It's made of a hard polymer and comes in two sizes, each of those having two graduated bearing surfaces. I picked up this very nice condition Astra model 600/43 West German police contract pistol & holster rig last weekend. Total production of the Model 300 was 153,085. Click Here to view our Gunbroker page! In other cases, I've seen the full 5-digit number. I assume by the serial number that this was a post WWII German Police Pistol although there are no markings on the holster or the gun other then printed in ink on the inside flap of the holster is the name Menzel which sure sounds German to me. Numbered 608721, finish is beautiful, holster and extra clips in excellent shape, has 6 bul read more "Billboard" markings on the left side of the barrel cover; you can't miss them! I stumbled across the Astra 600/43 at my local shop and after a few weeks decided I had to get it. part I, Firearms and edged Weapons, a New York collection, part II, Rare old Pistols and Guns. Due to its grip tang and widened lower grip, the Model 4000 is about 2/10 inch It seems that the post-war German Police marked the frame/slide serial number or a sub-portion of it on the magazines, barrel bushing, and the barrel bushing lock, beyond what the Spanish did during original manufacture. Paid a little more than I wanted but well within its value so I'm happy. The undelivered pistols were turned over to the Spanish government and later sold in the early 1950s to then West Germany for police use. Approximately 60,000 of these pistols were ordered and paid for by Nazi Germany from Astra in late 1943 to be shipped through occupied France to Germany. The 12 month average price is $707.08 used. ). Come join the discussion about the history, technology and extraordinary background associated with these design masterpieces. Now, I finally have a chance to own one. Model 300s were made in 7.65 and 9mm Kurz (.380) It looks to have the Royal Spanish coat of arms on the grip (s). First, make the slide massive and heavy. In 1941, Astra sold 6000 Model 400 pistols to the German military (along with the first order of 6000 Model 300s). Looking to possibly sell for right price. If a pistol's slide comes all the way to the muzzle, one of these will fit it. It had an unusually strong recoil spring that caused a stiff trigger pull. JavaScript is disabled. An additional 3,550 guns that had been in the process of being assembled but had not been paid for were completed and exported beginning in October 1950. Does anyone else have / know of Astra 600s with both WaAD20 and LBPN markings? General Firearms Forum. I'm glad the plastic ones were broken.I don't feel bad about changing them! I understand that serial numbers up to 10500 were delivered to the Germans and WaAD20 accepted on the right tang. At 39 ounces unloaded it's no lightweight, but then you wouldn't want a straight blowback 9mm to be. The colloquially known "second contract" pistols were the batch sold to West Germany and can be identified by having a serial number 31,350 and above. All the waffenamt procurement pistols, serialed between 51-10500, were stamped WaAD20 on the right tang. Serial numbers are stamped on the right slide and frame. This pistol was taken off a Dead German officer by my uncle in WWII. marked 765 m/m. I thought it looked hideous, so I added the wood grips. This group of pistols is sometime referred to by collectors as the First Contract.. But under wartime exigencies the Germans often had to use their 9mm Parabellum ammunition in the Model 400s. As you may know, Franco didn't capture complete power until, with the help of German and Italian intervention, 1939. the total Model 300 production was sold to the German military during World War II--85,390 pistols (63,000 in .380 and 22,390 in .32). A second shipment of 5,000 pistols reached Germany on 23 June, and a final shipment of 2,500 pistols were shipped to Germany on 16 July 1944. Grips show minor handling wear and pistol has correct magazine. Seller: misterluger ( FFL) GA Sales: 491. It has no military or police markings, no foreign proofs and not even importer's markings. Here is what I have learned and why it is likely that dual WaAD20 / LBPN markings occurred. Upon receipt by Germany, the guns were acceptance stamped with an E/WaAD20 on the right tang and issued with black leather holsters, stitched with white cotton thread, that held an extra unnumbered magazine. Get a heads up on all of our Sales, Promotions, and news updates (about 1 email per month). It feels like it was created for a single-handed, bladed shooting stance, which was in style at the time. maybe a tenth of an inch), and the magazine holds one more round than its earlier counterparts (7 rounds of .380 or 8 rounds of .32). The condition doesn't suggest much to me. Amongst todays collectors, the Astra M600, in the Nazi serial range, is one of the more desirable of the military procurement pistols. frame, a grip safety operated by a flat spring, and a Browning-designed Colt-style disconnector. Grips show minor handling wear and pistol has correct magazine. Nice article thanks for this, I have a first contract Astra 600 serial 1940, but unfortunately someone in its past was mean to it it appears that steel wool was used on most of the slide, removing much of the bluing. