×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Small Arms Warships & Submarines Military Ranks Military Pay Scale (2024) Special Forces

Ballester-Molina


Semi-Automatic Service Pistol


Argentina | 1927



"The Ballester-Molina represented a localized Argentine attempt to produce a cost-effective .45 caliber man-stopper based on the classic Colt M1911."

Performance
Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Ballester-Molina. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.
164 ft
50.0 m | 54.7 yds
Max.Eff.Range
860 ft/sec
262 m/sec
Muzzle Velocity
Physical
The physical qualities of the Ballester-Molina. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.
288 mm
11.34 in
O/A Length
127 mm
5.00 in
Barrel Length
2.49 lb
1.13 kg
Weight
Recoil-Operated; Semi-Automatic
Action
.45 ACP
Caliber(s)
7-Round Detachable Box Magazine
Feed
Iron Front and Rear.
Sights
Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Ballester-Molina Semi-Automatic Service Pistol family line.
Ballester-Riguad - Original Production Designation.
Ballester-Molina - Base Production Designation
HAFDASA - Alternative Designation based on manufacturer initials.
Ballester-Molina .22 - Chambered for the .22 Long Rifle cartridge; blowback operation; limited production.
Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 12/13/2021 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The Ballester-Molina was a locally-produced Argentine offshoot of the hugely successful American Colt M1911 semi-automatic service pistol. The M1911 - copied the world over through both legal and illegal means - formed the basis for many-a-pistol design after its inception prior to World War 1 (1914-1918) and Argentina became just one of many nations to also find value in the proven system. The sidearm was manufactured by Hispano Argentina Fabrica de Automoviles SA (HAFDASA) of Buenos Aires, Argentina and around 113,000 examples were produced from the period spanning 1938 to 1953. One of the more notable operators of the product became the British whose special forces employed the type in World War 2 (1939-1945).

Only a few internal differences mark the Ballester-Molina from its American cousin.

Prior to the adoption of the Ballester-Molina, the Argentine Army relied on the Mannlicher M1905. After introduction of the Colt M1911, the Argentine government moved in to secure the new semi-automatic pistol in 1916 and designated the weapon as "Pistola Automatica Modelo 1916" ("Pistol, Automatic, Model 1916"). Similarly in 1927, once the improved M1911A1 had become available, the government purchased versions of this newer model under the designation of "Pistola Automatica Modelo 1927". Such was the success of the Modelo 1916 and Modelo 1927 that, with help from the Colt concern, Argentine officials secured the rights for local production of the M1911 out of Buenos Aires and set up a manufacturing facility soon after. This allowed the Argentine Army access to a legitimate man-stopper with reduced procurement costs.

Within time, there was thought given to devising a more localized form of the M1911A1 to better suite Argentine military needs. The resulting weapon was a close copy of the Colt though with a few varying details. The weapon came to be known as the "Ballester-Rigaud" and, after 1940, was regarded as the "Ballester-Molina". It could also be identified as the "HAFDASA" after the initials of the manufacturer ("Hispano Argentine Fabrica de Automoviles SA"). Both the Ballester and HAFDASA names could be found printed along the slide.

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

It deserves mention that the Argentina Ballester-Molina was influenced by another M1911 copy, the Star Model P of Spain and this version was born from the larger Star Model B - itself a copy of the M1911. This shows the extent of the John Browning design and its influence on so many other semi-automatic pistols of the period. Even today many semi-automatics can trace their lineage back to the M1911 in some way.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.


Outwardly, the Argentine local pistol attempt mimicked the form of the classic John Browning design for it was only internally that the Ballester-Molina proved more Argentine in execution. The slide still made up a large portion of the gun body and the hammer remained exposed at the rear. Iron sights were fitted at front and rear along the top of the slide in the usual fashion. The "prawl' gave noticeable overhang at the grip for an improved hold. The original Browning hammer design was only slightly revised and the grip safety removed (a manual, frame-mounted safety was provided instead). The trigger was also revised, working in a two-stage fashion but now pivoting along an upper axis instead of the original's sliding function. The hand grip pattern was revised to now be made up of vertically-slanted lines while the grip itself was made slightly smaller to fit better in the hand.

The actual internal working components, however, were wholly Browning - including the original's locked-breech firing operation. Additionally, the barrel (6-grooves, right-hand twist), recoil spring, and 7-round detachable box magazine (inserted into the base of the hand grip) were the same as used in the M1911. The Ballester-Molina was also chambered to fire the large .45 ACP cartridge and muzzle velocity was rated at 860 feet-per-second. The gun's unloaded weight registered 2lb, 8oz. Despite its relation to the original Browning design, some of the internal parts of the Ballester-Molina were not interchangeable with the M1911.

While a capable product in its own right, the Ballester-Molina suffered in the way that most other copies of an excellent original suffer - the quality of the finish was generally regarded as inferior. In operation, however, the pistol proved reliable and accurate, comparable to the M1911A1 and its many clones. The Argentine Army began fielding the gun in 1938 and other Argentine services eventually followed including police forces.

Beyond participation in World War 2, the Ballester-Molina was featured in the upcoming 1980s Falklands War between Argentina and the United Kingdom. Only one major variant of the Ballester-Molina was spawned, this being a low-quantity gun chambered to fire the .22 Long Rifle cartridge through a blowback operation.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Ballester-Molina. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national small arms listing.

Contractor(s): Hispano Argentine Fabrica de Automoviles SA - Argentina
National flag of Argentina National flag of Bolivia National flag of Ecuador National flag of Peru National flag of the United Kingdom National flag of Uruguay

[ Argentina; Bolivia; Ecuador; Peru; United Kingdom; Uruguay ]
1 / 1
Image of the Ballester-Molina

Going Further...
The Ballester-Molina Semi-Automatic Service Pistol appears in the following collections:
HOME
SMALL ARMS INDEX
SPECIAL FORCES
ARMS BY COUNTRY
ARMS MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE ARMS
ARMS BY CONFLICT
ARMS BY TYPE
ARMS BY DECADE
INTERWAR PERIOD ARMS
FALKLANDS WAR ARMS
MODERN SMALL ARMS
SPECIAL FORCES
WWII SMALL ARMS
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Scale Military Ranks of the World U.S. Department of Defense Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols Breakdown U.S. 5-Star Generals List WWII Weapons by Country

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.


©2024 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2024 (21yrs)