Argentine .45 Auto Pistol supplied to British Forces and SOE

Discussion in 'Weapons, Technology & Equipment' started by Jedburgh22, Aug 17, 2011.

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  1. Jedburgh22

    Jedburgh22 Very Senior Member

    The Ballestar Molina in .45ACP bears a resemblance to the Colt .45 M1911A1.
    10-15,000 were produced for the British Forces and SOE during WWII.

    Many of the working parts were interchangeable with the American Colt .45, however the pistol has more in common with the Spanish Star.

    There is a legend that steel from the scuttled Graf Spee was used in the manufacture of the guns for the British contracts.

    Production lasted from 1938 - 1953 at the factories of Hispano Argentinas Fabrica de Automores SA.

    The illustration weapon shows signs of having been used in clandestine operations by the wear on the blueing.

    There was also a .22LR variant used for training purposes.
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Warlord

    Warlord Veteran wannabe

    Interesting subject, given that if Argentina "joined" the Allied cause, like some other south-american countries, it was only because of sharing the continent with the U.S. (and the big stick, too!), since its government was decidedly pro-Nazi.

    Could this have been a case of profit-for-everyone, in the turmoil of a world conflict?
     
  3. TonyE

    TonyE Senior Member

    I am not sure how worn bluing equates to use in clandestine operations, but the pistol in the picture does not appear to be one of the British contract models. They all had a secondary serial number starting with a "B" in addition to the regular serial number and I cannot see that on the example.

    Regards
    TonyE
     
  4. Jedburgh22

    Jedburgh22 Very Senior Member

    The weapons issued to SOE may not have had the second serial number - this was more likely to have been added for the Airborne issue models.

    Weapons used clandestinely were normally tucked into the waistband of trousers, or between belt and trousers without the use of a holster. The holster would normally by used when on para-military/ guerrilla combat ops.

    The reasoning for using this method was it was easier to discard a pistol in a razzia than to lose a holster as well. Often clandestine operatives preferred to travel unarmed when moving between locations in the pre-guerrilla phase of operations.
     
  5. Za Rodinu

    Za Rodinu Hot air manufacturer

    If these were to be supplied nowadays I expect they would be made to shoot backwards :D
     
  6. AlanDavid

    AlanDavid Junior Member

    There is a file on these British contract pistols at the National Archives. They were shipped in batches of 500 pistols at a time. Production was slow because of a lack of machinery rather than a lack of steel.The Graf Spee legend is just that. 8,000 pistols were supplied to SOE, they had a sepetate serial number range starting at B1 up to B8000.

    Regards

    AlanD
    Sydney
     
  7. Doc

    Doc Senior Member

    I saw one of these (unidentified) in the war museum at Girocaster, Albania. There obviously was some supply (through SOE or otherwise) into the Balkans. Many of these used for clandestine partisan supply were apparently from standard Ballester-Molina production, and did not have the "B" serial numbers of the British contract models. I don't know if these were all supplied by the Brits, or if some other country (e.g. the USA) got into the business in the Balkans. Doc
     
  8. Jedburgh22

    Jedburgh22 Very Senior Member

    SOE had its own independent arms purchasing organisation operating in the Americas, many weapons from the USA were obtained both from legitimate dealers and from weapons taken from criminals by various Police Departments, arms were also purchased from South America.
     
  9. Jen'sHusband

    Jen'sHusband Punchbag

    The illustration weapon shows signs of having been used in clandestine operations by the wear on the blueing.

    How can you tell?
     
  10. Jedburgh22

    Jedburgh22 Very Senior Member

    By the way the blueing is worn - this is caused by pushing it between belt and trousers without the use of a holster -
     
  11. gunbunnyB/3/75FA

    gunbunnyB/3/75FA Senior Member

    um, sir i don't mean to be disrespectful but,my granddad had a 45 and it had the same type of bluing wear , however he wasn't in a spec. ops unit.
     

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