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. 600s were brought into the US in the 1960s. I have examples above 10500 LBPN marked that have a full set of additional serial numbers, and examples without LBPN that only have frame / slide serial numbers. Impressed with the quality of Astras arms, Germany soon made substantial purchases. ASTRA MODEL 600/43 GI#: 102287873 Guns Listing ID: 820844Manufacturer: AstraModel: 600/43Condition: Very goodCaliber: 9mm ParaAction: Semi-AutoBarrel Length: 5.3\"Capacity: 8-rdInventory: Includes holster and (2) 8-rd mags.-This .Click for more info Seller: Guns Dot Com Area Code: 866 $714.99 NEW THIS WEEK! As WWII pistols escalated in value, unscrupulous vendors began to fake Nazi markings. .505 Gibbs Rifle Brass 'H H' Headstamp: Maker and Quality Info Sought. ZEV Technologies Launches Core Combat Rifle Series, Travis Pike is a former Marine Machine Gunner and a lifelong firearms enthusiast. Bob Meinert, FN Marketing Director, introduces FN's first commercial pistol suppressor, the FN Rush 9Ti. "Astra" logo seal on foreward top slide Chamber marked "Pist.Patr.08 and flaming bomb P proof Opposite side of barrel chamber and rear underside of slide marked last four serial digits. You may be reading too much into this point. Sales of the Model 4000 were never robust in the U.S., and The Astra 600 uses an internal hammer thats not evident by the weapons appearance. The D-Day invasion left 30000 pistols in Spain, which were later turned over to the Spanish government, and later still sold to the post-war West German police. slides, as it is too powerful for the Astra, and the 9mm Parabellum can also be dangerous due to the radical headspace difference between it and the Largo. Astra 600s were already being deployed extensively and perhaps the WaAD20 marked pistols were just another needed Astra 600, perhaps a no cost to them (pure speculation). Tell me if this list is good lol. The black leather is completely in tact - as is the original stitching. The company submitted their Pistola de 9 millimeters Modelo 1921 for the army trials. However, sales were good in the rest of the world, and the gun was particularly popular in the Middle East. Subscriber Services. The Model 4000 Falcon was also offered in .22 long rifle from 1956 to 1964. I will post pics tonight. Astra pistols. By 1943 the Model 600, chambered for the 9mm Parabellum, was in production, and the first 10,450 MOD. I've observed two practices in numbering the magazines. Page 1 2 . The lack of any additional markings beyond the Astra factory does not mean much. Pistols manufactured in 1924 are stamped with that date AN ASTRA 600 pistol is currently worth an average price of $707.08 used . I mention the import marks because they are the C.A.I. Here's a visual comparison of markings on the SIG P6 (on top) vs. the P225 (on bottom): SIG Sauer P6 (top) and P225 (bottom) The SIG P225's external markings look identical to its P220, P226, and P228 siblings of the same era: proof marks on the slide chin, full serial number, "P22X," and "Made in W. Germany" marking on the slide, etc. Early grips were made of horn, hard rubber, or mottled brown plastic, with the Astra logo on the upper half. Petersen Pub. I believe it's a model 300. What a great gun for any collector. 1903 Front Sight Cover, Parkerized, No Markings . Long gone from the market, we can offer the Model 300 and 600 holsters as used during the Spanish Civil War and by WW2 German Forces who purchased over 80,000 of the Model 300's and 40,000 of the Model 600's Best Sellers New Arrivals $19.95 $4.00 $1.00 $36.00 $39.00 $19.95 $36.00 $39.00 $24.95 ASTRA 600 NAZI MARKED RIG WITH CONDOR LEGION MEDAL. I would have thought that most of the WaAD20 pistols were war trophies or destroyed. I doubt that a mix up occurred while the property of the German police. We hope to raise awareness and understanding for the collector community, as well as encourage new collectors to join the hobby. Here is a very early marked Astra numbered magazine on GB! Examples with Nazi markings do bring a