Astra-Unceta y Cia SA
[1] Initially based in Eibar, the centre of the Basque arms industry, the company moved in 1913 to Guernica.
At this stage there was no mention of the sale or manufacture of arms, although both partners had previously been engaged in this field on their own account.
The Model 1913 was manufactured by Esperanza Y Unceta and the increased volume of orders triggered their move to a new factory in Guernica.
It retained an external hammer and a top ejection port like the Bergmann–Bayard, but had its magazine in the grip instead in front of the trigger guard, thus allowing a much longer barrel to be fitted.
The slide was fixed to the frame by a transverse wedge behind the breech that in turn was held in place by the firing pin.
[citation needed] During the First World War the firm supplied the Allies with an estimated 150,000 Ruby-type self-loading pistols.
[2] The Victoria was in turn copied by Gabilondo y Urresti in 1914, the only real improvement being to increase the magazine capacity to nine cartridges and fit a military style lanyard ring.
The Spanish Army, faced with growing complaints that the Campo Giro was proving to be less durable than expected and that disassembly was too difficult, began to search for a new service weapon.
The Astra 200, a clone of the FN Model 1906, was extensively developed with several versions and calibers, .25 ACP and .22 Short primarily.
The following year, the Spanish Army launched a new program aiming at modernizing its armaments and Unceta, once again, won the contract.
Production of M 400, model 1921/Spanish: During the Civil War, the employees of Astra aligned with the Republicans while the owner, Mr. Unceta, annoyed with some of the new authorities of the 1936 Basque government, left the company, and sided with the Nationalists.
It produced the M 400 model 1921 called “el puro”, which was renamed F.ASCASO in the honor of a famous anarchistic leader, friend of Buenaventura Durruti, killed in the first battle of Barcelona.
The weapon manufactured in this new republican arsenal, whose workmen were in their immense majority of the anarchist-trade unionists of powerful federation CNT, was of an about equal quality and a precision identical to that of its counterpart of the Basque Country in spite of particular dimensions, and difficulties of obvious provisioning and organization.
Machine pistols were also produced in this factory; they are easily identifiable by the three letters CNT engraved on the side of the cylinder head.
According to the schedule of conditions of the German Army, it was to be chambered only for 9mm Parabellum, manufacture began in 1943, and 10,450 copies of the 600 were delivered in May and June 1944.
The German Federal Republic, to equip its police officers, requested the Allies to allow delivery of the balance of the weapons purchased in 1944.
The design is generally considered ugly and antiquated in its appearance and its method of disassembly and re-assembly for cleaning is often intimidating.
Despite this, the weapon is designed well in terms of safety, durability, reliability, accuracy and (surprisingly to many due to its awkward appearance), ergonomics.
In 1946 the firm reorganized and diversified its activities, beginning its production of industrial equipment without giving up firearms manufacturing.
Astra continued the production and the development of many reliable and elegant models which made its reputation among the amateurs of weapons and the pride of Basque arms industry.
In 1977, Augusto Unceta-Barrenechea, the last successful manager and owner of Astra, was killed by the ETA separatist group.
In 1998, under the impulse of Basque government, a new company made up of the fusion of Astra Unceta y Cia and the bankrupt Star Bonifacio Echeverria S.A. was created.
