Would You Trade?

The 1911 is an Argentine Sistema refinished in black duracoat. All springs replaced. New wood grips. TruDot night sights. Extended beavertail and thumb safety. 300-rd count. Includes 3 old Metalform mags, and 3 8-rd Kimber mags. Also includes 50 rounds Remington JHP ammo and 63 rounds American Eagle FMJ ammo. I like it because it exudes old-world charm. It is an old-time 1911!

I use a modified Sistema for CCW. It's a gun that I custom tailored to fit myself. It's a good, reliable gun. I also own a rearsenaled Sistema, and an original finish Sistema.

I enjoy the Pistola Sistema Modelo Argentino 1927 as shootable historic pistol, and I am a bit of a student of it's history. I have modified them, worked on them, and shot them. Please allow me to dispel a few myths.

First, the Colt Model 1927 Sistema was not made from steel from the Admiral Graf Spee, a nazi battleship scuttled in shallow Argentine waters during World War II. They were made from high quality steel from the period to Colt's original specifications.

Yes, the steel of a Sistema is softer in places than modern 1911s. This is because all 1911s from the time the Colt Sistemas were made were tempered only in specific areas of stress after the part was machined. Today's 1911s are CNC machined from tempered steel. Thus, the entire frame and slide is tempered. I have installed custom fitted beavertails on Series 80 Colts and on Sistemas. I can say without equivocation that the frame tangs on the Sistema ground down surprisingly easy.

The thing is, does this matter? Yes and no. One Sistema I worked on had to have the magazine well opened up a bit because it had collaped slightly under the weight of a truck. You could shove a magazine in, but it would not drop free. I don't rotinely drive trucks over my guns, and I advised the owner of that pistol to reserve that kind of treatment for Glocks. Incidentally, I used a small hydraulic C-ram to open up the magwell.

I would not alter the ejection port of a Sistema. That area is one of the hardened areas, and I wouldn't want to get close to the softer steel. The same goes for any part of the front of the slide or the frame around the slide stop pin.

This specific pistol, from the slide import mark, appears to be one of the last shipments of Sistemas, known in collector circles as the Lipsey shipment. These were bottom of the barrel examples imported in 2006, and were probably the last ones out there. Many were sent back to Lipseys for a refund by those collectors who ordered them. A lot of those same collectors now kick themselves.

The Lipsey guns were, in general, excellent candidates for custom 1911s such as this. They were basically in the white, no finish left, but complete with steel small parts, and they were cheap. Many were made into custom 1911s.

That brings us to custom 1911 territory, or really, custom any kind of gun territory. Such a firearm is only as good and reliable as the man who made it. This is why I took a Colt Commander to Jim Clark Jr. for a melt job even though I own a belt sander and a vise. Could I do the job he did? Yeah, maybe, if luck was with me. Could he do the job he did? Definitely. Was it worth it? It was to me. I got to pick exactly what I wanted and how I wanted it done. That is what a custom gun is. A custom gun is not a 1911 that a gunsmith, no matter how talented, put a beavertail on along with some other goodies in hopes that he might find a buyer. A custom gun is a gun that is made to the needs and specifications of a specific buyer, like a custom suit or shirt. Anything else may be nice, but it was not tailored to you.

What this pistol is is a modified Sistema. It appears to be a Lipsey gun, and the modifications appear to be well done. The questions I would ask are:
1. What barrel is in it?
2. Is the sear and disconnect original?
3. I would expect the springs had been swapped out.
4. Why was an arched mainspring housing swapped out for an arched mainspring housing?
5. Why Duracoat?

I would inspect it very carefully in the usual GI M1911 stress areas. Duracoat can cover a lot of things. In fact, since I know a shooter who is a radiologist I would probably place it under a C-arm and look at it under flouro. With a collectible M1911 I wouldn't go to that length, but on a GI gun that would see significant range time in my hands, since I have the ability, why not? Especially if it was Duracoated instead of blued or parkerized.

Finally, I would expect to shoot the gun to establish reliability and to see if I like it. That's a benefit of buying any used gun, along with the reduced price. This pistol is a shooter. I could be a very nice shooter, and a wonderful carry gun.

To answer the question of whether I would make this specific trade....... Yes, as long as there were no cracks in the Sistema's frame or slide. Why? I like 1911s, and I don't care for Glocks. That is the only reason. Glocks are generally reliable, but not infallible. So are 1911s that retain a mil-spec frame/slide/barrel relationship. Both camps have devoted and blind disciples. I am here to say I have had my tail waxed by bearers of Gaston's finest, but I've shown a few plastic fantastics what 1911 supremacy is all about a few times too. I like 1911s because they help me shoot better than I ever thought I could.