premium, but again, collectors need to look out for counterfeits. Ruger's multi-role small frame autoloading rifle - Sear - combines AR-10 power with AR-15 Portability. The Model 600 had a internal hammer and fired with an unlocked breech, blowback mechanism. The P date code places manufacture in 1945. rigorous testing to become Spains standard military handgun. The Judge has been promoted! This scaled-down version of the Model 400 appeared in 1923 and was virtually identical to its predecessor in functionality. The examples I have seen are toward the high end of the range, in 8XXX and 9XXX, so perhaps the later shipments were accepted but never issued. Bomb with a P in it is the Spanish final pistol (as opposed to Revolver, which has an R) proof, from the proof house at Eibar. The E/L police stamp on the right tang and barrel hood were counterfeit, applied to deceive the uninformed collector. In addition to the grip safety, the gun Its a tack driver that makes tiny groups and rings steel quite easily. Pictures would sure help in a question like this. Astra Unceta y Cia is a Spanish brand that produced a number of interesting pistols during its more than a century of producing firearms. E-mail Webmaster Army, Navy, Police. The new-for-2023 lineup includes ultralight hunting stocks and a VGA 2-pound adjustable vertical-grip stock. The grip angle isnt an issue. These were in the serial number range of 501-10,500, delivered to the Germans and stamped with German waffenamts. Spanish prison guards, port security, the coast guard, the police school in Madrid, various security guards, the Carabineros, the army artillery corps, and private individuals. Any help would be great, The first two markings are simply proof tested and accepted . In 1945 the Astra company updated the Model 400 by lightening the slide, giving it a curved backstrap, moving the magazine release to the left side grip (as on the Models 300 and 600), and There is no way to know if it saw Wehrmacht service before the end of the war. The shorter cartridges didnt seat properly in the long chamber of the Model 400 and sometimes failed to feed or eject. The redesigned Astra 600 used 9x19 mm ammo, compared to the Astra 400 which used 9x23 mm Largo, unique to Spanish arms. Hey guys just picked up this astra 600 at the funshow today. The MP 36 was a submachine gun designed and produced by Germany during World War II. The submission was a success, and the Spanish army adopted the pistol in September 1921. Firearms shown here are for display and education purposed only. After the end of the war the Allied occupation forces disarmed the nationalized German Police, broke them down into smaller departments, and then re-armed them. 600 magazine has a small rectangular cut low on the left back spine corner for the magazine release to lock into. OR GRIPS. Designed by Unceta y Cia, it was a shortened version of the Astra 400 manufactured to fire 919mm Parabellum, which was the standard pistol ammunition for Germany at the time. Some of this information came from PMs from other forum members, so credit it due to them, albeit anonymously. I understand that above 10500 were not delivered to the Germans during the war and most were sold to West Germany post-war for use by the police. In late 1943, fifty examples of the newly designed Astra 600 were sent to Germany and were approved for issue to German armed forces,[3] receiving the designation Pistole Astra 600/43. The grips were serrated black plastic, featuring the Astra logo and the word It was later struck with fraudulent Nazi police proofs on the right tang and left trigger guard web. The company produced high-end 1911-pattern pistols in addition to AR-15 rifles for the civilian, law enforcement, and military market in Europe, Central, and South America. The magazine release on the Model 300 was moved to the lower left side grip. In 1943 the Nazis ordered and paid for 50,000 guns, and deliveries started in 1944. Gun Digest, 1974Astra Models 400, 600, & 300, by Robert T. Shimek. I have also seen Larsen post-war holsters also numbered, but I have not seen a matching pistol / holster rig. Many of these holsters were also struck with a waffenamt E/WaA195 acceptance stamp. shape and magazine release of the Model 3000. This late M600 was made for the German Police and marked LBPN on the frontstrap. Simeon North, first official pistol maker of the United States: A memoir. Still, they were short on handguns and contracted with the Spanish firm Astra Unceta y Cia to produce their Astra pistols. Description: Astra Model 600/43 semi-auto pistol. I think this is a very reasonable scenario for WaAD20 / LBPN marked pistols and welcome anyone elses