Ballester Molina

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  • Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,282
    HoCo
    I did not find a Generic Ballester Molina thread so here we go. Picked this up on Gone Broker. Typical Parkized Refurb that I can tell. Slide (Sn under slide) matches Sn on back strap. Sn appears to be 1944 based on research.
    I took it out this afternoon and it is surprisingly accurate.
    Reference info:
    Serial number
    https://www.gunboards.com/threads/ballester-molina-serial-numbers-and-date-of-manufacture.1038467/
    wiki page
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballester–Molina


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    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,282
    HoCo
    That's neat. How does it compare in your hand to the feel of a 1911?

    Very much like a GI 1911 but the trigger pull itself has a different feel.
    Braking it down is very much the same except the slide stop pin relief in the slide and the pin that pushes on it from the safety sticks out more when slide stop pin removed to more of a pain to put in w/o scratching anything.
     

    capt14k

    Active Member
    Jul 27, 2015
    221
    They aren't bad pistols. Unlike the Sistema only barrel and magazine is interchangable with 1911. 1911 grips will fit Ballester but Ballester Grips won't fit Colt. I have a matching blued Gendarmeria marked one. There are also navy and air force marked as well as police marked and others.
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    Jul 1, 2012
    5,711
    The recoil plug, recoil spring, and barrel bushing also interchange with the 1911 platform.
    The B-M is much more like a Star Model P than a 1911 though.
    Another interesting variant is the WW2 British Special Operations Executive contract.

    I would have expected 5689 to have the Ballester-Riguad slide.

    Ballester-Riguad slide
    Navy-marked slide (Armada Nacional)
    British SOE
     

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    capt14k

    Active Member
    Jul 27, 2015
    221
    I've wondered that myself about the Molina marking vs Rigaud. Those 10,000 and below it says everywhere should have Rigaud Marking.
    The odd thing though is everywhere I have seen the serials listed they jump from 5673 being the last number in 1940 and 5874 being the first number in 1941. I assumed typo, but that typo has been repeated in multiple places online. However with mine being 5689 maybe it isn't a typo and was a serial range left out? My other thought was that Grenardarie serials ran differently from the other pistols, or they were renumbered by Grenardarie? Not really sure why it is. The previous owner is from Argentina and a big collector of all Argentine arms. Maybe she will know the answer?

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    Jul 1, 2012
    5,711
    I think it all collapses down to one source of data hence that's what you see everywhere... just doesn't seem to be a lot of solid detail info on these! Just like Colt there may have been pistols that were "held back" due to defects etc and got issued later, or the gun went back for repair work and got a new slide. Regardless it's pretty interesting!

    I didn't pay attention and notice there is a gap. You may be onto something there as well.
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,282
    HoCo
    I wondered if it was a typo that kept being copied or maybe a log book misinterpretation where the person who started up the next set though he saw an 8 and it thought it was a 6. How many times do we see a stamped 3 and think its an 8 or visa versa?
    someone reports 5873
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,282
    HoCo
    Argentine pistol and Argentine shooters. One is ex military but the other never shot a pistol before and put everything on paper at 10 yards.
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