yes
It is very hard to date a older Hi Power of this era because FN used the same serial number for different contracts. Serial numbers will not tell you the age of the pistols. They often only represent the serial number range that the contract requested. Close up pics of all of the date code stamps and proof marks will help. Just from what I am seeing.
*N on the slide after the PV stamp is an inspectors mark. Henri Florkin 1927-1958
*G on the frame after the PV stamp is an inspectors mark. Josef Charlier 1927-1959
The barrel seems to have a *G as well as the Liege Proof.
It is of course a thumb print gun with a tangent sight. The tanget sight is a type 2 which you ca identify by the way it is fixed to the barrel and the gradations on the sight.
Does it have a slot in the back of the grip for a shoulder stock. The grips are aftermarket the original would have had French walnut wood grips. Are there any letters under the grips on the back of the stock? Specifically KL or EV?
It is hard to tell from the pics but the gun looks refinished. The parkerized finish looks to cover or fill in some of the pitting on the gun. One other thing that would help is what does the barrel cam look like? Is it rounded or squared? The squared cam was introduced in 1938 but this will not fully nail down the date. FN never through away parts. So there are round barrel cams in early waffen proofed guns.
Dating BHPs to quote my friend Sub-moa is often a bit of a WAG.
It is very hard to date a older Hi Power of this era because FN used the same serial number for different contracts. Serial numbers will not tell you the age of the pistols. They often only represent the serial number range that the contract requested. Close up pics of all of the date code stamps and proof marks will help. Just from what I am seeing.
*N on the slide after the PV stamp is an inspectors mark. Henri Florkin 1927-1958
*G on the frame after the PV stamp is an inspectors mark. Josef Charlier 1927-1959
The barrel seems to have a *G as well as the Liege Proof.
It is of course a thumb print gun with a tangent sight. The tanget sight is a type 2 which you ca identify by the way it is fixed to the barrel and the gradations on the sight.
Does it have a slot in the back of the grip for a shoulder stock. The grips are aftermarket the original would have had French walnut wood grips. Are there any letters under the grips on the back of the stock? Specifically KL or EV?
It is hard to tell from the pics but the gun looks refinished. The parkerized finish looks to cover or fill in some of the pitting on the gun. One other thing that would help is what does the barrel cam look like? Is it rounded or squared? The squared cam was introduced in 1938 but this will not fully nail down the date. FN never through away parts. So there are round barrel cams in early waffen proofed guns.
Dating BHPs to quote my friend Sub-moa is often a bit of a WAG.
Slot on the back yes for a stock, barrel cam is round letters under grips there is an s on left side at bottom of handle next to clip but nothing else do you need more picsIt is very hard to date a older Hi Power of this era because FN used the same serial number for different contracts. Serial numbers will not tell you the age of the pistols. They often only represent the serial number range that the contract requested. Close up pics of all of the date code stamps and proof marks will help. Just from what I am seeing.
*N on the slide after the PV stamp is an inspectors mark. Henri Florkin 1927-1958
*G on the frame after the PV stamp is an inspectors mark. Josef Charlier 1927-1959
The barrel seems to have a *G as well as the Liege Proof.
It is of course a thumb print gun with a tangent sight. The tanget sight is a type 2 which you ca identify by the way it is fixed to the barrel and the gradations on the sight.
Does it have a slot in the back of the grip for a shoulder stock. The grips are aftermarket the original would have had French walnut wood grips. Are there any letters under the grips on the back of the stock? Specifically KL or EV?
It is hard to tell from the pics but the gun looks refinished. The parkerized finish looks to cover or fill in some of the pitting on the gun. One other thing that would help is what does the barrel cam look like? Is it rounded or squared? The squared cam was introduced in 1938 but this will not fully nail down the date. FN never through away parts. So there are round barrel cams in early waffen proofed guns.
Dating BHPs to quote my friend Sub-moa is often a bit of a WAG.
Yes the barrel is matching serial number look at the pics
Can you get a better pic of the proof mark on the trigger guard area assuming it is a proof mark not pitting. It is hard to tell from the picture.
The gun does not have any Belgian acceptance marks so it is not a Belgian Military gun. There is no lanyard ring so it is not an Lithuanian. There are no KL or EV markings on grip near the tangent slot so it is not an Estonian contract gun. It does not have a crest on the top of the slide so it is not a Peruvian contract gun.
