The Ballester-Rigaud submachine gun, also known as the HAFDASA «La Criolla» submachine gun, was one of the first weapons of this class produced in Argentine. It was designed by Arturo Ballester and Rorice Rigaud, who worked for the private-owned HAFDASA factory (Hispano-Argentina Fábrica de Automóviles SA). Depending on the source, these guns were introduced either in late 1930s or in late 1940s. The former version seems to be more realistic.
An earlyBallester-Rigaud / HAFDASA «La Criolla» submachine gun
Instead of one gun, the Ballester-Rigaud / HAFDASA «La Criolla» was a whole family of submachine guns and semi-automatic carbines, built on the same action but featuring different barrel lengths and furniture. Relatively few of these guns were made, but some HAFDASA «La Criolla» C4 submachine guns were used by the Presidential Guard of Argentine in 1950s. Some «La Criolla» submachine guns also were used by the Argentinean Army and Navy.
A surviving Ballester-Rigaud / HAFDASA «La Criolla» submachine gun with a painted aluminum alloy stock
The Ballester-Rigaud submachine gun was a simple blowback weapon that fired from an open bolt. Depending on a particular variant, it was either a select-fire weapon or a semi-automatic only carbine. The receiver was made from steel, but the furniture, most unusually, was produced from an aluminum alloy casting, which could be left “in the white” or painted in different colors. The shoulder stock was made from either aluminum or wood; there also were some compact “stockless” variants with short barrels.
Ballester-Rigaud / HAFDASA «La Criolla» submachine gun with an alternate stock
The most distinguishing feature of the Ballester-Rigaud submachine gun was its feed amd magazine system. It used twin magazines with independent compartments assembled side-by-side in a common housing. Each compartment had its own spring and follower, and contained 20 rounds of .45ACP ammunition of 25 rounds of 9x19mm ammunition, for a total capacity of 40 or 50 rounds. Since the gun could be fed only from one compartment at a time, entire magazine assembly could be swung sideways from the vertical position and fixed there, so a specific compartment would be aligned with the bolt and the barrel. Once this compartment was empty, user could release a latch and swing the magazine across the vertical, so the second compartment could be used to feed the gun. Therefore, when looked at from the front, magazine was always slightly canted from vertical to the side, left or right. The magazine housing was necessarily wide, and featured a hinged dust cover.
HAFDASA «La Criolla» / Ballester-Rigaud submachine gun, view on a magazine housing and an indigenous twin magazine
a proprietary 40-round (2×20 .45ACP) magazine for a HAFDASA «La Criolla» / Ballester-Rigaud submachine gun
Early variants of the Ballester-Rigaud submachine gun / HAFDASA «La Criolla» submachine gun were equipped with adjustable iron sights, but most versions were fitted with fixed sights, zeroed at the factory for 100 meters range.
Ballester-Rigaud submachine gun / HAFDASA «La Criolla» submachine gun, basic specifications
Encyclopedia of firearms and ammunition of the XX and XXI centuries
All texts are written by Maxim Popenker © 1999-2024
