Retolaza · Pistol
Retolaza Paramount
Blowback (semi-automatic) · .25 ACP · introduced 1920
Also known as Paramount VP, Paramount 6.35
About the Retolaza Paramount
The Retolaza Paramount is a Spanish .25 ACP vest-pocket semi-automatic pistol produced by Retolaza Hermanos of Eibar during the interwar period. Like most Eibar-type pocket pistols, it is a close copy of the FN/Browning Model 1906 blowback design, chambered for the diminutive 6.35mm Browning cartridge. Small, flat and easily concealed, it was built for the civilian self-defense export market, with many examples shipped to the United States in the 1920s.
During the interwar years the Basque town of Eibar produced a flood of inexpensive Browning-pattern pocket pistols under a bewildering array of brand names; Retolaza Hermanos alone marketed models as Liberty, Military, Paramount, Stosel and Retolaza.
Retolaza Paramount specifications
General
- Type
- Pistol
- Action
- Blowback (semi-automatic)
- Firing mechanism
- Striker-fired
- Trigger
- Single action
- Calibres
- .25 ACP
- Magazine capacity
- 6 rounds
- Magazine
- Detachable box magazine
Dimensions
- Barrel length
- 54 mm (2.1 in)
- Overall length
- 114 mm (4.5 in)
- Height
- 78 mm (3.1 in)
- Width
- 22 mm (0.9 in)
- Weight (empty)
- 0.34 kg (0.76 lb)
- Weight (loaded)
- 0.38 kg (0.83 lb)
- Sight radius
- 90 mm (3.5 in)
Barrel
- Rifling
- Right hand
- Grooves
- 6
Materials
- Barrel
- Steel
- Receiver / frame
- Steel
- Slide
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- blued
Performance
- Muzzle velocity (typical)
- 230 m/s (755 fps)
- Muzzle energy (typical)
- 86 J (63 ft·lb)
- Effective range
- 15 m
History
- Introduced
- 1920
- Discontinued
- 1936
- Production status
- Discontinued
- Country of origin
- ES
Features
- Fixed sights
- Vest pocket size
Safety
- Manual safety
- Magazine disconnect
Retolaza Hermanos applied the Paramount trade name to several small blowback pistols; the name was used across both .25 ACP and .32 ACP models. Some U.S.-market examples were marked for distributors such as the Paramount Trading Co. of New York.
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