Ad for H revolver

For broad sectors of Spanish society, the increased social and political mobilization that followed the coming of the Second Republic generated a sense of insecurity that prompted an increased use of firearms. This increased demand led to a proliferation of advertisements in the press, like this one for the Royal Model “H” made by Beistegui Hermanos. The tendency for citizens to arms themselves highlights a clear lack of confidence towards the governments of the Republic, which brought in a range of measure intended to curtail the private use of guns, monitor their sale and circulation, and punish illegal ownership.

The privatization of public order took various forms, one of the most significant being the creation of civic guards. Among these, the most notable on the left was the force assembled by Republicans and Socialists on April 14, 1931, to maintain security in Madrid. However, armed civilian mobilization was far more common on the right. Associations of property owners and local political bosses (caciques) financed armed squads to protect their land and support the Civil Guard during moments of disorder, especially after October 1934.

The liberal issuance of free gun licenses contributed significantly to the increasing private use of firearms. Among auxiliary public order units, the municipal guards stood out in this regard, When a party come to power in a locality, it freqeuently dismissed the police hired by its predecessor and replaced them with its own supporters. This practice led to the cancellation of existing gun licenses and the issuance of new ones to incoming officers, many of whom lacked professional training. In 1934, a new measure further expanded firearm access by granting gun licenses to retired and reserve officers from the security forces.

Different governments varied in their tolerance toward the demand for firearms. The right-wing governments during the second biennium were more generous in granting licenses for pistols and hunting rifles to social groups eager to protect themselves and arm the watchmen guarding their properties. In contrast, the center-left government that came to power in 1936 was much less forthcoming. Even so, in some municipalities, the Popular Front organized armed citizen groups who assisted the local police in making illegal arrests and unlawful searches of conservative leaders’ homes.

SVM