It had an unusually strong recoil spring that caused a stiff trigger pull. standard Spanish military sidearm until 1946. Bob, a magazine by itself doesn't tell the whole story. This group of pistols is sometime referred to by collectors as the First Contract.. Its a single-action design thats quite effective. SOLD - Astra 600 Holster $220.00 Availability: Out of stock SKU 072617-10 Next/Previous Description 7/26/17 - This is an original late WW2 softshell style Astra 600 holster. It's made of a hard polymer and comes in two sizes, each of those having two graduated bearing surfaces. Surplus Corner - Century Arms Its a snappy little gun. Camp Guns: Sometimes Perfect, Other Times Not But Often Essential! The Model 600 is 15 millimeters shorter than the Model 400, but has a slightly longer grip, though both magazines hold 8 rounds. A lot of mod. 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. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. The Model 600 had a internal hammer and fired with an unlocked breech, blowback mechanism. 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. The colloquially known "second contract" pistols were the batch sold to West Germany and can be identified by having a serial number 31,350 and above. The Knight's helmet and shield means it was accepted, a admission into service mark. The upper/rear part of the slide displays the company address and model designation. Question: I have purchased an Astra Model 600. Here are some photos of it: Holster Astra Logo Astra 600 Proofmarks Barrel Stamp Here's my Astra . All Rights Reserved. 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. Now, the mystery. Get a heads up on all of our Sales, Promotions, and news updates (about 1 email per month). were delivered to the Nazis were given a Waffenamt inspection proof consisting of a stylized eagle over WaAD20. This late M600 was made for the German Police and marked LBPN on the frontstrap. There is no way to know if it saw Wehrmacht service before the end of the war. Hey guys just picked up this astra 600 at the funshow today. [5] The Astra 600s that could not be delivered to the German government during World War II were then stored by the Spanish government. top and bottom and the letter E superposed at the top and U at the bottom. Astra designed military holsters. Most of our products are unique. Ruger's multi-role small frame autoloading rifle - Sear - combines AR-10 power with AR-15 Portability. In 1957 and 1958 a limited edition of 200 were made with 7 inch barrels and designated the Falcon 7.. Some later barrels were stamped 9m/m. The serial number is 14331. Thanks Roger, that makes sense! Either not all Astra 600s made it into police use or not all were marked. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. This is very rear pistol in good condition. Two Spanish firms (perhaps more, but only two responded) were invited by the government to submit self-loading pistols for The Big Book of Surplus Firearms, The Model 4000 Falcon was also offered in .22 long rifle from 1956 to 1964. the Germans asked Astra to rechamber the pistol to handle the 9mm Parabellum cartridge. The design is innovative for such an old gun and certainly different from most. They can be identified by a Waffenamt stamping on the right rear grip. Antaris states that Type II Model Platoon commanders share the company and platoon markings but are not part of a squad, so, A20. THIRD REICH Proofed Spanish ASTRA Model 600 Semi-Auto 9x19mm GERMAN The demand of used ASTRA 600 pistol's . Paul, Paul, first contract Astra 600s (1st 10,500) are prized by collectors. Due to the Allied forces invasion of Southern France, the second order was never delivered, and the remaining production of the Model 600 was The .32s are The Astra 600 uses an internal hammer thats not evident by the weapons appearance. I dont think the question I was posing is clear; I'll try again. I'll get back to that. The Model 300 was never an official military pistol, but it was often preferred to the larger 400, and was widely used by Ejecting the magazine is interesting. It was discontinued in 1956, with a total production of 44,389. It was later struck with fraudulent Nazi police proofs on the right tang and left trigger guard web. 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. 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. In 1946 Astra began making this updated version of the Model 300, with a grip that swelled near the bottom, a pushbutton magazine release just behind the trigger on the left side, and a Battis. