This Ballester Molina is my all time favorite .45 acp semi-auto. My pistol is one designated for the Argentine Navy - "ARMADA ARGENTINA". I picked it up for cheap at a gun show in Virginia around 1995. When I moved to Colorado in 2000, it was my ONLY (YIKES!) center fire handgun! ... I had sold off almost all my gun "accumulation" to help finance the move and the start of a new chapter in my life. It became my camping companion and my home security. I chose to keep this unique pistol because I just LOVED it ! ... It reliably shot everything I fed it right to point of aim. It was utterly dependable and I knew I could hit what I might need to shoot. When you handle these pistols you have to be impressed with their "old school" quality. The grips on mine are an early venture into the wonderful world of grip making If you have owned one these and let it go, I am sure you have regretted it.

The following quote is from an article in the American Rifleman.....

"But what really makes the Ballester a standout are its materials and workmanship. Whether Graf Spee steel or not, it is of the finest quality, heat-treated in critical areas by electrical induction hardening, and finished to Colt pre-war commercial standards. The action is smooth as a wet ice cube, opening and closing with the clear tone of a bell. Even neglected, brown-dog examples sing when the slide is worked-proof that quality endures".
American Rifleman | Investigation of a Legend: The Graf Spee and the Ballester-Molina

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Y. B. Ord & A. Ree

Sounds like a great gun. Are those grip panels lacewood? Maybe stained a darker color?

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protocalldesign.com

They are Lacewood ... but not stained.

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Y. B. Ord & A. Ree

I bought mine in the late 1990s. It is in NRA very good condition and was, if memory serves, a little over $200. Mine is reliable and came with a very good trigger pull.

I viewed the Graff Spree rumor as a cute gun show story, nothing more. Even if it were true I'd expect the scrap steel would have gone to a foundry that melted it, re-alloyed it and formed it into bars and strips they sold to the gun manufacturer so the gun parts would not really be armor plate alloy.

I always wanted one but never saw one at a reasonable price (I guess I didn't look very hard.)

I would love to have one since they don't have the grip safety, just the way J.M. Browning designed it. That feature was added later when the US Army insisted on it.

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You're shy a few manners.

You know, from the pistol gurus that know about the Ballister-Molina, they absolutely love the pistol.
I think it's for good reasons, as you have stated above.
Your pistol looks amazing!
I don't understand why so many so-called pistol, or self proclaimed pistol officianados dump on the Spanish, or South American made pistols. They have been quality built, in my book.
I have the Spanish equivalent the Star Modelo Super in 9mm Largo.
Keep on enjoying yours!


Hawk

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I had a Ballester/Molina back in the '70s and traded it for my first K-22 Masterpiece. I now have this Argentine Sistema 1911 which is closer to Colt's patent.

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Living a dream - S&WCA #2364

I had a few of the Molina 45's and I still have a 1927 made by Colt and a 1927 made in the factory that dis some of the Molinas, all three are of equal quality.

All use the same mags as well!

Ivan

Copied from Star, the Balister Molina has one advantage over Colt's 1911, its safety blocks the hammer. The Colt's only blocks the sear making Colt's single action hammer sear over lap a critical link in the safety. That was, of course, long before Colt's firing pin blocking safety.

My 1927 licensed Colt copy is also a very good pistol. I also bought it back in the 1990s. It was under $150 but, as they went, it fell in the finish challenged category.

During that time period the other inexpensive 1911 parts interchangeable .45 was the Chinese Norinco. Ordered two or more at a time their price in the Shotgun News was $169. Grocery store gun magazines ran a lot of articles on customizing Norinco 1911s.

Yes, several are finished challenged to say the least. Stars were as well, but worked just fine.


Hawk


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