thoughts on the topic. Over the next two months, Astra exported an additional 10,450 guns to the German Armed Forces in occupied Hendaye, France. Its marked UNCETA Y COM- PANIA S.A. GUERNICA ESPANA ASTRA MOD. I have Astra #16020, LBPN marked, with a magazine marked 6020. Germany ordered 41,500 of them, and production began. A comparao do preo de fechamento de ASTRA Protocol em Mar 30, 2023 (R$1.56) versus Apr 29, 2023 (R$1.05) revela que o preo de fechamento de ASTR tem diminuiu por 32.51%. Joe Kurtenbach and Caleb Giddings also look at the first-ever optics-ready carry revolvers with the new Taurus 605 and 856 T.O.R.O. After the war, it may have ended up as an allied souvenir or in a weapons stockpile. How much military service it saw is anybodys guess. The serial number is 14331. In 1953, the company name changed again and became Astra y Unceta Cia, S.A. New models were produced over the years, many of original designs and others that were replicas of well-known American manufacturers. This pistol was very popular and was quickly adopted by the Spanish prison system and the Spanish navy. Our goal is to encourage collectors by providing honest descriptions, fair prices, and the best customer service. Campo-Giro in favor of a barrel bushing la Browning, making the gun much easier to disassemble. Unlike second contract (undelivered) Astra 600s, they are stamped WaAD20 on the right tang. A final caveat, as mentioned above, none of the magazines were numbered. Please note, comments must be approved before they are published. top and bottom and the letter E superposed at the top and U at the bottom. . If it's a 9mm Parabellum, then it's an Astra 600. The top of the slide . It was a little lighter and shorter than the 400 as well. The new company was known as A.S.T.A.R., but it ended operations by the end of 1988. Military Service Catalogue of the choice and valuable collection of Rare Antique Guns and Pistols, Edge Weapons, Accessories, Etc. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. hammer and was strongly influenced by the 1903 FN Browning Military pistol as well as the 1910 FN Browning. The Kar 98 Mauser: Development and Doctrine, 30-30 Winchester: An All-American Hunting Cartridge. Always wondered how it got to the states? Posts: 3420 | Location: Western PA | Registered: July 20, 2010: IP Sorry for bad lay out . WaA66, what I have seen of post war West German police marked Astra 600 pistols, is that that police armory personnel marked the frame/slide serial number or a sub-portion of it on two magazines (1/2), barrel bushing, and the barrel bushing lock, beyond what the Spanish did during original manufacture. Thanks Roger, that makes sense! Unceta y Compania was one of the few companies that the government allowed to stay in business. Want to add to your collection? Spanish Astra 600/43 9mm Pistol w Import Marks in Good Working Condition. The Best of both worlds: After nearly 4 years of waiting, Dan Wesson's DWX is here. It's on the left-hand side of the gun and sits on the bottom of the grip. Having a mismatch between the WaAD20 marked Astras and the post-war delivered Astras just means the mixing happened much later, and it was someone who perhaps did not see value in the WaAD20 marking. A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have". For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Not all pistols were marked this way, and the marks are more consistently seen on plastic grips than wooden grips. The top left rear of the slide is marked ""ASTRA . Now if you find one with a serial number below 10,500, that was a Nazi issue piece. Cultivate your knowledge of firearms with books in the WorthPoint Library. The "O" means 1944 manufacture. That supports the belief that the pistols were stamped by the Germans upon receipt, not at the factory. Toward the end of the Spanish Civil War the German Condor Legion joint task force ordered Astra Model 300 pistols for their pilots. Meet the all-new Taurus Judge Executive Grade, a revolver featuring a hand-polished satin finish, presentation-grade wood grips, a brass rod front sight and an exceptional hand-tuned trigger. I have seen many WaAD20 accepted Astra 600s (#10500 and below), and it is not uncommon to see them in very good shape. In the late '70s and '80s, the company faced a decline in sales that led to the 1998 merger of Astra y Unceta Cia and the bankrupt Star Bonifacio Echeverria S.A. [6] Small quantities of pistols were sold to Turkey, Portugal, Chile, and Costa Rica until 1951,[7] when the remaining Astra 600s were sold to West Germany. This left Astra holding almost 30,000 finished but undelivered Astra 600/43s. It has no additional markings