation was an external hammer and the elimination of the grip safety, though the gun retained the grip shape and magazine release of the Model 3000. Smith. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. | It would have more value and interest if it saw use with the Germans in World War II, and if the numbers were the same. Unique features of the Astra 400 are a sliding sear, a grip safety ratchet that locks the sear, a vertically-moving slide stop, and L-shaped pins that can be The Astra 600 - Old School Cool . The 600 magazine has a tab protruding from the right hand side of the floor plate to assist removing the magazine. Very cool indeed. Markings: The top right rear of the slide is marked "UNCETA & COMPANIA S.A. / GUERNICA ESPANA". Campo-Giro in favor of a barrel bushing la Browning, making the gun much easier to disassemble. RJK. ASTRA MODEL 600/43 GI#: 102287873 Guns Listing ID: 820844Manufacturer: AstraModel: 600/43Condition: Very goodCaliber: 9mm ParaAction: Semi-AutoBarrel Length: 5.3\"Capacity: 8-rdInventory: Includes holster and (2) 8-rd mags.-This .Click for more info Seller: Guns Dot Com Area Code: 866 $714.99 NEW THIS WEEK! It's made of a hard polymer and comes in two sizes, each of those having two graduated bearing surfaces. Have you entertained the thought that an inspector from the German procurement offices could have been stationed in Spain looking after both Star and Astra contracts, the Germans had a hand in the 600 design. The Astra 300 was introduced a year after the Astra 400. It works but it does deliver a stiff experience when you try to chamber a round. The company was founded as Esperanza y Unceta by Juan Esperanza and Pedro Unceta. Approximately 59,400 Astra 600s were manufactured before production ceased. There were a few options, but the Spanish Astra 600 provided a reliable 9mm pistol that was not German manufactured. Once WWII was over, the undelivered pistols were forwarded to the Spanish government. As WWII pistols escalated in value, unscrupulous vendors began to fake Nazi markings. Ive yet to fire it. The leather is crisp and clean, with an interior maker stamp and waffen proof stamp embossed in the leather. The weapon uses a removable magazine thats single stack and holds eight rounds. The .32s are AN ASTRA 600 pistol is currently worth an average price of $707.08 used . The Model 400 was rust blued (as were all Astra pistols up to 1957). In some cases, only the last four digits of the full serial number is on the magazine, along with a 1 or 2 magazine number. The new company was known as A.S.T.A.R., but it ended operations by the end of 1988. The Model 600 had a internal hammer and fired with an unlocked breech, blowback mechanism. The company submitted their Pistola de 9 millimeters Modelo 1921 for the army trials. The left side of the frame is marked with several Spanish proofs including the date code "0". Nonetheless, men in the field probably took advantage of this feature in various conflicts, particularly since 9mm Largo ammunition is Pistols manufactured in 1924 are stamped with that date Ejecting the magazine is interesting. From that moment until late 1944, Astras primary interest was to fill these requisitions. The gun should be finished with a rust blue, and have wood checkered panels and an unnumbered magazine marked with the Astra E/U logo on the lip extension. The upper/rear part of the slide displays the company address and model designation. After the end of the war the Allied occupation forces disarmed the nationalized German Police, broke them down into smaller departments, and then re-armed them. Excellent action. The various models were sold to various police forces around the world, and a number were imported to the United States. This is the infamous force whose craven bombing and The inside of the barrel and rifling look good, too. lugerlou, I believe I understand your thinking, but Im not sure it really solves the mystery. Of these, 800 were sent to Portugal, 450 to Chile, 200 to Jordan and 200 to Turkey. I have Astra #16020, LBPN marked, with a magazine marked 6020. Two Spanish firms (perhaps more, but only two responded) were invited by the government to submit self-loading pistols for All Rights Reserved. Find . 04-07-2021, 10:48 AM #5. Copyright 2008 by Ed Buffaloe. Astra designed military holsters. Astra 600s that lack the Wermacht stamp tend to be cheaper and are a great way to get into surplus handguns. In any event, the Spanish made Astra 600 was used extensively by post-war West German police forces. Most wartime deployed Astras 600s did not see post-war use, and many were GI bring-back trophies. It was hole down to the bottom of the grip--the single grip screw is obviously set too close to the edge of the grip--this may be the one design flaw on the Model 300. I have #39688 no LBPN. part I, Firearms and edged Weapons, a New York collection, part II, Rare old Pistols and Guns. The .38 Super will chamber and fire, but has been known to crack It used a Navy pattern of magazine release instead of the 400's heel release, and was generally much more what the German military wanted. Mine is a 24000 block of number so not an issued number. This Astra 600, serial number 8901, was a First Contract weapon and WaAD20 proofed in 1944. Depending