Ruby 32acp... Worth $160?

If it's in good shape, nice bore, fully functional, with a correct magazine, then it's a cool piece of WWI and WWII history for only $160. The Ruby guns were purchased by France to supplement the Lebel Revolver in the trenches during the massive WWI troop build-up.

I have a Ruby. I keep a zip-tie on it because I found out upon shooting it, much to my surprise, that it slam fires. The pistol was given to me by an older gentleman who had probably never shot it. I was at my outdoor range and so it was the perfect opportunity to weather that bad storm. Needless to say I was shocked and startled. I have removed the firing pin and keep it apart from the pistol. I will probably take it to a gunsmith at some point to have the slam fire issue resolved if it can, and if it can't then I'll destroy it.

To answer your question, sorry, I'm glad I didn't pay anything for mine. No, I wouldn't pay anything for one, given my experience.

You paid about %50 of value. These sell around $300 and can be very reliable, mine is !
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/852846346

I have a 25 cal version made sometime between 1920-1927 I think. Paid not much as I recall. It had about 100 years of grime in it and was not particularly safe (neutral sear engagement until I reprofiled the sear). It shoots with no recoil and is fun. They definitely work, you just need to be careful and know what the design can do. I'd love to get a 32 and for $160, yes.

Hmmmm where is this shop

Find out who the maker was and also if the maker marks on gun & magazine match. It's a somewhat simplified version of the Colt 1903 and is like the little girl with the little curl.

They have an interesting historical cache as you can easily and realistically imagine them at the heart of any conflict over the course of a century and also picture it in the hands of some of the most nefarious military and para-military bodies of that period.

For my part, I'd want a lanyard loop model, correct magazine and early enough manufacturing to at least possibly have been around for the Spanish Civil War.... But those are my particulars.

Good example with at least 1 correct magazine and your price is good but not really great. Great in my mind without seeing it would be south of $140.

Some are absolutely beautiful while others present as any run-of-the-mill Spanish pistol. With all of the pitfalls that that implies.

Be certain to confirm the integrity of the firing pin before buying. I'd ask to dry fire on the eraser of a standard pencil. The way I'd approach this is to buy it if you intend to, under the contingency that you will take it if it performs correctly and they immediately refund your money if it does not.

Todd.

$160 is low for a decent Ruby these days, but their value today is mainly as collector's items. They can be decent shooters, but that is a matter of chance. jar's poem above sums it up well.

vincyr said:

You'd have to come to the People's Republic of New York-istan. You should stay away till we can get rid of Don Cuomo.

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I pray for you folks in New York & California daily..

ApacheCoTodd said:

For my part, I'd want a lanyard loop model, correct magazine and early enough manufacturing to at least possibly have been around for the Spanish Civil War.... But those are my particulars.

Todd.

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Now sir this is an interesting thought.. you want a Ruby that could have been used in the SCW. So we are talking about a Ruby made before 1938.. I would assume most Rubies were made before that. Any way to tell the Rubies that were made during and after WW II??

ALL Rubies were around by the time of the Spanish Civil War. Manufacture of them ceased when that war began (in the summer of 1936, IIRC) and never resumed. Astra, Star, and Llama resumed commercial manufacture of pistols after the war ended, in the spring of 1939, but they never made another Ruby of the classic bare-bones, 9-shot type.

Of course, some had been exported to the US before the Spanish Civil War, and those would not have seen military use by anyone. The French re-exported a number of their Rubies to Italy during World War 1, and may have supplied the Belgian Army with them too. After the war, the French sent some to Poland, FInland, and probably other places.

It is a type of pistol rather than an exact model. They were made by different manufacturers. Some are better than others. That's a good price for a shooter, if it's functional.

IIRC, it's something along the lines that Star or one of the other "bigger names" was the original manufacturer, but couldn't keep up with the huge French orders.

indy1919a4 said:

Now sir this is an interesting thought.. you want a Ruby that could have been used in the SCW. So we are talking about a Ruby made before 1938.. I would assume most Rubies were made before that. Any way to tell the Rubies that were made during and after WW II

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I don't know enough to speak to that but I'm under the impression they were made for quite some time. The Spanish arms industry is classically difficult to pin down on facts most time.

Todd.

ApacheCoTodd said:

I don't know enough to speak to that but I'm under the impression they were made for quite some time. The Spanish arms industry is classically difficult to pin down on facts most time.

Todd.

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chadman said:

I have a Ruby. I keep a zip-tie on it because I found out upon shooting it, much to my surprise, that it slam fires. The pistol was given to me by an older gentleman who had probably never shot it. I was at my outdoor range and so it was the perfect opportunity to weather that bad storm. Needless to say I was shocked and startled. I have removed the firing pin and keep it apart from the pistol. I will probably take it to a gunsmith at some point to have the slam fire issue resolved if it can, and if it can't then I'll destroy it.

To answer your question, sorry, I'm glad I didn't pay anything for mine. No, I wouldn't pay anything for one, given my experience.

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Sounds like the disconnector. Depending on the gun, it could have been lost when someone took the grips off. I once made one out of the metal from a beer opener. The type that punches triangular holes in the can. If it does not disconnect, the hammer will follow the slide and some guns could go full auto.

On more than one occasion I have heard of .32 autos going full automatic before and suspect they were ruby pistols. Just an assumption on my part.

Disconnector on many spanish pistols. Easy to lose on many of them if the grips are removed. There are some pistols that use other means to disconnect the trigger bar.

AS Tall said in #15 , there are Rubys and then there are Rubys.
OP , you stated "I kinda have a hankering for a 32acp". If you are simply looking for a good shooter in .32 acp , get yourself a Beretta 81 in fine condition for a mere $199. Excellent quality firearm. If it's really a Ruby you want then roll the dice and good luck.
(I had a Ruby , not fondly remembered.)

Waveski said:

AS Tall said in #15 , there are Rubys and then there are Rubys.
OP , you stated "I kinda have a hankering for a 32acp". If you are simply looking for a good shooter in .32 acp , get yourself a Beretta 81 in fine condition for a mere $199. Excellent quality firearm. If it's really a Ruby you want then roll the dice and good luck.
(I had a Ruby , not fondly remembered.)

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+1
Cant go wrong with the Beretta.

That said, my Dad's Ruby is one of the Llama-made ones and is very nicely finished and reliable.

The ones approved for French WW1 service have a small "F" punched into area near left side of trigger guard area. The "F" marked ones were supposed to accept the "standard" magazine with good functionallity which IS a big deal.

indy1919a4 said:

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LOLZ at Laugh In vid.

I picked up a Retolaza Hermanos for $175 last fall. It's a pleasant shooting reliable piece of history in my opinion. Here is a pic of my Ruby and its little Spanish brother Astra Hope 25 acp.

In the 1920s Zulaica M made a Ruby model they called a Royal that had a longer grip to hold 12 rounds.