Produced in Argentina, the Ballester-Molina was intended to be the home-grown successor to the Model 1927 a licensed copy of the Colt Government Model Pistol. This particular example was factory-made as a 22 caliber training pistol, taking many cues from Colt's Service Model Ace pistol, particularly the use of a weighted and tapered magazine along with a floating chamber to emulate the feel and handling of the full-sized model to the utmost. Blade and notch sights, with the three-line address, patent and caliber markings on the left side of the slide, matching numbers on the chamber and the left rear side of the frame, ribbed grips and a full blue magazine. Provenance: The Gus Cargile Collection

Excellent, with 95% of the original blue finish, showing bright edge wear on the bottom forward slide, minor spotting, and a small amount of handling/takedown marks. A few dings are present on the right side of the slide, ahead of the ejector port. The grips are very good, with some bending of the screw slots, light dents and minor chips. Mechanically excellent.