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Wasn't planning to make a collection of these but Mike made me an offer I couldn't refuse. Has the French rivet to protect the safety lever. Missing the lanyard ring and the magazine isn't matching. Rough wartime manufacture.
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You never see one and you have two...
You just have to shop at the right place :wave:
LOL, Mike had/has two more. Can you even have them in Canada anymore? Magazines are fun. The two I have for my first will go in this one but will not lock. I already located another ZC magazine and have it coming. This one goes in the Ruby holster, the first Ruby goes back into the VS 35 holster it has been riding in for 75 years. Never felt right taking it out.Quote:
Originally Posted by browningautorifle
They're a prohib so if you didn't have one in '98 you likely didn't get one after, although prohib guys bought and sold among themselves. Now that all handguns are prohibs and sales frozen...well... So they aren't prominent. You never did see many here.Quote:
Originally Posted by Aragorn243
Its a shame that you boys have so many items that are prohibited now for some stupid rules. To me its like the rule that you can not have a rifle with a bayonet lug on it. Never saw a robbery about some robbed with a bayonet.
Yup...Quote:
Originally Posted by mmppres
This is not a Ruby. It is a French Unique Model 17.
To say it is not Ruby is to say that a rutabaga is not a turnip. But yeah, it's a Unique and not a Ruby.
Interesting, you're the second one to make this claim. But there are problems with it. It does not match any photos of any Unique Model 17, I can find. None of them have the safety rivet added which was added in 1920 and the Model 17 didn't start production for another 8 years. None of them have the same wording on the slide, none of them have the FR grips. It is also import marked SPAIN, which could simply be a mistake.Quote:
Originally Posted by martin08
It does say Unique but from my perspective is just another undocumented Spanish Ruby name.
I'm keeping an open mind, a Unique 17 probably commands a premium over a standard Ruby but I need more information on why and how this is a Unique 17.
Here is my UNIQUE Model 17. The slide says "7,65 COURT 9 COUPS". The direct French to English translation is 7.65 Short 9 Shots.
You have a Unique Model 17. I have no idea when the safety button was added to the slide. Your magazine is from a Ruby.
And again. Calling a Unique a Ruby is not a stretch. They are essentially the same gun, built a hundred miles apart on the France/Spain border. Mine is from early German occupation.
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Thank you for the clarification, you are correct. Mine would appear to be an early French military pistol with added rivet.
"Some of the French ordered pistols got a rivet in the slide like Rubys did to prevent the safety from being disengaged when put in the holster"
The military pistols also had the simplified line after the first batch ran out.
I actually have a book that these are mentioned in. Shows several different variations including mine except for the grips but records are sketchy. Apparently pretty low numbers accepted by the French military, around 18,000 most in the 400,000-420,000 serial range. That puts mine in one of the last 4000 made before the Germans took over. Not all of the 18,000 got the rivets but these ensure this was part of the military contract as there are no other markings for French acceptance. The Germans produced another 30,000 and then a further 20,000 with an exposed hammer.
My Unique is now complete. Sarco had original magazines and the one I ordered came yesterday. Oddly enough, their photos of the magazines show very rough example, pitting, rust, missing finish. What I got was a used but very good one. Some light finish loss, no pitting, a tiny bit of orange rust that came off with two swipes of steel wool. If I'd known they were actually in that condition, i might have bought two. The Ruby mags work so I'll just keep them.
Isn't this discussion akin to arguing a German Pistole 640(b) isn't a Belgian GP35 which isn't an Inglis BHP?