Looking for information on .32 Ruby

[Rusty_S85]

I was given this gun by a friend at work a couple years ago. Was told its a .32 Ruby and it looks like one but I am having trouble trying to find out all about it.

First off what I was able to find out if it was accepted by the French it would have two stars one on each side of the mag release. This one has no stars here. So obviously it wasn't accepted by the French.

Second, the serial numbers on the frame and the mag match. The mag and frame also has a circled HE which I found out to be the makers mark for "Hijos de A. Echeverria, Eibar – “Vesta”".

How ever I have no markings on the slide. The slide has curved engraved lines for the grip but aside from that the slide is perfectly smooth. Which I have not been able to find any photos of this pistol with a clean slide that has no markings engraved on it.

I also want to say I found a place when I first got this pistol that decoded the serial number and gave me like a 1915 or 1916 date but cant find that site now. So want to ask any way to date this so I can be sure to document this.

Final question is on the caliber. I know the previous owner told me that they use .32 auto but with a full mag it would not feed properly. I remember reading its a different cartridge than the US .32 and they said what was proper cartridge for proper function. Does anyone know about this?

I'm thinking about taking this pistol out shooting and want to get some ammo for it.

Information

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[Bruce McAskill]

If it's a Ruby then it's the standard .32 auto acp. The round that the French used was did not come about till the mid 1930's and is called the .30 French long. It is longer then the standard .32 auto. The French Ruby was made in Spain by quite a few different manufactures all making the same gun. Originally it was one company who had the contract but they could not make enough so to start they had different companies making different parts and then the first company would assemble them from all the different parts but too many were not made correctly so they all made a version of the Ruby and all were sold to the French military. The gun post war was sold commercially too under different names. Not all magazines interchange. I don't think anyone knows just how many different companies made this pistol. Some of them are unknown and may have been cottage made.