I carry a 1911 because I shoot better with them, and I believe in a self defense situation, effective shot placement (including depth) to stop the threat is more important than caliber, action type, brand of gun, scent of aftershave, or any other factor, except perhaps speed. The 1911 gives me the most speed and the most accurate shot placement. The Glock does the same for other folks.

Chances are, the only thing I would do to this gun is swap out the sights for Novaks. From what I can tell from the photographs, the workmanship appears to be competently performed, and wise choices have been made as to where to stop the modifications.

Learn more about Sistemas here.

Learn how to thoroughly check out a used 1911 here.

The Custom Sistema

One of my favorite pistols is a 1911 that I modified myself to meet my own specific requirements for a durable and accurate full sized carry 1911. With a hand fitted Wilson barrel, it is an inherently accurate gun. Over time, I swapped out other parts, until I basically had a new gun.

After shooting a 1911 fitted with an Ed Brown grip safety, I decided that any 1911 I fitted a beavertail to would have one of his grip safeties on it. The Ed Brown grip safety requires the gunsmith to remove a significant amount of metal underneath the grip tangs. As a result, the web of the hand seats underneath the beavertail almost a quarter of an inch higher, placing the shooter's forearm closer to the bore axis for faster follow up shots and reduced perceived recoil. A couple of years back Ed Brown quit producing his grip safety without the "speed bump." That was a regrettable decision from my point of view. I prefer his grip safety, but I don't really care for the lump in my palm while shooting.

In a lot of ways, my modified Sistema is nothing fancy. It still has it's original military sights. The ejection port is GI. The grips are used rubber off a Kimber. The front strap has no checkering and there are no 1* inscriptions on the slide. What it is though, is a consistently reliable and accurate gun. You can read more about my modified Colt Sistema here.

The Colt Sistema

Newcomers to the 1911 scene are sometimes surprised to learn that fully functional M1911A1 pistols were often sold cheaply to the public as government surplus back in the 1970s. That cornucopia of 45s came to an abrupt end during the Clinton administration, as thousands of M1911A1s were destroyed rather than being sold. The prices of the old war horses skyrocketed as they became collector's items rather than surplus ordnance.

Dealers in surplus pistols soon found another source for inexpensive 1911s in Argentina. Over sixty years previously, in April, 1914, the Argentine Navy had purchased 321 Colt 1911s in the serial number range C6201-C6401, marked Marina Argentina. Pleased with the pistols, the Argentine government purchased a thousand more in 1916, and the new military sidearms were designated the Pistola Colt Modelo Argentino 1916. In 1919, more pistols were ordered from Colt. The serial numbers for all of these pistols fall within the Colt commercial pistol serial range.

In 1923, the Argentine government adopted an armaments bill to eliminate dependency on foreign arms. Finally, in 1927, the Argentine Commission for Foreign Acquisitions negotiated a contract with Colt for the manufacture of M1911A1 pistols, including a a licensing agreement for production. The pistols were to possess a separate serial number series, with the first ten thousand built by Colt in Argentina for the Argentine Army. Colt equipment and employees were relocated and the manufacturing began. From 1927 to 1933 ten thousand pistols, known to collectors as Hartford Argentine Army Models were produced. The serial numbers range from 1 to 10,000. The contract also stipulated that after the first 10,000 pistols, the rights to manufacture would be turned over to Argentina, and production could continue using the same blueprints and Colt trained Argentine employees and inspectors. Thus, the Pistola Sistema Modelo Argentino 1927, Calibre 11.25mm was born.

In 1945, the Argentine Military Small Arms Factory (FMAP - Fabrica Militar de Armas Portatiles)began production of the first replacement pistols at Esteban de Luca Arsenal in Buenos Aires, with assembly taking place at the Domingo Matheu plant in Rosario, Argentina. These pistols would ultimately be called the Colt Sistema. The pistols were manufactured for the Argentine Army, Navy, Air Force, police departments, government bureaus, and for commercial sales.

The Colt Sistema was built according to the 1927 blueprints and standards supplied by Colt, on equipment left behind by Colt. With only a few differences, they are exact copies of the M1911A1 manufactured by Colt in 1927. The extractors are spring steel. The mainspring housing has inlaid checkering in a knurled pattern unique to the Argentine Colt. Grips were black plastic. The Sistema triggers have a knurled face and are machined from barstock, as are the sear, disconnect, magazine catch, slide stop and thumb safety. Colt Sistemas were made of forged German, British, and Swedish steel, and have the same longevity as their US counterparts. Sistema pistols possess the heat treatment common for that era of pistol. With high volume shooting, they can be prone to cracking in the usual areas familiar to GI pistol collectors. The old gun show tale that Colt Sistemas were made from steel salvaged from the Admiral Graf Spee, a nazi battleship scuttled in shallow Argentine waters during World War II, is a myth.

