Spanish Anarchist Pistols: the RE and Ascaso

[@markasimmons]

George Orwell, the author of "1984" and "Animal Farm", also wrote "Homage to Catalonia", a memoir of his experiences fighting as a volunteer with the International Brigade during the Spainish Civil War. Well worth a read, as it really gives you the sence of how confusing and desperate the fighting became, especially towards the end.

[@Camelwrestler]

+Mark Simmons He fought alongside the POUM, an non-Comintern communist group. The international brigades were Comintern organized. The CNT-FAI had some centurias composed of mostly foreigners in various militia columns and the POUM accepted foreign fighters.

[@JuanHerrero]

He grew disillusioned with communism when he saw it in action, as many do. Sadly by that point it is often too late.

[@christiannewaye7306]

Juan Herrero he became a democratic socialist in the end of his life.

[@9313James]

Juan Herrero he was a socialist until the day he died. He just didn't like he Soviet Union because of what they did to the POUM.

[@9313James]

John Rosell POUM were anarchist

[@phillipigyarto9066]

as an anarchist seeing relics from the Spanish War is always bittersweet

[@GiantLeninHead]

Was there ever a video where Ian talks about Nestor Makhno and the Free Territory of Ukraine?

[@hugoflores5806]

No maxim machine gun yet

[@creektimothy]

anarchists work together all the time, anarchism doesnt mean no rules, it means no rulers

[@JuanHerrero]

+Let's build a bridge! -Right! +Let's make it out of recycled tissue paper and toothpicks -I don't think that's a good idea, we really should use durable materials +Are you bossing me around? Fucking fascist!

[@ASTFRER36]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/f2G7mYWkf99rnLc the Anarchist popular Workshops

[@GroundHOG-2010]

@@JuanHerrero Oh hey, it's bullshit being spouted about Anarchism implying that most people would result to murder under it over minor issues, despite the fact that the vast, vast majority of people would not do so, and also implying that that it wouldn't be considered bad under an anarchist society, or that there wouldn't be any form of control for people that violate other people's autonomy.

[@gwelch399]

GroundHOG2010 if we were talking face to face rn in a anarchistic society I could shoot you for disagreeing, and as long as I had the bigger gun (figuratively) no one would stop me out of fear.

[@_LocalGhost_]

@@gwelch399 you clearly don't understand anarchism lol, go read some history, or a book about anarchist theory.

[@Sheerwater909]

Fascinating history of these pistols. George Orwell's 'A Homage to Catalonia' is a first hand account of his experience as a Republican fighter and illustrates the factional nature of the forces that opposed the Nationalists. A 'good read' as they say.

[@MrMotorz]

Hey Ian. I´m from Barcelona and I remenber that my Grandfather (Republican veteran) shows me several times a hole in the stone of the historical shipyard named "Atarazanas" near the harbour. This hole is not visible today but the urban legend says this was the true hole of the bullet that kills Ascaso. I´m 7 or 9 years old. Incredible! Thank yo for the channel.

[@jamesjacocks6221]

Great presentation. Especially appreciated the supporting history. Sensitively delivered. Tough subject, the Spanish Civil War. Very tough.

[@d3lyryum]

I'm actually from Terrassa, i never knew that anarchists built weapons here! Nice review :)

[@d3lyryum]

i did a little research, and that model was made a block away from my house lol, the place is abandoned now, ill try to see if i can get in!

[@ForgottenWeapons]

Send me some photos if you do! [e-mail]

[@d3lyryum]

These are the coords from the location in google maps: 41.566747, 2.012336 (Carrer de Sant Isidre nº 12) U can see that the place looks pretty obliterated. There were a lot of textile industries here in Terrassa back then, and the anarchists turned this one into a gun factory that was called "Factoría Nº 290 dependiente de las Industrias de Guerra de Cataluña" (290th dependant factory of the Catalonia's War Factories) . I'll see if i can get in, if so i will send u some photos for sure!! Thank you, i've learned a lot from my city today thanks to your review.

[@justicar5]

well Anarchism (or the branch they where part of at least) is collectivist, so working together for a common goal does make sense. Thanks for this lesson, the Spanish Civil War gets over looked to much.

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

"Rather ironically, for being Anarchists" Well yeah, if you don't really know much about Anarchism, particularly Anarcho-Syndicalism (the type in Spain), it might seem ironic. But it's not. "Syndicalism" is literally in the name. It's the abandonment of hierarchy and formation of worker's forums and councils that would communally run workshops (which is how this pistol was created, it being a child of the Anarchist-system labor in desperation). Cooperation is pretty much the lynch-pin of Anarchism as a school of social-political thought. It's not all Mad Max and molotovs, Ian...

