AUT_2784.JPG Mil Lubroth, her friend, and me at the Byne House, the official residence of the Deputy Chief of Mission of the US Embassy in Madrid where we were invited thanks to The American Club in Madrid
150_IMG_3679.jpg During the WW2 the German military was seemingly always short of arms. The Germans purchased some Astra Model 400’s which were in the standard Spanish caliber of 9mm Largo. They also purchased smaller Astra Model 300’s in .380 and .32 calibers. The Germans liked the guns but the caliber was a logistical problem for them. In 1943 the Astra company created the Model 600/43 specifically to meet the German request. It was simply a Model 400 chambered for the German standard caliber of 9mm Parabellum with a slightly shorter barrel. Unlike other war time produced guns, the finish work on the Astra 600/43 was superb and equal to commercial standards. The Germans agreed to pay $22 each for the guns in a time when it cost about $16 to craft a Luger (which was considered quite expensive). Production of the Model 600 started in 1944. The Germans had ordered and paid for almost 50,000 units but were only able to deliver 10,500 before the allied advances cut off the supply routes. These guns are re