Like many young men during the Reagan era, I walked past these shiny blue pistols being sold as surplus at gun shows. I was interested in large capacity 9mm blasters, not Dick Tracy looking anachronisms from another time. By the time I became interested in the 1911, the beautiful blued Sistemas were gone. All that remained were rearsenaled Sistemas, with a sandblasted and hot dip blue finish. While nice, time and the refinishing process had reduced the lines of the rearsenaled Sistemas to contours more like a Clark meltdown than a Colt. The barrels were frequently shot smooth if not replaced. Sistema magazines were numbered to the gun, but they seldom matched on the rearsenaled pistols. Importer's markings were stamped into the frames. Lanyard loops were bent or cut off. The original finish pistols had become as rare as turtle teeth, snuggled away in gun socks inside of collector's safes. I counted myself fortunate to have purchased two rearsenaled Colt Sistemas for less than $250 each, a great price at the time. They usually sold for $450 or so. I kept one pistol original, only swapping out the checkered walnut grips that came on it for USGI grips. The other one I converted into a custom carry gun. During that conversion, I installed an Ed Brown beavertail grip safety. I had installed the same grip safety on other, more modern pistols, and I can attest that the frame horns of the Sistema are of softer steel than modern Colts. The front of the slides and the area of the frame around the slide stop are hardened in the same manner as a US M1911A1, however.

Since 2006, after the infamous Lipsey's shipment of low quality specimens, Colt Sistemas have been absent from the US surplus gun market. Most collectors agree that the Lipsey guns represented the last of the remaining Colt Sistemas. Today, original finish Sistemas sell for $600-$750, with some sellers asking even more. Rearsenaled Sistemas compete with the Springfield GI45 in the marketplace among shooters who want an inexpensive but authentic appearing GI 1911 pistol. Although made in Argentina, the Colt Sistema is an authentic military 1911. All parts are interchangeable with other 1911s, and it bears the Colt name, if not the Colt pony.

Still, I wanted a Colt Sistema with sharp lines and an original blue finish. I had all but given up when one day my telephone rang. "Xavier, would you be interested in a 1927 Colt?"

"Possibly, what is it?"

"Well, it's kind of like the one I sold you, but it's chambered in 11.25mm," said Ralph. "A dude I know wants to buy a black rifle and needs money."

"Well, I already have one I think, but tell him to bring it to the range and let me have a look."

At the range, Ralph introduced me to a young man who carried a brown cardboard box. "Is that the gun?" I asked after we had introduced ourselves.

"Yeah. It's not much, I inherited it from my dad when he died," said the young man as he opened the box to reveal a blued Sistema. I glanced at Ralph. He nodded.

"You shouldn't sell it then," I told him.

"Well he left me other guns. This one he just kept on a shelf. Never used it," the young man informed me. "I can't find ammunition for it anywhere."

I locked the slide back. The weapon was empty. "Well, I just happen to have some here with me. It's a 45," I told him. "Want to shoot it?"

"Naw, I just want to sell it," he said. The lines of the pistol were still crisp, although the bluing was revealing silver along the edges. The rear sight was still square. The serial numbers matched, including the magazine.

"Mind if I have a look inside?"

"Can you put it back together?"

"Yep, it won't take but a minute or two," I told him.

I field stripped the pistol, and found the rails to have very little wear. The recesses of the gun were caked with crusty hard cosmoline. A spot of rust was on the outside of the chamber, but the barrel still had sharp rifling. I reassembled the pistol and dry fired it. The trigger must have been seven or eight pounds. That could have been due to the coating of dried out cosmoline, the newness of the lockwork, or possibly a combination of both. The thumb safety likewise required more pressure than normal to snick on and off.

"You really ought to sell something else," I told the lad.

"I'm keeping a Glock," he replied. "I just need some cash to get a cool rifle. I don't want this one."

I was young and made this kind of deal at one time. "OK, how much do you want?" I asked.

"I don't know."

"What do you need for it?" I asked.

"How about four hundred?" came the reply.

I locked the slide back and dropped the magazine. "How's four fifty?" I asked.

The young man looked at me as though I had a quesadilla for a hat. I guess he thought I was the most ignorant bargainer he had ever met. "You're going to need some ammo for that rifle," I told him. "What are you going to get?"

"A Kel-Tec Sub-2000, nine millimeter" he replied proudly.