[@neotechnician2903]

You mean all that state funded research? Name a modern technology- GPS, the internet, touch screens, and so on- and it was made either in a government lab, with government funds, or by a nonprofit. There is no profit in technological innovation. There is, however, profit in market innovation, so capital does that instead. Just look at the iPhone- not a single component was invented by Apple. Nor was the concept of a smartphone- it was preceded by phone-PDA hybrids and the weirdness that is the N-Gage. But boy oh boy, does Apple know how to innovate in advertising, branding and market research. After all, why actually be creative when only the appearance of creativity matters? And why would workers societies despise change? What on earth gave you that idea? In practice, anarchists, myself included, often have a deep hatred of stagnancy. We must always move forward, we must always build a better tomorrow, and then plan an even better day after. I think perhaps the biggest debunking of your notions of traditionalism is the ongoing revolution in Rojava. Despite being from an incredibly conservative (I'd call it reactionary even) area politically, a region that previously had honor killings as an accepted, even legal practice, have created a decentralized confederacy of communities with mandatory minority and women's representation, invited international human rights advocates to train their police force, and treat everyone, even enemy combatants in a bloody civil war, with decency and respect.

[@jeremymain7303]

Get a job.

[@caligulajones1237]

Don't challenge the ignorant, they haven't even challenged themselves yet.

[@mopar_dude9227]

Neotechnician anarchy is just another term for socialism, which has proven again and again that it only fails.

[@cd180]

@@mopar_dude9227 Ignorant comment.

[@zenlikestate96]

The Anarchist movement in spain is really fascinating and actually operated quite well in the intermittent years of the civil war. Infighting was essentially nonexistent and really their demise fell to the eventual concession of the republicans to the fascists, which left catalunya to be completely overrun. Still, a very interesting (and marginally more successful, i might add) facet of leftist ideology.

[@g.55centaurosimp18]

Revolutionary Catalunya was so "great" it was one of the inspirations for 1984... LeL

[@freelanceart1019]

Juan Herrero no

[@Isaaclichtenstein]

When the church has been oppressing and controlling your society for hundreds of years, that sort of stuff becomes more understandable.

[@Isaaclichtenstein]

It was the Republicans and the Stalinists who were the inspiration, not the Catalonian Anarchists. Orwell fought alongside the Anarchists and Marxists in the POUM, and was proud to have done so. He died a Democratic Socialist, I would add.

[@NeighborDemocracy]

Orwell said he wished he fought with the anarchist units. He was against the Stalinists and fascists...they inspired 1984.

[@ArnoSchmidt70]

Looks like Ian knows his way around the spanish language. Thanks for the historic context.

[@MisantrooppiMikko]

Arno Schmidt From what I've seen on this channel, Ian seems to know very much about all kinds of stuff :D But really, what a great channel to see!

[@ForgottenWeapons]

Arno Schmidt Unlike all the other languages that come up, I actually speak a little bit of Spanish. :)

[@weeeds334]

Forgotten Weapons pls dont take this personal but aways when you talk german words i get headache... xDDDD

[@MisantrooppiMikko]

weeeds334 Are U german? :D

[@weeeds334]

Friendly Gamer yes^^ thats also why my english is not the yellow from the egg

[@VRSVLVS]

¡No pasarán!

[@samrussell4065]

The Spanish Anarchists had- unfortunately- two enemies: the Fascists and the Communists. The Anarchist movement in the Ukraine had by the start of the Civil War been wiped out, and the combination of Spanish, Italian and German Fascism and the Communist Commissars and Secret Police helped to destroy it in Spain as well. The Communists would even compromise the Anarchists even if it was to the detriment of 'their' side ( Stalin had only one side in the war: His. that's why he made off with as much Republican gold as he could). Anarchism (in its real, rather than popularly understood sense) was too dangerous an alternative to Communism to be allowed to survive. Spain was the place where the Communists and Facists fought a proxy war to eliminate beliefs that opposed their own. The price was well over a million Spanish lives.

[@OlgaMariaCarcamo]

+Sam Russell sad and true, CCCP just sent us their leftovers and took a lot of gold as reward, and most of the republicans who went to CCCP after the war spent a really bad time there, it is a shame.

[@mlovecraftr]

+

[@phillipigyarto9066]

Julian Silva I'd say sectarianism is probably still the biggest problem on the left lol.

[@GiantLeninHead]

Besides the Soviets, weren't communists partners with the anarchists?

[@HollisPresnell]

+punk rock trucker Yes, communists and anarchists were partners. The OP doesn't understand that the Communist Party and Stalinists were anti-revolutionary, and only wanted to apply State Capitalism to Spain. They were not real Communists. Communist (Marxist POUM specifically) militias and Anarchist (Syndicalist CNT and the purely Anarchist/Anarchist Communist FAI) militias were basically allied as they were both revolutionary groups with very similar end goals. Read Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell.

