An old Ballester Rigaud 45

[Centurion]

Hi!

Let me introduce an old service pistol I finally found. It is an argentinian Ballester Rigaud 45 ACP pistol with a serial number in the 41xxx range. Several sources I found tell that it should be a Ballester Molina because of the serial number, but it is a Rigaud. It is in very nice condition, with +95% original bluing and its original wood grips, both of which show honest wear but are still pretty well preserved.

Attached some photos.

See you!

 

[Sarge]

That is an excellent example, congratulations.

 

[highpower3006]

Nice. I believe that yours may have been refinished as I don't remember seeing any with the metal being that polished.....but I could be wrong. According to my chart, yours was made in 1946. Is the number on the RH side of the frame the same as the one on the grip frame? If so that is unusual as normally the serial numbers are only on the LH side of the grip and on the underside of the slide.

A few years back I picked up a very nice original condition Sistema M1927 and decided I needed a Ballester-Molina to go along with it. I was quite surprised at the prices being asked for them as I remembered years ago they were quite inexpensive compared to the M1927 1911's.

I finally managed to get a nice Armada Nacional B-M that was made in 1943 to go with the 1951 vintage Sistema.

 

[Centurion]

Maybe it is a matter of the lack of good light in my pics, because it is the original bluing. And there's a matching number in the left side of the mainspring housing and in the underside of the slide. The number at the right side of the frame, as well as the numbers on the barrel top and the top of the slide, are also matching numbers but not the same serial. I suppose it is an arsenal, or issue number. But there's no markings referring to any argentinian armed force or institution. Evidently it is not a commercial one, but an unidentified service one.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

I can assure you that your gun HAS been refinished.
Most of the imported guns were-either arsenal refinished or commercially refinished.
Yours shows classic indications of refinishing.

 

[GaryED50]

Very nice. it looks really good

 

[Centurion]

I can assure you that your gun HAS been refinished.
Most of the imported guns were-either arsenal refinished or commercially refinished.
Yours shows classic indications of refinishing.

Could be, but mine was not imported. I'm not in the US but in Uruguay, next to Argentina, and it came here in the time it was permitted to cross the border with a gun, with no need to declare it but to register it (1950s).

 

[jmstr]

Very nice. Thanks for sharing!

In looking at it, the pictures do make it look refinished. Those little dings and scratches do not seem to vary in color from the flats. An original bluing should be more worn in those spots, and scratches should be much lighter.

However, the bluing is so uniform that it is suspicious, as to being original. If there were lighter colors around the scratches or dings, I wouldn't be thinking this.

I do know enough about my problems in shooting pictures to realize that the lighting can hide those marks, but- we can only comment on what we see.


Personally, I am not a collector, but an acquirer: I buy to shoot and because of my interest in the history of the design and/or of that pistol.

I have a Ballester-Molina that I got because it is a good design, but mine is also one of those imported into the UK as part of the Brit contract during WWII. Sorry- no pics.

Mine has had the barrel replaced at some time- but at least it was a WWII era High Standard 1911 barrel. The original may not have met UK proof testing requirements, for all I know.

 

[Centurion]

Maybe it was reblued, contrary to what the past owner told me. I will use it as a shooter and not as a collectible anyway.