"I hear those are some pretty cool rifles," I said. "Will you let me run a few rounds through it when you get it?"

"Sure!" he replied.

I took four hundred and fifty dollars from my billfold and handed it over. We shook hands, the young man thanked me and then excused himself to go to the gun store. One of the range officers wandered over. "Did you just buy another 1911?" he asked.

"Yep, I sure did."

"Why the heck do you need another one?" asked Jack.

"I don't reckon I need it," I told him, "but that young man needs a black rifle."

"Don't we all?" laughed Jack.


So now, I am the proud owner of three Colt Sistema 1911s. One is a custom carry gun, one is rearsenaled, and the last is an original finish Sistema.

Colt Sistemas were built from 1945 to 1966. The unique serial numbers are found on the frame, on the slide, on the barrel hood, on the magazine baseplate, and on the receiver underneath the mainspring housing. Below are the serial numbers listed by year, along with the production numbers.

1945 - 6,000 - #24,001 - #30,000
1946 - 7,628 - #30,001 - #37,628
1947 - 5,000 - #37,629 - #42,628
1948 - 7,000 - #42,629 - #49,628
1949 - 5,000 - #49,629 - #54,628
1950 - 8,000 - #54,629 - #62,628
1951 - 8,011 - #62,629 - #70,639
1952 - 7,016 - #70,640 - #77,655
1953 - 2,500 - #77,656 - #80,155
1954 - 5,000 - #80,156 - #85,155
1955 - 2,500 - #85,156 - #87,655
1956 - 2,500 - #87,656 - #90,155
1957 - 5,626 - #90,156 - #95,781
1958 - 5,547 - #95,782 - #101,328
1959 - 5,000 - #101,329 - #106,328
1960 - 2,066 - #106,329 - #108,394
1961 - 1,000 - #108,395 - #109,394
1962 - 0
1963 - 600 - #109395 - #109,994
1964 - 750 - #109,995 - #110,744
1965 - 1,250 - #110,745 - #111,994
1966 - 500 - #111,995 - #112,494

Slide inscriptions and crests:
DGFM-(FMAP) - Direccion General de Fabricaciones Militares-Fabrica Militar de Armas Portatiles
Ejercito Argentino - Argentine Army
Aeronautica Argentina - Argentine Air Force
Marina de Guerra, Armada Nacional, Armada Argentina, Marina Argentina - Argentine Navy during different periods
Gendarmeria Nacional - Border Patrol
Ministerio Del Interior - Ministry of the Interior
Policia De Los Territorios Nacional, Policia De La Provencia De Buenos Aires, Policia De La Provencia De Santa Fe, C.F.S. - Federal Internal Security

Original Sistema on Gun Broker

Argentine 1927 Sistema Colt .45 ACP Orig. Finish
90%+, Original Finish, VG+ Condition.
Everything is correct even magazine except for grips(should be black plastic). We found a set of original grips! It will now be supplied with these. Finish shows honest wear and pitting in some spots. It is in perfect, unaltered, untampered with mechanical order.
Started at $950.00

It's not surprising that original finish Sistemas are escalating in value. Most of the Sistemas that were imported to the US were rearsenaled, and they sold for $300-$350. The last of the Sistemas available for import apparently dried up with the importation of the poor quality examples by Lipsey's two years ago. Still, as nice as this example (which has no importation markings) is, the starting bid of $950 seems a bit high to me. It might reach that at auction if two bidders are competing for the gun, but you have to get them vying for it first.

The Sistema Situation

A Sistema Colt is a 1911, that was manufactured Colt specifications, in Argentina on Colt equipment. They meet the same specs as a US Colt that was manufactured in Hartford in 1927. They are solid 1911s with 100% parts interchangeability with other 1911s. One of my carry guns is a modified Sistema. The supply of surplus Sistemas dried up in the Summer of 2006 when the banged up, bare metal and rusty Lipsey's Sistemas arrived on US shores. No Sistemas have been located or imported since in mass volumes for resale.

Since the last Lipsey's Sistema disappeared from the shelves of local gun dealers, I have occasionally glanced across Gun Broker and Auction Arms to review asking and selling prices. It seems, overall, that the asking prices are going up. The selling prices will perhaps follow. Here is what I found.

The California seller of this Sistema does not say much about it, other than giving the serial number and a brief description. The importer's mark is on the forward right portion of the slide. There was only one importer, to my knowledge, that marked their guns there......Lipsey. This pistol also wears old US M1911A1 grips, not the black plastic Sistema grips. It was formerly a police pistol.