[@mewt1uga]

Ian, you have by far the most abundant amount of knowledge on weaponry of any person i know in our age group. i wish i had a buddy like you near by to hang with and learn from. keep em comin!

[@ForgottenWeapons]

+Matt Virag Thanks!

[@AshGreen359]

I've always wanted an Astra 400 but is just so impractical

[@TheBenchPressMan]

really loved the historical context of these pistols! Certainly will be doing some reading on the Spanish Civil now, thanks Ian!

[@dinsdalemontypiranha4349]

I really enjoyed this video Ian. I like it very much when you talk about the history of the guns in your videos. You made this video so long ago that you will probably never see this comment, but if you do, thanks for everything that you do!

[@IMadeChuckNorris]

Had to watch a movie in my Spanish class that was placed in the Spanish Civil War, Viaje de Carol, and I saw an Astra 400, although I suppose if they got their gun terminology right, it was probably one of these. My teacher never mentioned that external nations like Germany and Soviet forces were involved. That case hardened extractor on the Ascaso looks pretty cool.

[@ForgottenWeapons]

IMadeChuckNorris More likely it would have been an Astra - there were a lot more Astras floating around on both sides than these copies.

[@IMadeChuckNorris]

Jimmy De'Souza Well I live in South Carolina. This wasn't taught in a history class, but a Spanish class, so I guess it was acceptable to not learn about other non-Spanish country's involvement as we were only learning about Spanish speaking countries.

[@EdsEnemy]

"The company took over a facility that had formally been a fruit distribution warehouse... These were kind of the best of the bunch..." Oh my god Ian are you going to do one of these for every video?

[@eric3844]

Awesome pair of pistols from my favorite part of history. Viva la CNT! Viva la POUM! Tierra y Libertad!

[@theonemantrainwreck]

A LAS BARRICADAS

[@christiannewaye7306]

Joe Donronimo fascists , colonial empires, and western countries slaughtered more in the tenth of the time of Eastern bloc existed

[@deathuponusalll]

eric3844 Tierra y libertad! Viva la CNT FAI!

[@peperlover99]

@@joedonronimo7679 You do know that Anarchists and Communists not only are very different, but in many cases mortal enemies, right?

[@bribera8906]

eric3844 Antifascista! Antiimperialista!

[@brainkill7034]

Professional anarchist, definitely the first I’ve ever heard that! 😂

[@jeffreyabelson7171]

Great Video, Ian - anyone who's read Orwell or Hemingway is gonna love this

[@RichardGoth]

I believe the Ascaso factory... or at at least some of the staff.. were previously employed in the manufacture of industrial weaving equipment and sewing machines. Tarrasa was the heart of the Catalonian textile industry. Big switch making guns, but I believe Singer did similar armament work in WWI and II

[@JuanHerrero]

Look up General Motors and the "Liberator" gun.

[@josephd.5524]

Growing more pertinent every year, this video.

[@golfo0011]

This are NOT the "anarchist pistols", this are the guns made by the Republican government during the Spanish Civil War when the Astra fabric was occuped by fascist troops, but with the same molds from Astra 400, to arm the troops of the Ejército Popular (Popular Army, the late name of republican army). They are not copies, they are the same gun made in other factories for war reasons, and with another names. One, the Ascaso, it is named in tribute an anarchist fellow of Durruti dead in the first day or the war, the other simply República Española, RE (Spanish Republic), the legal government of Spain. The anarchist pistol was the Star 1919, named "Sindicalista" in the 20's, the age of gunslinger pre war.

[@AlkalineJavicho1]

I like when you shows Spanish weapons. In my country, Spain, it´s very difficult see a gun because here there a "Weapons prohibition" and the only way to see spanish weapons it´s in USA KZbin channels. if you can make a video about a Spanish gun, please make the video I like see a video about a spanish gun and Its a way to learn about the spanish guns. Thanks you

[@fernandolk1]

Alkaline Javicho they fucked up the laws there? because here in chile we have a large amount of old Spanish pistols,revolvers and rifles.there is also a rather sizable amount of Spanish double barreled shotguns. fun fact:they are trying to push restrictive gun laws here too.

[@singecauchemar7410]

fernandolk1 Organize and resist totalitarians that want to disarm the people, regardless of whether they're Left OR Right wing.

