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Make: Hispano Argentina Fabrica de Automoviles SA (HAFDASA)
Model: Ballester-Molina
Serial Number: 67269
Year of Manufacture: 1948
Caliber: .45 ACP
Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto Pistol with Removable Magazine
Markings: The left side of the slide is marked “PISTOLA AUTOMATICA C. 11.25 mm FABRICADA POR “HAFDASA” / PATENTES INTERNACIONALES “BALLESTER-MOLINA” / INDUSTRIA ARGENTINA”, with an oval “F” in the serrations. The right side of the slide is marked with the Argentine national crest and the words ”EJERCITO ARGENTINO”. The left side of the mainspring housing is marked with the serial number “67269”. The trigger guard bow on the left side is marked with an oval “F”. The frame above the trigger guard on the right side, the top of the slide, and the chamber are marked with the rack/issue number “33288”. The butt is marked with the import mark “CAI ST ALB VT”. The bottom floorplate of the mag is marked with an oval “F” and the rack/issue number “37950”.
Barrel Length: 5”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a short, rounded blade fixed to the top of the slide. The rear sight is a “U”-notch dovetailed into the slide.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece walnut with vertical serrations. There are scattered nicks, scuffs, and areas of smoothing. The serrations are generally well defined. Overall, the grips are in about Good Condition.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright, the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates at 9.5/10.
Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 80% of its metal finish. The finish is generally strong throughout. There is scratching and finish loss on the slide. There is heavy handling wear in the grip areas. There is operational wear and some other scattered minor nicks. The screw heads range from sharp to lightly tool marked with strong slots. The markings are mostly clear. Overall, this pistol is in Very Good Condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. This pistol is equipped with a frame mounted safety and a half-cock hammer safety. The slide is tight to the frame. The trigger pull is crisp. We did not fire this handgun. As with all previously owned firearms, thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol with one vintage original Argentine blued 7-round magazine, though it’s a period replacement as the number does not match either of those on the pistol. The magazine features intact feed lips and a strong spring, though shows operational wear.
Our Assessment: In 1916, Argentina ordered 10,000 Colt 1911 pistols for their military, and were so impressed they began building their own version under license from Colt in the late 1920s, known as the Sistema Colt Model 1927. A few years later, a branch of the Spanish car maker Hispano-Suiza was founded in Buenos Aires, named Hispano Argentina Fabrica de Automoviles SA, or HAFDASA, by Arturo Ballester and Eugenio Molina. At that time, Argentina was looking for a cheaper version of the Sistema, and turned to HAFDASA. Two HAFDASA engineers, Rorice Rigaud and Carlos Ballester-Molina (a relative of the two founders), designed a new pistol based on the Star Model B that would use the same barrel, magazine and recoil spring as a Colt 1911, and with the same manual of arms, so that no new troop training would be required. The pistol was adopted by the Argentine Army in 1938, and those pistols made between 1938-1942 were marked “Ballester-Rigaud”. Afterward, they were marked as “Ballester-Molina”. The main differences between the HAFDASA and a Colt 1911A1 were an integral mainspring housing, and the grip safety and slide stop disassembly notch were eliminated. The pistol was an immediate success and was soon adopted by not only the Argentine Army, but also the Navy, police forces, and coast guard. They were also exported to Latin American countries without their own arms-making plants, such as Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru.
This Argentine Army Post-WW2 HAFDASA Ballester-Molina .45 ACP Semi-Auto Pistol was made in 1948 and is in Very Good Condition. It features a 5” barrel, 80% of its original blued finish, an “EJERCITO ARGENTINO” and Argentine national crest marked slide, denoting Argentine Army issue, rugged two-piece vertically serrated walnut grips, one period original Argentine blued 7-round mag, strong mechanics, and a bright bore with sharp rifling and no erosion. The butt is stamped “CAI ST ALB VT”, distinguishing it as an import. This pistol is an interesting piece of history.