IMBEL M973 GC
- Category
- Pistol
- Barrel
- 127 mm
- Weight, empty
- 1.10 kg
- Introduced
- 1973
About
What it is, and why it matters
The IMBEL M973 GC is a Brazilian single-action, semi-automatic pistol chambered in .45 ACP, built on the classic Browning M1911 short-recoil pattern by Industria de Material Belico do Brasil. Adopted by the Brazilian Army as the Pistola .45 M973, it served for decades as the standard military sidearm before later 9mm models. The GC commercial variant retains the full-size Government layout with a 127mm barrel, single-stack seven-round magazine, exposed hammer, manual thumb safety and grip safety, and an all-steel frame and slide. Faithful to the original 1911 design, it offers the heavy-hitting terminal performance of the .45 ACP cartridge with the rugged simplicity Brazilian armed forces relied on for general-issue duty.
The M973's designation comes from 1973, the year the Brazilian Army formally adopted IMBEL's domestically produced .45 ACP pistol as its standard sidearm, ending dependence on imported Colt 1911s.
The M973 is IMBEL's licence-derived production of the Colt M1911A1 pattern, with the year of Brazilian adoption (1973) giving the model its designation. The commercial GC version was offered to civilian and police markets in Brazil. IMBEL went on to develop the related MD1 GC and 9mm variants from the same tooling.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Industria de Material Belico do Brasil
- Category
- Pistol
- Country
- Brazil
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 1973
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 127 mm
- Overall length
- 216 mm
- Height
- 135 mm
- Width
- 32 mm
- Sight radius
- 165 mm
- Weight, empty
- 1.10 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 1.30 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Short recoil
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single action
- Trigger pull
- 22.0 N
- Capacity
- 7
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Slide
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 260 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 477 J
- Effective range
- 50 m
- Maximum range
- 200 m
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.
Single action trigger
Exposed hammer
Browning short recoil
Checkered grips
Fixed sights
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 128 .45 ACP pistols | 1.10 kg | 1.04 kg | Heavier than about 70% |
| Overall lengthAmong 129 .45 ACP pistols | 216 mm | 215 mm | Longer than about 70% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 129 .45 ACP pistols | 127 mm | 117 mm | Longer than about 70% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 129 .45 ACP pistols | 7 | 8 | Holds fewer rounds than about 70% |
Answers
Questions about the IMBEL M973 GC
How much does the IMBEL M973 GC weigh?
The IMBEL M973 GC weighs 1.10 kg (2.43 lb) empty and 1.30 kg (2.87 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the IMBEL M973 GC?
The IMBEL M973 GC is chambered in .45 ACP.
How many rounds does the IMBEL M973 GC hold?
The IMBEL M973 GC holds 7 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the IMBEL M973 GC?
The IMBEL M973 GC is 216 mm (8.50 in) long overall, with a 127 mm (5.00 in) barrel.
Who makes the IMBEL M973 GC?
The IMBEL M973 GC is made by Industria de Material Belico do Brasil (Brazil). It was designed by John Browning (original M1911 design).
When was the IMBEL M973 GC introduced?
The IMBEL M973 GC was introduced in 1973.
How does the IMBEL M973 GC operate?
The IMBEL M973 GC uses a short recoil action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
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
- Brazilian Army
- 1973
- Brazilian Military Police
- Brazil
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/imbel-m973-gc' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "imbel-m973-gc", "name": "IMBEL M973 GC", "manufacturer": { "id": "imbel", "name": "Industria de Material Belico do Brasil", "countryCode": "BR", "foundedYear": 1811, "website": "https://www.imbel.gov.br", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:45", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:45", "version": "abd830829db0a0869f83782ce7bd8fbb8e86959a21412dd0f411dd4237334163" }, "category": { "id": "pistol", "name": "Pistol", "description": "Handguns designed to be fired with one or two hands" }, "country_of_origin": "BR", "year_introduced": 1973, "barrel_length_mm": 127, "weight_empty_g": 1100, "action_type": "short_recoil"}