Astra 400 - Variants

Variants

Astra made some experimental variants of the 400 chambered in 7.63mm Mauser, .32 ACP, and .30 Luger. 9mm Largo rounds were often in short supply outside of Spain and though several other 9mm cartridges like the 9mm Luger and .380ACP could feed, be fired, and eject successfully. This was a capability of questionable use where 9mm Largo ammunition was available, as chronograph tests show considerably higher muzzle velocities and thus energies with the 9mm Largo than 9mm Luger and .380. The 9×23mm Steyr cartridge is more similar in dimension to the 9mm Largo than both the 9mm Luger and .380 and performs better as well.

The Astra 600, a slightly shorter and lighter version of the Astra 400 that is chambered in 9mm Luger, was later developed for export sales, primarily to Nazi Germany. A smaller variant for both domestic and export sales, the Astra 300, was offered in .32 ACP and .380 ACP. By the end of 1947 171,300 were made and were primarily issued to security forces of the Spanish Navy and the German Luftwaffe.