There is little doubt this pistol has been refinished. The question is, by who? Re-arsenaled Sistemas, that is Sistemas sent back to FMAP for refinishing during their service life, have long been considered shooters by those who seek out old 1911s. Even though the edges of this pistol are sharp, the importer's mark makes me suspect that it was refinished here in the States after it was sold by Lipseys. Being able to read the importer's mark would tell me for certain. This pistol is being offered for $650. At present, it has no bids.

The next Sistema I noticed is this one from Florida. This seller provides a bit more information.

This is a used Argentine model 1927 in 45 ACP. Very Good condition! It has an arsenal refinish with matching serial numbers except for barrel. It also has colt grips and comes with one magazine. Sorry, but no box or paperwork.

The seller claims an arsenal refinish, but the slide appears to be polished blue, not the dull parkerizing done by FMAP. Further, the hammer and trigger have been replaced with aftermarket parts. At an asking price of $515, the pistol still has no takers.

I thought for a moment that the Florida seller may not have realized the parts replacement, but then, I checked his other auction. It appears to be an arsenal refinished Sistema in very good condition, all original except for the replacement grips. What is striking though, is the seller's description of this pistol.

This is an Argentine Sistema Colt C.F.S. model in 45 acp. This is a hard to find model with the C.F.S. markings that was originally made for the Federal Council of Security, (Consejo Federal de Seguridad). Not many of these were made, especially with the "A" prefix on the serial number. All Serial numbers match on four locations of the gun. This is in very good condition and all markings on gun are clearly unidentifiable.

The seller's apparent failure to spot the differences between the two pistols he has for sale, contrasts remarkably with his knowledge level concerning this particular specimen. His asking price for this one is $775.

The Argentine Colts were never inexpensive surplus weapons, owing to their high quality, absolute parts interchangeability, and their chambering in the popular .45ACP cartridge. Still, because they were refinished and not rollmarked with "US Property" on the receiver, many, if not most collectors shunned them. A decade ago, high condition rearsenaled Sistema Colts were selling from distributors such as JLD Enterprises for as low as $350. Indeed, when I purchased my two Sistemas at a gun show, I paid $230 for one, $225 for the other. Both myself and the dealer thought we had out done the other. I went on to uninhibitedly modify one of the pistols, but I am glad I bought the second and left it alone.

The price of the bottom of the barrel Lipsey's Sistemas was $289.90 plus shipping. The anticipation of their arrival and the poor condition heralded the last of the remaining Sistemas for importation. The price tag reflected the poor condition of the weathered relics, but it also foreshadowed an increase in coming prices as the good condition Sistemas began to escalate in value in a market that was just starting to reminisce on the virtues of the old GI issue M1911A1.

Parkerizing a Sistema

For future reference.............From The Box 'o Truth, Educational Zone #52 - Parkerizing a Sistema

The day will come when I Parkerize a pistol for the first time. I hope my results turn out as nicely.

The Sistema Diaries, Volume II

Tam has begun building her Sistema in earnest. It's shaping up to become a unique shooter, but then what would you expect from Tam?

Sistema Serial Numbers

The Colt Sistema was produced by Fabrica Militar de Armas Portatiles (FMAP) in Argentina. Production began at the Esteban de Luca Arsenal in Buenos Aires, with the first pistols actually being assembled at the Domingo Matheu plant in Rosario, Argentina in 1945. It is also known as the Pistola Sistema "Colt" Modelo Argentino 1927, Calibre 11.25mm, which is basically a 1911 of 1927 vintage built on Colt equipment to Colt specifications.

Sistemas were built from 1945 to 1966, and represent one of the best deals available in a genuine GI 1911. Here are the serial numbers by year, along with the production numbers.

1945 - 6,000 - #24,001 - #30,000
1946 - 7,628 - #30,001 - #37,628
1947 - 5,000 - #37,629 - #42,628
1948 - 7,000 - #42,629 - #49,628
1949 - 5,000 - #49,629 - #54,628
1950 - 8,000 - #54,629 - #62,628
1951 - 8,011 - #62,629 - #70,639
1952 - 7,016 - #70,640 - #77,655
1953 - 2,500 - #77,656 - #80,155
1954 - 5,000 - #80,156 - #85,155
1955 - 2,500 - #85,156 - #87,655
1956 - 2,500 - #87,656 - #90,155
1957 - 5,626 - #90,156 - #95,781
1958 - 5,547 - #95,782 - #101,328
1959 - 5,000 - #101,329 - #106,328
1960 - 2,066 - #106,329 - #108,394
1961 - 1,000 - #108,395 - #109,394
1962 - 0
1963 - 600 - #109395 - #109,994
1964 - 750 - #109,995 - #110,744
1965 - 1,250 - #110,745 - #111,994
1966 - 500 - #111,995 - #112,494

More historical information is available here.