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. Later Model 600 pistols did not have the Astra logo at all, and were marked on the rear of the slide Shortly after Nazi Germany occupied France in July 1941, contacts were established between the German Armed Forces and the Spanish armament industry. SIG Sauer P322 Rimfire Pistol: First Look, 5 Best Red-Dot Optics for SIG Sauer P365X & XL Pistols, Non-Lethal Personal & Home Defense with Byrna, Range Tested: EAA Girsan Pistols & Shotguns, New for 2023: Christensen Arms Modern Hunting Rifle (MHR), New for 2023: All-American RIA 5.0 Sporting Pistol, New for 2023: FN Rush 9Ti Pistol Suppressor, New Big Bore Pistols for 2023: FN 510 Tactical and FN 545 Tactical, New for 2023: FN SCAR 15P Rifle Caliber Pistol, First Look: Taurus Raging Hunter 460 Magnum Revolver With 10.5-Inch Barrel, New-for-2023 Taurus Judge Executive Grade 410/.45 Colt Revolver, Smith & Wesson Equalizer and the Brand New M&P 5.7 Pistol. 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. 12 Image (s) Astra Regent Cadix clone Kimel .32 S&W Long 7 Shot model 5000 Guardian Snubnose 2 inch Revolver . THIRD REICH Proofed Spanish ASTRA Model 600 Semi-Auto 9x19mm GERMAN Pistol 1 of 10,500 WORLD WAR . I recently picked up my dads Astra 9mm, I am needing help with some of the markings. Markings: The top right rear of the slide is marked "UNCETA & COMPANIA S.A. / GUERNICA ESPANA". After the war, it may have ended up as an allied souvenir or in a weapons stockpile. Unceta Y Cia Astra Model 600/43 Spanish 9mm Semi-Auto Pistol, MFD 1945 Not painful or anything though. As WWII pistols escalated in value, unscrupulous vendors began to fake Nazi markings. Maybe the new owner at the time had two broken Astra 600s, one with a cracked slide and one with a damaged frame. If you think Im missing something, let me know. Stocky's Owner Don Bitz walks David Faubion through the company's new rifle stocks for 2023. 600s were brought into the US in the 1960s. 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. Astra Automatic Pistols, by Leonardo M. Antaris. The magazine release is at the bottom of the grip but on the left-hand side. The "O" is the year code. Some .380 barrels are marked 9m/m Kurz, while some are marked 9m/m & 380. The left side of the frame is marked with several Spanish proofs including the date code "0". The company was founded as Esperanza y Unceta by Juan Esperanza and Pedro Unceta. Unlike second contract (undelivered) Astra 600s, they are stamped WaAD20 on the right tang. Sorry for bad lay out . It feels like it was created for a single-handed, bladed shooting stance, which was in style at the time. ASTRA 600/43 600 HOLSTER 9x19 mm - Genuine militaria The Bomb with "P" means the pistol was fired 4 times with the correct loading for the gun. MP 36 | World War II Wiki | Fandom The Astra 600 was very similar to the Astra 400 but chambered in 9mm Parabellum. I understand that serial numbers up to 10500 were delivered to the Germans and WaAD20 accepted on the right tang. We believe we sell living history, and honor the veterans who fought and died for our freedoms. 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. I once owned a Star B that was LPN marked and had the remnants of the WaAD20 on the tang. In 1943, when it was clear that the war would be a prolonged conflict, Germany dispatched two engineers to Astra. Model 300s were made in 7.65 and 9mm Kurz (.380) It looks to have the Royal Spanish coat of arms on the grip (s). [6] Small quantities of pistols were sold to Turkey, Portugal, Chile, and Costa Rica until 1951,[7] when the remaining Astra 600s were sold to West Germany. In the 1940s, a failed artist with a stupid mustache decided hed be a real asshole. Astra Pistols - Guide to Value, Marks, History - WorthPoint General Firearms Forum. Smith. The Judge has been promoted! strafing of Guernica on April 26, 1937 destroyed three-quarters of the city but spared the Astra factory. Astra 600 Survey | Jan C. Still Lugerforums The range places the piece in a batch that was intended for the Nazis, but never delivered. The Kar 98 Mauser: Development and Doctrine, 30-30 Winchester: An All-American Hunting Cartridge. It probably no coincident that the Spanish were interested in unloading the 30,000+ pistols made for the Germans in 1944. Stanley Tools Pistol Grip Saw Sets No 42SS No 43, Ancient Edged Weapons, Pistols, Guns, Cross-Bow, Etc. 600/43. 