History

The Astra 600 was a shortened version of the Astra 400 in 9x19mm Parabellum. The gun was made in Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 for Germany during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, and about 60,000 pistols were made, although only the first 10,500 were delivered before the liberation of France cut off the supply lines between Spain and Germany. The remaining pistols were primarily sold after the war to West Germany for police

Police

The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...

 use, with a smaller number being purchased by the Portuguese Navy

Portuguese Navy

The Portuguese Navy is the naval branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in cooperation and integrated with the other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the military defence of Portugal....

. The gun was rugged and of high quality and accuracy, but the blowback operation of the gun gave a snappy, distinct recoil, despite the heavy weight. Because of its ruggedness and weight, it was in some countries nicknamed "the pipewrench."