I picked this up today in a trade. It has a pretty worn finish and the left rear frame is kind of wonky... the slide doesn't sit flush with the frame at the rear but the pistol functions fine. There are some dings in the rear of the slide in that area; I think at some point some one had a problem getting the slide to go into battery so they hammered the shit out of it.

I didn't give much for it so as long as it shoots I'll be happy.

1911 snobs poo poo on these guns but I think they are pretty cool and well built. Of course all the numbers match (they always do on these guns).

My issues Remington Rand also exhibited the same alignment.  Not a functional issue.


18Z50

Nearly identical to USGI and all other things equal, half the price.  

It's nice to find them with matching numbers and if lucky a matching magazine number.  Finding correct original plastic grips that aren't broken can be a challenge.

Very nice!!

The first 1911 I ever shot was a pristine JLD Import Sistema from back in those days around 2000. I couldn't believe how accurate it was, and I loved it.

Taking advice from the 1911 snobs, I was told to ignore the ~$300 South American junk and get the new-ish Springield Armory "Mil-Spec" model... and want a sad, sorry POS that pistol was. The trigger was STIFF and broke with a POP around 15 pounds maybe? I had other people shoot it and they always checked the safety before pulling harder.

The 1911 snobs told me to break it in more- which revealed it to be unreliable. Now I was instructed to chase pricey mags that have controlled feed lips that time the release properly, blah blah.

It was also not accurate- which really confused the heck out of the 1911 snobs because the Brazilian frame bore the "NM" prefix, indicating that it was originally destined for integration into a finely tuned "National Match" pistol.

TL;DR, walking things back on topic- I should have gotten a Sistema back then (10 x Sistemas!) because it was the gun that fit my budget and had everything I wanted. I denounced 1911's as trash for many years after... as if I almost forgot about that awesome Sistema.

I'm sure you're going to enjoy that one!

I've had my Sistema for around 46 years now and love it! Added adjustable sights to it and IR laser grips. Bought it back in 1969 in San Leandro CA at the Traders gun shop. They had a glass case on the counter with them piled in it for $59.95 each! Another case like it had P38s for $39.95! Talk about 'salad day'!

Are the original plastic grips brown or black?

Mine was black before I switched them out.

No one should "poo poo" them. Well-made gun faithful to the factory Colts. They're not as cheap as they used to be. I wish I still had my first one. Mine had the best trigger ever on a milspec gun.

Weren’t they made on Colt machinery?

Good GI type 1911's that were well made. I remember reading up on them on the cruffler website back in the day. Wish I had snagged one back then

My Sistema has been a great shooter.
It was $600 out the door about 7 years ago.

I think they're pretty neat classic 1911A1s.

Yours has a great patina, gouges and all.

Nice.  I've never seen one with that roll mark.  Saw a lot of them when I worked in South America during the 80s.

Regards

I think you got a rare lemon.  I own and have owned, more than one Mil-Spec over the past few years.  I'm sorry I ever got rid of any of them for "better" toys.   All were reliable and reasonably accurate with all ammo and magazines, even $7 SARCO magazines.  Trigger pulls were smooth 1911; what can I say?  The only two issues I've had is that one had an extractor with weak tension and another had a front sight that needed to be staked better (I'm talking about the white dot model; I couldn't even see the sights on the 'true GI' replica).

Oh, that MilSpec was a lemon.

Pure trash.

I sold it DIRT cheap to an Airman from Warner-Robbins with a leather pancake holster, a bag of all the trial-and-error mags, and some ammo too.

I was glad to be rid of it... but getting ripped stung back then, because I was a man of limited means in those days.

They are good guns. Does the slide and barrel serial match ? If it doesn't that would explain the fit missmatch. Doesn't effect function. Most of the imported ones were road hard, op pistol in above avg condition imop.

Like said black plastic grips is what alot of them had .

Black Plastic Springfield Armory Inc grips are dead ringers. You should be able to find a set of them at gunshow or gunshop misc grip box.

Great score!!

A lot of them had worn finishes before getting surplused out.

Because they were made on Colt supplied tooling.
The specs are pure Colt.
So parts about as drop fit as they come, compared to clones.

Colt snobs get defensively snobby because they feel another 1911 made on Colt tooling, by Colt trained personnel, hurts their Colts specialness.

------

Mine, bought the day I turned 21yo, was already beat to hell.
( because that's all this poor young man could afford at the time )

I still have it.

Only the frame,  slide and # matching barrel are original.
Everything else has been replaced at least once over the last +30 years I've had it.

She's way overdue for a third rebuild and refinishing.

Attached File

Very nice.

Yours has the typical roll mark usually seen on these guns. I've never seen one like mine before. Wish I could get more info on it.

Thanks.

Over on a 1911 Forum,....
If you bing search - The Argentine Colts and Sistemas, 1914-1966

You will find a 32 page thread with lots of information and links.

By the serial numbers,  your Sistema was probably made in 1964.
Making it one of the last, before production ended.
That would explain the mismatched slide and frame.

Thanks for the info, I'll check it out. And all the numbers on my pistol match.

Yes. That was part of the contract between Argentina and Colt.

Colt engineers went there and setup the factory and equipment. Then they trained Argentinian workers on how to manufacture the pistols. So the earliest ones were actually produced by Colt employees, since they were the ones operating the equipment initially.

What mainspring housing is on that?
I might need one of those.

Wilson 30lpi checkered wedge.

Attached File

I built a kit from one of these minus the receiver. A LOT of work but it turned out fantastic. Gave it my son recently.
One of these complete with the battle scars and worn finish would be a keeper.

Thanks.