so no concrete proof of where it went and how it got here but odds are it was sold to Germany for their police after the . Youd likely expect a better single-action trigger, but its rather stiff and hefty for a single-action design. The Astra 600 was a Spanish semi-automatic pistol used during World War II by the Wehrmacht. The "O" is the year code. Caliber 9x19mm (9mm Parabellum). The .380 version of the Astra Model 300 holds 6 rounds, while Surplus firearms are tough to get into these days. The Astra 600 was designated the Pistole Astra 600/43 when used by the German Military during World War II. Like both of those pistols, the Astra 600 also gets that rap, but in a different way. Those pistols were extensively used by West German police forces until the late 1960s when Interarms purchased the remaining pistols for export to the United States civilian market. All Rights Reserved. Overall, it looks good; my guess is85 to 90 percent for the condition and bluing. after 1968 the gun could no longer be imported. As you note, this explains why most are not import marked; all pre 68. Technically a First Contract firearm, 8901 also lived the life of a Second Contract firearm being used by the LBPN for many years following the war. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. View more in our Astra Pistols Price Guide. originally designed in the mid-1940s, at the same time as the Model 700, but actual production did not get under way until 1958. I have one Astra 600 above 10500 that is LPBN marked on the grip strap. Notify . [5] The Astra 600s that could not be delivered to the German government during World War II were then stored by the Spanish government. I believe that most of the Astra 600s used by the West German police were. . Question: I have purchased an Astra Model 600. The left rear of the frame is marked with 3 proofs: a shield with "X", a . In my 20 or so years collecting I only came across an Astra 600 once, and I passed on it because the guy was way too proud of it and would not budge on the price, primarily because of the German markings. Have you entertained the thought that an inspector from the German procurement offices could have been stationed in Spain looking after both Star and Astra contracts, the Germans had a hand in the 600 design. I always thought they were neat-looking pistols. Excellent bore. The TaurusTX 22 Compact delivers class-leading reliability, capacity, and shootability in a 22 LR platform, and it's cut for a slide-mounted mini red dot. The Astra Model 600 Spain was ostensibly neutral in World War II, but favored the Axis powers. The Astra 600 was very similar to the Astra 400 but chambered in 9mm Parabellum. Depending on when a 600 was made, grips could be either checkered walnut or plastic. Other brands, products, or service names mentioned are or may be trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. GUERNICA ESPAA. Not bad for a bottom-mounted magazine release. The most likely possibility is that after the Astra 31XXX was out-of-service and sold by the West Germans, some set of unknown circumstances caused the mismatch. The Model 600 used the same magazine release button as the hole down to the bottom of the grip--the single grip screw is obviously set too close to the edge of the grip--this may be the one design flaw on the Model 300. It was later struck with fraudulent Nazi police proofs on the right tang and left trigger guard web. Call me a fudd, but these days an old surplus pistol like the Astra appeals to me a lot more than the latest 5.56 caliber AR 15 or polymer frame striker-fired pistol. My own Model 300, which was one of the first 6000 shipped to the Nazis, is beautifully finished and reasonably accurate, with a relatively light trigger pull. Go . Standard 9mm and NOT 9mm Largo. The Model 400 magazine has no such tab on the side (s). All rights reserved.Click on the pictures to open a larger version in a new window. These pistols were delivered to German Army via the Spanish-French border before it was closed by the Allies. The back of the holster shows some surface scratching, none of which goes completely through the leather. For reasons we made unclear, many of the reworked and redipped guns had their magazines struck with a matching serial number. Reply . scarce outside of Spain. Answer:I also happen to be a fan of the 300/400/600 family of Spanish blowback Astras. prison service, and the navy. Beginning in 1929, Type II pistols bear the Astra U/C logo atop the slide and are marked UNCETA Y COMPAIA S.A., GUERNICA ESPAA. I think this is highly unlikely, as the German police were quite fastidious about putting additional matching serial numbers on various