DGFM-FMAP Argentine Army 1911A1 Sistema Colt 1927 45 ACP Pistol, 1955 C&R
SOLD FOR: $1113.98
LSB#: 210419MB27
Make: DGFM-FMAP (Fabrica Militar de Armas Portatiles) Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
Model: 1927 Sistema Colt
Serial Number: 83360
Year of Manufacture: 1955
Caliber: .45 ACP
Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto with Removable Magazine
Markings: The left side of the slide is marked “D.G.F.M. – (F.M.A.P.). The right side of the slide is marked with the Argentine crest, “EJERCITO ARGENTINO / SIST. COLT CAL. 11.25mm MOD. 1927” and “83360”. The top of the slide, the right side of the frame above the trigger, and the barrel at the port are also marked “83360”. The left of the frame has “JLD ENT FARM CT” import mark in front of the grip panel.
Barrel Length: 5”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a rounded blade fixed to the front of the slide. The rear sight is a square notch dovetailed to the rear of the slide.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered brown plastic with reinforcement rings around the grip screws and reinforcement ribs on the interior. The grips have light handling wear with some scattered light nicks, scuffs and tool marks around the grip screws. The checkering is generally well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in about Very Good condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Refinished
Bore Condition: The bore is bright. The rifling is sharp and deep. There is no erosion in the bore.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 96% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at some edges. There are some scattered light nicks and scratches, most notable on the right of the frame behind the grip near the top. There are some scattered nicks and scratches under the finish. There is scattered surface erosion under the finish, most notable under the grips and concealed when they are installed. The action shows light operational wear. The screw heads are tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in about Very Good-Fine condition as refinished.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. It has both a manual and grip safety and the trigger pull has a tiny amount of creep. The slide is tight to the frame. We did not fire this pistol. The pistol has a lanyard ring on the bottom of the mainspring housing.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with one 7 round magazine, marked “.45 AUTO” on the floorplate and a JLD Enterprises manual. The magazine has minor operational wear, intact feed lips and a strong spring, in about Fine condition. Also included is a Robert’s Arms Specialties Protecta-Gun two-piece cardboard box with a hand-written label which has this pistol’s information. The box shows little in the way of storage wear, in Fine-Excellent condition.
Our Assessment: In 1914, the Argentine military adopted the Colt M1911 as their standard military sidearm and contracted with Colt to supply these guns. Argentina took shipment of 2,151 of these weapons between 1914 and 1919. In 1923, Argentina adopted an armaments bill that would eliminate Argentine dependency on foreign arms. Under this bill, the Argentine Congress authorized appropriations for a military modernization program and prepared the infrastructure for a domestic arms industry. In accordance with the new law, an aircraft factory was established in 1927, a munitions factory in 1933, a small steel mill in 1934, and a small arms factory in 1936, all of which were managed by Argentine army officers. In 1927, the Argentine Commission for Foreign Acquisitions negotiated a contract with Colt for the manufacture of M1911A1 .45 caliber self-loading pistols specially marked and serial numbered in a separate series, and secured a licensing agreement giving the Argentine government the right to manufacture these pistols using drawings, material specifications, instructions, etc. supplied by Colt. Production of the Sistema Colts began in 1927, and 14,000 were produced by 1942. In 1945, a new factory (FMAP) was brought on-line and produced another 88,494 pistols through 1966. The Sistema Colts continued to be used in Argentina until the 1990’s, when they were replaced by Browning High Powers. The Sistema Colts were not Colt clones, but licensed copies. Except for finish and markings, they were identical to 1911A1 pistols produced by Colt, and the parts were interchangeable. Top quality steel was used in the construction, and they are known to be as tough and reliable as those made by Colt. This pistol was made at the FMAP factory in 1955 and was issued to the Argentine Army. This pistol appears to have been treated fairly gently since it was refinished, retaining an outstanding bore and strong mechanics. The high quality of the Sistema Colts and the relatively few produced make them very collectable, especially ones like this with matching numbers on the gun, though the magazine is a replacement. Please see our photos and good luck!