Halcon ML-63

Halcon ML-63 submachine gun.

Characteristics

Caliber	9x19mm Luger / Parabellum
Weight	3.6 kg
Length (stock closed/open)	500 / 690 mm
Barrel length	170 mm
Rate of fire	600 rounds per minute
Magazine capacity	20 or 42 rounds

Halcon ML-63 submachine gun (Pistola ametralladora Halcón, Modelo Liviano 1963) was developed in 1963 by Argentinean arms-making company Fabrica de Armas Halcon. This weapon saw extensive use by Argentinean armed forces during conflict with Great Britain over Falkland islands. It was also used by Argentinean police until early 1990s.

Halcon ML-63 submachine gun is a simple blowback weapon that fires from closed bolt.It has a sliding "hammer' or striker, which is cocked when bolt closes, and is released when trigger is pressed. It has dual trigger setup, which allows to fire either single shots (front trigger) or full automatic (rear trigger). Charging handle is located on the right side and moves along with the bolt. Weapon is manufactured mostly from steel stampings, and fitted with plain barrel that has a massive muzzle compensator. Magazine housing is extended to provide comfortable forward grip for non-firing hand.  Halcon ML-63 submachine gun was usually equipped with simple telescoping buttstock, made of steel wire, although it can be replaced with detachable fixed wooden butt. Standard iron sights feature L-shaped flip-up rear sight with settings for 50 and 100 meters range.

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Halcon M/943

Halcon M/943 submachine gun.

Characteristics

Caliber	.45ACP
Weight	4.05 kg
Length	850 mm
Barrel length	292 mm
Rate of fire	700 rounds per minute
Magazine capacity	17 or 30 rounds

Halcon M/943 submachine gun (Pistola ametralladora Halcón, modelo 1943) was developed by Argentinean arms-making company Fabrica de Armas Halcon. It was manufactured for Argentinean army and police; lighter and more compact variant of the same weapon was manufactured as Halcon M/946 for Argentinean Air Forces (Carabina ametralladora Halcón, modelo Aeronáutica Argentina 1946). This weapon is rarely encountered outside of South America.

The Halcon M/943 submachine gun is a simple blowback weapon that fires from open bolt. Weapon can fire single shots and full automatic, thanks to the fire mode selector, located on the left side above the trigger. Charging handle is also located on the left side and does not move when gun is fired. Halcon M/943 submachine gun is fitted with heavily finned barrel and a massive muzzle compensator, and has a wooden pistol grip / buttstock of peculiar shape. The Halcon M/946 submachine gun was similar in design except that it had a shorter barrel and a MP40-type underfolding buttstock.

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FMK-3

 

 

Characteristics

Caliber: 9x19mm Luger/Para
Weight: 3.40 kg empty
Lenght (stock closed/open): 523 / 693 mm
Barrel lenght: 290 mm
Rate of fire: 650 rounds per minute
Magazine capacity: 25, 32 and 40 rounds
Effective range: 100 meters

The FMK-3 submachine gun was developed by Fabricaciones Militares company of Argentina circa 1974 and is being manufactured by Small Arms factory of Domingo Matheu. It is used by Army and Police of Argentina, and also, in semi-automatic version is sold to civilians under the name of FMK-5.

FMK-3 is a blowback-operated, selective fire submachine gun. It uses telescoped bolt, that sleeves around the rear part of the barrel when closed. Double stak magazine is inserted into the pistol grip. Receiver and pistol grip is made from steel stampings, safety/fire selector switch is located at the left side of the weapon above the pistol grip. There also is an automated grip safety at the rear of the pistol grip. The sights are of flip-up type with "L"-shaped rear sight blade, marked for range of 50 and 100 meters. The retractable buttstock is made from steel wire.

It is said that FMK-3 is quite comfortable to use and accurate in full-auto, putting all hits into 125 mm (5 inches) groups when firing offhand at 50 meters (short bursts, obviously).

Thanks to Alejandro Albertengo from Argentina for information.

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Bersa Thunder-380 pistol

Bersa Thunder-380.

Bersa Thunder-380 deluxe with extended magazine.

Characteristics

Type: Double Action 

Calibers: 9x17mm Short/Kurz (.380ACP) and 7.65x17SR (.32ACP) 

Weight unloaded: 560 gram 

Length: 168 mm 

Barrel length: 90 mm 

Capacity: 7 (9mm) or 9 (7.65mm) rounds standard

Bersa Thunder-380 pistols are manufactured in Argentine by Bersa S.A. company, as a compact self-defense side arms for civilians and police. being inexpensive and of good quality, these pistols offer a good level of protection with decent ergonomics. These pistols must not be confused with larger and more powerful Bersa Thunder 9 and Thunder 40 pistols from the same company.

