Posted: 11/8/2010 1:45:41 PM EDT
|
Been posting on a few sites to try and identify the year/provenance/etc of my BHP. It has matching serials and the markings indicate it's probably pretty old - I suspect it's pre-52, but I can't say for sure.
It has:
Here's some photos of it, including close-ups of the markings. I've replaced the original ring hammer and safety with the C&S no-bite ring hammer and an ambi safety, but it's otherwise original. The only additional change I want to make is to replace the sights (who the heck could use those tiny things?). Any help with identification is much appreciated!!! :) http://www.513224.com/storage/bhp-1.jpg http://www.513224.com/storage/bhp-2.jpg http://www.513224.com/storage/bhp-3.jpg http://www.513224.com/storage/bhp-4.jpg http://www.513224.com/storage/bhp-5.jpg http://www.513224.com/storage/bhp-6.jpg http://www.513224.com/storage/bhp-7.jpg http://www.513224.com/storage/bhp-8.jpg http://www.513224.com/storage/bhp-9.jpg |
|
It's definitely an older one with the internal extractor. Definitely been refinished. Hammer and thumb safety appear to be Cylinder and Slide.
ETA: Doesn't the "Hi Powers and Handguns" website have a serial look up or somehting that can give you an estimate of production? ETA2: Here's one reportedly from 1952 with a higher serial number than yours. ETA3: And here's one reportedly from 1948 that also has a higher serial number than yours. One last thought- all the older hi powers from that era seem to have had the thumb scoop cut on the right side of the slide for take down. This is absent on yours. |
|
Quoted:
It's definitely an older one with the internal extractor. Definitely been refinished. Hammer and thumb safety appear to be Cylinder and Slide. One last thought- all the older hi powers from that era seem to have had the thumb scoop cut on the right side of the slide for take down. This is absent on yours. Yup, I replaced the original hammer and safety for the Cylinder & Slide parts just to make it usable. It was tearing up my hand, and the safety was just... awkward at best. Gun runs great though! Hipowersandhandguns does indeed have a link to FN's 'listing' of serials, but it only goes back to 1952. I've read about serial numbers being associated with older contract runs... that information seems tough to come by though. Also, I've noticed your note about the thumb scoop in the slide as well - strange that it's absent, right? A bit enigmatic. Thanks for taking the time, btw, to dig up those links and help me out! I really appreciate it! :) |
Dang, not sure how I missed your paragraph about changing out the parts.  I guess I was just drawn straight to the pics. 
Based on serial number, it's gotta be mid-40s vintage. Pretty cool. Try posting pics over at the 1911forum Hi Power section: http://forums.1911forum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=15 |
Just read the post on 1911forum from GP35fan, very interesting! I would have thought the internal extractor had been replaced earlier than that, but some other research (wiki) says it went away in 1962, the year after your pistol appears to have been made. The lack of thumb scoop was a good clue that the pistol was of a later vintage than the 40s, but I just don't know enough about the older Hi Powers to have put 2 and 2 together there. At any rate, you've got a unique pistol perfect for a custom job, thanks for sharing! 
|
| Yup, got a really concise answer from that forum - thank you so much for pointing me in that direction! It actually went really far towards easing my mind about hacking the gun up a bit for custom work - I admit that I did pause at the thought of getting too involved in manhandling and otherwise customizing a 'classic'. |
|
I have a Browning that looks like yours. Its a Austrian Police contract pistol made for them right after WW2. If I remember correctly the first contract was 5000 or 10000 pistols in 1946 or 1948?? can't remember the dates for the contract. I know Browning was doing a lot of police contracts for many different countries after WW2. My BHP is a 4 digit ser # with a stamping in the bottom of the pistol as well, by the Mag well that says P35 and some numbers but its hard to read. There is no coat of arms stamped in the top of the slide like the Argentine Police contract. Mine came with a box and a matching 13rd Mag. I only have 2 pics to post right now. I will try to get some better pics and post them soon. Let me know what you think.
RLTW 
|