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  #1  
Old 07-01-2014, 06:17 PM
Biginge Biginge is offline
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Default Ballester-Molina Pawn Find

Boys, I found a Colt wannabee in the pawn eporium today. Spent $200 out the door on this bead blasted beauty. Guns everywhere but not an old Smith in sight. Things are really tightening up. Hunting over a baited field is a thing of the past. Will shoot it tomorrow and see if she earns her keep. I kinda find the Aeronautica Argentiana interesting. I don't know that I have seen another Argentina Air Force marked one. What did they fly? Kites?

Any info greatly appreciated. Otherwise I will just suffer in silence.
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Old 07-01-2014, 07:23 PM
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Originally Posted by Biginge View Post
Boys, I found a Colt wannabee in the pawn eporium today.......
I don't know that I have seen another Argentina Air Force marked one. What did they fly? Kites?
.
White flags?


Seriously tho'.....
nice one there. I would've gone for that.
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Old 07-01-2014, 07:57 PM
sureshotbob sureshotbob is offline
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Good deal!!! Colt barrels and mags will fit but that's about it. parts are a little tough to find but there out there. I have one and love it . It's the best shooting .45acp I've ever owned and I've had several Colts and Kimbers.

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Old 07-01-2014, 08:04 PM
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You men are disparaging some very fine and very courageous pilots. I'm serious.

I suggest that you read Jack Higgins's book, "Exocet" to have some idea of how dangerous the Argentine AF is. And keep in mind that the author was a citizen of an enemy nation (to Argentina) when he wrote that novel.

The Argies operated among other planes, the Mirage III, which was also chosen by the Swiss, South African, and Israeli Air Forces. I wouldn't sneer at any of those, despite the French fighters. (South Africa and Israel evolved those into the Cheetah and whatever the Israelis call their version. Kfir?)

You may respect Prince Andrew more if you know that he was in 1980 a Royal Navy helo pilot who hovered his copter over the British fleet off of the Falklands trying to attract incoming Exocet anti-shipping missiles and deflect them from the ships.

The bold Argentine pilots flew to the limits of their range to engage the British forces. The RAF Harrier and RN pilots respected them. I wouldn't compare them to the Argie ground troops who were usually unwilling conscripts, indifferently trained and led. I understand that some of those men fled when confronted by Ghurka troops.

Last edited by Texas Star; 07-01-2014 at 08:34 PM.
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Old 07-01-2014, 08:09 PM
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Good deal!!! Colt barrels and mags will fit but that's about it. parts are a little tough to find but there out there. I have one and love it . It's the best shooting .45acp I've ever owned and I've had several Colts and Kimbers.


I see that your gun was Army issue. (Slide inscription) The police in Buenos Aires also used some, and all also used Colts and Colts made there under Colt license. I think the Argentine Navy/Marina also had some Ballester-Molinas. Both the Colts and the B-M's were replaced by Browning Hi-Powers, some made in Argentina at the arsenal in Rosario.

I think the Ballester-Molina would have been a lot more accepted had they not rounded up the trigger guard, made the slide grooves so rudimentary, and had such a crude shape to the hammer spur. It just looks sort of blocky and crude compared to the Colt and Star parent designs.

I suspect that those elite Argentine pilots usually carried either 9mm Brownings or personal handguns during the Falklands war.

Last edited by Texas Star; 07-01-2014 at 08:50 PM.
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Old 07-01-2014, 11:38 PM
2152hq 2152hq is offline
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FWIW,,The # on the grip-mainspring housing is the guns serial number (frame). The number on the right side of the frame (if it has one) is an issue weapon/property# for the Gov't agency or Police dept.
Sometimes it's stamped on the top of the slide.
The (matching) serial number may be stamped on the bottom inside of the slide,,on the bbl, even the magazine.
Argentine issue 45 holsters used to be available too with these.

Colt sold Argentina 1911 & 1911A1 45cal pistols made in Hartford.
The first bunch during the WW1 time frame and the second in the mid to late 20's.
Argentina then mfg the pistol in Argentina under Colt license after WW2.
They made a .22ACE type 1911A1 also. I remember buying one from SOG at the time they came in. I returned the $200 investment for a refund as it was so horribly refinished. Probably worth a bunch now even in that condition.

The Ballester Rigaud/ Ballister Molina is a home grown item and inside lives up to the Spanish semiauto pistol designs of Star and LLama.
Some are pre-WW2 mfg (marked Ballester-Rigaud). The name change just before WW2 when Rigaud, a Frenchman & designer/engineer, left the Argentine Auto maker that mfg'd these. 'Ballester Molina' was the new name applied and was simply the name of the companys CEO at the time.

Under about 23,000 ser# would be WW2 mfg or pre-War (if marked Ballester-Rigaud).
They made these into the 1950's sometime. I don't recall the serial number range it reached but guessing around 125,000.
The net will have more precise info I'm sure.

$200 is a great price IMO. Yes they were $60 and $70 at one time when they first came in but we didn't make much then either. A genuine Colt 1911 or 1911A1 military could be had for less than $100 at the time. I recall buying a Colt 1911 (1918mfg) around that time w/ 3 or 4 extra magazines and a couple hundred original rounds for $65 from a co-worker.
Fun to look back,,
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Old 07-01-2014, 11:41 PM
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The Aeronautica Argentina flew French Mirages and fired French Exocet missiles during the Falklands war. The Exocets came with French support which was withdrawn when the Falklands war started. The Mirages were at the extreme end of their range over the Falklands; I think they had about only fuel for one try at the target.

2152hq: I've heard that Britain bought some Ballester Molinas at the start of WW II when they were so desperately short of pistols, but I don't know the serial number ranges.
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Old 07-02-2014, 08:31 PM
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The Aeronautica Argentina flew French Mirages and fired French Exocet missiles during the Falklands war. The Exocets came with French support which was withdrawn when the Falklands war started. The Mirages were at the extreme end of their range over the Falklands; I think they had about only fuel for one try at the target.

2152hq: I've heard that Britain bought some Ballester Molinas at the start of WW II when they were so desperately short of pistols, but I don't know the serial number ranges.

The British also dropped those to French Résistance forces.
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Old 07-02-2014, 08:39 PM
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I would have bought it in a minute if I had seen it. Great find.
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Old 07-02-2014, 08:39 PM
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Bound to go up in Value when Argentina wins the World Cup.
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Old 07-02-2014, 10:52 PM
BigBill BigBill is offline
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The prices on these are much higher you got lucky.

The one to look for is the 1927 colt 1911 made for south America.
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Old 07-02-2014, 10:57 PM
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The prices on these are much higher you got lucky.

The one to look for is the 1927 colt 1911 made for south America.
"For South America" is pretty vague. Several countries there used Colt .45 autos. Two that have national markings and crests on them and which were later made there were Argentina and Brazil.
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