[@fernandolk1]

Oingo Boingo no longer able to resist the criminal hordes.nor the mentally and morally challenged left wind that once again is fucking the country.and there wont be a military coup to save the country again.you cant resist a literal tide wave of low class criminals.if you shoot them they start to freak out,as if one is racist by merely shooting a dangerous burglar.you cant reeducate them as they are mentally unable to write and read and now they also fucked up the economy and carjackers are armed with shotguns,burglars with semi autos and the government whines if you kill them.by the way this now shitty country is chile.it was rather decent for being in Latin america.now it is starting to become on the likes of mexico and colombia,

[@gosonegr]

+Alkaline Javicho Well... you can own handguns, mostly every handgun, shootguns, semiauto rifles, except .223 and .308 semi, bolt action rifles, semiauto shootguns, .22 LR carbines and almost every semiauto weapon if there is not considered "war caliber", like 5.56, 7'62 russian, 7.62 TANO... It's a bit expensive due to taxes, but the license is lifetime and the law protects you from confiscation. I have at home a pararell shootgun, a Santa Barbara New moder army, a only auto .307 CETME and a FR7 bolt action carbine, all of them for sport shooting

[@singecauchemar7410]

+fernandolk1 ...Don't let the gun grabbers get away with it.

[@WVairsoft304]

I have watched all your videos and they are all great. Keep up the great work Ian.

[@leafscratch]

Just started reading 'For Whom the Bell Tolls', making these guns very interesting. Thanks for the video!

[@Perforator2000]

Reminds me of George Orwell's Homage to Catalonia. Some cool history here.

[@lkmuks]

I should definitely learn more about this conflict. I remember seeing some of Orwell Journalist work related to Spanish civil war.

[@minuteman4199]

***** He wrote a book (not his best work) about his experiences in Spain, entitles "Homage to Catalonia". It is well worth reading, and still in print.

[@charli0072003]

Your Spanish diction has improved a lot!!! Regards from a Spanish fan

[@martinjansson1970]

1:17 The Republican faction included the Anarchists and Communists. Basically it was everybody involved, that wasn't a Fascist, nor a Monarchist. It sounded wrong to me, when Ian talked about it, although the Spanish Civil War isn't something I'm knowledgeable about. The little I know about it come from reading Hemingway, and a few other pieces of fiction, as a teenager, many, many decades ago. So I looked it up in wikipedia (hint to Ian of what to do before making a video): en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationalist_faction_(Spanish_Civil_War)

[@sarsanch]

The anarchist and the communist bolsheviks weren't getting along too well, since the bolsheviks were not better than the fascists, Stalin annihilated more than 4 million Ukrainian anarchists led by Nestor Makno.

[@esejony65]

I would like to point one misunderstanding that people have with the whole Spain's civil war political side, "Franco was Fascist and Republicans communist" I will try to be as brief as possible Franco was Fascist. Like many other Spanish generals of the time, he was an spanish traditionalist and very catholic. He idolatrated the image of the catholic kings (Isabelle of Castille and Ferdinand of Aragon) and the whole reconquista time period (Nationalist war propaganda portrayed the war as a second reconquista) alongside the all ways present Spanish empire melancholy of one day gaining back a place along the superpowers(In the Hendaya meeting with Hitler, Franco demanded french morocco and other french colonies for spain to enter the ww2). He is considered Fascist because he took control and employed for his own purpose the only "fascist" party in Spain, The Falange (Manuel Hedilla and many other falange leaders opposed franco because of this and some of them even were executed) Republicans were communist. If you take a look at the results of the elections of february 1936 where the popular front won the Spanish communist party obtained 17 of 473 seats. Most of the popular front who won the elections where socialist and moderate republicans there also was a center (Basque and Catalan nationalist) who in the war will side with the Republic in order to keep their new acquired autonomy. But here's the thing, because of chamberlain no intervention pact with france who was willing to send heavy assistance to the Spanish republic, the only country who could "help" was the soviet union. Not only soviet guns came along with that "aid" (the no intervention pact confiscated some of the shipments) but also advisors and other personnel came to the republican government. Because of this the once communist minority now had power over supplies and weapons and will only provide them to those who will cooperate with them. Basically because of this they took control over everything

[@MrHws5mp]

esejony65 Well explained. People tend to take a very simplistic view of the Spanish Civil War from a Cold War perpective of "red vs blue" when in fact, it pre-dated that political paradigm and was anything but simple.

[@ikerbok]

Jeremy Nimmo Very simplistic and wrong view of the Spanish Civil War. You need to read more about the subject. esejony65's explanation is more accurate.

[@klavakkhazga3996]

esejony65 Well they were a revolt which overthrew a democratic government elected by the people. And after the war they ruled a brutal dictatorship with endless prisoners, concentration camps and executed people. Spain was a dictatorship for over 30 years. It's pretty clear to me who are the "good guys and the bad guys". War will always be war, but one has to get the whole picture. I'm spanish and I can tell you the country has never get over it. Scars and enemies still exist, in the way of descendants, politics, etc. Franco's tomb is a revered monument and a Meca for spanish fascists. It makes me sick just to think of it. As far as him being a fascist, he actually united pretty soon every ideology on his side to make the FET (falange española tradicionalista) which united falangists (fascists), spanish nationalists (unity of spain's territory at any cost) and traditionalists (ultracatholics). And he had support from the church. They altered which one was predominant based on convinience: fascists first to look sexy to Hitler and Mussolini, and after world war they camouflaged under religiousness to try raise less eyebrows over Europe.

