|
|
Post by jonrigs on Apr 28, 2022 19:22:50 GMT -5
First the disclaimer. I am not the owner - the owner received this from his father via grandfather. "Legend" has it that his grandfather brought it back at the end of WW2. And it sat, and sat, and sat until last year.
Owner is not a firearms expert (and I know next to nothing about BHPs, being a 1911, 1903/A3, M1 kinda guy)...
I see the following marks... Nitro proof, definitive, and controller code of *E - which would put it as Jamart Auguste (1924_1959). As I believe the BHP Didnt come out until 1935 (?), That narrows thing down to a 24 year period?
Serial number is 4 digits "5579".
Rear sight is a ladder type adjustable, marked 50 to 500 (meters?) (Side note: pretty ambitious for a 9mm P cartridge!), And the grip back strap has a slot for the wooden stick/holster (which did not stay with the pistol).
Owner has not disassembled the pistol, so I don't know if the barrel s/n matches, but frame and slide do...
Attached are all the pictures sent to me ... And GO!
And apparently I either lack the knowledge or capability of adding pics ...
|
|
|
|
Post by tnorris on Apr 28, 2022 21:29:47 GMT -5
First the disclaimer. I am not the owner - the owner received this from his father via grandfather. "Legend" has it that his grandfather brought it back at the end of WW2. And it sat, and sat, and sat until last year. Owner is not a firearms expert (and I know next to nothing about BHPs, being a 1911, 1903/A3, M1 kinda guy)... I see the following marks... Nitro proof, definitive, and controller code of *E - which would put it as Jamart Auguste (1924_1959). As I believe the BHP Didnt come out until 1935 (?), That narrows thing down to a 24 year period? Serial number is 4 digits "5579". Rear sight is a ladder type adjustable, marked 50 to 500 (meters?) (Side note: pretty ambitious for a 9mm P cartridge!), And the grip back strap has a slot for the wooden stick/holster (which did not stay with the pistol). Owner has not disassembled the pistol, so I don't know if the barrel s/n matches, but frame and slide do... Attached are all the pictures sent to me ... And GO! And apparently I either lack the knowledge or capability of adding pics ...*Pics limited to 3 attachments per message - must be less than 1mb per attachment. Space is at a premium.
Jon,
I hope you don't mind my sharing your photos...
Jon emailed some pictures to me earlier. Here are a few of the 12 pics for the rest of you BHP Historians to ponder.
I would like to know if the barrel cam is the original round version or the 1938 squared revision, and if it has a matching serial number. Looks like Belgian pre-war military contract. It seems serial numbers vs assembly date could be all over the place. Perhaps it is from the first Belgian Military contract of 10,000?
Type 1 Tangent sights and slot. May have been issued with carbine stock?
Cheers,
Tim
|
|
|
|
Post by tnorris on Apr 28, 2022 21:32:02 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by tnorris on Apr 28, 2022 21:33:22 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by tnorris on Apr 28, 2022 21:39:22 GMT -5
... and the last three:
That's it!
Cheers,
Tim
|
|
|
|
Post by ToddSig on Apr 30, 2022 8:13:07 GMT -5
Nice early High Power. Some interesting marks. I did some quick research through Vanerlinden and here is some additional information. It certainly appears to be, as Tim notes a pre war High Power and part of the early Belgian contracts. Date range is 1935-1940. Looking at the barrel cam would help in dating to 1935-1938 or 1938-1940
• Has both FN factory marks and Belgian arsenal marks, so it does appear to be part of the early Belgian contract.
• H in a Circle – Inspectors Part Acceptance: Typically found on Belgian military High Power pistols. This inspector was active circa 1931-early 1940
• E over GB over an * in an oval – Epreuve du Gouvernement Belge (Belgian government proof): This marking was applied to assembled parts to indicate that the parts passed inspection and were property of the Belgian state. The marking was only applied once per gun or applied to major components. This marking was applied at the same time as the inspector marking.
• MAE Arsenal mark (state arms manufacture), Crown over a PH – Introduced in the mid 1920s and found on Belgian military model 1910 pistols as well as High Powers (1935-1940).
• MAE Arsenal mark, A over ME, MAE Manufacture d’Armes de L’Etat. This mark indicates the location where the pistol was received. It is found primarily on High Power pistols and was not always applied. The A over ME marks was applied at the state arsenal.
• As Tim notes, type 1 tangent sight, which has the shoulder stock slot, and were ordered for Belgian NCOs and troops prior to 1939
I too agree, you should post images of the barrel cam, change was made in 1938 from round to square.
Hope this helps, and thanks to Tim for getting the images up. Always cool to see early High Powers.
|
|
|
|
Post by tnorris on Apr 30, 2022 8:47:40 GMT -5
Nice early High Power. Some interesting marks. I did some quick research through Vanerlinden and here is some additional information. It certainly appears to be, as Tim notes a pre war High Power and part of the early Belgian contracts. Date range is 1935-1940. Looking at the barrel cam would help in dating to 1935-1938 or 1938-1940
Todd,
Here are the first three of five additional pics Jon sent last night. The barrel cam is round and has a matching serial number, with a [ circle M ] on the foot. The frame is also serial numbered on the right rear corner, with an additional mark.
|
|
|
|
Post by tnorris on Apr 30, 2022 8:51:13 GMT -5
Todd,
Here are the first three of five additional pics Jon sen last night. The barrel cam is round and has a matching serial number. The frame is also serial numbered on the right rear corner, with an additional mark.
... and the last two.
I think the first one is a pic of an odd mark on the sear? The final picture is the bore and humped feed ramp.
Cheers,
Tim
|
|
