Thoughts on a RUBY EXTRA S&W copy in 38spl

Drifter Mike · Aug 16, 2020

I was given this revolver from a widow who had brought in several of her husbands gun she found so she can pass them on to his business partner ( she did keep a shotgun and a Model 66-4 ). She found this RUBY and just gave it to me for helping her out with the cleaning and instructions on the various guns she had, would not take any money for it!
Well, looked it over when I got home and started to clean it up and thought it sure looked like a cross between a 5 screw Model 10 and Model 15 having fixed sights and target trigger and hammer. It shows signs of use but not abused and locks up tight with good timing. Pulled the side plate off and looks just like a well made direct copy of a Smith & Wesson! So, what are you all's thoughts on this?? S&W grips do not fit as they are a little to long and the pin hole is not in the right spot but with a little work they could fit ( not going to do that )! I have more pictures if you want, the Model 10 round butt with heavy barrel is for comparison

Jack Flash · Aug 16, 2020

I sure is a close copy. At first glance I would have mistaken it for a S&W, if you hadn't said it wasn't. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot it.

Drifter Mike · Aug 16, 2020

Jack Flash said:
I sure is a close copy. At first glance I would have mistaken it for a S&W, if you hadn't said it wasn't. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot it.

OH, it is going to be shot for sure!

Absalom · Aug 16, 2020

Gabilondo y Urresti, who created the original Ruby .32 pistol in WW I, and later became known as Llama, stuck the Ruby name on these relatively sturdy revolvers starting in the 1950s. To my knowledge, they were actually quite widespread as police guns in Latin America.

H Richard · Aug 16, 2020

I have never handled one, but have heard they have worked well, and solidly made. I would probably keep to target loads.

leonardocarrillo · Aug 16, 2020

The arms factory Gabilondo y Cia. Of Spain produced the Rubi and Rubi Extra revolvers inspired by the Smith & Wesson but they are not exact copies, their price is much lower than the original S & W, if your weapon is in good condition you can shoot it but not with .38 + P ammunition.

Continental Op · Aug 16, 2020

I picked up a J-frame sized .22 Ruby. I haven't shot it yet, but it seems like a quality piece. Looks a lot like yours, but smaller.

Jack Flash · Aug 17, 2020

Did the widow lady have any idea how old it is?

I'm thinking that if I owned it, I would either shoot it or dispose of it. It certainly isn't collectable, nor is it a target gun. So it seems its value would be for home defense, truck gun duty, or the like. If I didn't think it could at least handle standard .38 Special loads, it would be gone.

It is a good looking copy but I would trade it toward something strong enough that I wasn't worried about what I could shoot in it.

But that's me. Drifter Mike may like it just fine as a curiosity restricted to target loads only, if that.

You never know, it might make good trade bait for food or ammunition if / when the dreaded Zombie Apocalypse arrives.

Texas Star · Aug 17, 2020

Llama guns varied. The late John Wootters told me he got one on a writer's factory tour, and he was quite impressed with it. I think his was the copy of a M-15, named Martial.

I'd probably load Buffalo Bore full wadcutters (about 850 FPS) and stash it somewhere in case of intruders.

I don't recall if they were warranted for Plus P ammo.

Tadeus67 · Aug 17, 2020

Ruby revolvers were quite popular in Latin America, during the 50's and 60's. I posted in the past one that belongs to a very good friend of mine that was remarked as a S&W ( a common practice in Mexico).

My grand father use to own one in 22 LR with a 2" barrel. As far as I can remember that little gun was a pleasure to shot and never gave any problem.

Enjoy yours with standar 38 special ammo, you´ll be surprised of how well they perform.

As a side note, the paramilitary groups (govenment supported) that took part in the 68 massacre of students in Mexico City, were armed with Ruby Revolvers.

The image below is from the catalogue of a gunshop in Mexico city, you can see there what I imagine is the same model as your gun. The catalogue is from the middle 60´s

Tadeus67 · Aug 17, 2020

The price at that time, in Mexico, would be like 70 US dollars

rockquarry · Aug 17, 2020

Are these the same as the Spanish copies of S&Ws made from about the 1920s on?

DWalt · Aug 17, 2020

rockquarry said:
Are these the same as the Spanish copies of S&Ws made from about the 1920s on?

No, much better made. Llama (Gabilondo) and Ruby are the same. Stoeger sold them in the USA. I once had a Llama snubby .38 Special (ca. late 1960s) which I bought new. Gun was marked Llama, but it was in a Ruby-labeled box. It is mechanically and cosmetically nearly identical to the S&W K-frame, but one difference is that the firing pin is in the frame, not on the hammer. At least on mine. I remember that the hammer itself was plated - nickel or chrome, don't know which. Mine had a bad propensity to puncture primers. That was when I started using small rifle primers for reloading .38 Specials, as the SR primers did not puncture in that Llama. I had to do some filing on one side of the rear sight to get the hits on target. I think it shot quite a ways to the left before I modified the rear sight. I sold it sometime in the early 1990s. It was my house gun for quite a while. They show up at gun shows fairly often.

Absalom · Aug 17, 2020

rockquarry said:
Are these the same as the Spanish copies of S&Ws made from about the 1920s on?

Yes and no. Gabilondo was part of that earlier industry, and did produce some of those S&W/Colt copies in the 1920s, but post-war production is not comparable.

Gabilondo/Llama was one of the few gun manufacturers of Northern Spain (Astra is the other best-known one) to survive the 1920s and the Civil War and thrive post-WW II. Most went under or in some cases switched to entirely different product lines.

Orbea Hermanos, another Ruby pistol maker of WW I and S&W revolver copier of the 1920s, is now successfully selling high-end bicycles, including in the US.

Tadeus67 · Aug 18, 2020

Orbea Hermanos, made copies of S&W and Colt Revolvers.

The S&W copy was called "Revolver Oscilante"= oscillating revolver.

The Colt Copy was sold as Revolver Colon......Colon and Colt for a non educated person in firearms may sound quite similar.

Here are a couple of images from their 1925 catalogue

Jack Flash · Aug 18, 2020

They certainly did their best to make the "Colon" look like a Colt. Ditto for the ersatz S&W. These copies could deceive non-English speakers who may have been barely literate in any language for that matter.

Tadeus67 · Aug 19, 2020

Jack Flash said:
They certainly did their best to make the "Colon" look like a Colt. Ditto for the ersatz S&W. These copies could deceive non-English speakers who may have been barely literate in any language for that matter.

Of course that was the idea of this company and many others during the first half of the 20th century.

Thoughts on a RUBY EXTRA S&W copy in 38spl

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