Astra 200 (Firecat)

     Notes: This pistol was introduced in 1920 and based on the Browning M-1906. It had most of its sales in the US (where it was known as the Firecat).  It is a very lightweight pistol, but had three safeties (grip, magazine, and safety catch).  It is a small pistol in a small caliber and not very effective, but was produced until 1968.

     The Astra 1924 is also based on the Browning M-1906 and may be regarded as an improved version of the Astra 200.  It was marketed around the world under a variety of names, including the Victoria and the Hope.  It remains a tiny pocket pistol, and retains only the grip safety.  It remained in production only until 1930.

     The Astra 1000 is based on the Astra 200 and 1924, is basically one of those pistols “sized-up” to fire .32 ACP ammunition and have a larger double-column magazine.  It was introduced in 1946, but was manufactured in only small numbers, until production stopped in 1949.

Astra 300

     Notes: This Spanish pistol was originally developed for the Spanish Prison Service, and later used by the Spanish Navy and Nazi Germany.  After World War 2, some 85,000 were sold on the civilian market throughout Western Europe, and in 2000 they will be often found in the hands of older pistol wielders are in younger hands as hand-me-downs.  The .380 ACP version was produced first and in greater numbers than the .32 ACP version. 

Astra 400

     Notes: The Astra 400 (also known as the Astra Model 1921) is related to the Astra 300 above, and is in fact a larger, earlier version of the 300 in different calibers.  The Astra 400 also takes considerable design influence from the earlier Campiro-Giro, which itself was greatly influenced by the Browning M-1910.  The Astra 400 was the Spanish service pistol 1921-1950, was used by the French Army in the 1920s, and was used by the Chilean and Nazi militaries; it was also popular with civilians. (The Chilean Navy used the Astra 400 well into the 1980s!)  Over 106,000 were made, and they may be found throughout Western Europe; in addition, they have, since the late 1990s, been the object of numerous collectors worldwide.

     The Astra 400 is unusual in that is uses no breech locking of any sort; it is a straight blowback design.  While this makes for a much simpler mechanism, it can also make the Astra 400 jump in the hand with each shot and also increases the felt recoil.  The slide also functions as the breechblock, and this further contributes to felt recoil. Though they are well-constructed, most Astra 400s have been so heavily used that they are no longer found in decent condition today.  They were, however, expensive for their time, the sights are so small as to be virtually unusable without undue aiming, the trigger pull is quite stiff, and a firm pull is required for the slide due to strong recoil springs (another by-product of the blowback operation).  That strong recoil spring also makes stripping and reassembly very difficult.  The barrel is almost completely enclosed by the slide and a large cylindrical shroud, and is a full 5.9 inches long; the hammer is shrouded.

     9mm Largo versions in good condition can also chamber 9mm Parabellum, 9mm Steyr, .38 Special, and .38 Super ammunition, but only 1 in 10 are in good enough condition to actually fire those rounds safely, and loading these calibers in more worn Astra 400s is not recommended.  The Astra 400 was also produced in .32 ACP and .30 Mauser (7.62 Tokarev) versions, but these are very rare.  They cannot chamber the extra calibers. 

     The Astra 600 was a smaller version of the Astra 400 designed in 1942 at the request of Nazi Germany. It was chambered only in 9mm Parabellum; as the Nazis felt that the 9mm Largo version of the Astra 400 had too many design defects and the 9mm Largo cartridge was not used by the Nazis.  The Nazis also felt that the Model 400’s long barrel was unwieldy and so the barrel was shortened substantially to 5.25 inches. The Astra 600 was issued primarily to the Nazi occupying forces and their collaborators in France, but issue did not begin until May 1944.  About 10,500 were so issued, until the Allied invasion.   Production continued after that point until 1948, but Astra had no large-scale sales until most of their inventory of Astra 600s (close to 33,000) were bought by the West German Police in 1951. Small amounts (about 3500) were sold to civilians in various parts of the world.

     The Astra 600 has all of the strong and weak points of the Astra 400.  Most of the differences are in the slight modifications for the dimensions of the 9mm Parabellum cartridge, though the Astra 600 is also a bit heavier than the Astra 400, and the barrel is also shorter at 5.2 inches.