Bersa Thunder-380 pistols are simple blowback operated, with the return spring located around the barrel. The trigger is of double action type, with exposed hammer. The safety switch is located at the left side of the frame, and, when engaged, automatically decocks the hammer. There is also an internal firing pin safety, which blocks the firing pin unless the trigger is pressed. Magazine release button is located above and behind of the trigger guard, at the left side of the frame, and just below of the slide stop lever. Single stack magazine holds seven 9mm (.380) or nine 7.65mm (.32) rounds. Deluxe versions of the Thunder-380 are equipped with extended magazines, which hold nine rounds of 9mm/.380 ammunition. Front sight is integral to the slide, rear fixed sight is dovetailed to the slide. Latest production pistols also feature an integral key lock, located above the trigger, on the left side of the frame.

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Bersa Thunder and Thunder Mini / Ultra-Compact pistols

Bersa Thunder Nine (caliber 9x19mm Luger, Bersa Thunder 40 looks exactly the same).

Bersa Thunder-mini 9mm, left side.

Bersa Thunder-mini 9mm, right side.

Characteristics

	Thunder 9 / 40	Thunder 9 / 40 Mini / Ultra-Compact	Thunder  Ultra-Compact 45
Type	Double Action
Caliber	9x19mm Luger и .40S&W	9x19mm Luger и .40S&W	.45ACP
Weight unloaded	870 gram	765 gram	780 gram
Length	192 mm	165 mm	173 mm
Barrel length	110 mm	83 mm	92 mm
Capacity, rounds	17 (9mm), 13 (.40)	13 (9mm), 10 (.40)	7

Bersa pistols are manufactured in Argentine by the Bersa S.A. company. Thunder pistols are available, in several different versions. The Thunder-380 pistols are of simple blowback design, while more powerful Thunder-9, Thunder-40 and Thunder-45 pistols are of locked breech design. Thunder series pistols are relatively compact and handy, yet they offer significant capacity with major pistol calibers, combined with good, fully ambidextrous ergonomics. Bersa pistols also are relatively inexpensive and offer decent reliability, making them good personal defense firearms. The only differences between Thunder and Thunder-mini pistols (which also sold as Thunder Ultra-Compact) are size and magazine capacity. The Ultra-Compact .45 pistols are roughly intermediate in size between standard and mini pistols, and, unlike smaller caliber brothers, they have a single stack magazine. 
Bersa Thunder 9 pistols are standard issue pistols for the Argentinean Federal Police and the Buenos Aires Province Police.


Bersa Thunder-9, Thunder-40 and Thunder-45 pistols are locked breech, short recoil operated firearms of Browning type. barrel is locked to slide by single large lug, which engages the ejection port in the slide. The unlocking is caused by the cam-shaped underbarrel extension. Trigger  is of double action type, with exposed hammer and ambidextrous frame mounted safety, which decocks the hammer when engaged, then locks the slide and sear. The action also features a firing pin safety, which blocks the firing pin until the trigger is pressed. The slide release lever also is ambidextrous, and the magazine release button can be easily mounted on the either side of the grip. magazines of the 9mm and .40SW versions are of double stack type, .45 caliber magazines are single stack. Sights are fixed, with front sight integral to the slide and rear dovetailed to the frame. Latest production pistols also feature an integral key lock, located above the trigger on the left side of the frame, as well as accessory laser / light rail on the frame below the barrel.

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Ballester-Molina / Ballester-Rigaud pistol

Ballester-Molina pistol, left side.

Ballester-Molina pistol, right side.

Characteristics

Type: Single Action 
Calibers: .45ACP 
Weight unloaded: 1075 gram 
Length: 216 mm 
Barrel length: 127 mm (5") 
Capacity: 7 rounds

The Ballester-Molina pistol, originally known as Ballester-Rigaud (so marked during first years of manufacture, circa 1938 to 1940), were made in Argentine by Hispano Argentina de Automotives SA (HAFDASA) company. Manufacture started in 1938 in attempt to provide Argentinean police and military with less expensive alternative to the Colt modelo 1927 pistol, domestically made licensed copy of the American Colt M1911A1 pistol. Production of the Ballester-Molina ceased in the early 1950s. While Ballester-Molina pistol is externally very similar to Colt, it has significant differences, especially in the safety and trigger unit arrangements. Actually, the only parts exchangeable between Ballester-Molina and M1911A1 are the barrel with link and the magazine. The trigger and safety arrangements were more or less copied from the Spanish Star pistols, with the pivoting trigger, single trigger to sear link, and no grip safety. Ballester-Molina pistols were used by Argentinean military and police, as well as supplied to the Britain during Second World war. Britain issued these pistols to their Special Operations Executives agents, which usually operated behind enemy lines.

The Ballester-Molina pistol is a short recoil operated, locked breech pistol. the locking system is similar to that of Colt M1911A1, with the swinging link used to unlock the barrel from the slide. The single action trigger is pivoted on the axis, the frame-mounted manual safety locks the slide and the hammer.

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