ARIZMENDI Francisco
The 6.35 centerfire cartridge emerged at the very
beginning of the 20th century, thanks to the work of the brilliant John Moses
Browning. From its introduction around 1906, this pocket gun cartridge quickly
became dominant and contributed to the gradual disappearance of other, now
obsolete, calibers (pinshot, black powder centerfire, and rimfire cartridges of
various calibers, with the exception of the .22, which remains in use today).
The pocket gun market, particularly active at that time,
encouraged numerous manufacturers of various nationalities to offer
semi-automatic revolvers and pistols chambered for this cartridge.
The small
revolver examined here is a good example. It
belongs to the family of hammerless revolvers, often nicknamed "Hunchback" or
"Hammerless." This variant of the British Bulldog design was marketed for two
main reasons: firstly, for cosmetic reasons, giving the weapon a modernized
look, closer to that of a semi-automatic pistol, and secondly, to reduce the
risk of the hammer catching on the trigger when it was quickly drawn from a
trouser or jacket pocket! This latter aspect is complemented by the recessed
trigger, resulting in a particularly compact weapon.
The example presented here appears to be of very good
quality and in excellent condition, with its bluing preserved, its octagonal
barrel, its checkered grips in fairly good condition, and its safety located at
the rear of the frame.
Its Spanish origin is evident from the proof marks:
The coat of arms of Eibar, two crossed bars surmounted
by a plumed helmet. This has been the symbol of the BOPE (Banco oficial de
Pruebas de Eibar) since July 9, 1931.
The letter R within the grenade. This is the BOPE proof
mark for revolvers.
A capital N, which could correspond to the year number
for Spanish firearms, in this case 1942, which seems rather late for this type
of product. Perhaps the N stands for Nitro?
Two other markings are identifiable and allow us to put
forward a very credible hypothesis about the revolver's manufacturer:
On the grip butt, the marking FA 3661. The number
probably indicates the weapon's serial number. The initials FA correspond to
those of the well-known manufacturer Francisco Arizmendi of Eibar. Several
revolvers similar to this one, clearly bearing this manufacturer's signature,
can be found on the site.
In particular, an identical marking can be seen on
another Arizmendi revolver (with a different serial number, of course).
A logo
depicting a policeman brandishing his pistol. This is the logo of the German
arms importer AKAH (Albrecht Kind), with whom Arizmendi worked, as demonstrated
on the website. Founded in 1853, the company is
still in operation. Some historical information can be found online, though it
remains rather vague about the period from 1940 to 1945.
It should be noted, however, that the photos provided do
not show the logo usually used by Arizmendi, namely a star above a crescent
moon, surmounted by the initials FA.
In short, this 6.35 caliber "hunchback" revolver was
produced in Eibar between 1931 and 1942. Its manufacturer is almost certainly
Francisco Arizmendi. The weapon was intended for import into Germany by the AKAH
(Albrecht Kind) company.
Chris
Francisco Arizmendi
This
weapon is a revolver of type Velodog, hammerless, in calibre 6,35 mm, in
(ochavado) octagonal barrel - fabricated in Eibar (Spain).
It' s a
revolver classic of its kind, with folding trigger, with variant of end bent
back, instead of a kind of small striated bowl. Variations on style are so
abundant as no collection would include them all.
The
producer is Francisco Arizmendi, perfectly identifiable by his logo, on the
right hand side, above safety.
Roberto
