The Argentine Colts and Sistemas, 1914-1966

Argentine Colts and Sistemas, 1914-1966 Part One

BACKGROUND

Argentina has been producing arms since the late 19th century and since that time has aimed toward achieving independence in the manufacture of military equipment. Between 1914 and 1950, 21,616 Colt 1911 and 1911A1 pistols were purchased from Colt by the Argentine Government. Between 1927 and 1966, another 112,494(*) 1911A1’s, called "Sistema Colts," were produced in Argentina under license from Colt.

M1911's

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. Among them were the following: 321 pistols received in 1914 marked MARINA ARGENTINA (Argentina Navy), S/N C6201 – C6400 and C11501 – C11621; 1000 received in 1916, S/N C20001 – C21000; 400 received in 1919 within the S/N range of C86790 – C116594.
These pistols went through two different channels. The battleships that were being made in the USA for Argentina received the Navy pistols directly. Pistols delivered to Argentina went through the London Armoury Company.
The 1,000 pistols received in 1915 were marked with Argentine crests and property numbers 1 to 1,000 on the tops of the slides. These pistols were designated "Pistola Colt Modelo Argentino 1916.�

THE 1927 CONTRACT

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.

The agreement specified: 1) that Colt would manufacture 10,000 Colt automatic pistols, caliber .45, “Ejercito Argentino Modelo 1927,� for the Argentine Army; 2) that the complete knowledge base for future production of the pistols in Argentina, including drawings, manufacturing instructions, material specifications, tool requirements, etc., would be transferred to Argentine control; and 3) that Argentine technicians would be trained in manufacturing operations and inspection.

THE 1927 HARTFORD ARGENTINE ARMY MODELS

The 10,000 Hartford Colts made for Agentina prior to production of Sistemas were delivered from 1927 to 1933, serial #’s 1-10,000." The production period was from July 28, 1927 to February 16, 1928. Serial numbers were stamped in Colt’s italic numbers on top of the slides, under the mainspring housing, and (usually) on top of the barrel.

On the left side of the slide (the Colt logo is stamped behind these lines):
"COLT'S PT. F.A. MFG. CO. HARTFORD CT. USA"
"PATD APR. 20, 1897,SEPT. 9, 1902,DEC. 19, 1905,FEB. 14, 1911,AUG. 19, 1913."
On the right side of the slide is the Argentine Crest and:
"EJERCITO ARGENTINO"
"COLT CAL. 45 MOD. 1927"
“Ejercito Argentino� is the Argentine Army, but some of the Hartford’s were issued to “Policia Maritima,� Argentina’s Shore Patrol.

“SISTEMA COLTS�

For production of Colt 1911A1's in Argentina, Colt engineers supervised the set-up of the production equipment, which was acquired from the Fritz Werner company in Germany, a maker of arms-manufacturing machinery still in business today.

From 1927 to 1942, 14,000 “Sistema� pistols (from “Sistema Colt,� indicating “made on the Colt system (machinery)� were produced at the Esteban de Luca Arsenal in Buenos Aires, S/N’s 10,001 – 24,000(*), the serial numbers continuing from the Hartford run.

In 1941, after a decade of planning, Argentines established a large and diversified military-industrial complex under the overall supervision of the Direccion General de Fabricaciones Militares (D.G.F.M.), the “Military Manufacturing Agency.� Similar to the US Ordnance Department, the agency was run by the military and military officers managed the manufacturing plants. Among other products, this agency would eventually, through contractual agreements, oversee the production of identical copies of Colt’s M1911-A1, Browning’s Hi Power, and FN’s FAL rifle.

In 1945, after construction of the state-owned Fabrica Militar de Armas Portatiles (F.M.A.P.), “Small Arms Factory� in Rosario, Santa Fe (250 miles from Buenos Aires), assembly of Sistemas was transferred to the new plant and another 88,494 pistols were produced through 1966. This factory was named for Domingo Matheu, a 19th century military official who was active in the early development of the nation’s arms industry.

Today FMAP manufactures a wide range of small arms and ammunition and is known in the industry as “FM.� The Rosario arsenal closed in 1991 and much of its production was transferred to FMAP’s Fray Luis Beltran arsenal, about 15 miles from Rosario.

Sistema Colts were manufactured in accordance with Colt's 1927 drawings. They were identical to US military M1911-A1 pistols except for 6 minor cosmetic differences, and parts were interchangeable.

