FN HIGH POWER DATE OF MANUFACTURE

[Larry]

OK Tim - I will Email the photos to you this evening. 
Thanks much - Larry

[Larry]

Aug 16, 2020 7:56:06 GMT -5 tnorris said:

Larry,

I always forget how difficult it is to upload photos on this forum. If you'd like, you could email some photos to me and I could take a look and give you my best guess.

[e-mail]

Thanks!
Tim

OK Tim - I will Email the photos to you this evening.

Thanks much - Larry

[Ed Feldsher]

Just purchased a used BHP S/N 69C11376 is marked made in Belgium. also Browning Arms St Louis, MO & Montreal PQ
Can anyone provide me with any information? I love the gun in great shape and new to BHP.

[tnorris]

Yours was made in 1969, per the serial number. It is likely the finest battle pistol ever made. Definitely the sexiest.

Browning Arms Co was and is an arm of Fabrique Nationale of Belgium. High Powers were first imported to the USA under the Browning brand around 1954. Browning is now headquartered in Utah and later BHPs were marked as such. All Browning/FN HPs (they are the same guns) were made in Belgium, though they were assembled in Portugal for a short while as a cost savings measure. Production of High Powers ended a few years ago, sadly.

All (or most) replacement parts for newer or older guns will fit. If it's gonna be a shooter it would benefit from the replacement of all springs, including the sear spring. I like to shoot first and replace the springs after, but I try and determine first if there is a problem, such as a trigger pull under 4#s. High Powers are pretty easy to work on, and there are many great videos out there to help you along. BHSpringSolutions has a ton of great videos including the High Power University series which delves into history and most recently, the gun from which it came. They have shared so much info on High Powers...

I'm a fan of the SFS system, which is basically a "hammer down cocked and locked" modification. I believe it was a completely natural improvement over, update to, the traditional system, especially for a daily carry gun. My first two High Powers came with SFS factory installed, and I have added it to all of my others except for a 1943 produced during the occupation of Belgium by Germany. I did replace all of the springs and it is a great shooter, though I don't take her out often. I also believe that if John Moses Browning had designed SFS, traditional cocked and locked pistols would no longer be produced - SFS is also available for 1911s.

Take a look at the forums for more info... and do check out the BHSpringSolutions web site. If you have questions about replacing springs (or anything else) they can answer them for you. They also provide excellent service and fast shipping.

Cheers, and welcome to the High Power club!

[hammond]

I have a browning and need hepl dating the gun. "browning arms companySt Louis & Montrial. SN 128220. Any help will be fantastic.

[tnorris]

Nov 13, 2020 15:41:51 GMT -5 hammond said:

I have a browning and need hepl dating the gun. "browning arms companySt Louis & Montrial. SN 128220. Any help will be fantastic.

If you'd like, you could email some photos to me and I could take a look and give you my best guess. I will share them with a couple other guys here who are interested. Detailed/closeup photos of any marks on the frame and barrel would help, as well as good photos of both sides of your pistol. By serial number per the Browning site, it sounds like a 1964. There may be other marks that will confirm that. Serial numbers are not always reliable.

[e-mail]

Thanks!
Tim

[guppy35]

New to the forum. Hoping you can help me identify the time frame this High Power was made.  Haven't been able to narrow it down as the A before the serial number messes it up.  Also the Name is one it would be fun to trace.  Sorry for the photo quality.  Phone camera

one I'd love to trace, but so far no luck.

[tnorris]

Before 1961 is a quick easy guess because of the thumbprint on the front right of the slide. There may be more tiny characters around the trigger guard, on the inside of the slide and barrel, and perhaps on some other parts (hammer) which tell what year each part might have been finished.

The inspector mark [*N] was used by Maurice Scorpion from 1959 - 1968, and Couchant Louis from 1923 - 1952... and you might guess it was not made between 1952 and 1959.

Cheers,

Tim

[jimmyg101]

I have this old Browning High Power cant make the exact date out can someone give me some good information on this pistol thanks!

[tnorris]

Hello Jimmy!

