Help identify Grandpa's Autoloader

C

carguyjohn350

New member
Here are the pictures:
http://community.webshots.com/album/499092615kadbXF

This is a pistol that belongs to my inlaws. It was (or so I am told) brought back by my wife's grandfather from WWII, whuch would seem to make sense given the "Made in Spain" markings and the stamp of what appears to be a bull on the barrel and the slide. He reportedly traded something to get it. The grips appear to have been replaced. The mechanism will dry fire, but I don't even know what caliber it is, guessing .22 or .25. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
 
It is one of many Spanish copies of the FN/Colt/Browning auto pistol lineup. Almost surely a .25 ACP. W.H.B. Smith shows five slightly different guns using the "Automatic Pistol" trademark from 1916 on. Sorry, no details as to which minor Spanish company made which gun.
 
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Handguns has about 10 full pages of drawings of Spanish guns that very closely fit the profile of your gun all seem to from the early 1900s
 
Matthews pictures a gun which appears identical to yours and has the "AUTOMATIC PISTOL" marking. He says it was made by Santiago Salaberrin, of Ermua, Spain. (Ermua is in the Basque country of Spain; see www.ermua.es for more information on the town). An identical gun was sold as the "Tisan" (apparently someone was already using "Titan"). The grips are not original; the original hard rubber grips probably broke and someone replaced them with plain wood. The Philips grip screw is also not original.

The honest truth is that the gun has almost no value on the market. If it has sentimental value, keep it for that, but don't spend any money on it. Those guns were generally of poor quality and materials, so I would have it checked out before firing. The caliber is 6.35mm or what we call .25 ACP; ammunition is available at almost any sporting goods store or gun shop.

Jim
 
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