puzzled, not sure what it is?

[willbozz61]

Can someone please help me ID this auto, it is a .32, on the side of the slide it says "765 1914 automatic pistol" on the bottom by the mag release it says made in spain.

Thanks.

 

[56hawk]

Looks like a Ruby to me.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby_pistol

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

The "765" probably refers to the caliber (7.65mm/.32).

 

[Sniper X]

were they a Colt pocket 32 knock off?

 

[Gun_Shy]

This is a Spanish-made Ruby-type pistol, made in or around Eibar in the Basque region of Spain. The "1914 Automatic Pistol" on the slide was pretty widely used and alone is insufficient to determine which among the literally dozens of pistol makers made this one. The "765" = 7.65mm, or .32ACP. The "Made in Spain" was not used until the late 1920s (before then, pistols were unstamped or simply had "Spain"), although it may have been added to an earlier pistol. There may be Spanish proof stamps and a letter date code -- usually on the right or left rear of the frame and/or slide, sometimes hidden by the grips.

If you can read something else written on the slide below the "1914 Automatic Pistol" that may be enough to determine who made this.

The French military bought over a million Ruby-type pistols from Eibar gunmakers for use during WWI, generating a huge expansion in the number of small companies producing them. Production continued post-WWI, but almost all disappeared during the Spanish civil war in the 1930s. There are no French army markings apparent on this pistol.

Two places to try matching your pistol's markings with known examples:

www.colecciondepistolas.com/p_astra.asp?id=11
www.earmi.it/armi/atlas/atlas.htm#spap

Bill