ASTRA Tradename of Astra-Unceta y Cia. S.A.  EU code

The company was formed under the name of Pedro Unceta y Juan Esperanza in 1908 in Eibar, Spain. In 1913 the company moved to Guernica, Spain, into a larger factory so they would have room to make the CAMPO GIRO.  Sometime during the war years the name was reversed to Esperanza y Unceta.  In 1926 Esperanza moved on to form another company and the name was changed to Unceta y Cia.  The Victoria is a 1911 model made in Eibar before the move but the model marked 1911 Astra with wood grips was made in Guernica.  This gun was made under several names for different companies BOIX, CADIX, CAMINAL, CAMPER, LESTON, MUSEUM, MUXI, SALSO, and SCOTT.  It was also made under the Astra name

During the Civil War Astra continued making guns under the direction of the Republicans, but the town of Guernica was destroyed with only a few buildings surviving and Astra was among them. Unceta was himself a Nationalist because he supported the Catholic church, but was force more or less to provide guns to the Republicans because they controlled Guernica.  The Nationalist  then took over and Astra continued until just recently when they finally closed their doors.  All of the other gun manufacturers in Guernica had moved their equipment further North to avoid what they knew was coming.
 
 

The Astras internal  workings are a little different than most in that they have a leaf spring and the trigger bar actuates a pivoting piece that pulls the sear off of its notch on the back of the hammer rather than the bar pushing the sear off its notch on the front of the hammer as with most others.  The Victoria has no disconnecter bar.  Note where the Oval EU is on the magazine  There are no other EU markings on the gun.

Caliber: 7.65mm - .32acp
Overall Length: 147mm
Height: 102mm
Barrel: 84mm
Weight: 1lb 5.1oz
Sights: fixed
Magazine Capacity: 7 round
Magazine Release: bottom of grip
Slide hold open Feature: none
Grips: Buffalo Horn
 

 In 1914 they started production of the nine shot Astra 1915 which has several different Legends on the left of slide as well as the EU code and stars on some of them.  This one has no EU code or stars.
 
 

Caliber: 7.65mm - .32acp
Overall Length: 6.120"
Height: 5"
Barrel: 3.510"
Weight: 1lb 11oz
Sights: fixed
Magazine Capacity: 9 round
Magazine Release: Bottom of grip
Slide hold open Feature: None
Grips:  Walnut Checkered

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