There are a number of enthusiasts here who may be able to get you to the year and possibly which quarter your High Power was made. It will require some good photos of both sides of the pistol, and details of any marks on the frame, slide, barrel and some other small parts. If it is of recent production... you can start at the link below. This info mostly pertains for pistols imported from FN to Browning USA.

www.browning.com/support/date-your-firearm/hi-power-pistol.html

Creating a new thread for your request is also an option.

Don't forget good sharp detailed photos!

Cheers,

Tim

[mog]

Hopefully someone can you tell me about mine?
Serial number 87xx on the right side of the frame under the ejection port, and on the barrel visible in the ejection port.
On the left side of the side - -



FABRIQUE NATIONALE D'ARMES DE GUERRE

HERSTAL BELGIQUE



Tangent sights and slotted for the stock. I believe my stock is incorrect as it is the open the back, put the gun inside style like my Broomhandle Mauser and I think this era is supposed to have the board style stock with a leather holster attached? I also don't think the grips are original as they seemed to be hand checkered but maybe they did that in the 'old days'?

Thanks in advance.



Proof marks

[ToddSig]

Hi Mog, and welcome to HPC. Nice tangent sight High Power you have, from what I can tell is it is a prewar High Power, but need more info and images to be more specific.

From the couple of images, I cant tell too much, and serial numbers dont always relate to the manufacture date as FN ran requested serial numbers on some contract guns. You have an internal extractor and the thumb print depression on the slide, both eliminated around 1962. (edit) The N with an asterisk over it is a controller of the proof mark,which belonged to Henri Florkin, who worked 1927 to 1958.

It has a type 1 tangent sight, where the distance markings fill about 60% of the leaf, type 2 fill about 100% of the leaf. The type 1 sight were supplied with numbered shoulder stocks. The type 1 sight was only used in pre WWII production according to Vanderlinden's book, page 298, so based on that you have a prewar High power. 

If you send more images of any additional marks, perhaps the trigger, trigger guard, grip base, hammer, and also an image of the barrel cam (rounded or squared) we might be able to narrow the date from prewar to a more specific range. Given the 4 digit serial number, it could be one of the Belgian Prewar contracts.

One concern is the barrel, I dont see any proof marks on it, looks smooth. Check the other side of the barrel and barrel cam for a serial number, proof marks etc, and the shape of the barrel cam. All will help identify the High Power and possibly what contract.

Hope this helps, and post a few more images when you get a chance.

[mog]

Oct 29, 2021 8:23:36 GMT -5 ToddSig said:

Hi Mog, and welcome to HPC. Nice tangent sight High Power you have, from what I can tell is it is a prewar High Power, but need more info and images to be more specific.
Hope this helps, and post a few more images when you get a chance.

Thank you very much for the information and the quick response. I had kind of forgotten about this until 'talk' of the new G-35 being released.

Attached are two more photos of it disassembled. The barrel only has an 'A' on the bottom of the locking lug, and a 'C' on the bottom of the barrel with no serial number or proofmarkings. So probably an aftermarket barrel installed prior to the early 1990s when I bought it? Same with the magazines (3), no marking at all. When I bought this it was just a 'cheap' High Power with three mags and the shoulder stock, so it fit my budget and the stock was a big selling point for me as I had/have a stocked Broomhandle Mauser and a stocked Artillery Luger so this was rounding out my collection back then, Although researching later I believe the stock is for Inglis High Powers, so 'not legal' (exempt via C&R) to use on a Belgian High Power.    But it was not portrayed as a 'collectable' High Power, and was priced that way. Thanks again for the information.

[cpwlew]

May 2, 2021 2:04:04 GMT -5 guppy35 said:

New to the forum. Hoping you can help me identify the time frame this High Power was made.  Haven't been able to narrow it down as the A before the serial number messes it up.  Also the Name is one it would be fun to trace.  Sorry for the photo quality.  Phone camera

one I'd love to trace, but so far no luck.

[smesi14]

Hello, I am new to the forum and would really like some help identifying when my family’s High Power was made. I have tried to figure it out myself but it is clearly much more complex than I thought based on the previous posts!