Ballester-Molina

Ballester-Molina's Story

Ballester-Molina is a locally produced Argentine offshoot of the very successful American Colt M1911 semi-automatic service pistol. After the M1911 - legally and illegally copied around the world - after its introduction before World War I (1914-1918), it became the basis for many pistol designs, and Argentina became one of the many systems whose value was also proven.

The sidearms were manufactured by Hispano Argentina Fabrica de Automoviles SA (HAFDASA) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with approximately 113,000 examples manufactured from 1938 to 1953. One of the most famous operators of this product was the British, whose special forces used the type during World War II (1939-1945).

Ballester-Molina has few internal differences from its American cousin.

Before the introduction of the Ballester-Molina, the Argentine army relied on the Mannlicher M1905. In 1916, following the introduction of the Colt M1911, the Argentine government intervened to secure the new semi-automatic pistol, naming the weapon the "Pistola Automatica Modelo 1916" ("Pistol, Automatic, Model 1916"). Likewise, following the introduction of the improved M1911A1 in 1927, the government purchased a version of this new model under the designation "Pistola Automatica Modelo 1927".

Such was the success of the Modelo 1916 and Modelo 1927 that Argentine officials, with the help of the Colt Group, acquired the rights to locally manufacture the M1911 in Buenos Aires and soon established production facilities. This gave the Argentine Army a legal stopper and reduced procurement costs.

Over time, consideration was given to developing a more localized M1911A1 to better meet the needs of the Argentine military. The resulting weapon is an approximate copy of the Colt, albeit with some different details. The gun was called the "Ballester-Rigaud" and after 1940 was considered the "Ballester-Molina".

It can also be identified as "HAFDASA" ("Hispano Argentine Fabrica de Automoviles SA") after the manufacturer's initials. Both Ballester and HAFDASA names are printed on the foil.

The names associated with this weapon can be traced back to Arturo Ballester and Eugenio Molina of Hispano-Suiza of Beunos Aires, and some time later to French engineer Rorice Riguad.

It is worth noting that the Ballester-Molina in Argentina was influenced by another M1911 copy, the Spanish Star Model P, which evolved from the larger Star Model B - itself an M1911 copy. This shows the extent of John Browning's design and its influence on many other semi-automatic pistols of the time.

Even today, many semi-automatic pistols can be traced back to the M1911.

On the outside, the native Argentine pistol trial imitated the form of the classic John Browning design, as only on the inside, the Ballester-Molina proved more Argentine in terms of execution. The rails still make up a good portion of the frame, while the hammers are still exposed at the rear. The iron sights are mounted in the usual way on the front and rear of the top of the slide. "Prawl" has a pronounced overhang at the handle for improved grip. The original Browning hammer design was only slightly modified and the grip safety was removed (providing a manual frame mount safety in its place). The trigger has also been redesigned with a two-stage mode, but now rotates along the upper axis instead of the original sliding function.

The handle pattern has been revised and now consists of vertically sloping lines, while the handle itself has been made smaller for a better grip on the lying hand.

However, the actual internal working parts are entirely Browning - including the original breech. In addition, the barrel (6 grooves, right-handed), recoil spring and 7-round detachable magazine (inserted into the bottom of the grip) are the same as the M1911. The Ballester-Molina is also designed to fire large .45 ACP cartridges and has a muzzle velocity rated at 860 feet per second. The gun has a curb weight of 2 lb 8 oz.

Although it is related to the original Browning design, some internal parts of the Ballester-Molina are not interchangeable with the M1911.

Although the Ballester-Molina is a powerful product in its own right, it suffers just as much as most other reproductions of excellent originals - the quality of workmanship is widely regarded as inferior. In use, however, this pistol proved to be reliable and accurate, rivaling the M1911A1 and its many clones.

The Argentine army began using the weapon in 1938, and other Argentine services eventually followed suit, including the police force.

In addition to participating in WW2, Ballester-Molina also appeared in the upcoming Falklands War between Argentina and Great Britain in the 1980s. The Ballester Molina produced only one major variant, and that was one for firing the .22 Long Rifle cartridge through the blowback process.

Specification

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Changes