Obregón Pistol
Fábrica Nacional de Armas, Mexico City · Pistol · Discontinued · 1934
Also known as: Pistola Obregón, Mexican 1911, Obregón .45 Auto
Overview
The Obregón is a Mexican semi-automatic pistol chambered in .45 ACP, designed by mechanical engineer Alejandro Obregón and produced at the Fábrica Nacional de Armas in Mexico City between roughly 1934 and 1938. Strongly resembling the M1911 in profile, it is mechanically distinct: instead of Browning's tilting-barrel lockup it uses a rotating-barrel short-recoil action inspired by the Steyr Model 1912, with a barrel stud that rotates the barrel to unlock three locking lugs from the slide. It also consolidates the 1911's separate thumb safety and slide stop into a single combined lever. Fewer than a thousand were made, making it a scarce collector's piece.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1130 g (39.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 216 mm (8.50") |
| Barrel Length | 127 mm (5.00") |
| Action Type | Short Recoil |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 7 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 253 m/s (830 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 477 J (352 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .45 ACP · primary — also known as .45 Auto, 45 ACP, 11.43x23mm
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Combined Slide Stop Safety, Magazine Safety
- Features: Rotating Barrel Lockup, Captive Recoil Spring, Single Combined Safety Slide Stop Lever, Interchangeable With 1911 Magazines, Serial Numbered Parts
Service history
Operators
- Mexican Army officers (private purchase)
- Mexican police (private purchase)
Production
Estimated total produced: 1,000 · Production years: 1934-1938
Approximately 800 to 1,000 units produced at the Fábrica Nacional de Armas in Mexico City; figures are described as conjectural.
Origin
Country of origin: Mexico
Designer: Alejandro Obregón
Discontinued: 1938
Notes
Often called a 'Mexican 1911' because of its close external resemblance, but its rotating-barrel lockup and single combined safety/slide-stop control set it apart. Magazines are interchangeable with the Colt M1911. The Mexican military declined to adopt it during the Depression-era peacetime, so most examples were bought privately by officers and police. Production figures are conjectural, generally cited as 800 to 1,000 units.
Background
Designed to combine the familiar handling of the M1911 with a rotating-barrel lockup, the Obregón is one of the rarest .45 ACP service-style pistols ever made. Its near-identical 1911 silhouette hides a completely different internal mechanism, and its tiny production run has made surviving examples highly prized by collectors.