Make: DGFM-FMAP (Fabrica Militar de Armas Portatiles) Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina, imported by CAI.

Model: 1927 Sistema Colt

Serial Number: 66650

Year of Manufacture: 1952

Caliber: .45 ACP

Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto with Removable Magazine

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 black plastic without reinforcement ribs on the interior (Argentine military replacement stocks). The grips have even light handling wear with a few scattered nicks and scuffs. The checkering is well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Very Good-Fine condition.

Type of Finish: Blued

Finish Originality: Arsenal Refurbished, numbers match.

Bore Condition: The bore is gray with sharp rifling. There is light erosion scattered through the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates about 7/10.

Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 25% of its current metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. Remaining finish is mostly in protected areas and around raised features with infrequent other scattered finish. Most exposed surfaces show even wear going to a light patina. There are some scattered nicks and light scratches, most under the finish. There is infrequent minor erosion. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in Good condition as refurbished.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. 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 with non-matching serial number on the floorplate. Please note, the magazine catch does not function properly with this magazine. Several other standard 1911 magazines catch properly.

Our Assessment: In 1914, the Argentine military adopted the Colt M1911 as their standard military sidearm and contracted with Colt to supply these guns. In 1923, Argentina adopted an armaments bill that would eliminate Argentine dependency on foreign arms, authorizing appropriations for a military modernization program and preparing the infrastructure for a domestic arms industry. Finally, 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 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 "Colts", but 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 1952 and was issued to the Argentine Army. The pistol shows wear consistent with an issued service pistol and has been arsenal refurbished. The pistol retains a decent bore and strong mechanics with serial matching parts, though the magazine and grips are replacements. The magazine does not function in this pistol, but it will work with standard 1911 magazines. The high quality of the Sistema Colts and the relatively few produced make them very collectable, and they’re an interesting variant of the classic 1911 design. Please see our photos and good luck!