Gaztanaga Destroyer

Gaztanaga Destroyer was an automatic pistol designed by Isidaro Gaztanaga in Eibar, Spain, in 1913, using 6.35mm caliber. It was produced in Gaztanaga works, Eibar, Spain, and is notable for being a common Spanish handgun with the Eibar Type safety located above the grip. It was followed in production by a 7.65mm version which was produced for the French army during the First World War. The standard magazine contained 9 rounds, but in production models used only 6 or 7. The weapon is a copy of John Browning's 1906 pistols. [p.132, Mathews]

The name "Destroyer" was also used for a light rifle firing a pistol cartridge used by Spanish police early in the century, [mentioned in Golden State Arms World's Guns And Other Weapons] but based on the 9mm Radom (F.B. RADom) VIS mod. 35 Bayard designed by Nicolas Pieper and manufactured in Poland from 1936. [p.172, Mathews, Also used by German troops during Second World War as P-35(p)]

References

ources

* J. Howard Mathews, Firearms identification: The laboratory examination of small arms, rifling characteristics in handguns, and notes on the automatic pistols., Vol.I., Charles C Thomas Publisher, Springfield Ill., 1973 [http://www.scribd.com/doc/3094434/e0b6uebzfs]
* Ian V. Hogg, John Weeks, "Pistols of the World", Arms and Armour Press, London, 1978
* Philip McFarland, Burton Brenner, editors., "Golden State Arms World's Guns And Other Weapons", Peterson Publishing Co., 1958