A trench sweeper

[english]

This is a French acquired Spanish Ruby used during WWI and referred to as trench sweepers. All parts are matching including the mag which is kind of rare. (The French required markings on the mags because the mags were different on other Rubys) The condition of this Spanish pistol is excellent as seen in the pictures. Most people have a low opinion of Ruby pistols, but some were made by quality companies.
(I also have an U.S. Savage pistol made for the French.)
Joe

 

[American1776]

cool little gun.

Machining looks pretty good.

I wonder if they heat treated those guns back then?

 

[Valmet]

WW1 French sidearms and the stories of their rushed procurement are very fascinating. Yours looks like a great example.

 

[LVSteve]

There's a lot to like in those bigger .32ACP Unique pistols. The heft means they barely recoil.

 

[Absalom]

There's a lot to like in those bigger .32ACP Unique pistols. The heft means they barely recoil.

Not to nitpick too much, but while the French firm of MAPF/Unique, located in the French Basque region, did build some well-made Ruby-designs after WW I, and developed it further (the Unique company survived into the 2000s), they were not founded until 1923, and were not in any way associated with the wartime production of real Spanish Ruby pistols like the one shown above.

 

[Echo40]

Entered this thread expecting to see a Thompson SMG.

 

[LVSteve]

Not to nitpick too much, but while the French firm of MAPF/Unique, located in the French Basque region, did build some well-made Ruby-designs after WW I, and developed it further (the Unique company survived into the 2000s), they were not founded until 1923, and were not in any way associated with the wartime production of real Spanish Ruby pistols like the one shown above.

You're not nitpicking, I just keep getting my Unique Rubies mixed up.

 

[bushmaster1313]

Entered this thread expecting to see a Thompson SMG.

I expected to see a Winchester 1897

 

[andy52]

I expected to see a Winchester 1897

^^^^^^^
Me too.

 

[Watchdog]

That's really cool with even the magazine numbered to the gun. Not too many manufacturers did that, I don't think.

 

[schutzen-jager]

nice condition piece - I have a Savage 1907 .32acp that was WWI French military issue -

 

[max503]

So, do you shoot something like that? Hopefully, you do.

 

[schutzen-jager]

I shoot everything I own , try to do it at least once every year or so -

 

[BearBio]

Entered this thread expecting to see a Thompson SMG.

Why???? Thompsons didn't come out until after WWI=="Burp" guns (the 1918 model) were available but little used by the Germans. The experience of both sides pretty much ended trench warfare.

 

[LVSteve]

Why???? Thompsons didn't come out until after WWI=="Burp" guns (the 1918 model) were available but little used by the Germans. The experience of both sides pretty much ended trench warfare.

IIRC one of the things said about the Thompson was it could be used as a trench broom given what had happened in WWI.

 

[Mrnurse]

I always thought the trench sweeper was the 12 gage pump.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

Thank you for the post. I am ignorant of French handguns from all eras - probably due to their quick exit from WWII not that that applied to WW I or other eras.

 

[Kurusu]

nice condition piece - I have a Savage 1905 .32acp that was WWI French military issue -

It's a Savage 1907. Not 1905.

We used it too in WWI.

Here's mine. Portuguese contract.

And. A curiosity. after being almost completely overruned in WWI. The Belgian bought an American pistol since FN was in the hands of the German.

So, the Belgian trench broom was...A Colt, the 1903 pockect Hammerless.

This 1916 example was from the Belgian contract(it came with the wrong grip panels, I'm working on it).

 

[Absalom]

.... The experience of both sides pretty much ended trench warfare.

That’s a bit of a simplification.

WW I style static warfare, defined by armies whose mobility was not up to their size and inertia, resulting in the well-known almost un-moving trench lines of the Western front, became a thing of the past with motorized warfare.

But for the infantrymen, that just meant they were establishing new positions and digging new trenches every few days

They still cleared lots of trenches in WW II and later.