The Pistola Campo-Giro de 9mm Modelo 1912, unofficially called the Campo-Giro, was the official side arm of the Spanish Army from 1912 until it was replaced by the Astra Model 400 in 1921. It was named the Campo-Giro for its designer Colonel Don Venancio Lopez de Ceballos y Aguirre, Count of Campo-Giro.
Design Development[]
Schematics of the Campo-Giro.
The Campo-Giro received its patent in 1911, the design using a shock absorber to reduce the recoil of the 9mm caliber pistol. The Spanish Army formerly adopted it in 1912 as the Pistola Campo-Giro de 9mm Modelo 1912.
Pistola Campo-Giro de 9mm Modelo 1913[]
Astra, the Spanish gunsmiths, released the Modelo 1913 which quickly replaced the 1912 in the Spanish Army. Using a delayed blowback design and a larger spring to cope with the recoil the Modelo 1913 also incorporated a smaller spring beneath the barrel to reduce recoil and delay the breach. Similar to the 1912 the Modelo 1913 used an external hammer and top ejection port, as well as the magazine being located within the grip.
Pistola Campo-Giro de 9mm Modelo 1913-16[]
Astra undertook to further develop, and patent, the Campo-Giro. The frame, mainspring and magazine release were all redesigned in various models named the 1914 / 1915. The Modelo 1913-16 was officially adopted by the Spanish Army in 1916, but by 1919 Army officials began to report the Campo-Giro as being obsolete, the army turning to the Astra Model 400.
Ammunition[]
9mm Largo
The Campo-Giro in all its guises utilised the Spanish Army's standard 9mm Largo round. The magazine capacity was 8 rounds.
Usage[]
As eluded to the Campo-Giro was adopted by the Spanish Army. Even though production, and official use was ended in 1921, the Campo-Giro was reissued in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War. The Modelo 1913 earned a reputation for being well made and accurate, but in the same breath was difficult to disassemble.
It is unknown how many Campo Giro Modelo 1912s were produced but 1,300 Modelo 1913s were built and 13,625 Modelo 1913-16s were assembled.