mawkie
C&R Whisperer
-Another item that lived for quite a while on my bucket list. I've plodded along searching for either a F. Ascaso or Republica Espanola (RE) Model 400. They were Republican produced clones of the Spanish military standard sidearm, the Astra Model 400. About 8,000 F. Ascaso 400s were built and nearly twice that the RE were built during the SCW. Not easy to find, even when all the Astras were imported. Prices have soared over the last five years and I gave up trying to find one.
-Then a rough condition RE built example came to auction and I figured it's now or never. Didn't pay that much for it with the 60-70 point condition. But as it turns out, it doesn't have an import mark. So I have to assume either it's a bring back, or an import that missed getting stamped. SN dates it to mid production and it sports the star acceptance mark, applied after a few rounds were successfully run through it. There is also a "V16R" stamp but it's very faint, too much so to photograph. Sports the original hard rubber RE marked grips. Early examples had wooden grips with brass RE logo inserts. Very hard to find.
-Find it interesting that the caliber mark is very different from Astra: 9 M/M LARGO. This one doesn't have the original RE marked magazine, sports an Astra produced copy. Would be interesting to know how it came to the US but that will have to stay a mystery.
-Then a rough condition RE built example came to auction and I figured it's now or never. Didn't pay that much for it with the 60-70 point condition. But as it turns out, it doesn't have an import mark. So I have to assume either it's a bring back, or an import that missed getting stamped. SN dates it to mid production and it sports the star acceptance mark, applied after a few rounds were successfully run through it. There is also a "V16R" stamp but it's very faint, too much so to photograph. Sports the original hard rubber RE marked grips. Early examples had wooden grips with brass RE logo inserts. Very hard to find.
-Find it interesting that the caliber mark is very different from Astra: 9 M/M LARGO. This one doesn't have the original RE marked magazine, sports an Astra produced copy. Would be interesting to know how it came to the US but that will have to stay a mystery.