Gabilondo sent a sample to France, whose government was in need of a huge number of pistols for the recently-begun First World War. 32ACP and with a 9-round magazine (larger than most of these types of pistols). In 1914, the company of Gabilondo y Urresti (later to become known as Llama) built a better-than-average 1903 copy called the Ruby, chambered for. Spanish shops quickly began making their own copies of this very popular pistol, and one of them hit the proverbial jackpot.

One of the more successful early automatic pistol designs of the turn of the century was John Browning’s Colt and FN 1903 (which were different guns, but used the same basic design). So new firearms developments were, practically speaking, not patented in Spain and could be copied there without legal penalty. The major arms designers of the time had their factories in France, Germany, Great Britain, and elsewhere, but not in Spain. In addition, a loophole in Spanish patent law gave these small shops an international advantage: a Spanish patent was only valid if the device in question was actually manufactured in Spain within three years of patent being granted. The area has been known for its metalworking resources and prowess for literally two thousand years, and it is little surprise that firearms manufacture would thrive there. Back at the beginning of the 20th century, Spain had a significant number of relatively small gunmaking shops throughout its northern Basque area.

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