The first step was to draw out a basic concept of what you wanted the shape of the frame to be. Next using this paper pattern trace it onto the sheet steel and then start drilling a number of holes to make it easier to cut it out.

Do this step 4 times two right and 2 left

With all the patterns cut out the next step is to make them all the same.

An idea of the basic concept to work toward to.

Four steel metal patterns completed. Notice the match holes that were drilled in the four patterns.Welding the front radius on to the grip panel.

The front grip radius after filing and sanding.

This shows the relationship of the magazine to the front grip radius and the barrel extension/barrel.

A look at the inside on the right side frame panel.

The front and back magazine guides welded in place.

Cutting out the inner grip panel for the trigger mechanism.

The cut out complete.

A look at the out side grip panel withe the barrel support screwed on and the inner grip frame welded in place.

The other frame side showing how the inner panel is attached and positioned to the outer frame panel.

The basic assembly put together with the trigger guard.

The pistol as finished with out the wooden grips installed.

A couple of pictures showing the fir control mechanism disassembled and assembled.

In part three of this series we will have a few video’s of the trigger mechanism and of the pistol cycling manually. So stay tuned.

This is what the final product ended up looking like.

This is his story. He wanted to come up with a Volkspistolen that was simpler then existing ones and adaptable to a variety of calibers.

Starting with a piece of steel pipe he cut the basic opening in the slide with a disk grinder.

His milling operation was completed using a drill press. With this set up he finished cutting the opening of the slide to the proper size.

This set up was also used to open up the ejection port. Hand fitting is the word of the day when making a pistol like this.

This is his press set up to form the bends necessary for the rear barrel support.

Using a drill of the correct size he was able to press the upper portion of the rear barrel support

Then using his tig and mig welder he welded to the lower block which would later become the completed lower barrel support and feed ramp.

After a number of hours of filing and clean up work.

The piece of material shaped to be a dummy barrel support.

The complete rear support after a great deal of filing and fit up.

A basic concept of the pistol design.

The making of the bolt for the slide. Again a piece of steel was fitted to the slide to start the making of the bolt. The bottom of the bolt was flatten with a die grinder and the grove cut into the bottom was done with a dremel tool.

After all the work is completed this is what you have.

Next the bolt face is made.

And welded on.

You can see how well the cartridge sets into the bolt face.

More hand fitting and it is set into the slide.

Test it against the barrel and rear support for proper fit up.

The next step was to weld the rear of the slide on. This fixture insured proper alignment prior to welding.

With the bolt welded it was time to hand fit the extractor.

A picture of the extractor and spring.

Part 2 dealing with the frame and parts of the fire control mechanism will be tomorrow.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llama_firearms

Ruby Plus Ultra

The Ruby Plus Ultra was made between 1928 and 1933. It was an improved version of the earlier Ruby but had a 20-round double-stack magazine. Models with an extended 140 mm barrel, but standard length slide were available, as were models with selective fire capability. These features were most popular in the Asian market, and sales to both Chinese warlords and Japanese pilots are recorded. These were not purchased officially by the Japanese forces, but as private purchase weapons through the Japanese equivalent of the Army and Navy Stores. During the Spanish Civil War volunteers in the International Brigade also favoured these early high-capacity weapons.^[3]

^{This is a write up by my friend John D.:}

Believe the Plus Ultra had a longer production span than the Wikipedia article states: actually 1925 to 1937, possibly early 1938.  Gabilondo dramatically improved and revised their products in the wake of lost French ‘Ruby’ pistol contracts at the end of WW I to keep their facilities occupied.  The Plus Ultra was introduced with a number of other updated Gabilondo products in 1925.  Never saw Gabilondo material describing it as a ‘Ruby’ either, just Plus Ultra.  Ruby name may have been attached to this pistol by sellers downstream, but Gabilondo was trying to live down the WW I Ruby pistol’s dubious reputation.  It may even have been an attempt to get in on the French RFQ for high capacity handguns which birthed the Browning High Power and the Petter SACM 1935 / SIG P.210.  Or it possibly stimulated the French to RFQ a high capacity handgun!  Regardless, it is the first production handgun with a double column magazine in the grip and there are several references to it in official French military correspondence.

The Llama trademark was registered in 1932 and Plus Ultra pistols were never sold under the Llama brand name, so most authors quote 1933 – the year Llama branded pistols entered production – as the terminal date.  But Gabilondo and their many ‘affiliates’ continued to make and sell non Llama brand pistols into the Spanish Civil War.  You find considerable usage of these pistols by Republicans in the Spanish Civil War and these pistols were not generally available within Spain before the Civil War so there were no stocks on hand.  Firearms parts production in the Basque region only ended with its capture by Nationalists in the middle of 1937.  Assembly operations continued into early 1938 under Nationalist control until parts stocks were exhausted.  Basque region firearms production converts to Spanish standard models under the Nationalists, but their unique designs do not resume production until after the Nationalists vanquish the Republicans in 1939.

There is some confusion over the magazine capacity of these pistols.  My pistol’s magazine holds – and functions well – with 20 rounds of 7.65x17mm, but does not function with 22 rounds although you can stuff it with 22 rounds.  Might be an issue with the semirim on the 7.65x17mm cartridge – the semirims seem to hang up in the case extractor grooves when the magazine holds 22 cartridges.  Spanish 7.65x17mm ammunition may not have had as pronounced a semirim as American produced .32 ACP ammunition.  This is how the 9x23mm Bergman/Largo cartridge evolved from the .38 ACP/Super cartridge.  My pistol might also have a limp magazine spring, Spanish spring steel metallurgy of this era is pretty sad.  Gabilondo reportedly advertised the pistol as having 20, 21, or 22 round capacities during its life.  They might have made some changes to the follower during production, but all the Plus Ultra pistols I saw at Interarms in the 1970’s (where they all entered the USA – from Thailand of all places!) had the same grip frame dimensions and the magazines were interchangeable.

Now on to the Pictures:

The complete pistol first.

You will notice that the pistol grip is longer and the barrel is slightly longer as well.

Now to the magazine.

The front of the magazine.

The view of the follower.

The bottom.

An interesting pistol.