The differences were: a) the markings, b) the grips, c) a black oxide bluing, d) a sharp edge on the rear of the hammer, e) a sharp edge on the heel of the grip safety, f) indented checkering on the mainspring housing.

The pistols were made for the Argentine Army, Navy, Air Force, government bureaus, police, commercial sales, and export. They were normally serial numbered a) on the right side of the receiver, b) on the grip frame under the mainspring housing, c) on the top and right side of the slide, d) on the top of the chamber, and e) the bottom of the magazine.

In most cases, the presence of an Argentine crest on the pistol indicates government issue; pistols without crests were made for police, non-national government agencies, commercial sales, and export. Also in most cases, barrels on pistols issued to the Army had blued chambers, but the chambers on Navy, police, and commercial barrels were milled after being blued, which resulted in a bright unfinished surface comparable to Colt commercial barrels. Serial numbers were stamped on the barrels prior to bluing, and therefore, bluing remained inside the numbers.

All Sistemas were originally finished in black oxide, except a few that were specially ordered for the Navy. Many were later re-finished, most Navy pistols in parkerization. Early guns had checkered walnut stocks; later had black or brown hard rubber or plastic.

Sistemas from the early ‘50’s without an Argentine crest, marked “Gendarmeria Nacional� were originally made for the U.S. Army’s use in the Korean War. They were never delivered. They were re-stamped and issued to the Gendarmaria, Argentina’s border patrol.

6,226 Sistemas were made for the Argentine Navy (known through the years as “Marina Argentina,� “Armada Argentina,� “Armada Nacional,� and “Marina de Guerra�), and 4,285 for the Argentine Air Force (“Aeronautica Argentina�).

Up to the 1960's, Sistema Colt pistols bear the markings, on the left sides of the slides:
D.G.F.M. - (F.M.A.P.)
The right side of the slide is marked:
Sist. Colt Cal. 11.25mm Mod. 1927

Slide markings changed in the 1960's through to the last pistols produced. On the left sides of the slides:
Fabrica Militar de Armas Portatiles – Rosario (with a circled FM)
Sistema Colt Cal. 11.25mm Industria Argentina
Serial numbers remained stamped on the right sides of the slides.

Sistema Colts were made from forged steel and will be just as long-lived and reliable as their Hartford counterparts. The German, British, and Swedish steel used in their manufacture was the best available. They are regarded as 100% Colt pistols, "Fully USGI," according to one opinion, "in fit, finish, form, and function." The myth that some Sistemas were made from the Graf Spee, a German warship scuttled at Argentina during World War II, is just that – a myth.

At production, it was expected that Sistema barrels would withstand 15,000 rounds. The sights were set for a 6 o’clock hold. The Argentine military used Sistemas during the Falkland/Malvinas War in 1982.

DIMENSIONS
Mechanism Type: Recoil Operated Semi-automatic
Caliber: 11.25mm/.45
Weight: 39 ounces
Barrel Length: 5 inches
Overall Length: 8.62 inches
Magazine Capacity: 7 rounds
Sights: Blade front, V notch rear drift, adjustable for windage
Rifling: 4 grooves, .005 inches deep, .165 inches wide. Right twist, one turn in 9.84 inches

Numbers Produced at FMAP Rosario and Serial #’s, 1945-1966
1945 - 6,000 - #24,001 - #30,000
1946 - 7,628 - #30,001 - #37,628
1947 - 5,000 - #37,629 - #42,628
1948 - 7,000 - #42,629 - #49,628
1949 - 5,000 - #49,629 - #54,628
1950 - 8,000 - #54,629 - #62,628
1951 - 8,011 - #62,629 - #70,639
1952 - 7,016 - #70,640 - #77,655
1953 - 2,500 - #77,656 - #80,155
1954 - 5,000 - #80,156 - #85,155
1955 - 2,500 - #85,156 - #87,655
1956 - 2,500 - #87,656 - #90,155
1957 - 5,626 - #90,156 - #95,781
1958 - 5,547 - #95,782 - #101,328
1959 - 5,000 - #101,329 - #106,328
1960 - 2,066 - #106,329 - #108,394
1961 - 1,000 - #108,395 - #109,394
1962 - 0
1963 - 600 - #109395 - #109,994
1964 - 750 - #109,995 - #110,744
1965 - 1,250 - #110,745 - #111,994
1966 - 500 - #111,995 - #112,494

(SEE PART TWO)