Astra 900
| Astra 900 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| general information | |
| Country of operation: | Republic of China , Spain |
| Developer / Manufacturer: | Astra Unceta Y Compañia SA , Gernika |
| Manufacturer country: | Spain |
| Production time: | 1928 to 1936 |
| Model variants: | 900, 901, 902, 903 |
| Weapon Category: | Inline fire pistol |
| Furnishing | |
| Overall length: | 294-310 mm |
| Technical specifications | |
| Caliber : |
7.63 × 25 mm , 9 × 23 mm Bergmann / Largo (rare) |
| Possible magazine fillings : | 10 or 20 cartridges |
| Cadence : | 900 (M901 / M902), 300 (M903) rounds / min |
| Fire types: | Single / continuous fire |
| Number of trains : | 6th |
| Twist : | right |
| Charging principle: | Recoil loader |
| Lists on the subject | |
The Astra 900 was a Spanish pistol.
history
The weapon was not an independent development, but was based on the German Mauser C96 . The international export success of the Mauser pistols inspired the Basque company Astra Unceta y Compañía to offer a similar competitor model. Mauser was in a weakened position due to the requirements of the Versailles Treaty , and China, which was shaken by civil wars, proved to be an increasingly lucrative sales market.
technology
Externally, the Mauser C96 and the Astra models can hardly be distinguished and also use the same ammunition. Internally, however, the locking technology is completely different, the Astra 900 is not an identical replica. While the locking parts of the Mauser can be removed as a whole, they are accessible through a system cover on the Spanish counterpart. In particular, the Spanish company avoided overly complex manufacturing techniques. The original model 900 was only equipped with a fixed box magazine that was filled with a loading strip . The successor model had a selector switch that also enabled continuous fire. In itself, this option was of dubious value, as the high rate of 900 rounds per minute made the weapon almost uncontrollable and the 10-round magazine was emptied extremely quickly. The fully automatic function nevertheless turned out to be a sales-promoting argument. Mauser felt forced to act and in 1932 also presented a row fire model of their C96, which also offered larger and, above all, interchangeable magazines. Astra then drew level with the 902 model. Including all variants, around 35,000 copies were made and mostly exported to China.
variants
| model | Capacity (shot) |
Barrel length (mm) |
Weight (kg) |
Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 900 | 10 | 140 | 1.30 | semi-automatic basic version, without stop shaft |
| 901 | 10 | 140 | 1.30 | Version with continuous fire option |
| 902 | 10/20 | 180 | 1.36 | Version with automatic fire option and changeable magazines |
| 903 | 10/20 | 160 | 1.37 | Like version 902, but with a retarder reduced rate of fire of 300 rounds / min |
Web links
swell
- Infantry weapons yesterday . Brandenburgisches Verlagshaus, 1991, ISBN 3-327-01209-1 .
- Ian Hogg : Military Small Arms of the 20th Century . Arms & Armor Press, 1982, ISBN 0-910676-87-9 .
- DWJ Extra / 9