Fabrique Nationale Herstal BELGIUM Hi-Power 9mm (LG PICS)

What do you feel this may be worth? Low serial number...














rags

Rags..
IMHO.. about $900.00
We have one in the family that my Dad
" Liberated" during WWII.. If you had the " Buttstock/Holster that goes with it.. add a bunch..
Nice Piece

With the correct shoorod,as it does have , I agree with the man from down south.

Thanks gentleman. I have an idea now. The LGS shop got it on a trade for a very good price. I'm a thinkin' on it! ( actually isn't "posession" 9/10ths of the law?)

Saw in the BBofGV 31st that it could be worth north of $1500 depending on the exact model it is but it is confusing to me. They talk about proof marks (that would help narrow it down) but the book doesn't have pictures of the marks that I can find.

Sal, also saw that the holster and stock would add much to the value. We'll see...

rags

Sir, I'm no expert on Hi-Powers (or anything else, for that matter), but wouldn't an early gun originally have been blued? Also, the parkerizing doesn't show nearly as much wear as the stocks. I'd tread lightly--$900 seems high for a gun that looks refinished.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

Ron H. said:

Sir, I'm no expert on Hi-Powers (or anything else, for that matter), but wouldn't an early gun originally have been blued? Also, the parkerizing doesn't show nearly as much wear as the stocks. I'd tread lightly--$900 seems high for a gun that looks refinished.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

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A big ditto

Also, did you field strip it and check the internals/bore?

I also noticed the refinish - it should be dark blue. When you check the internals, make sure the screw plug in the end of the guide rod is tightly secured. The early ones did not have the fixed end like today's models, and it can back out. I don't know that it will tie up the gun, but it will take pressure off the slide stop detent. A little blue LocTite will fix the problem.

I think it's worth about $700, but I haven't priced one in a long time.

Buck

It would be worth a lot more if you could find a matching shoulder stock to fit it.

The bore and internals look good. Thought it may be just too clean. Gonna hold off for now. Thanks for the advice fellow kooks....I mean Members!!


rags

Pre-War should be polished blue finish.
The barrel should match the serial number.

The magazine looks postwar from what little I can see of it.
Pre war mags have 2 cuts about 3/16" apart coming from the back edge of the floor plate forward. They form a spring catch that secures the floor plate to the base.

That one looks solid and is secured by the center button under spring pressure. That is post war style.
(Canadian Inglis war time mags used the center button catch also but had the spring catch on the base in addition. Inglis mags are marked 'JI' on the lower front spine).

Check the barrel cam slot for crack(s). The pre-war style had a round cut cam slot in the barrel lug that was prone to cracking in use.
They changed that to a squared face forward cut in the cam slot very late in the War and continued it post war.

FWIW,,the */E after the nitro proof stamp is the mark of the Proof Controller at the time to pistol was built and final proofed.
That particular mark was assigned to Jamart Auguste who worked at FN from the mid 1920's to 1959/60.
Not that it means anything!

Serial numbers on pre-war HP's are difficult to sort out. FN would serial number a contract to the customers request. Trying to match #'s with yr/production is very difficult. They made them for several different countrys in varying amounts,,,some specially marked,,some not.

A large number of Pre-War HP's with tangent sites were imported into the US by Navy Arms in the late 80's. They came from China,,just before the Broomhandle flood. Condition was about the same as the Brooms. Some nice,,some not so nice.
The Chinese did contract with FN for a large number of pistols in the 1930's. No special markings were put on them by FN. Many have Chinese markings added there. I don't know of any source of the contract ser# range.

Another possibility,,
The 'A' in a box marking on the left rear of the trigger guard could possibly be the Belgian Military marking Pre-War,,but I'm not absolutely sure.
I can't remember if it was diamond shape or a square the A was inside of.

I just ID'd a Colt 1903 a while back with the Belgian Military mark on it so you'd think I could remember..!

The tangent sight doesn't seem to match the finish condition of the rest of the gun. I don't get the warm fuzzies.

Thanks 2152hg! You've got to just love this place!!!

rags

BoDog said:

The tangent sight doesn't seem to match the finish condition of the rest of the gun. I don't get the warm fuzzies.

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gotta love the tangent sights up to 500.. yards. ha ha.

nice piece. double check finish closely.