Touring Astra

by
posted on September 5, 2014
wiley-clapp.jpg

One of the nicer things that happened to me as a gunwriter was an occasional trip to a handgun factory. One such trip happened in 1995, when I traveled to northern Spain to see the historic Astra plant that made a number of different handgun models. The factory was located in the Basque-country town of Guernica, not far out of the city of Bilbao. This is a famous place for the German bombing of the town in 1937, during the Spanish Civil War. It was all the more so because of a famous Picasso painting of the brutal affair, with many dead and wounded Spanish civilians. Most of the buildings were damaged or destroyed. At the time of my visit, there were no signs of the attack remaining, but the people clearly held a grudge.

undefinedIn the days when the Spanish arms industry was going full blast, three firms dominated the handgun business—Llama, Star and Astra. Astra was selling a series of service pistols (A70, A80, A90) in 9 mm and other calibers. Before we had a chance to look at the gunmaking operation, we (several other gunwriters were also guests) were taken to a handsome conference room by the corporate office. Paneled in regal hardwood, the room had some beautiful samples of ornamented products. Most of it involved thetypical Spanish practice of damascening guns, where the steel surfaces are layered with gold and then engraved. They also had cutaways of many pistols and some of them were also damascened. The plant itself was made of old-style brick and showed signs of being added to many times, but never subtracted from. A complex of small and large rooms and even a wing for some ultra-modern machinery, as well as ancient narrow stairs next to modern elevators, the Astra plant was delightful. Somewhere down in the bowels of the plant, we were ushered into an indoor range where I was ceremoniously offered the opportunity to fire the first A-75 in .45 ACP.

For me, the highlight of the visit was inthe museum/stockroom, where I was allowed to examine small quantities of guns that were no longer made. Among these was a stack of 900 series pistols—the Spanish Astra version of the broomhandle Mauser.  Brand new in original packaging, the guns had been on those shelves for decades and there were even some of the select fire versions among them. Also, there were a series of big revolvers obviously patterned after the N frame S&Ws. I saw .357, .41 and .44 Magnums, as well as a two-cylinder wheel gun that let you shoot .45 Colt and .45 ACP. They even had a medium frame convertible that fired 9mm and .38 Special—dead ringer for the FN Barracuda. To me, all of this means that there are a lot of things going on in the world’s armories that we don’t know about. If American importers can’t sell a gun in the U.S. market, you’ll never see it. My hosts were courteous and helpful throughout the visit—typical Old World hospitality.

 

Latest

Howa New Models 01
Howa New Models 01

Howa Launches New Super Deluxe & Superlite Rifle Models

Howa USA launched a series of new bolt-action rifles in 2024, including an even lighter Superlite, as well as a nicely outfitted Super Deluxe model.

Favorite Firearms: “Show Me A Carbine With Real Power And I’ll Buy It!”

From the October 2024 pages of American Rifleman, NRA member, John Allen Pritchard writes about a rifle he's carried and hunted with for over 50 years.

I Defend The 2nd: Royce Gracie

Royce Gracie is one of the most successful and influential mixed martial arts fighters of all time. He's also one of the biggest supporters of the Second Amendment and our right to keep and bear arms.

Gun Of The Week: Walther PDP Pro SD 4.6” Compact Two-Tone Tan

The Walther PDP Pro SD 4.6” Compact in Flat Dark Earth, as seen here, comes as a fully featured 9 mm semi-automatic that’s designed for everyday carry.

The Armed Citizen® Oct. 11, 2024

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Gun Manufacturers & Collectors: An Untapped Market Or Missed Opportunity?

Collectors are without doubt the most passionate and active buyers of guns and accessories, and yet this segment of the gun market is often overlooked and ignored by modern-day manufacturers. 

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.