Halcón ML-63
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Barrel
- 170 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.60 kg
- Introduced
- 1963
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Halcón ML-63 (Pistola ametralladora Halcón, Modelo Liviano 1963) is an Argentine 9x19mm Parabellum submachine gun developed in 1963 by Fábrica de Armas Halcón as a simplified, lighter successor to the earlier Halcón M-1943/M-1946 series. Built mostly from steel stampings, it is a simple blowback weapon that fires from a closed bolt using a sliding striker/hammer that is cocked as the bolt closes and released by the trigger. A dual-trigger arrangement selects fire: the front trigger fires single shots and the rear trigger fires fully automatic. The barrel carries a large muzzle compensator, and the extended magazine housing doubles as a forward grip for the support hand.
The Halcón ML-63 was Fábrica de Armas Halcón's attempt to modernize Argentina's domestic submachine gun line, replacing the heavier wartime-era M-1943/M-1946 designs with a cheaper, lighter stamped-steel weapon. It is sometimes noted to externally resemble the Italian Beretta Model 38/42 family.
Source figures vary: Modern Firearms lists 690 mm overall (500 mm with stock retracted), 170 mm barrel and 3.6 kg empty, while militaryfactory.com gives conflicting, likely erroneous figures (360 mm overall, 2.6 kg). Magazines are quoted as 20, 30 or 42 rounds depending on source. Offered with either a detachable wooden buttstock or a telescoping steel-wire stock; a suppressed variant existed for clandestine use.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Fábrica de Armas Halcón
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Country
- Argentina
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1963
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 170 mm
- Overall length
- 690 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.60 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Blowback
- Capacity
- 42
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 350 m/s
- Effective range
- 100 m
- Rate of fire
- 600 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Muzzle compensator
Extended magazine housing foregrip- Dual trigger fire selection
Telescoping wire stock option
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 201 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 3.60 kg | 3.18 kg | Heavier than about 70% |
| Overall lengthAmong 200 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 690 mm | 723 mm | Shorter than about 60% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 202 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 170 mm | 213 mm | Shorter than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 204 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 42 | 32 | Holds more rounds than about 90% |
Answers
Questions about the Halcón ML-63
How much does the Halcón ML-63 weigh?
The Halcón ML-63 weighs 3.60 kg (7.94 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Halcón ML-63?
The Halcón ML-63 is chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum.
How many rounds does the Halcón ML-63 hold?
The Halcón ML-63 holds 42 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Halcón ML-63?
The Halcón ML-63 is 690 mm (27.2 in) long overall, with a 170 mm (6.69 in) barrel.
Who makes the Halcón ML-63?
The Halcón ML-63 is made by Fábrica de Armas Halcón (Argentina).
When was the Halcón ML-63 introduced?
The Halcón ML-63 was introduced in 1963.
How does the Halcón ML-63 operate?
The Halcón ML-63 uses a blowback action.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Argentine Army
- Argentina
- Argentine National Gendarmerie
- Argentina
- Argentine Federal Police
- Argentina
Provenance
Confidence in this record
62%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/halcon-ml-63' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "halcon-ml-63", "name": "Halcón ML-63", "manufacturer": { "id": "halcon", "name": "Fábrica de Armas Halcón", "countryCode": "AR", "foundedYear": null, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "updatedAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "version": "75614a6fdb360283c09bb03eaf97e0027c0b44f3b1386acc60471a0567e85a5c" }, "category": { "id": "submachine-gun", "name": "Submachine Gun", "description": "Automatic firearms chambered in pistol calibers" }, "country_of_origin": "AR", "year_introduced": 1963, "barrel_length_mm": 170, "weight_empty_g": 3600, "action_type": "blowback"}