[@fernandolk1]

Klavak Khazga it was a truly horrible war.did you know that a lot of communists,anarchists and socialists that left Spain during and after the war came to south america,forming the basis for the idiotic political behavior displayed by all political parties here during the 70s. but they were extremely good teachers,engineers and mechanics,all things that were needed in these countries.along with new political ideas.

[@esejony65]

Klavak Khazga That's right those scars will never heal properly. Well i'm basque and i can tell you the tremendous change in basque mindset before and after the war and dictatorship. Before the war the basque mindset even if they were Carlists or nationalist was much more autonomy oriented (Some sort of federal state)not independence(The carlist wanted the back the fueros and nationalist a local autonomy also both of them wanted to regulate their own taxes). The spanish republic promised and "gave" autonomy for the basque nationalist and the Nationalist generals promised fueros and tax regulation to the carlist. Long story short the basque nationalist were defeated and Franco betrayed the carlist didn't gave the fueros back and force them to join the falange to form "Falange Española Tradicionalista" (not the falange not the Carlist wanted this union.) I'm gonna be brief as possible and in short basically Francos represion and treatment of the basque people caused them to switch from a "federalist" mindset to a "independence". You can see this change in mindset for yourself took for instance the incidents on Montejurra 1976 and listen what those carlist are singing. They are not singing the oriamende march instead they are singing the Eusko Gudariak a basque nationalist song, something unthinkable 40 years before.

[@hawkenrifles]

Gracias a "Forgotten Weapons" y RIA, por ilustrar un poco la sangrienta historia española durante nuestra Guerra Civil (1936-1939), con dos pistolas fabricadas en la zona republicana y que son copias de la ASTRA 400. Un saludo desde España de un amante de los rifles de Pennsylavania y de los "Hawken rifles".

[@FelonyArson]

Two anarchist groups working together isn't ironic at all, as vertical organization and solidarity are literally the core of anarchist practice

[@ethansmith8004]

Wurminator *horizontal organization

[@richardtravalini6731]

Worth mentioning is the way the slide and frame are made from solid all forged and machined steel. The time it must have taken to machine these parts is amazing by today's standards.

[@davidfrantz1504]

"Homage To Catalonia" is a good book, though the view is quite small because of it being written about Orwell's personal experiences. I highly recommend "The Battle For Spain" by Antony Beevor if you want to know more about the war and with a larger view. He's very good about pointing out atrocities on both sides, questioning a lot of the news reported at the time (everything was so exaggerated), and also showing the way that the multiple factions involved on BOTH sides interacted to show how each side eventually became what they did over the course of the war (and after). Another spot where it shines is in his access to Soviet documents that point out the motivations and machinations of the USSR in prolonging the war rather than winning it and suppressing any type of revolutionary sentiment so as to encourage the western democracies to become involved. The book is VERY well cited. A large book, but not a difficult read by any means. He also does his best to remain unbiased, though there are times when it shows. I've only read it in English, though I am sure one can find it in other languages. Don;t know about Spanish, as I am unsure of the laws regarding publication of these things in Spain.

[@drmaudio]

That is an interesting history. These pistols weren't just used in a conflict, they were born of it.

[@heneryhawk11]

I'm reading Mine Were of Trouble by Peter Kemp. He was an English law student who went to Spain and fought in the Requetes and the Spanish Foreign Legion. An interesting companion piece to Homage to Catalonia, two Englishmen fighting on different sides of the war.

[@anthonytopic3871]

You are like the master splinter of guns. Great videos.

[@ducomaritiem7160]

Cool! I really liked the Spanish civil war story, I've been in Catalunya, in search of all the places George Orwell discribed in his book "Hommage to Catalunya" He was wounded there fighting the facists. Read the book to understand a Tiny bit of what was gooing on back then. And now those Pistols! what a suprise. If I only was able to buy one of those.

[@totalitaer.]

You should make a video about the "Ametralladora Labora" (or Fontbernat M 1938) es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labora_Fontbernat_M-1938 I had one in my hands 25 years ago in the Montjuic castle, Barcelona, when it still was a weapons museum. It was very well made, production was in the city of Olot, Catalunya.

[@Deliverygirl]

My grandfather had one these, an RE copy of an astra 400. Shame that he sold it, I wonder how much it would be priced on the auction market today.

[@uflux]

Really interesting! Fascinating part of 20th history often ignored.

