Sistema Colt Modelo 1927
Dirección General de Fabricaciones Militares - Fábrica Militar de Armas Portátiles · Pistol · Out Of Production · 1945
Also known as: Sistema Colt 1927, Pistola Sistema Colt Mod. 1927, Argentine 1927, DGFM-FMAP Modelo 1927
Overview
The Sistema Colt Modelo 1927 is an Argentine licensed copy of the Colt M1911A1 .45 ACP semi-automatic pistol, manufactured by Dirección General de Fabricaciones Militares at the Fábrica Militar de Armas Portátiles (FMAP) in Rosario, Argentina. Argentina secured the manufacturing license from Colt in 1927 with full drawings, material specifications, and engineering supervision, making the Sistema Colt 1927 a near-exact mechanical clone of Colt's contemporary M1911A1 with parts interchangeability. Production at FMAP ran from 1945 through 1966, with 88,494 pistols built.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1105 g (39.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 216 mm (8.50") |
| Barrel Length | 127 mm (5.00") |
| Height | 138 mm (5.43") |
| Width | 30 mm (1.18") |
| Sight Radius | 165 mm (6.50") |
| Action Type | Short Recoil |
| Firing Mechanism | Single Action |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 7 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 262 m/s (860 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 512 J (378 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 406 mm (15.98") |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .45 ACP · primary — also known as .45 Auto, 11.25mm, 11.43x23mm
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Thumb Safety, Grip Safety, Half Cock Notch
- Features: Checkered Wood Grips, Browning Swinging Link, Exposed Hammer, Browning-System-Tilting-Barrel
Service history
Operators
- Argentine Army (Ejército Argentino) · adopted 1927 · as Pistola Sistema Colt Mod. 1927
- Argentine Navy (Armada de la República Argentina) · as Sistema Colt 1927
- Argentine Federal Police
Conflicts
- Falklands War (1982)
Production
Estimated total produced: 88,494 · Production years: 1945-1966
Total FMAP factory production from 1945 through 1966; earliest examples were assembled at the Domingo Matheu plant in Rosario before the dedicated FMAP factory came on line in 1945.
Origin
Country of origin: Argentina
Designer: John Moses Browning
Discontinued: 1966
Notes
Often confused with the Hafdasa Ballester-Molina (also Argentine, also .45 ACP), which was a separate, simpler design intended as a cheaper alternative to the Sistema Colt 1927. Markings typically read 'D.G.F.M. - (F.M.A.P.) EJERCITO ARGENTINO - SIST. COLT CAL. 11.25mm. MOD. 1927'. The Sistema Colt outlived its intended replacement (Ballester-Molina, ended 1953) by more than a decade.
Background
When Argentina signed the 1927 manufacturing license with Colt, the contract included drawings, material specs, and on-site supervision by Colt engineers - making the Sistema Colt 1927 the most authentic licensed M1911A1 ever produced abroad, with parts that drop into a US-made Colt with no modification.