DGFM-FMAP Argentine 1911 Sistema Colt Mod 1927 .45 ACP Pistol, MFD 1958 C&R
SOLD FOR: $1202
LSB#: 210506MW29
Make: DGFM-FMAP (Fabrica Militar de Armas Portatiles) Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
Model: 1927 Sistema Colt
Serial Number: 97578
Year of Manufacture: 1958 (“Colt .45 Government Models”, Clawson, p191)
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 “SIST. COLT CAL. 11.25 mm. MOD. 1927”, “97578” and has import-mark “VAM Dist Co LLC / Wooster OH”. The top of the slide, the right side of the frame above the trigger and the barrel at the port are also marked “97578”. The right of the frame, under the grip, has an odd triangle marking. The left of the frame is marked “VAM DIS???? WOOSTER, O?” in front of the left 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 “U”-notch dovetailed to the rear of the slide.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered brown plastic with reinforcement rings around the screws and reinforcement ribs on the inside. The grips have some scattered light nicks, scuffs, scratches and general light handling wear. The checkering is generally well defined. Overall, the grips are in about Very Good condition as not original to the gun.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Refinished
Bore Condition: The bore is gray with sharp rifling. There is scattered light erosion in the bore.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 97% of its current metal finish. The finish is generally strong throughout. There is minor operational wear and light thinning at a few edges. There are some scattered minor nicks and scratches, most under and a few through the finish. There is scattered surface erosion under the finish, most concealed by the grips when installed. The screw heads. The markings range from clear to worn and incomplete. Overall, this pistol is in about Very Good 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 has minor play to the frame. The pistol has a lanyard ring on the bottom of the mainspring housing. We did not fire this pistol. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with a single 7-round magazine marked “99673” on the floorplate. The magazine has wire wheel marks and light erosion under the finish, minor operational wear, intact feed lips and a strong spring, in about Very Good-plus condition as refinished.
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, they were 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 1958, but has no government acceptance markings, likely being a commercial-production pistol. 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 its original magazine has been replaced. Please see our photos and good luck!