FN West German Police High Power need help dating

[ek]

Post WW II West German Military Police High Power Pistol stamped with the early "Fabrique National D' Armes De Guerre...."
of the Belgian Government. This pistol has fixed sights and has stacked and matching Serial Nos.: "57637".
Comes with the properly marked West German leather holster which is soundly stamped
and numerically matched with the pistol.


    

[ToddSig]

Welcome to HPC ek, thanks for posting. To properly date we will need a little more information. The West German contracts, according to Vanderlinden started in 1951, an orders included 7500 pistols delivered over several years for the North Rhine Westphalia dept.The 757 number on the frame in front to the hammer could be a North Rhine Westphalia dept inventory #. The serial number range was between 28,000 and 60,000.

For more precise dating, I would need more information. On the barrel lug it looks like a number in box, but I cant make out the number, possibly a 6? Which would be a production mark for 1956. On the left side of the frame, above the trigger should be a letter with an asterisk above it (this mark could also be on the barrel). What is the letter, this identifies the inspector, and we can get a date range from it. Also check on the frame, grip base, slide, slide underside, trigger, hammer and backside of the slide stop for small, single digit numbers with lines around it. Also, if the magine is original it too could have production marks on it. This info will tell us the production date of the part.

The holster appears correct, according to Vanderlinden, the holster, N Mle 1935, was used postwar for German police and border guards, starting in the 1950s.

Let us know more on the marks and perhaps we can get a precise date for you.

[ek]

Number in the box is 3…..4 in a circle above the firing pin……M over an * on the right side of the barrel and also on the left side of the slide above the trigger.  On the frame above the trigger is a stick man figure over 2 lines over PV. And then a W after the trigger pin. On the right side on the trigger guard is a 2 inside a box with a capital B stamped on top. The holster, frame and mags are stamped 790. The holster flap is stamped Die Polizel

[Bob Reed]

Hello, EK, - Welcome Aboard.

I can't help with the history, but it appears that someone installed the Trigger Pin backwards. The 'rounded' end of the pin should be protruding on the R.H. Side with the 'flat' end flush on the L.H. Side of the frame. The trigger pin is installed from Left to Right, and removed by driving from Right to Left.

[ek]

Thank you for the assistance!


  

[ek]

Nov 6, 2021 10:37:23 GMT -5 Bob Reed said:

Hello, EK, - Welcome Aboard.

I can't help with the history, but it appears that someone installed the Trigger Pin backwards. The 'rounded' end of the pin should be protruding on the R.H. Side with the 'flat' end flush on the L.H. Side of the frame. The trigger pin is installed from Left to Right, and removed by driving from Right to Left.

Thanks for the heads up, but the rounded end of the pin protrudes on the right hand side with the flat blued end of the pin on the L.H side.

[Bob Reed]

Yes, I see it more clearly in the second set of photos you posted while I was still typing. This is good to see because, the hole on the R.H. Side is undersized for a snug, drive fit - and when the unknowing install the pin from the wrong side it can wear the R.H. hole enough to let the pin walk when firing.

[ToddSig]

ek, very impressive with the original maga and holster, all serialized to the High Power. Great find.

The asterisk is marked over the letter, so it is not an M over an asterisk, but an asterisk over a W. The W is the mark of Nicholas Wolfs who worked as an inspector from 1952 to 1968. You stated the number in the box on the barrel is a three, which would be a 1953 production date, the 2 in a box on the trigger guard would be for 1952 production of the frame. So with those production parts marks it was probably a 1953 production High Power.

Although serial numbers dont always tell the proper date, I have a 1952 German import with a serial number of 40,230. So 1953 seems to fit your serial number as well.Check some other parts as well for production dates.

Thanks for sharing.

[ruber]

Very cool HP, and welcome!

I have #757 and always enjoy finding another one of the Westphalia HP’s.

Here is a thread from 2008 on the Military Handgun forum where there are a couple others and we came up with 1953 too:
www.gunboards.com/threads/west-german-high-power.56557/

I have one matching mag and thats about it. My wife’s uncle passed and my wife had me help with the guns, knives, and boobytraps around his house. He had a garage full of 12ga 870’s and 30-06 700’s, but had a loaded BAR under his bed and this HP in his sock drawer in one of the old Browning rugs with the red liner. It had been in there long enough the liner began to mold and stuck to the grips and a couple spots on the frame and slide.

The uncle was a Viet Nam vet then became a geology professor and didn’t ever talk about guns. His cache was a real surprise to my wife’s family. I helped with the estate sale and the family let me transfer the HP and BAR into my name. Unfortunately that’s all the history I know.

Here it is after cleaning it up 10 years ago, I’ll get some better photos of proofs up soon.

[ek]

That is very helpful.  I had thought it was newer 56-58.  It is nice to nail it down to 53.  Thank you, Sir



I have a seldom seen High Power.  I warn you it is ugly.  Bakelite enamel over the original war II patina.  British restore of a MK 1 High Power.  Restored in 63


    

[ek]

Ruber, Very nice looking HP. I will have to check out that link. Thank you, Sir

[ruber]

That’s a neat MkI, a real treasure. I’d love to hear it’s stories if it could talk.

I think it is interesting that the few Westphalia guns I’ve seen have not had import marks on them though many of the other German police guns I’ve seen do.