     In 1958, Astra began producing an updated form of the Astra 600, the Astra 800.  The Astra 800 (often called the Condor) has a chamber-loaded indicator and external hammer.  It also has a (very) slightly-longer barrel and is somewhat heavier, and was produced using more modern methods and materials.  It was much more successful than the Astra 600, with about 11,000 Astra 800s being built until production stopped in 1969.

Astra 700

     Notes: This was a mainstream version of the Astra 400 in .32 ACP, more common than the .32 ACP version of the Astra 400, being produced from 1927 to 1946.  It is a smaller weapon than the Astra 400, but has a wider grip to accommodate the double-stack magazine. 

Astra 900

     Notes: This Spanish copy of the Mauser C-96 looked just like the Mauser, but was quite different internally.  The caliber was the same, however, .30 Mauser (or 7.63mm Mauser).  Some 8000 were exported to China in 1928 to the Nationalists, and the Astra 900 was also used by the Spanish Police.  It is a large pistol, like the Mauser, with an astounding 6.3-inch barrel; like the Mauser, it was made into selective-fire versions (the Astra 901 and 903, both identical for game purposes).  The Astra 900 remained in production until 1933.The Model F is basically the same pistol, but chambered for 9mm Largo and is magazine-fed.  The Model E is virtually the same internally as the Models 901 and 903, but lack their rate-reducer device, and has an astounding (and uncontrollable) rate of automatic fire. It is magazine-fed, and has a 6.3-inch barrel.

Astra 1911

     Notes: Not what the name might indicate, the Astra 1911 is not a copy of the M-1911, but rather a copy of the Browning M-1903.  It was a straight M-1903 copy until 1916, when a grip safety was added.  Except for some weight and detail differences, it is basically an M-1903 (the 1916 version is identical for game purposes). 

Astra 2000/Cub/Camper/7000

     Notes: These are basically compact Astra 200s with an external hammer but without a grip safety.  They come in a variety of calibers; the Astra 2000 fires .22 Short ammunition, the Astra Cub fires .25 ACP, and the Astra 7000 fires .22 Long Rifle.  The Camper was the version of the Cub sold in the US; it has a 4-inch barrel, but is otherwise identical to the Cub.  (The Cub is also known as the Colt Junior.)  The Model 2000 and its subtypes eliminated the grip safety of the Model 200 and had an external hammer. Introduced in 1951, the pistol made most of its sales to the US, and the 1968 Gun Control Act brought an end to those sales.  Production stopped soon thereafter.

Astra 3000

     Notes: The Astra 3000 is a more up-to-date version of the Astra 300, introduced in 1948.  It was basically identical except for manufacturing materials and methods, but did have a chamber-loaded indicator at the rear of the slide.  Until 1953, the magazine catch was on the heel of the butt, like the Astra 300, but on later versions, the magazine catch is moved to left side of the frame behind the trigger guard.  Manufacture continued until 1956.

Astra 4000 (Falcon)

     Notes: Similar in concept to the Astra 2000 series, the Astra 4000 is an Astra 3000 with an external hammer, without a grip safety, and in compact form.  It is a small and handy weapon still produced, and is sold in the US under the name of the Falcon.  It was introduced in 1956 as a self-defense and backup pistol, and had a marked appearance similarity to the Campo-Giro M-1913 (though it was a far better and more reliable weapon).  The recoil spring was unusual in that it fit around the barrel.  The manual safety button was behind the trigger guard and it also had a passive magazine safety.

Astra 5000 (Constable) 

     Notes: A small automatic pistol designed to be carried by urban police units.  It is small, and concealable, but not very effective at long range.  It is similar to the Walther PP in size and shape.  In the US, the Astra 5000 was sold as the Constable, and a .22 Long Rifle-firing version with a 6-inch barrel and micrometer sights is known as the Constable Sport (sold only in the US).

Astra A-50

     Notes: This is a compact Spanish pistol even smaller than the Astra 5000.  Chambered for 7.65mm Parabellum and .380 ACP, it is more powerful than that pistol, but has more recoil and muzzle blast.  It was designed to replace the older Astra 5000. 

