A Small Italian Mystery

[romans1212]

This is a Rigarmi Brescia made in Italy. It appears to be a .25 caliber. It is quite heavy for its size and has no sights. I have just one mag, which looks to have about 8-10 rounds of capacity. I’ve never shot it. In fact, I have no idea how long I’ve had it or how old it is.

Other than this, I know nothing more. If you have some information, please comment. Also pictured above is the front and back of the certificate that came with the gun.

Thanks for looking, ODT!

 

[romans1212]

@6Bones

 

[Christopher Luthi]

Copy of a baby browning...a lot of them are Spanish. Eibar, ruby, atlas....in the early 1900s contracted by the French military I think....I really like the ones I've seen but that's the nicest condition I've seen one in

 

[GAgunLAWbooklet]

Not a copy of a "Baby Browning."
Not even close on shape.

 

[boxer90]

Dating will be the roman numbers below the slide on the right side of the gun. I can't make it out from your picture but it's pre-1968 as that was the GCA import ban cutoff. I'm thinking that 1-9-59 on the slip is the manufacturing date, should be confirmed by a XV stamped on the gun in the aforementioned location. These are nice guns, high quality steel, Gardone VT has a centuries old history of producing high quality firearms. Beretta, Uberti, Pedersoli, any many others are based in Gardone Val Trompia (VT). Magazine holds 7 rounds of 6.35/.25 acp.

As far as the Baby Browning, mechanically, yes, it is similar in many ways. Similar striker system. However, the Galesi design was more likely influenced by the Beretta 418 series of guns. It's a different design than many of the Spanish Ruby types however, as some of those used an internal hammer and aren't even striker fired. But the Spanish cottage industry had many variants with large differences in design and parts.

These were popular guns until the 1968 import ban in the United States. Small, reliable, cheap compared to actual Browning or Colt pocket pistols. After the import ban FIE sold a copy called The Guardian, and the Sterling company out of New York copied the Galesi for their short-lived pocket pistol of the 1970s. Yours is in VERY nice condition and if everything is working in today's market I wouldn't think $150-200 would be out of the realm considering you have some paperwork and it's overall condition. These types of guns are now becoming more collectible as they enter C&R eligibility. Maybe more with the paperwork.