Charles Daly HP

[4506517]

I have a line on one of these for $350. I have read all kinds of stuff about them. Some folks say the first 500 were assembled by Dan Wesson with the remainder done by Magnum Research. Others say Magnum Research did all of them. I know they are built with almost 100% FEG parts. Finish is supposedly not as nice as genuine High Powers, but I don't really care. I don't have a HP pattern pistol and this seems like fun for $350.

What do you guys think?

 

[bulletslap]

I think you have done very well .

Personally I would be on the HP clone like a duck on a June bug.

 

[Valmet]

$350 sounds like a bargain for any HP or HP clone these days.

 

[Thin Man]

I've kept an eye out for one of those for a LONG time, to no avail. I have 2 KBI-imported FEG PJK9-HPs and love them, so for that money I'd jump on it!
The Charles Daly HPs are indeed FEG parts assembled in the USA, so quality is actually very good. Perhaps not to FN standards, but I'd be willing to bet it's exceedingly close.
I say go get it!

 

[stansdds]

That's a good price for a Charles Daly Hi-Power. It's my understanding that they are of good quality.

 

[WC145]

The Charles Daly HPs are surprisingly nice guns and very well fit and finished for their price point. I picked up one of the Magnum Research versions several years ago and it has been a great gun that functions reliably and shoots accurately. After removing the magazine disconnect and replacing the hammer with a C&S "No-Bite" hammer it is a pleasure to shoot and has an excellent trigger, 4.5lbs, clean and crisp. I gave $350 for mine in the box with a few extra mags, if I could find another one in similar condition for that price I'd grab it.

 

[Old_Cop]

I'd be happy to pay $350 for an FEG Hi-Power clone. Look at GB if you want an idea of what sellers want for beater originals or clones.

 

[Texas Star]

How do they compare to the Argentine license-built ones?

I had one of those for a short while and it worked fine and shot well. Did have the dull gray military finish.

Did not come with a CD of Karen Carpenter singing, "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina." Nor did it have a companion gaucho knife. They probably missed a marketing opportunity there...

 

[Texas Star]

The Charles Daly HPs are surprisingly nice guns and very well fit and finished for their price point. I picked up one of the Magnum Research versions several years ago and it has been a great gun that functions reliably and shoots accurately. After removing the magazine disconnect and replacing the hammer with a C&S "No-Bite" hammer it is a pleasure to shoot and has an excellent trigger, 4.5lbs, clean and crisp. I gave $350 for mine in the box with a few extra mags, if I could find another one in similar condition for that price I'd grab it.

Is this rear sight original to the gun?

 

[WC145]

Is this rear sight original to the gun?

Yes, they came with XS Big Dot sights.

 

[4506517]

This one does have those sights.

Not sure what the serial number prefix is, but the number is 101.

Guess I will talk to the guy today.

 

[4506517]

Ok........

So I bought it.

Gave him $340 for it.

Serial # is HP00101.

Im going to assume this one is a Dan Wesson assembled unit.

I'll post pictures tomorrow.

I did notice it only has a 10 round mag. Going to fix that soon.

Thanks for all the help guys.

 

[Sistema1927]

He was asking $350 and you got him to come down $10?

Gutsy.

 

[stansdds]

Ok........

So I bought it.

Gave him $340 for it.

Serial # is HP0010X.

Im going to assume this one is a Dan Wesson assembled unit.

I'll post pictures tomorrow.

I did notice it only has a 10 round mag. Going to fix that soon.

Thanks for all the help guys.

Let's see some pics!

 

[4506517]

Here are the pictures.

Lol....I didnt "really" talk him down.

I only had $340 on me and told him I would bring him the $10. I cut him a deal a while back so he just returned the favor.

As I said earlier, it only came with one 10 round mag. Have to fix that.

Overall, being that it is and HP prefix and low serial number, i think i did pretty good.

 

[Thin Man]

Very nice! Good catch, 4506517!

 

[HARDWARE]

Rollmark is hideous. What were they thinking

 

[4506517]

Yeah, I'm not exactly thrilled about that rollmark. It is at a minimum kinda cheesy. However, I bought this pistol as a fun gun, not something that I intend to carry. Now I did see a Youtube video where a fellow Cera-coated his and it concealed the rollmark well. That pistol looked really nice once he was done.

 

[stansdds]

For $350, you did good! That's a solidly built Hi-Power clone.

 

[BB57]

Charles Daly Hi Powers were made using FEG supplied parts finished and assembled in the US. K.B.I imported the parts with the intention of creating a US made Hi Power clone in the US to compete more or less head to head with FN. Charles Daly was K.B.I's high end firearm banner and it became the Charles Daly Hi Power.

CHDPs with an "HP prefix were assembled by Dan Wesson and they assembled around 800 of them. The rest of the 3500 or pistols produced were marked with an "HPM" prefix and were assembled by Magnum Research.

The CDHP is a clone of the early P9 (a pre Mk II Hi Power clone) modified with an extended safety lever and the slid milled for Novak style sights. However, the HP marked, Dan Wesson assembled CDHPs are milled for Novak Hi Power sights, while the HPM marked Magnum Research assembled CDHPs are milled for Novak 1911 sights.

The Magnum Research assembled pistols also had XS rear sights with a shallow "V" rather than a square notch. Shooters either love them or hate them and many of these have no doubt been replaced with more traditional 3 dot sights.

There's also some evidence of a few "HP" marked pistols with 1911 slide cuts. These may represent slides at the tail end of Dan Wesson production that were competed by Magnum Research.

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In any case they are well made, highly regarded and are becoming increasingly less common on the used market as the shooters who have them tend to keep them.