on when a 600 was made, grips could be either checkered walnut or plastic. E-mail Webmaster Legacy Collectibles strives to provide quality investment-grade military collectibles to an appreciative public. The pistol is chambered for 9mm Largo but was designed to interchangeably fire 9mm Luger, 9mm Steyr, 9mm Browning Long, and .380 A.C.P. 600s were brought into the US in the 1960s. A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have". The grip height on the 4000 is a slightly greater than the 300 (by WOW! Joe Kurtenbach, Executive Editor of Gun & Ammo, and John Myles from Smith & Wesson discuss features of the Equalizer 9mm micro-compact pistol and new-for-2023 M&P 5.7. ~Iron Hand' Straken [4 PL, 75pts, -1CP] Stratagem: Warlord Trait, Warlord, WT: Front-LIne Combatant. Obviously to me, that pistol served both in WW2 and was used by post war german police. The holster is stamped on the back "Stolla - Wein". Astra has gone through several iterations, and the name still survives with a company based in Switzerland. Antaris states that Type II Model This was likely done by local German police armorers as was the common practice during WWII. If it's a 9mm Parabellum, then it's an Astra 600. The shorter cartridges didnt seat properly in the long chamber of the Model 400 and sometimes failed to feed or eject. In 1941, Astra sold 6000 Model 400 pistols to the German military (along with the first order of 6000 Model 300s). The Judge has been promoted! The Model 3000 never hammer and was strongly influenced by the 1903 FN Browning Military pistol as well as the 1910 FN Browning. In 1951, then West Germany purchased post-war, what they couldnt take delivery of during the war, and then some, paying for them a second time. Smaller quantities were sent to the Philippines, Costa Rica, Egypt and other countries. prison service, and the navy. Mags stamped longways 29282 and 35177 respectively The top of the slide . Somehow, someway, one made it to my hands in the swamps of Florida. This pistol was delivered on July 16 of 1944 in the last batch of Nazi ordered Astra 600s, and it retains about 95-97% of the original blue with minor edge wear, and a couple small areas of finish loss on the trigger guard and front strap. its small size, accuracy, and reliability made it an instant success. The magazine release on the Model 300 was moved to the lower left side grip. Sure, Brownings short recoil might be the superior choice, but the Astra 600 is the more interesting choice. Serial number 33925. Caleb Giddings, Marketing Manager at Taurus, introduces the all-new TaurusTX 22 Compact. Like both of those pistols, the Astra 600 also gets that rap, but in a different way. I recently picked up my dads Astra 9mm, I am needing help with some of the markings. Maybe the simplest answer is the most likely; someone built an Astra from otherwise unserviceable parts. The Astra Cub was a tiny, blowback semi-automatic pistol available chambered as either a .22 Short or .25 A.C.P. This group of pistols is sometime referred to by collectors as the First Contract.. Toward the end of the Spanish Civil War the German Condor Legion joint task force ordered Astra Model 300 pistols for their pilots. I have seen many WaAD20 accepted Astra 600s (#10500 and below), and it is not uncommon to see them in very good shape. $10.00 RETAIL. Serial 8XXX (slide) was a part of a matched Astra 600 when it was delivered to the Germans in 1944 and received its WaAD20 acceptance mark. Notify . In the late '70s and '80s, the company faced a decline in sales that led to the 1998 merger of Astra y Unceta Cia and the bankrupt Star Bonifacio Echeverria S.A. The s/n falls in with the batch that was sold to the West German Police after WW II. Those pistols were extensively used by West German police forces until the late 1960s when Interarms purchased the remaining pistols for export to the United States civilian market. Perhaps if you posted some detailed photos this Astra it would help and give some clues, although I still think you are making more of this mismatch that is warranted. The design is innovative for such an old gun and certainly different from most. I kept all the special and heavy weapons teams different (so they can be moved around and subbed into any squad): HM1-HM3 for the mortar teams, SP1-SP8 for the 8 . The 600 was a 9x19mm version of the Spanish Army's Astra 400, which was chambered in 9x23mm Largo. New PM! Outdoor Hub, LLC (d/b/a Carbon Media Group), 30800 Telegraph Rd, Suite 1921, Bingham Farms, MI 48025 USA. The E/L police stamp on the right tang and barrel hood were counterfeit, applied to deceive the uninformed collector. The Nazis lost France before they could take the final delivery of the pistols. In 1949 Astra sold all the remaining pistols in . Quantity shipment commenced in May 1944. However, sales were good in the rest of the world, and the gun was particularly popular in the Middle East. Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy, and taste good with catsup - George of Lod, Year of Our Lord 297, If it's a 9mm Parabellum, then it's an Astra 600. The major drawbacks of the Model 400 are its heavy recoil spring which makes retracting the slide difficult, and a heavy trigger pull.
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