Lipsey Sistemas

The advertisements began to appear in Shotgun News and Gunlist in February 2006. Sistemas. Colt 1911s produced in Argentina to GI specs by the Fabrica Militar de Armas Portatiles. These fine firearms were long believed to have dried up on the surplus market. At least three thousand were found by Lipsey's out of Baton Rouge Louisiana. The condition was listed as NRA Good. The price was $289.90 plus $17.50 flat rate shipping. Estimated date of arrival was June. The C&R gun forums were ablaze with updates and speculation regarding these incoming Colts. Some people placed orders for two or three. All were sold before the container reached an American pier.

I almost ordered one or two. The only thing that kept me from it was I already owned two Sistemas, one of which I modified into my carry gun.

Nevertheless, I kept an interested eye on the C&R forums. First, Lipsey's began to charge credit cards before they had the pistols. Then delivery was postponed. Finally, on July 12, 2006, a C&R forum member went to Lipsey's and picked up his pistol himself. He posted photos of what he received in a forum thread. He revealed that his three pistols had all seen heavy use. The finish was long gone, replaced by bright metal and rust. There was pitting. The grips were worn smooth. There was an ugly import stamp on the left side of the slide. These were not the same rearsenaled Sistemas that JLD Enterprises had sold several years back. These pistols were pigs, in a poke.

The angry online handwringing began and many people canceled orders before their pistols even shipped. Others adopted a wait and see approach. When they arrived, the pistols all seemed to be in similar condition. Lipsey's has adopted a money back guarantee approach on these pistols. They decided to waive their usual 10% restocking fee. Many pistols were returned.

Some of these pistols will no doubt be sold for $289. If I were in Baton Rouge, I might just buy one for that. I am certain I will see them on the gun show tables for $400 in a couple of months. They are already showing up on Gun Broker. Sooner or later somebody will ask my opinion. The JLD Sistemas were worth the $389-399 that was charged. These pistols are not. If I could buy one for $250 total though, I'd probably bite. I'd just want one with plenty of "character'.

BBQ Gun

Cussin' Bob's Gun

I was first introduced to Cussin' Bob's gun when Bud was trying to get rid of it. Bob had alerted me that Bud was wanting to sell an old 1911, and it might be a M1911. It ended up being an old Colt, but not a M1911. Bob was willing to meet Bud's asking price when I would not. I agreed to work over the pistol for Bob.

Bob's gun was a Colt Sistema, a 1911 built by the Argentine government under Colt oversight. Every bit of the Sistema is pure 1911. It meets the Colt blueprints and standards of 1927, and is known as Pistola Sistema Modelo Argentino 1927.

One of my carry guns is a modified Sistema, and Bob had long wanted me to build him a similar pistol after shooting it. After a long discussion, Bob decided he did not want to really alter the pistol's appearance, but rather make a "sleeper" pistol. This concept appealed greatly to Bob, so we elected to just do a trigger job and a barrel swap and see what we could get out of the pistol.

Before doing anything, I wanted to see what we were starting with, so I cleaned the pistol of crudded up cosmoline,lubricated it and took it to the range. The accuracy was less than stellar, but the pistol shot with no failures of any sort. I knew I had a reliable pistol, so I placed an order for a Wilson barrel and bushing, as well as Nowlin springs and a set of rubber Pearce double diamond grips. I ordered Cussin' Bob a Wilson Combat 47D magazine as well.

While I was waiting on the parts to arrive, disassembled the 1911 again, and performed a trigger job using the machined steel Sistema trigger and it's tool steel sear and hammer. I bobbed the wide spur hammer a bit and radiused the GI style grip safety to take the bite out of the pistol. When the barrel and springs finally arrived, I fitted them and headed to the range. As expected, the results were stupendous. The one shot I have on the seven line I know I pulled. I am happy with the result eventhough the pistol still managed to nip my hand a bit.

This weekend I will return the pistol to Cussin' Bob. If he decides he wants a beavertail next, I'll install it for him, but I hope he just keeps this one as it is. It's a deceptively accurate sleeper gun.

Cussin' Bob's Gun: The Barrel is In

Back in January Cussin' Bob bought a Sistema from Bud, with the understanding that I would work it over for him. After debating the merits of different modifications, Bob finally decided that he needed little more than a Wilson barrel, a trigger job, and a good magazine. Bob liked the idea of a sleeper 1911, and decided to keep the gun looking like an old Sistema. I ordered a Wilson Combat drop-in barrel and bushing, along with Nowlin springs, and Pearce rubber grips. I purchased a Wilson magazine for Bob as well.