parts of the Astra 600, beyond the Spanish markings, including the magazines. The Astra 600 uses adirect blowback sytem (Travis Pike for TTAG) The gun utilized an internal, single action only hammer and a very interesting magazine release. The GB magazine could be from Astra #9011, or 19011, 29011, 39011, 49011, or 59011. Obviously to me, that pistol served both in WW2 and was used by post war german police. The result was the MP 38, a revolutionary submachine gun design which . The Astra 600 was very similar to the Astra 400 but chambered in 9mm Parabellum. [1] A smaller variant for both domestic and export sales, the Astra 300, was offered in .32 ACP and .380 ACP. Excellent bore. It looked similar, had the same hefty recoil spring surrounding the barrel, but was slightly smaller and chambered in 9mm Parabellum due to an order by the Germans in 1943 who called it the "Pistole Astra 600/43." Sure, Brownings short recoil might be the superior choice, but the Astra 600 is the more interesting choice. The extractor, grip Early production features included the Astra U/C logo on the slide, a two-line slide address and PIST PATR 08 on the barrel hood. The rear sight is dovetailed in, making it adjustable for windage. Contrary to the inserted advertisement circa 1964, there was no documentation to suggest that M600s were the choice of the Luftwaffe.. Now that his days of working a 240B like Charlie Parker on the sax are over he's a regular guy who likes to shoot, write, and find ways to combine the two. Skip to the beginning of the images gallery, SOLD - Excellent Astra 600 - Nazi Contract, 73 Plank Ave Paoli, In 1949 Astra sold all the remaining pistols in . It used a Navy pattern of magazine release instead of the 400's heel release, and was generally much more what the German military wanted. Catalogue of an important collection of rare old Pistols and Guns, Indian relics, Etc. In terms of design, a straight blowback pistol has to have a way to prevent the breach from opening too early. Only 19 Model 700 prototypes were made, as the Spanish military did not approve the pistol for use. SS1908-137 . From appearances and the lack of markings it was a civilian-sale gun. Of these, 800 were sent to Portugal, 450 to Chile, 200 to Jordan and 200 to Turkey. The new 9mm suppressor can mount easily to any pistol barrel threaded x28 inches and doesn't compromise on sound suppression, gas blowback or recoil. The company was established in Eibar, Spain, which was also the former home of Llama and Star firearms as well as dozens more. Eventually Jeff Bradley shows off the Modern Hunting Rifle (MHR) from Christensen Arms at SHOT Show 2023. Left: 9x23 Bergmann-Bayard (largo)Center: 9x19 9mm Parabellum (Luger)Right: 9x17 9mm Browning Short (.380 ACP). That also left Astra with nearly 30,000 completed guns and parts, many of which had been ordered and paid for by Nazi Germany. The 300 was a smaller "pocket" version chambered in 9 mm Corto (.380 A.C.P. In short order, Astra introduced the M600, a single-action, internal hammer blowback pistol that was a scaled-down M400 (1921) fitted with an M300/M400 (1921) Navy magazine release. Barrels are stamped on the bottom with the last three digits of the serial number. The proofs are correct for auto pistols. In 1943, the Germans ordered a large quantity of the newly co-designed Spanish Astra 600s in 9x19 mm, essentially a scaled down version of the model 400 (M1921). [6], Modeled off the Astra 400, the Astra 600 had a similar design and internal mechanism to its predecessor. One possibility is that a post-war German Police armory who were in possession of Astras 8XXX and 31XXX mixed up the parts. 1933-1945: Mauser Lugers. A forum community dedicated to all firearm owners and enthusiasts. The inside of the barrel and rifling look good, too. The Allied invasion of France interrupted Astras shipments to the German forces that had been previously stationed in Hendaye and Bordeaux, France. The range places the piece in a batch that was intended for the Nazis, but never delivered. The Walther P38 and Luger will always be associated with the bad guys. Approximately 59,400 Astra 600s were manufactured before production ceased. Ive taken to collecting Astra 600s the past couple of years. Second, use a robust recoil spring, aka the Walther way. The early Astra logo consisted of the word ASTRA with the suns rays at Serial 8XXX (slide) was a part of a matched Astra 600 when it was delivered to the Germans in 1944 and received its WaAD20 acceptance mark. Francos Spain was officially neutral in the WWII, but provided military support to the Axisin several ways, including the sale of arms. 04-07-2021, 10:48 AM #5.