Astra A-60

     Notes: This is a slightly heavier version of the A-50 with a wider grip to accept double-column magazines.  All controls are ambidextrous, and the mechanism is double action.  The A-60 may be regarded as an updated version of the Astra 5000.

Astra A-70

     Notes: This is a compact pistol designed for those that need more firepower than offered by the Astra 5000.  The A-70 uses three safeties: a firing pin safety that prevents the firing pin from engaging unless the trigger is deliberately pulled, a manual thumb safety, and a hammer safety.  Operation is by recoil, with a locked breech and single-action.  It was designed for plainclothes government personnel.

Astra A-75 Firefox

     Notes: This is another compact Astra pistol.  It is recoil operated, with a cam-dropping barrel system, locked breech, and double-action operation.  It has the same three safeties as the A-70.  The A-75 also has a decocker. In 1994, Astra introduced a version with a light alloy frame, as well as versions chambered for .45 ACP with both a steel frame and a light alloy frame.  Both the steel and ally models are surprisingly heavy for their size, but this helps mitigate recoil.

     “Firefox” is the name under which the A-75 is normally known to civilians, especially in the US, Canada, and other English-speaking nations.

Astra A-80 Series

     Notes: This Spanish pistol is similar in design to the Swiss SiG-Sauer P-220.  It has a decocking lever and mechanism.  The pistol cannot be fired except by a conscious pull of the trigger, and the A-80 does not have a manual safety lever.  The decocking lever is normally on the left side, but it can be removed and replaced on the right side for left-handed shooters.  The weapon has white dot sights for night use. 

     The A-90 is an updated A-80, with a double action lockwork with better safety, adjustable sights, and slightly more compact dimensions and less weight.  It also comes in a .45 ACP version for those who prefer a larger caliber, or .38 Super for those who want more power than 9mm Parabellum offers.  The A-90 is designed with safety in mind; it has a decocker, a manual safety, and a firing pin safety.  This is because the A-90 was designed with civilians in mind as well as police. 

     The A-100 is a further improved A-90, designed primarily to correct the problems with the A-80 and A-90 that lost Astra the competition for a new Spanish military service pistol in the late 1970s.  The A-90 was an excellent design, but many complaints about the A-90 centered around the number and positioning of the controls – including three manual safeties, a decocker, and a poorly-placed magazine release.  Astra combined the best features of the A-80 and A-90, then improved the design more, producing the A-100.  The controls and the internal workings were both simplified, and the sights were made easier to use and given a 3-dot design.  While (like most double-action pistols), the first trigger pull is long and heavy, subsequent shots require only a short and light trigger pull.  The only manual safety is the slide lock/decocker – the A-100 relies almost entirely on its double-action operation and several passive internal safeties.  The A-100 is typically called the “Panther” by EAA and companies licensed for export sales of Astra’s pistols.

Astra TS-22

     Notes: This target pistol was introduced in 1976.  It has a long barrel, but is not as heavy as comparable pistols.  The sights are mounted on a high rib above the slide; the rear sight is micrometer adjustable.  Like most pistols of its ilk, the TS-22 is highly ergonomically shaped and comfortable to shoot.

Astra Witness

    Notes: This weapon was imported to the United States and various places in Europe in the few years preceding the Twilight War by European-American Arms (EAA).  It is a simple and easy-to-maintain design with a sight adjustable for windage and selectable Single Action or Double Action operation.  The Witness comes in a standard steel construction and a lightweight polymer construction.  Magazines with capacities greater than 10 were not sold in the US after 1993. 

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This weapon does not exist.

     Merc 2000 Notes: The 10-round restriction was regularly ignored.

Astra Witness Compact

     Notes: This is merely a cut-down version of the Astra Witness featured above.  The weapon is otherwise similar. 

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This weapon does not exist.

Astra Witness Gold Team

     Notes: This version of the Witness was designed primarily for competition shooting and hunting, but was also used by some police SRT and SWAT teams and a few military special operations personnel.  It has an extended barrel with porting to reduce barrel climb, a bright chrome finish, fully adjustable sights, walnut checkered grips, a square-front trigger guard for the fingers of the supporting hand, and is drilled and tapped for a telescopic or other sight. 

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This weapon does not exist.