What say ye... 1911 or not

[nra4ever]

Picked up a new addition to the collection today. It's a British contract Ballester Molina in excellent condition. I hear that these guns will eat any 45 ammo with zero failures.

The question is do I included it with the 1911s or not?

her she is

 

[Tombs]

It's about as much of a 1911 as everything else that doesn't say Colt on the side.

I don't mean that in an insulting way either, those are one of the few that actually work.

 

[indyjohn]

I say Yea. Interesting tribute to the original design.

 

[churchmouse]

Heck yes.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Looks closer to a 1911 than anything else. At first glance I wouldnt have said it WASNT.

 

[juans]

Congratulations

it is fun to shoot a 1911 a1. It has small differences with 1911 a1.

Good luck

juan

 

[JetGirl]

Nope. No grip safety. It's 1911-*ish*...but that's it.

 

[kawtech87]

Heck yes.

Nope. No grip safety. It's 1911-*ish*...but that's it.

The mouse says yes but the monkey says no. Hmm.

I think it is a 1911 like object.

 

[iChokePeople]

Nope. No grip safety. It's 1911-*ish*...but that's it.

+1

 

[churchmouse]

The mouse says yes but the monkey says no. Hmm.

I think it is a 1911 like object.

I just glanced at it knowing it was an old piece. Looked pretty 1911.....I admit to missing the grip safety.
The Monkey has spoken and I agree.....1911'ish

 

[1911ly]

Nope. No grip safety. It's 1911-*ish*...but that's it.

The Monkey speaks the truth. And you can't argue with a Monkey that knows a 1911 when she see's one! Pretty cool gun though.

 

[nra4ever]

Thanks all!

it figures. I still had space on the 1911 shelf oh well.

Its still a pretty cool piece of WWII history.

 

[Expat]

Yeah, but do they have the internal extractor...

 

[nra4ever]

YES. This gun has the internal extractor.

you can even interchange the mag, main spring and barrel with a 1911.

 

[Leadeye]

A solid 45 auto, they made a close copy of the 1911A1 after buying them on contract from Colt back in the 20s.

 

[actaeon277]

The History of the 1911 Pistol. - Browning Article

Since cavalry troops were going to be the primary combat users of the pistol, several specific design features, like the grip safety and lanyard ring, were mandated by the horse soldiers. (Nothing will turn a cavalry trooper into an infantryman faster than shooting his own horse by accident.) The Browning pistol design was formally adopted by the US Army on March 29, 1911, and thus became known officially as the Model 1911. The US Navy and US Marine Corps adopted the Browning-designed pistol in 1913.

It was originally designed without grip safety.
But not adopted till it had one.
So..

 

[iChokePeople]

"...and thus became known as the Model 1911." With a grip safety.

 

[JetGirl]

The History of the 1911 Pistol. - Browning Article




It was originally designed without grip safety.
But not adopted till it had one.
So..

Then why in the original blueprints does it have everything but the thumb safety (1910) and in Browning's handwritten notations "safety position" in reference to the half cock shelf? It's always had the grip safety...the thumb safety is what separates the 1910 from the 1911...
??

 

[JetGirl]

1910 - Grip safety, but no thumb safety;

Colt 1911 (up to 1924) - thumb safety and grip safety;

 

[Thor]

That sir would be a Ballester-Molina Argentinian manufacture during WWII. A fine example as well. It is basically a 1911 upper with a Star Model B lower. Purportedly manufactured from Steel salvaged from the wreck of the Admiral Graf Spee that was salvaged by a Uruguayan salvage company which was identified as a front for MI6 (Brit Intel) so they could get access to the fire control systems.

The other side of the slide should be marked with what agency it was manufactured for. I have two...

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