I bought a "European Police Trade In" BHP from Aim sometime last year. Cleaned it and shot it once. Decided it needed work and I would play with it in the future. Well I recently started researching it and I am 99% sure it is a FEG clone. Safety was very mushy amd trigger reset was terrible. I really wanted a FN pistol to refinish and modify because I really love the design. Here are some pictures. What do you guys think? It shoots, ejection is weak but no huge issues. Seems like a weird combo, old style hammer, safety, and sights. But with a non humped feed ramp. As you can see in the pictures, the frame has a nice blued finish, the slide looks painted.

You've got a parts gun. The frame was manufactured by FN in '46 for the Belgian Military. I'd have to inspect the slide/barrel more thoroughly, but at first glance they appear genuine FN as well. The slide is definitely post '73 and renumbered to match the frame...the barrel appears the same vintage and is also renumbered. If it matters, good close-ups of the inside of the slide/firing spring tunnel as well as both sides of the barrel lug would likely lock it down further.

Hope that helps .....

Oh, BTW the hammer itself is post '71.....

Everything I have read pointed to the 5 digit serial with a letter prefix and the external extractor being a FEG clone despite the markings. Here are the pictures you asked for. Thank you for the help.

Absolutely positively 100% certain your frame is NOT an FEG, but instead exactly what I described: FN P35 produced in 1946 and intended for the Belgian Military. Note the number "6" within a partial square on the left side of the trigger guard root...that is the FN Part Date Code for '46. Note the "AC" on the right side of the trigger guard root...that's the Belgian State Arsenal mark. The capital "A"  prefix SN was used by FN immediately post occupation and immediately post war (late '44 through '46) to denote pistols assembled with parts left over from the German occupation. The "A" stands for "Allemande" which is "German" in French...the official language of FN.

The FEG produced FN marked counterfeits use the typical FEG SN scheme of a capital letter, usually "B" or "L" followed by a distinctive space followed by the 5 digit SN...all in a distinctive font/size. AND, the FEG SN is found on the barrel, slide AND vertically on the frontstrap of the frame.

It looks like this: https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTsh7yB3XUkt-axeKxAXkBWWS9KlpleaxwxbxIyl0BMA1YU3GcC

Oh, your slide and barrel are genuine FN...30 years newer than the frame, as identified in my first post

Awesome info. Thank you.

Took it to the range today, put 3 mags through it, slide does not like to go forward with a full magazine using the slide catch. Using the sling shot method it works fine. Guessing this is weak springs due to age. Ejection of tge last round when the slide locks back is weak compared to normal. It shoots 6 inches to the left at 10 yards, going to have to drift the rear sight over to correct for this and explains why I struggled to hit steel with it last time I shot it.

So first order of business is a spring kit a real cleaning and drifting the rear sight. Then I have to get the tiny mushy safety upgraded and sights brought to a more modern standard. And I would really like to have the slide not look so beat up. Maybe get it reblued or cerakoted a matte black.

Thanks again

or you can use the half cock feature.  that is what I do.  The safety is garbage on these

You are most welcome .

Allow me to suggest calling Browning Parts for your springs...and other parts needs, as they're genuine, they're almost always the least expensive route and they ship quickly. Oh, for most all orders there is but a single shipping charge so buy extra recoil springs...they're very inexpensive. If not most...at very least many, BHP owners prefer the genuine current MkII/MkIII ambi thumb safety...which can quite easily be converted (permanently though) to single (strong) side. C&S makes a couple aftermarket single side "Extended" thumb safeties that are generally well thought-of, the difference between the two is the width of the actual shelf the thumb rests upon...the "Wide Target" is...well, wider . C&S also makes an ambi safety that many are not near as happy with as, though the left side...the side used for right hand manipulation, is the same as the smaller of the 2 single side "Extended" safeties, the off-side is much larger and ill placed for left hand manipulation. Keep in mind the "mushy" nature of many...if not most, BHP thumb safeties can be corrected by very slightly deepening the divot in which the detent ball indexes. Keep in mind, unlike the 1911, the detent ball and spring are inside the thumb safety itself and the divot is in the frame...BE CAREFUL if you choose to do it yourself.

As for sights, there are VERY limited options for "improving" your current "bump 'n hump" sights as the narrow and rounded front is staked...and that's where the improvement is really needed. Probably the most popular aftermarket HSLD sights are those offered by Novak's...though there are others. Novak's will...depending upon the rear you choose...Mk2, Mk3 (Novak's designations) or 1911, not only mill the slide for the rear, but mill a dovetail for the front. When they have to fill the existing rear dovetail before milling for the Novak rear, they will refinish the slide at no extra cost...a good thing with your "painted" slide...and they do a soft matte blue/black which would look a whole lot better with your polished blue frame. After studying the Novak website, call 'em. While the lady you'll initially speak to is helpful...and sweet, speak to the machinist who'll do the work to be sure you get what your looking for. Everyone has their preferences...but IMHO, the best rear is the older Novak Mk2...even on MkIII BHPs. The Novak Mk3 is too small for my tastes...and though I have several BHPs with the larger Novak 1911 rear, the 1911 IS pretty big and requires a correspondingly taller front sight. Many say the Novak 1911 rear is too bulky for the svelte BHP slide, and you might get some "whining" from the Novak machinist. Another advantage to having Novak's...v. your local smith, do your sights is that they're the actual manufacturer of the sight and their turn over is VERY quick...often just a week when a refinish isn't required or you just luck out and catch 'em when they're already doing a batch.

As for "real world" carry of the BHP for defensive purposes...of course everyone is free to do what they wish, the VAST majority of BHP users carry their BHP Condition 1. I'll leave it at that .....

I was also thinking along the lines you are. Springs from browning, and leaving the sights stock for now and using it as a range toy until I decide what to do with it. Considering Jim Garthwaite to do work on the pistol, trigger and hammer, strong slide safety, and Hienie night sights. And his matte blue refinish, with polished flats. Nodak for the slide and a spring kit would be by far the best bang for the buck though.

I have perfectly serviceable defensive pistols. But a Browning would be carried cocked and locked.