Campo Giro The Campo - Giro was a semi - automatic pistol , chambered for the 9mm Largo cartridge , which saw service in the Spanish military . It is named for its designer , Colonel Don Venancio López de Ceballos y Aguirre , Count of Campo - Giro . Background . Venancio López de Ceballos y Aguirre was born in 1856 in Peñacastillo , Santander . He attended the " Academia Militar de Caballería " ( Military Cavalry Academy ) from 1876 to 1879 , and graduated as a second lieutenant and first in his class . In 1881 he enrolled in the " Academia de Estado Mayor " ( General Staff Academy ) , becoming staff lieutenant in 1885 . He held a number of positions until 1893 when he was posted to Melilla . In 1894 he was promoted to Major and the following year posted to Cuba as Chief of Staff for the Matanzas brigade . He was based there when the US Navy bombarded Matanzas during the Spanish American War . He was appointed Chief of Staff for the 3rd Division , 1st Corps and decorated for his Cuban service . On his return to Spain he was elected to the Spanish parliament and in 1905 , one year after his first patent , placed on the retired list . In 1909 he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel , and in 1911 returned to active duty . He ended his career in 1912 as Aide - de - camp to General Fernando Primo de Rivera , uncle of the future Spanish dictator . Development . Campo - Giro obtained his first patent in 1904 for " Una pistola automática de calibre 9mm . de nuevo sistema " ( " An automatic pistol of 9mm calibre of a new system " ) . He followed this in 1911 with a patent for a self - loading carbine . In 1912 he obtained a registered design for his pistol . In November that year lodged another patent for " Una pistola sistema Campo - Giro con amortiguador del choque en el retroceso , para los calibres 11 , 25 , 9mm largo , 9mm corto y 7 , 65mm " ( " A Campo - Giro system pistol with a shock - absorber for recoil in calibre 11 . 25 , 9mm largo , 9mm Kurz and 7 . 65mm " ) . The pistol was adopted for the Spanish army in 1912 as the " Pistola Campo - Giro de 9mm Modelo 1912 " . The previously issued Bergmann - Bayard pistol which was found unsuitable for military use during the early Moroccan campaigns was however still retained by those troops who had been issued with it , the 9mm Largo cartridge having been judged a success . Early examples were manufactured by the Oviedo armoury . The design proved both modern and sound and the pistol saw widespread use during extended trials . Production . After an unknown number of Modelo 1912 pistols had been manufactured , the army became aware that an improved version of the pistol that had been developed , and in January 1914 this was adopted as the " Pistola Campo - Giro de 9mm Modelo 1913 " . The Model 1913 was manufactured by Esperanza y Unceta and the increased orders triggered their move to a new factory in Guernica . During 1914 1 , 300 pistols were made before production was halted to include new modifications . The " Modelo 1913 " was a delayed blowback design , unusual in a gun chambered for a powerful military cartridge . The Campo - Giro used a powerful spring to handle the recoil of the 9mm Largo cartridge , and had a smaller spring beneath the barrel to serve as a shock absorber and delay the opening of the breach . It retained an external hammer and a top ejection port like the Bergmann - Bayard , but had its magazine in the grip instead in front of the trigger guard , thus allowing a much longer barrel to be fitted . The magazine release lever was just behind the oval - shaped trigger guard between it and the front of the frame . The slide was fixed to the frame by a transverse wedge behind the breech that in turn was held in place by the firing pin . The Campo - Giro was over 225mm ( 9 inches long ) , weighed over 900 grams ( 2 pounds ) unloaded , and had an 8 - round magazine . It produced a greater muzzle velocity from the 9mm Largo round than did the Bergmann - Bayard , due to its longer ( 165mm or 6⅝ inch ) barrel . The pistol was well made and accurate , but difficult to disassemble . Campo - Giro patented new improvements in 1913 , 1914 , and 1915 , resulting in a redesigned frame , redesigned mainspring and the magazine release being moved to the bottom of the grip . Because of the First World War , the supply of black buffalo horn that was used for the grips was interrupted and wood was substituted . The improved model was adopted in September 1916 as the " Pistola Campo - Giro de 9mm , Modelo 1913 - 16 " . However by 1919 the Spanish military had begun looking for yet another new pistol . However they did not stray far , as the Campo - Giro was the direct forerunner of the Astra tubular slide guns such as the Astra Modelo de 1921 / Model 400 which were subsequently adopted . Despite being declared obsolete , many were re - issued during the Spanish Civil War . Campiro Giro did not live to see the success of his creation , dying after a riding accident in Madrid on 22 May 1916 .