While I waited on the parts to arrive, I performed a trigger job on Bob's gun, using the forged steel Colt parts. Then I took the pistol to the range to get a fix on how the original barrel shot. The Wilson barrel and other parts arrived today, and I spent the evening fitting Bob's barrel. Drop in parts never drop in. After a bit of work, I got everything assembled with plenty of Ballistol and Tetra grease. I widened the rear sight notch a bit, and I trimmed the sharp edge off the widespur hammer and radiused the GI grip safety.

I hope to find the time to get the pistol to the range tomorrow. The barrel is still pretty tight. After shooting 200 or so rounds, the parts will be mated to each other, and the pistol will be slicker than hog snot. I can hardly wait to get it to the range and see how it does!

Cussin' Bob's Gun: The Original GI Barrel

I took Cussin' bob's gun out today to shoot it with the original barrel. I wanted to see how well it would group, and if I needed to do a barrel swap. The pistol would group right well if you call 12 inches at 10 yards a good group.

It looks like Cussin' Bob will be getting a new barrel. We have decided on a Wilson Combat barrel, $189 from Brownell's.

I shot 200 rounds of various reloads and 100 rounds of Winchester White Box with no failures to feed or extract. All in all, a very positive starting point!

Cussin' Bob's Gun: Funk Removal

I had the chance to tear down Cussin' Bob's gun this afternoon, and I have rarely seen this much coagulated gunk piled in one place outside of an old Oliver tractor that has been sitting in the field for decades. It is no wonder Bob's 1911 had a trigger pull in excess of 10 pounds! The plungers were stuck in the plunger tube, and the pins required a small hammer and punch to tap out. Just a good cleaning should improve things immeasurably.

The good thing was all the parts are solid. The sear and disconnect are tool steel, not MIM. I'm looking forward to a very interesting rebuild of this pistol. I cleaned off the gunk with automotive brake cleaner, and then put the parts in a ziplock bag sprayed with Ballistol for attention at a later date.

Evolution of a Custom Carry Gun

A couple of years back, I had a dream of a budget carry gun that was tough and effective. Basically what I wanted was a pistol I would not have to worry about getting beat up in the environment of a Jeep's floorboards. I was envisioning a gun that would be reliable protection against a carjacker, that could rest on the passenger seat under a newspaper if necessary, and be carried at other times in a holster or on the floorboard behind the passenger seat. Initially I was thinking .357 revolver. It's the most reliable gun out there. In the floorboard environment, however, it could easily end up with crap jamming the cylinder, preventing it from rotating and firing that first shot. A revolver was out. I began to think custom 1911. What I ended up with was that, and more.

Because I'm cheap frugal I resolved to build this pistol myself. I could have used a Springfield GI45 as a base gun, but I found two Sistema Colts at a gun show for $450. I purchased them both.

Both Sistemas were in pretty rough shape, but structurally sound. I chose the worst of the two for my project. This pistol underwent a slow metamorphosis into a 1911 that may not be beautiful, but one that is beautifully adapted to the job at hand.

The first improvement on this gun was the trigger. I had to eliminate myself from the accuracy equation as much as possible. The pistol would shoot, but it shot 8 inch groups. A cheapo trigger job pulled those groups down to 6 inches. I ordered a Wilson barrel and bushing, along with other items. The Wilson barrel not only provides exceptional accuracy, it allows hollow point ammo to feed without jamming. Along with the Wilson barrel, I installed an Ed Brown grip and thumb safety as well as an Ed Brown slide stop. A Nowlin sear, disconnect and springs, McCormick trigger and Colt Commander hammer provide the ignition. The pistol also received a flat mainspring housing. I screwed rubber double diamond grips to the pistol's sides. I use Wilson 47D magazines in this pistol.

The two unusual decisions I made were to retain the original GI ejection port and GI sights. The pistol ejects through the little GI hole with no problem, and I rationalized that the smaller port will let less grit into the area of the barrel's linking system. I was originally planning on Novak low profile sights. When testing the pistol with GI sights however, I found them reasonably easy to acquire. More importantly, I found them to be extremely precise due to the lesser width of the front blade. I used a needle file to open the rear notch a bit, and I dabbed some day glow paint on the front half moon blade. I rationalized the semi circular front blade would be less likely to snag on seat belts, clothing or other items, lessening the chances of an impeded draw. After using the pistol for several weeks, and stuffing it in my belt Mexican style to prevent it being left in the car, I installed a Clip Draw device. I have found this device to work very well for short jaunts. For extended carry, I prefer a holster.

