STAR, Bonifacio Echeverría
STAR, Bonifacio Echeverría SA, was a weapons factory that specialized in the manufacture of handguns . It was based in Éibar , Basque Country , as were several other companies that traditionally manufactured weapons in this area.
The tradition of arms manufacture together with the good reputation of Spanish steel meant that this branch of industry was able to rely on an extensive customer base, mainly from the United States and Canada. The products were still in demand for some time after production was discontinued. In addition, STAR products have long been an integral part of the equipment of the Spanish armed forces and police forces as well as the armed forces of other nations.
history
At the end of the 19th century, Jose Cruz Echeverría, the father of Julían Echeverría and Bonifacio Echeverría, ran a factory in which he produced muzzle-loaders. The two sons continued to run the company and Julían Echeverría received a patent for an automatic pistol, the production of which began in 1905. In 1908 the production of a pistol based on the model of the Mannlicher company from 1900, which had a caliber of 6.35 mm, began. Julían Echeverría then left the company and took over the management of Escuela de Armería, his brother Bonifacio continued the company and expanded the manufacturing operations. In 1914 the 1914 model came onto the market, which was technically based on the previous models and mainly featured ergonomic improvements. It should be noted that the model names corresponded to the year of release, a practice that has been maintained throughout the company's history. The 1914 model was introduced by the French armed forces in the 7.65 mm caliber, where it was named Pistolet automatique, type Star .
In 1919, the brand name STAR was uniformly struck on all manufactured weapons, and the terms Izarra and Estrella were registered. All three terms mean the same thing, namely star, in English, Basque and Spanish, respectively. The prototype of the first self-made pistol was internally named Izarra.
The end of the First World War also meant the end of supplies to the French armed forces, the company tried to stay on track economically with a copy of the Colt 1911 .
The production facilities were relocated to Torrekua and, in addition to pistol production, the manufacture of other types of weapons began.
On April 13, 1931 Éibar proclaimed the Second Republic as one of the first municipalities in Spain . STAR continued to manufacture handguns, with a significant portion of its production being exported and supplied to the armed forces of various nations.
During the Spanish Civil War , Éibar was in the republican part of Spain until the fall in April 1937. Then STAR fell into the hands of the Franquists and resumed production after the end of the civil war, the main product now being the Z-45 submachine gun.
STAR has now become the official supplier of the Spanish armed forces and police forces as well as the armed forces of several other countries, while the private customer business in the USA and Canada was successfully built up.
With the accession of Spain to the EU and also due to the deteriorating economy, the company finds itself in economic difficulties. This is exacerbated by the fact that the owner, Bonifacio Echeverría, is retiring and the management was obviously not competent. As a result, there were not inconsiderable liabilities. After part of the shares had been transferred to the Spanish state and another part into the hands of the employees, disputes broke out between the unions involved, which resulted in the liquidation of the company. A new edition with a newly founded operating company also failed. On May 27, 1997, bankruptcy was declared and the company closed. Essential weapon parts such as barrels or pistol frames were scrapped, and spare parts were retained.
A few former employees of the company founded a company under the name Iparguns , which deals with the maintenance and repair of the products.
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ Company history (accessed October 17, 2009)
- ↑ Website on the company history of the successor company IPARGUNS
