Browning Hi Power Value Help

Status
Not open for further replies.
L

LopezEL

Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2008
Messages
149
I was in one of my local gun shops today and found a nice Browning Hi Power made in Belgium. My Hi Power history and identification is seriously lacking so I thought I would ask for some guidance to see if the pistol is a good deal.

The gun does have a few MINOR rust spots on the top of the slide but the rest of the gun is immaculate. I'm almost positive that the surface rust can be removed with some steel wool. It has a beautiful blue finish throughout with a spur hammer. No box or paperwork and only one mag included. The serial number read: 73C73727. Is this an older Hi Power?

What can you Hi Power aficionados tell me about this pistol? It it worth purchasing for $600?
 
The "C" tells you it's a Hi-Power, the 73 before the C tells you the pistol was made in 1973. You have a 1973 Hi-Power with the serial number 73727.
 
Last edited:
It's in excellent condition for being made in 1973... is $600 a fair price on it?
 
As for price, the cheapest I have seen for new Hi-Powers is $991 from Bud's Gun Shop online so $600 doesn't sound out of line. Maybe you can get them down if you point out the rust spots. lol
 
I paid $550 for a Belgian 72C in good condition back in 2006, so yeah, that's a good price. Does it have the original wood grips?
 
You can sometimes find Israeli Kareen Hi powers for around $400. Watch the FEG "clones" they look like hi powers, but internally they aren't.
Click to expand...

That's not entirely true, plenty of FEG Hi Powers are direct copies of FN/Browning.
Only those made in last few years of production vary in mechanical structure.
Kareens are actually FEG made guns, did you not know that?
 
You can also get an ARCUS 98 for around $300 bucks. I worked on one for a friend and the steel it is made of was the the toughest stuff I have ever encountered. Wow!
 
I'd say $600 for a 40+ year-old Belgian Hi-Power is a very good deal, much cheaper than that is highly unlikely,anywhere, and I'd be very suspicious of one that was. I see them (very occasionally) on Armslist, generally asking $700 to nearly $1000.
As stated above, I'd try to get some mileage out of the rust spots, at least they should let it go for $600 OTD (them eating the tax).
Also, you probably know this already, but just in case, make sure you also use oil when going after rust with steel wool, and use the finest 0000 steel wool.
Anyway, if you have a hankering for a Hi-power, this is about as good as you're likely to find, and another plus is that you can inspect it personally prior to purchasing (versus Gunbroker,etc.) I'd jump on it.
 
mgkdrgn said:
I would say no. I just sold 5 on Gunbroker for an avg of $450, all in excellent shape, no rust what so ever.
Click to expand...

Would you provide a link to a couple of those auctions?

I search for Hi Powers on GunBroker every week and it has been a long, long, long time since I have seen any FN made Hi Power (FN or Browning) in excellent condition with no rust for anything less than $500-$600, much less five averaging $450. I would be very interested in seeing what I missed!
 
il.bill said:
Would you provide a link to a couple of those auctions?

I search for Hi Powers on GunBroker every week and it has been a long, long, long time since I have seen any FN made Hi Power (FN or Browning) in excellent condition with no rust for anything less than $500-$600, much less five averaging $450. I would be very interested in seeing what I missed!
Click to expand...
Yeah, same. Some links would be helpful. My search didn't turn up any excellent-condition, C-series Hi-Powers selling for anything remotely close to ≤$450 in the last 90 days.
 
I've never owned a Hi-Power, but I recently bought a Kareen that was listed at $299. I actually traded a S&W Model 49 for it. Never heard if a Kareen before but I've been wanting a Hi-Power for years. The Kareen is a helluva pistol, built like a tank and shoots great.
 
LopezEL

I think $600 is a decent price for a Browning Hi-Power built in 1973, even with a few rust spots . If you do buy the gun try using a little Flitz (applied very lightly with a cloth rag), on the rust. Works great, doesn't harm the bluing, and provides a layer of surface protection to the finish.
 
About 3-4 years back, I came across an awesome BHP made in 1967, with lefty holster (I'm lefty) at a gun show. It was said to have 7 rounds down the pipe. It was immaculate, and I paid $800 for it. I kept it for a couple of years without firing it, hoping to keep it pristine. But an accident in the safe caused it to get a "ding" on top of the slide, in that gorgeous deep blue finish. I've since shot two boxes of JHP through it, and glad I did. It's a lovely pistol to shoot. I still consider that it's worth $800....to ME!
 
I did not buy it. There was a gun show here this weekend and I know this dealer was taking the gun. I'll drive by today and see if he still has it. If he does, I'll probably bring it home.
 
If you do buy the gun try using a little Flitz (applied very lightly with a cloth rag), on the rust. Works great, doesn't harm the bluing, and provides a layer of surface protection to the finish.
Click to expand...

Flitz will harm the bluing if you use it enough. You can't polish without abrasion -- when you polish, you're removing metal/material, period.

Flitz is only "non-abrasive" in the sense that its formula falls below the government standard for abrasiveness. It is an actual abrasive; it's just a weak enough abrasive than it can be called a non-abrasive under the government standard.

It's fine to use in the way you've suggested here on a blued gun. I just want to be sure no one thinks that you could use it habitually without eventual consequence (though it is weak enough as a polish/abrasive that you could use it for a while without trouble). I'd be especially cautious about using it to brighten up a nickel finish. You'd want to go very gently and not use it more than once.
 
AustinTX

That's why I caution using it sparingly and without a great deal of force or heavy duty effort. I have been using Flitz for many years on both my blued and nickel plated guns and it has been very effective at removing rust and built-up residue with any loss of finish through abrasion whatsoever. Usually one application will last for a very long time.
 
AustinTX said:
Yeah, same. Some links would be helpful. My search didn't turn up any excellent-condition, C-series Hi-Powers selling for anything remotely close to ≤$450 in the last 90 days.
Click to expand...
Lucky Derby said:
If true, you got took.
$450 is the going rate for military surplus Israelli HPs, which while good guns, are not what the OP is describing.
Click to expand...

Yep, what they said.
 
Yeah,,,
If you want a Belgian Hi Power and you find a Belgian Hi Power for $450 in shootable condition, buy it!
Buy it now!
Do not wait!
I know I will.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

B
  • Locked
Help With Value of Hi-Power
Replies
8
Views
952
Cactus Jack Arizona
C
M
  • Locked
FM Hi-Power -- Help w/ ID
Replies
9
Views
2K
HorseSoldier
H
G
  • Locked
Browning Hi-Power help needed
Replies
7
Views
590
DT Guy
DT Guy
S
  • Locked
Help on Hi-Power value
Replies
4
Views
528
Stephen A. Camp
S
A
  • Locked
Value of Hi Power
Replies
16
Views
1K
aug e. dog
A
Back
Top