[@youngstalin1310]

Adoringly beautiful pieces of history

[@northerncalifornia1969]

"They were two groups that worked together - somewhat ironically, for being anarchists." lol what. How is that ironic? Now, if the CNT had been a stalinist organization, working together with the anarchist FAI, now that would be ironic.

[@CPalanysamy]

The anarchists achieved quite a lot during those years before they got obliterated by the fascists. They organized education centers and health facilities, the above mentioned gun manufactures and managed to kick some fascist asses. women went from e.g having to have a male chaperone if they wanted to walk alone to have access to guns and decision making.

[@sugarjumper45]

Yeah I do think the Anarchists should've followed more in the foot steps of the Makhnovists. as far as military concerns go.

[@montimuros2837]

RedEyeSam They did lack serious military organisation prior to the war. They should have trained and constituted units before the war, just like the carlists or the marxists.

[@sugarjumper45]

Yeah and add on the Sectarianism that divided the leftists, could only spell disaster

[@PaulO-re4xx]

Anarchists tend to infight, which is probably one of the many reasons that they’ve only ever held meaningful power on a large scale like 3 times

[@zaknafein641]

I actually own a Astra 4000 Falcon, lovely little 1940's .22 pistol.

[@autofox1744]

War is hell, but it does produce some cool stories, and some cool artifacts. That said, it is an undertaking which should be firmly relegated to the ash-heap of history.

[@kinguin7]

The stippling and camera have a strange interaction at 4:10, I think due to aliasing.

[@TeaAndBullets]

The magazines on the 2nd model look strikingly similar to early 1911 magazines.

[@FosterIsle]

Ian, I own a 1931 Spanish Oviedo Mauser (Royal Marked). I was wondering if you knew of any differences between them and other variants? Perhaps what they were used for? I can't find a whole lot about that particular model of Oviedo. Thank you for your excellent videos!

[@tehgreatvak]

So, what happened to those guns after the war? I assume a few were kept as war bring back and souvenirs by fighters on both sides, but that the new dictatorship would then reissue those guns to its followers is rather unlikely imho. Were they mostly destroyed? Got their markings ground-off then reissued?

[@Camelwrestler]

+tehgreatvak The Nationalist government had a policy of eradicating anything "red" or republican, including coins, books, tombstones, etc.

[@mistermanji]

George Orwell's "Homage to Catalonia" is a very good short novel on his experiences fighting the fascists as an international volunteer. An excellent read, regardless of your politics.

[@cesargijon]

Really interesting and very well documented. Just adding that RE does not mean "REPUBLICA ESPAÑA", But it means "República Española" (Spanish Republic) instead.

[@5anjuro]

Just wonder if the parts are interchangeable between the two, and with Astra 400. Or there was any emphasis at all on parts consistency.

[@JuanHerrero]

It make take some adjustment. Consider than even with the same manufacturer, model and run, often parts have to be matched at the factory for the gun to function properly.

[@Khanclansith]

The Spanish Civil war is still a sore subject in Spain. Indeed Because Franco lasted so long there are a few unresolved lingering "questions" the rest of Europe holds against the Spanish for being NAZI sympathizers. People don't really understand how bad it got. My Great Grandfather had to change shirts three times in order to be wearing the right color shirt on his way to work each morning.

[@OlgaMariaCarcamo]

+Khanclansith wow, no tenía idea de eso, dónde fue?

[@Khanclansith]

Mi familia ibamos de Andalucia en el sur. it tends to be left out of talks these days, but when a town or district changed hands at least a few people were taken to be "re-educated" with a few bullets. those were crimes rightly were laid at the hands of all sides.

[@OlgaMariaCarcamo]

yeah, the war s bad for everyone, and everyone can be bad in war times.

[@WinterCedar]

My family on my mother's side fought in the war. My grandfather, who was around 12 at the time, was threatened and almost murdered by Franco's goons. I really wish I knew more about it, but unfortunately my grandfather passed in 2001, and I don't really feel comfortable bringing it up to the rest of the Spanish side.

[@Khanclansith]

Mastercheifn343, Honestly I can not speak for your family, but I know mine was more on the Franco side and they still didn't like to talk about the civil war. I know the areas that they would open up about were more esoteric stuff like the "Abraham Lincoln Brigade" and What foreign celebrities fought in the area.

[@wiimouto]

video no longer has sound ;(. who copystrikes or blocks this video ??

[@granudisimo]

Sorry Ian but, If I may be so bold, if you want to properly pronounce words like Valencia or Federación, don't think of the C as a C, but rather like as a TH in words like thing, or through. Somencing like Valenthea or Federatheon.

[@ForgottenWeapons]

I live in the southwestern US, and my Spanish is more accented towards Mexico than Spain.

