Libra Hand Gun

davidkachel · 04-24-2008, 02:17 PM

You paid the right price. These aren't worth much unless they are for example, silver plated, engraved with real mother-of-pearl grips, like mine, <grin>.
They were made in different calibers (mostly .25 and .32), all commonly known as the "ruby' (regardless of manufacturer) and numerous sizes and capacities but all had in common a design stolen from the early Browning pistol, then simplified by the Spaniards. This simplification was not necessarily for the better and in fact, except for a handful of these Mom and Pop factories, they were not particularly safe weapons. (These guns are the reason for the 'soft Spanish steel' myth that is not a myth when talking about these guns, but is a myth with regard to later Spanish weapons most of which were quite well made and of good materials.)

The Ruby started out as a supplemental sidearm for the French during WWI as the Germans had seized most of the French small arms factories. So in desperation the French turned to the Basques and the Ruby was the result.

After WWI these guns continued to be manufactured under a dizzying number of factory and model names, some of which got pretty ridiculous. Don't be surprised if one day you find one with the model name 'Betty Boop'.

04-24-2008, 02:17 PM	#5
davidkachel User Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 784 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	You paid the right price. These aren't worth much unless they are for example, silver plated, engraved with real mother-of-pearl grips, like mine, <grin>. They were made in different calibers (mostly .25 and .32), all commonly known as the "ruby' (regardless of manufacturer) and numerous sizes and capacities but all had in common a design stolen from the early Browning pistol, then simplified by the Spaniards. This simplification was not necessarily for the better and in fact, except for a handful of these Mom and Pop factories, they were not particularly safe weapons. (These guns are the reason for the 'soft Spanish steel' myth that is not a myth when talking about these guns, but is a myth with regard to later Spanish weapons most of which were quite well made and of good materials.) The Ruby started out as a supplemental sidearm for the French during WWI as the Germans had seized most of the French small arms factories. So in desperation the French turned to the Basques and the Ruby was the result. After WWI these guns continued to be manufactured under a dizzying number of factory and model names, some of which got pretty ridiculous. Don't be surprised if one day you find one with the model name 'Betty Boop'. __________________ A heroin habit would be cheaper.