Astra, Llama & Star: Spending Time with Some Spanish Pistols

By Chris Eger

An unexpected firearms powerhouse throughout the 20th Century, Spain exported quality firearms around the globe that are increasingly collectible.
While Spanish Mausers and various CETME rifles have always had a high profile here in the States, these desirable long arms were by far eclipsed in import numbers by handguns hailing from the Iberian country. Principal among these was a trio of pistol and revolver makers that operated primarily from the Eibar area in northern Spain’s Basque region– Astra, Llama, and Star.
Llama
S&W K-frame 4-inch .38 Special? Nope, Llama Martial. This example in the Guns.com Vault is in excellent condition.
BROWSE LLAMAS IN STOCK
The oldest of the three by a year, Llama-Gabilondo y Cia SA, best known as Llama, dated back to 1904 when the company ran under the banner of its two principal gunsmiths, Gabilondo y Urresti. Specializing in clones of FN pistols and various S&W revolvers, they catapulted into fame, of a sort, with their Ruby pistol in 1914. The simple blowback .32ACP handgun won a large contract with the French Army, then embroiled in World War I. The contract was so large that the company had to subcontract with as many as 50 other small cottage gunmakers in the Eibar

Source: Guns.com