I'm looking to buy my first pistol, something about the Hi Power is drawing me.

Those $450 P35s look like a good first pistol, as well as a good project pistol.

Are they worth it? And if you purchased one, can you post a few pictures?

Thanks!

Nothing wrong with CDI but I personally would save the $$ and buy an FEG or Kareen and invest the rest of the money in ammo or send it off for sights/accessories/refinishing etc.
here

What he said.

Buy the real thing. You won't regret it.

If I have a choice, I'd rather pick out a gun that I can see actual pictures (CDI - Gunbroker) of vs the Sarco Grab Bag gun.

However, looking at CDI's current auctions - you have to be real careful with what the description says and the pictures.
There are a lot of guns with replacement slides and barrels even at the higher price ranges.

Seeing dovetailed sights slides on single side safety frames = a replacement slide.
example: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=391137764


Also if you buy one from there make sure it has a solid trigger pin and not a roll pin.

Here's a good MK3 with dovetailed sights, solid trigger pin, and ambi-safety frame.
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=390715693




If interested in buying this one I'd email them through gunbroker and have them double check that the slide & barrel serial numbers match the serial on the front strap of the receiver.
You might ask for a picture of the front strap serial number.

Lastly check the other auctions on Gunbroker - you might find an even nicer gun (not refinished) from another dealer for the same price.  

I've bought 2 FN MK3's from them. I would've sworn the 1st was all matching - turns out the slide was renumbered. Don't know how I missed that. I sold the 1st one locally quickly for what I had into it.

The 2nd was perfect - all numbers match, solid trigger pin, ambi-safety with dovetailed sights.

It is my understanding the majority of Israeli surplus P35s have strong-side safeties (including MKII/IIIs) and they are not replacement slides. They ordered them that way from FN because IDF carries condition 3.


 






















 

Good looking gun.

I'd still shoot them an email and ask to see a picture of the frame serial number to make sure it matches the slide.

I just received my FN Hi-Power from CDI.  I don't know  how many times I looked over the pictures before I actually chose one and purchased it!  Anyway, the pictures are such that you can see the serial numbers to tell if it has a replacement slide/barrel.  Their advertising tells the status, as well.  Most of those seem to be hastily done and look terrible.  I would not buy one like that.  The one I purchased was advertised to come with a 10 round Mec-Gar magazine.  I was pleasantly surprised to find a 13 round magazine in the box.  As always, take your time looking at the pictures and don't forget to enlarge them.  The condition is very easy to determine.  Good luck with your new-to-you Hi-Power.

Can go blind looking at every single Hi Power on there.
I find I'll click on the "watch this" button when I think I found one I like.
Getting tempted by those Fake FN - Fegs.  

Thanks for the tip on the CDI auctions on Gunbroker- so jumping in with both feet, I just "bought it now" on what looks to be a nice FEG "fake FN". Cole's photos certainly look good, and for $219, it looks hard to beat for an inexpensive CW. Crossing fingers...

Are you guys confusing CDI, a gunbroker seller by the name of Gary Cole with CDI as in Charles Daley?

CDI has some nreally nice mkiii FN hi powers for between $450-489 that were ex Israeli service pistols.

Thy would make an awesome first BHP

These are not Charles Daley.   But cdisales does have some nice FEG and Kareen clones as well for closer to $200.  For the price difference, get the mkiii fn

The FEGs are great

To me, it largly depends on what you want to do with it.

If you're looking for a really nice looking gun, you might be better off holding off for one of the commercial Browning guns and not a surplus gun.  I am partial to the commercial Mk III guns as well as the Practical model, when you can find it, but these will cost you more.

If you're looking for a good practical carry gun with a minimum of fuss and bother, you could do a lot worse than one of the Mk II or Mk III guns from Coles with the factory extended safety.  Reason being, the sights and factory extended safety are pretty usable as is.  The Mk III's are alleged to stand up to +P ammunition better, but there's some debate about that.  Jerk out the magazine safety and clean all the grit out of the action, and the triggers are generally satisfactory without a lot of fuss.  If you go that direction, the bore condition is generally pretty well described in Cole's listing, and personally I'd spend the money for a better bore.

If you're wanting really nice sights, a better trigger and safety, and a better finish, then by all means go for one of the FEG guns or one of the lesser grade FN guns, and have at it.  You can send the slide off to Novak for new sights and get it back in a couple of weeks, last I heard, and it doesn't take a genius to put better trigger and sear in one of these things.

You should figure on a new spring set for any of the surplus guns, right off the bat.

Personally, I found there is no such a thing as owning one BHP.  I think everybody needs at least one good carry gun they're not afraid to scuff up and use, and at least one other really nice one to take to the range on warm sunny days to have fun shooting and make other shooters green with envy.  Preferably two or three of each type.  But that's just me.  Your milage, it may vary.

This is all great info.

I concur, start with a cheap FEG, or a Coles import MKII or MKIII.  Have some very light smithing done to it (sights, safety, maybe refinish if you want). You need to see if these guns are "right" for you.  Pros are they are accurate, sexy, thin, conceal well, point well, robust, and have great handling characteristics.  Cons are sucky sights, safeties, and triggers (all addressable),more limited gunsmith support, a little "flippy" and hard to get a high 2 hand hold on them, slower follow up shots. But the fact of the matter is that they feel "just right" in your hand, and make you a fan very quickly.

Then buy above MKIII to put more into, or go back in time to a really nice unmolested prewar or c-series.

My next BHP will be a fixed sight practical in .40S&W


Btw, some of the commercial FEG's have awesome finish.  This one comes alive like a 50's S&W revolver, albeit a bit more fragile finish.   There is always hard chrome if things get dinged up too much

I'm reading this today after pulling the pin yesterday.  

They are probably hard to find, but if you ever find a Charles Daly scoop it up.
Got mine for $300 XS sights, uncle mikes grips, FEG blueing, runs like a champ.