[@granudisimo]

Wow, this was probably the quickest reply I'll ever get from the author of a video, that's what I call dedication to fans ;-). Most Americans who learn, and teach Spanish, are south American (specially Mexico) influenced, which is understandable from a geographical standpoint, whether they live in the north, or the south such as yourself. To be honest tho, I just wanted to feel like the Spanish teacher in the US that I'll probably never be...

[@jaimeTF]

Your knowledge of Spanish history is quite impressive plus your pronunciation is quite good

[@Miata822]

I have heard that the astra models were an infringement on John Browning's patent. If so it is extremely ironic that the astras were then themselves copied.

[@cesargijon]

they are a genuine spanish design based on the previous CAMPO GIRO pistols, of straight blowback that has nothing to do with BROWNING designs at all.

[@hasudasekiyama]

Ejection port, right or left, are there any policies?

[@Zajuts149]

I'm praying to you! Look into your heart!

[@arleatham]

I would love to know how you know so much, Ian.

[@ForgottenWeapons]

Andrew Leatham I read a lot and try to hang out with people who know more than I do.

[@finalfantasy50]

I don't really know anything about Astra. Do you have a Astra 400 video that opens the guns up and shows workmanship like you did in your last video?

[@ForgottenWeapons]

finalfantasy50 No, I haven't done one like that yet.

[@jayfrank1913]

Forgotten Weapons I had a hell of a time figuring out how to disassemble my Astra 400. It was pre-internet times...

[@abdulkadermaqsoud4890]

Thx Mr. Zorro

[@ShawarmaFarmer]

The historical background makes videos like these very interesting. If you guys want to see another firearms channel with a lot of historical background to certain firearms check out capandball. Good content by both, one from the US and one from Hungary

[@ForgottenWeapons]

Oliver Diaz Yup, I'm a fan of Cap-n-Ball too.

[@colehuenke3916]

how rare/special are astra 600's? i own one and was wondering.

[@JuanHerrero]

From the video, they where the standard sidearm of the Spanish Army for over two decades before the civil war. Spain has a population of 40 million, give or take, not a small country by any account. You do the math.

[@dominic0147]

can you fire 9mm luger safely out of it ? it chambers, and extracts and the projectile is identical

[@JuanHerrero]

Should be possible, main concern would be the pressure, if it's higher than the design you should not risk it, try to find a lower pressure round or make them by hand reloading them. It may also fail to battery, at least that was the case shooting 9x19mm on a Makarov (9x18mm) according to a video I saw here on KZbin.

[@bulldogmadhav5762]

No pasaran

[@slaughterhound8793]

Do the magazines hold eight rounds?

[@Largo5441]

Yes

[@montimuros2837]

The RE ("República Española") was made at republican controlled factories, not anarchist ones. Also, they were much worse than the the F. Ascaso regarding quality.

[@rddn2425]

Nice guns consider all the history. Astra 600 would be more practical to own :-)

[@kotnhewhohim2092]

So, no comments about the pistol itself.

[@merlemorrison482]

does anyone know if standard Astra parts will work in these guns?

[@AsselParty]

Does anyone know for how much the pistols were sold?

[@Aconitum_napellus]

Interesting video, I didn't even know these guns existed. I'd love to own them, perhaps ironically the government where I live prohibits such things.

[@singecauchemar7410]

Nox Aternum Well then, your government needs some tuning up. Is there no opposition to such prohibitions?

[@Aconitum_napellus]

Oingo Boingo Not a lot, within the gun owning community there is some but even there people are resigned to just not being allowed them. The government cannot be tuned up, its too far gone.

[@singecauchemar7410]

Nox Aternum Sad and disheartening...and I must admit the vile Federal Gubbamint of BRA/USSA is very close to being "too far gone". Actually, it already may well be there and the imposition of totalitarian restrictions may be "just around the corner". We'll soon see when the Chinese currency gains reserve status and the pirates and their servants at The Federal Reserve state within a state react.

[@Aconitum_napellus]

Oingo Boingo All governments are beyond reform. They are by their very nature tyrannical and essentially totalitarian. They serve only to protect the interests of the wealthy and oppress the majority of the population.

[@singecauchemar7410]

Nox Aternum Your use of "all" is too broad, sweeping and dismissively convenient. Participatory Republics, essentially larger Celtic and Nordic clan political structures, are hardly defined as "...by their very nature tyrannical and...totalitarian". The chieftains, warlords, providers etc. were strictly accountable to the rest of the clan and their office of privilege and power was not a given nor guaranteed. It's not an absolutist, Black or White thing. There are gradations and balances of Freedom and Restraint in human and other animal social structures. Absolute personal freedom results in The Law of The Jungle and All Against All...not sustainable and a vacuum that WILL inevitably be filled by some sort of social structure as "government".

[@maxreuv]

What, no disassembly?

[@tennesseeboi6704]

Does he have a 400?

