FN Browning High Power

[fourb20]

I posted this information earlier but must have done so incorrectly so will try again....I have a 9mm pistol with the following markings on the left side, "Fabrique Nationale D'Armes DeGuerre", atop, " Herstal Belgique" and finally, "Browning's Patent Depose".
On the left side on two locations are what appear to be the letters, "N8A140" and an Eagle holding a swastika.
The serial number is stamped three times on the right side.
I'm guessing the FN plant was overrun by the Germans in WW2 hence the swastikas stamped on two locations.
It is a great shooting 14 shot pistol looking like any other Browning High Power I've seen. Any information would be appreciated.

 

[S-W4EVER]

IIRC the P35 was preferred the German Paratroopers and the Waffen-SS. Both my Hi-Powers are much newer so I don’t know much more.

 

[desi2358]

The FN factory was taken over by the Germans after they conquered Belgium and put to work producing various items for the German military. The Hi-Power and the model 1922 pistol were both produced in large numbers. The Germans assigned inspectors to the plant and their marks included the Eagle and a number that identified the inspector. Popular collector items nowadays.

 

[BAM-BAM]

Pre War and early production under the Third Reich [May 1940- Sept 44] were good to pretty good..... as the War progressed quality suffered.

 

[SnidelyWhiplash]

FN workers allegedly sabotaged many of the products they were forced to build for the Germans...including the Hi Power pistols.

 

[2152hq]

The Eagle/Swastika symbol is the Waffenamt or Arms Inspectors Mark.
It actually reads WaA140

There are at least 3 groups of HP's made under occupation at FN.
Collectors separate them by ser#, features(or lack of them) and the Inspector Mark/Waffenamt

The WaA140 # was used in the last group made and I believe the one before it. The name of the inspector was Luttich or something like that.

But the pistols differed in some features like lack of slotted backstrap (for butt stock attachment) on the 3rd group. Some had rear adj Tangent sights, others fixed sights. Etc, etc.

Google up some info on the War time production and the Waffenamt WaA140 mark and you can get lots of info. Some will be contrary to others, but that's the collecting world,,and the net for you.

The pistols if in orig configuration and decent shape are a valuable handgun.
Some don't like to fire them a lot as the bbl cam notch is such that it can be found cracked.
This from a simple design that left a sharp stress factor corner edge in it.
Others say there is no issue with it.
I've seen one w/a cracked bbl cam that I can remember at this point.
The pistols used to be quite common. They got their share of Bubba work done on them just like the $50 Lugers and $30 P38's.

I had a Chinese Contract HP (1930's) that I used to shoot all the time with commercial 9mm ammo. It seemed to hold together OK.
But like the war time P38, the Luger and other vintage guns, 80yrs old and older in many instances, we might do well to re-think their use as a shooter.

The post war mfg HP immediately addressed that bbl cam issue (and some others )and corrected it.

 

[fourb20]

Thanks to all who replied, good information.

 

[Rudi]

The Brandenburgers were given the P35 as well.

 

[Grayfox]

Pictures please!

 

[03hemi]

I posted this information earlier but must have done so incorrectly so will try again....I have a 9mm pistol with the following markings on the left side, "Fabrique Nationale D'Armes DeGuerre", atop, " Herstal Belgique" and finally, "Browning's Patent Depose".
On the left side on two locations are what appear to be the letters, "N8A140" and an Eagle holding a swastika.
The serial number is stamped three times on the right side.
I'm guessing the FN plant was overrun by the Germans in WW2 hence the swastikas stamped on two locations.
It is a great shooting 14 shot pistol looking like any other Browning High Power I've seen. Any information would be appreciated.

So would pictures?
Probably why nobody responded last time.

 

[S-W4EVER]

Makes me miss Stephen A. Camp. He forgot more than I’ll ever know about BHP’s. R.I.P.

 

[chief38]

I posted this information earlier but must have done so incorrectly so will try again....I have a 9mm pistol with the following markings on the left side, "Fabrique Nationale D'Armes DeGuerre", atop, " Herstal Belgique" and finally, "Browning's Patent Depose".
On the left side on two locations are what appear to be the letters, "N8A140" and an Eagle holding a swastika.
The serial number is stamped three times on the right side.
I'm guessing the FN plant was overrun by the Germans in WW2 hence the swastikas stamped on two locations.
It is a great shooting 14 shot pistol looking like any other Browning High Power I've seen. Any information would be appreciated.

I owned a Browning High Power Belgium made pistol produced in the 1970's. It was a gorgeous pistol I should have never sold!

That said, you are correct that during WWll the Nazi's took over the Browning FN plant and forced them to produce pistols for the German Military. You are lucky to have one that works well because from what I understand, there were many that were purposely made to very poor spec's to sabotage the Nazi war effort. I am sure when the Nazi's took over, there were a number of already or mostly produced pistols that they just marked with swatika's and those are probably a better quality than ones made expressly for the Nazi's.