I shot this pistol with next to no finish for half a season. One of my shooting buddies, who is a diehard Wilson Combat man began to call my low buck shooter a tightwad Wilson. It miffed him that my Modelo 1927 Sistema could match his Wilson CQB in accuracy. Finally, realizing that I couldn't shut him up, but I could join him, I decided to finish the pistol in a two tone Wilson Combat style finish. I had a local gunsmith bake on an Armor Coat type finish with an olive drab lower and a gunmetal grey upper.

This is what I call a custom gun. It is not an off the shelf gun in any way. It's not fancy, but it is one of a kind. Each component was chosen with a specific need in mind. Nothing was done because it was the fashionable thing to do, with perhaps, the exception of the finish. It is accurate, fast and effective. Like a '32 Deuce Roadster with a hopped up V8, and a flat black paint job, it is an unpretentious performer. I like that.

Flat Creek Trading

It was a rainy and dreary day today as I cruised down the highway towards the Flat Creek Debate Society. Cussin' Bob had told me that a member had a 1911 he wanted to trade off. From Bob's description, it sounded like a Sistema. I'm not really in the market for another Sistema, but I forged ahead anyway, knowing that if a deal was not struck, the company would still be good.

When I arrived 43 miles later, I found the Debate Society solving the world's problems around a fire in a huge steel pit. A hog was smoking and veggies and a taco salad were on the grill as well. Five or six members were separating fact from bullshit via the Socratic method as they tried to avoid smoke from the flames. A couple of curmudgeons were grousing about the weather and other topics of distain. Several wet dogs were curled up by the fire.

One of the members, Bud, brought a cardboard box out of his truck and opened it to reveal a Colt Sistema from Interarms. Bud was really wanting a .38 snubbie to tote around. Unfortunately I do not have a .38 snub I am willing to let go for another Sistema. I had brought along a S&W Model 60 just in case Bud had pulled out a M1911 or M1911A1. My Model 60 stayed in the Jeep.

A couple of queries were made as to just what this pistol was, and I explained how the Sistema came to be. Surprisingly, nobody at the debate society wanted to debate that. I guess I was the designated gun historian of the hour.

Bud asked how much I thought his gun was worth. I told him honestly it would be sold at retail for between $350 and 450, but if he tried to sell it to a dealer he could expect $200 tops. I explained to Bud that I already had two Sistemas, and I revealed my carry gun to show him and Bob what a Sistema could become. I told Bud all I could offer him was $240.

We set a few cans out and shot our pistols, as the others stayed circled around the fire. The Interarms Sistema shot reliably, but was not very accurate. My Sistema, with a Wilson barrel and bushing, drilled the cans with precision.

After we rejoined the group, Cussin' Bob wandered over and asked me if I was interested in Bud's gun. I told Bob that I wasn't interested at the price Bud deserved to get. Bob asked me if I would work it over for him, I told him certainly. Bob wandered over and slipped Bud $300 for his pistol. Bud was happy. Bob was happy. I was happy.

We ate some hog and taco salad, debated the location of Bin Laden, the ulterior motives of Iran, and whether Paris Hilton's personae is an act or reality. None of the world's mysteries or problems were solved this afternoon, but several men went home with full bellies, feeling better about it all. That is good enough.

Pawn Shop Circuit: Modelo Argentino 1927

Dave sold his S&W 686. He still had the Ruger Security Six.

At Neil's place, a door to the back room was left ajar. I stole a peek. Among the shotguns and rifles in hock, Neil had a pegboard on the wall with several interesting handguns hanging in hock. On his hooks was a Ruger .22 pistol, a Ruger centerfire semi-auto, a Smith & Wesson N frame revolver with target grips, and a black plastic something or another. There were several others that I could not identify from the distance I was gazing. All or none of these might make it out to Neil's sales floor. Neil still had the Sig P220 in his case.

At Amber's shop, a Glock something had joined her Walther TPH in the case.

I heard back from Cussin' Bob today. He described markings that read Sist. Colt, Caliber 11.25mm, and Mod.1927. It sounds like his buddy has a Sistema. He's wanting a .38 special snubbie in trade.

A Sistema is a 1911, made in Argentina on Colt equipment, the same as a US Colt was made in 1927. As a matter of fact, one of my carry 1911s is a modified Sistema. They are good guns. The supply of surplus Sistemas has dried up. It's probable no more will ever be imported.

The thing is, I presently own two Sistemas, and am reluctant to give up a good Smith & Wesson snubbie for another one. Smith snubbies without a worm hole lock will not be produced again either. If I could pick up a Charter Arms Undercover for trade fodder though..........