[@Pablo_Abajos]

Forgotten Weapons must point something, this 2 guns specially the little, was used not by anarchist, was used by falangist, because was very compact. Anarchist prefer the star 1919, a little pistol with they use to hide under their pants held by a rope.

[@Tomm3HB34r]

Yes... Falangists used guns that were marked with Anarchist Initials... Because that makes a whole lot of sense.

[@delroku]

No pasaran!

[@wishcraft4u2]

Your misunderstanding about what was going on politically, and what the anarchists were doing and trying to do there back then, is about as great as your understanding of weapons.

[@altecman21]

In the end of the 50tys beginning of the sixty s You could buy one of those Astras for Nine bucks out of a mail order book! lol I know I bought one.....................

[@rentabullet4048]

NO PASSARAN!

[@bilbo_gamers6417]

Love that spanish pronunciation

[@AbbasKhan-ey9kv]

My father have a Khyber pass version of this pistol

[@da8352]

There is a "mith" about astra 400, some people claim it can shoot not only 9mm largo, also 9mm luger .380 acp and other 9mm... I think because there was an advertisment by the time. Did you heard something about that?

[@JuanHerrero]

You can do that with 9mm guns since the calibers are similar and will chamber. It is a bad idea, since they are not a perfect fit, in size, pressure of the propellant load, etc, which will result in the best of circumstances in reduced performance, and likely also in increased degradation of the gun, and in the worst, possibly after such repeated abuse, in an explosive and damaging malfunction. Think of it like running a vehicle with combustible of the wrong octane rating.

[@unit5543]

our guy

[@josepmariamartinmunoz4221]

VIVA LA FAI Y LA CNT LUCHEMOS HERMANOS CONTRA LOS TIRANOS

[@ssssssssss1638]

The Anarchists wanted a representative government, its what anarchism is about.

[@GiantLeninHead]

Anarchism is a form of stateless democracy. That's basically what it is. It was also the second form of socialism ever created in history

[@GiantLeninHead]

Even a number of anarchists lost their lives here in America because they were fighting for working class people to have the 8 hour day, instead of continuing with the 14 hour, 6 days a week schedule, for a pay of $10 a week That day is remembered as May Day (May 1, 1886)

[@montimuros2837]

ssssssssss Anarchism is about the rejection of cohertion, which generally implies rejection of the state.

[@Graknorke]

champimuros Can you find any anarchist literature that is against cooperation? Even the anti-civ ones aren't actually against society.

[@montimuros2837]

Graknorke Being against the state doesn't imply being against society in general.

[@ASTFRER36]

History of Spanish Anarchist here kzbin.info/www/bejne/f2G7mYWkf99rnLc Ascaso and Durruti were Leaders of Anarchist

[@emiliojoselupianez5794]

The comunist doesnt support anarchist, in fact the comunist tried to kill the anarchist movement.

[@diktatoralexander88]

They should have just taken pistols from the enemies. Or just choose a different pistol to copy.

[@Camelwrestler]

+Diktator Alexander They took weapons were ever they could find them for sure.

[@cesargijon]

the enemies were using ASTRA 400´s among other guns, and the ASTRA 400 was an excellent , powerful and reliable gun for the military.

[@aslanege2582]

Astra 9 mm model 600 . istiyorum.

[@chapiit08]

They were better known as Nacionalistas (Nationalists) rather than Fascists. The other side were the Republican.

[@d3lyryum]

i can tell you that they were known as fascists in Catalonia

[@JuanHerrero]

Commies call everything not like them fascist, including other kinds of commie. The Falange was only a small par of Franco's forces. And Francoism, at its best, was Fascism Lite, in that it adopted some things from Fascism, but not all.

[@Graknorke]

Juan Herrero "Commies call everything not like them fascist" No they call fascist things fascist. Leftists do actually tend to have an understanding of viewpoints outside their own, like the different types of liberalism and what fascism actually means. If anything the misapplication of political terms seems to most often come from conservative liberals who say that breaking windows is fascism and that Bernie Sanders is a socialist.

[@hewhoadds]

"anarchists with workers conference" "ironic" for doing so much research im surprised ya havent come across any anarchist philosophies... what ar ya talkin 'boot here tho anarchists are all about solidarity no? edit: fuck fascists- best one is a ded'un

[@baneofbanes]

hewhoadds Do you really have to type in a drawl?

[@SpielkindFR]

Sorery Ian, but you should read up some more on the spanish civil war. To say the soviets supported the anarchists is flat out wrong. At this point in time communism and anarchism where thuroughly at each others throat along individualist and collectivist lines.

[@Waldemarvonanhalt]

Just dropping in to say Dios, Patria, Rey!.

[@cIownzone]

helllllll yeah

[@willfrye1234]

These are sick