▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁article ▁in ▁the ▁Argent ine ▁gun ▁magazine ▁Mag num , ▁about ▁the ▁British - ordered ▁Ball ester – M ol ina ▁p ist ols , ▁gun ▁writer ▁and ▁collect or ▁George ▁E . ▁Ar b ones ' ▁research ▁and ▁collection ▁data ▁seems ▁to ▁indicate ▁the ▁legend ▁British - b ought ▁Ball ester – M ol inas ▁being ▁manufact ured ▁using ▁steel ▁salv aged ▁from ▁the ▁German ▁pocket ▁batt les hip ▁Admir al ▁Graf ▁Spe e ▁after ▁she ▁was ▁sc utt led ▁in ▁the ▁River ▁Pl ate , ▁across ▁from ▁Buenos ▁Aires ▁is ▁true . ▁Another ▁special ist , ▁Ale j andro ▁G her ov ici , ▁dismiss ed ▁the ▁legend ▁saying ▁the ▁steel ▁was ▁likely ▁supplied ▁by ▁the ▁US ▁under ▁L end - Le ase . ▁Ar b ones ' ▁article ▁also ▁details ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁those ▁p ist ols ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁ 8 th ▁Army ▁and ▁the ▁SO E , ▁and ▁how ▁he ▁came ▁to ▁have ▁his ▁own ▁British - mark ed ▁Ball ester – M ol inas . ▁Between ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁and ▁ 1 5 , 0 0 0 ▁of ▁all ▁Ball ester – M ol inas ▁were ▁spe cially ▁manufact ured ▁for ▁Britain ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁A ▁number ▁of ▁p ist ols ▁was ▁issued ▁to ▁agents ▁of ▁the ▁SO E , ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁avoid ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁British ▁weapons ▁for ▁under cover ▁operations ▁in