My WAG is that it is a pre-war 1937-1939 because of the inspection marks, type 2 tangent sight, round lugged barrel. It did not ship with a stock. That said it could be as late as post war using parts there left over which FN was known to do. Again another WAG is that it is a commercial HP or one of the Chinese contract guns. IIRC the Chinese contract guns shipped with serial numbers starting with 5,000 going up to 21,000 but there are huge gaps in the numbers. They did not produce 16,000 pistols for that contract before the war. They only shipped 5,000. Many did not have any other marking beyond the FN commercial markings. There were round and square lug guns. Type 2 and type 1 tangents.
As I stated earlier the gun appears to be refinished so its collector value is a diminished vs the same gun pitted with the original finish. It is a shame that it was refinished but what is done is done. It is a nice example of a pre-war BHP. Take care when shooting it. Always load rounds from a magazine never because the internal extractor can be broken loading directly into the breech of the barrel. Not a common practice but some people do it. The internal extractors are hard to get a hold of and when you find them they are expensive. I sent a message to Sub-Moa to get his thoughts as well. If and when he responds I will post his thoughts as well or he might just post them directly because believe he is a member here. Thanks for sharing hope the info I provided helped.
I got a closeup look at the trigger guard mark it does not look like pitting but I cannot make it out, what does the Belgian Acceptance mark look like.Can you get a better pic of the proof mark on the trigger guard area assuming it is a proof mark not pitting. It is hard to tell from the picture.
The gun does not have any Belgian acceptance marks so it is not a Belgian Military gun. There is no lanyard ring so it is not an Lithuanian. There are no KL or EV markings on grip near the tangent slot so it is not an Estonian contract gun. It does not have a crest on the top of the slide so it is not a Peruvian contract gun.
My WAG is that it is a pre-war 1937-1939 because of the inspection marks, type 2 tangent sight, round lugged barrel. It did not ship with a stock. That said it could be as late as post war using parts there left over which FN was known to do. Again another WAG is that it is a commercial HP or one of the Chinese contract guns. IIRC the Chinese contract guns shipped with serial numbers starting with 5,000 going up to 21,000 but there are huge gaps in the numbers. They did not produce 16,000 pistols for that contract before the war. They only shipped 5,000. Many did not have any other marking beyond the FN commercial markings. There were round and square lug guns. Type 2 and type 1 tangents.
As I stated earlier the gun appears to be refinished so its collector value is a diminished vs the same gun pitted with the original finish. It is a shame that it was refinished but what is done is done. It is a nice example of a pre-war BHP. Take care when shooting it. Always load rounds from a magazine never because the internal extractor can be broken loading directly into the breech of the barrel. Not a common practice but some people do it. The internal extractors are hard to get a hold of and when you find them they are expensive. I sent a message to Sub-Moa to get his thoughts as well. If and when he responds I will post his thoughts as well or he might just post them directly because believe he is a member here. Thanks for sharing hope the info I provided helped.
yes I believe the follower is aluminium I don't think it is the original but NOS
That is an older style mag. See the spacer which is how you dissemble it. Newer mags have a push button. Is the follower aluminum? It could be original to the gun or at least period correct.
I removed the slide stop see pics what is that phantom oval on both sidesView attachment 758355
The AC and the GC with the crowns over them are the marks of MAE arsenal acceptance mark.
The C in the square is and Inspectors parts acceptance mark.
The EGB is the Belgian Govt proof mark and shows that the parts passed inspection and are property on the Belgian state.
The mark on the frame and trigger guard could have been removed during refinishing. What is left on the trigger guard could have been an acceptance proof.
I am still going with my original WAG. It is a pre-war FN High Power that was either a commercial gun or part of the Chinese contract. You can add that there is an outside chance it is a Belgium military gun but the marking that would validate that have been stripped off. I cannot see it well enough in the picture but there might be some rements of a proof mark under the slide stop on the frame but I do not see any remains of the other proof marks which would be present on a Belgian military gun.
Sorry you are correct I have had the HP apart so many times...see attached a few more letters popping up, this not a wall hanger this works great and will be used for my intentions, target moving or still !!!!!!