1903 Front Sight Cover, Parkerized, No Markings . This is very rear pistol in good condition. Astra 9mm help with markings | The Firearms Forum The .380 magazine is unmarked; the .32 magazine is marked 7.65mm. They can be identified by a Waffenamt stamping on the right rear grip. There are no other markings. Obviously, any gun made for the Nazis gets its fair share of a bad guy legacy. It has a number on the slide 341XX, but 343XX on the frame. I doubt that a mix up occurred while the property of the German police. Forum. Long gone from the market, we can offer the Model 300 and 600 holsters as used during the Spanish Civil War and by WW2 German Forces who purchased over 80,000 of the Model 300's and 40,000 of the Model 600's Best Sellers New Arrivals $19.95 $4.00 $1.00 $36.00 $39.00 $19.95 $36.00 $39.00 $24.95 Examples with Nazi markings do bring a premium, but again, collectors need to look out for counterfeits. Astra army list : r/Warhammer40k - Reddit That supports the belief that the pistols were stamped by the Germans upon receipt, not at the factory. About 8000 were delivered (and Nazi marked) before the Nazi retreat from France so Astra built the rest of the guns and stored them. In my 20 or so years collecting I only came across an Astra 600 once, and I passed on it because the guy was way too proud of it and would not budge on the price, primarily because of the German markings. Impressed with the quality of Astras arms, Germany soon made substantial purchases. I have one Astra 600 above 10500 that is LPBN marked on the grip strap. Spanish prison guards, port security, the coast guard, the police school in Madrid, various security guards, the Carabineros, the army artillery corps, and private individuals. rigorous testing to become Spains standard military handgun. When the WaAD20 marked Astras were used by the LBPN, they were so marked and thus the dual-markings. Its marked UNCETA Y COM- PANIA S.A. GUERNICA ESPANA ASTRA MOD. If a pistol's slide comes all the way to the muzzle, one of these will fit it. Theproof on the right tang was applied by the Germans after acceptance of the guns in France. I mention the import marks because they are the C.A.I. Markings vary somewhat over the production range, but most have some variation of ASTRA Mod. [1] A smaller variant for both domestic and export sales, the Astra 300, was offered in .32 ACP and .380 ACP. The 300 was a smaller "pocket" version chambered in 9 mm Corto (.380 A.C.P. The company began producing the Spanish Army's Campo Giro pistol in January of 1914. These Astras were Eagle over WaAD20 proofed in France by the Germans, and made ready for use by the Wehrmacht. It was replaced with the Model 4000. The value of $1,200 is a little high, but not much. The 12 month average price is $707.08 used. LSB#: 130205NW12 Make: Astra Model: 600/43 Serial Number: 56192 Year of Manufacture: 1943-1945 Caliber: 9mm Parabellum Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto Pistol with Removable Magazine Markings: The left side of the slide is marked ""Astra' Mod.600/43 / 9m/m Parabellum" and with a flaming bomb "P". This model has serious history! As you may know, Franco didn't capture complete power until, with the help of German and Italian intervention, 1939. https://www.worldwarsupply.. marked 765 m/m. WOW! Company commanders share the company marking but are not part of a platoon, so, A00. The new Dr. Antaris book also has some specifics on the importation of M1921s (400). The pistol developed quite a reputation for this capability, and in France, it was given the nickname mange-tout, meaning "eats everything." Due to the number of government orders for the firearm, the company moved to a new factory in Guernica. The Allied invasion of France interrupted Astras shipments to the German forces that had been previously stationed in Hendaye and Bordeaux, France. UNCETA Y COMPAIA S.A., GUERNICA ESPAA, ASTRA MOD. The Model 800, also known as the Condor, was a redesigned Model 600, chambered for the 9mm Parabellum. Sharp markings. This pistol was taken off a Dead German officer by my uncle in WWII. 4.000, ASTRA Unceta y Cia S.A., Guernica-Spain or ASTRA, Full Details. FALCON on the rear portion of the slide, as well as the usual Astra logo on the slide behind the front sight. However, sales were good in the rest of the world, and the gun was particularly popular in the Middle East. Esperanza Y Unceta (Astra) submitted two different designs, one of which was the Model 400, and Bonifacio Echeverria submitted The postwar German-used Astras sometimes have additional parts numbered to the gun that were not numbered by the Spanish Astra factory, most commonly magazines, and sometimes the barrel bushing and barrel bushing lock. It has no military or police markings, no foreign proofs and not even importer's markings. Gun #: 997900301. Has anyone seen GI bring back papers for a Astra 600?