FM Argentina Hi power worth?

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

how much would a FM Argentina Hi Power be worth? its in i would say 95% condition and from what the owner says, it hasn't been fired alot.

 

[rellascout]

$275 to $300

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

that cheap? that doesn't seem quite right considering how much they sell for else where. $400 - $600 is the going price that i've seen from shotgun news and gunbroker.

 

[rellascout]

The FM should never have been sold for more than $450 to $500 NIB.

I buy real FN/Brwowning Hi Powers used for $500 to $600 all the time.

The FM is a Argentine copy. Those who are selling them above $500 are hoping you don't know the difference. IMHO

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

i heard that they were under license and they technically are hi powers

 

[fireside44]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the parts and mags are interchangeable.

The FEG hi powers however are not.

 

[rellascout]

Technically so is a Charles Daly.... I am not playing $600 for that one either.

If someone is telling you that the are identical to Browning and FN guns they are lying IMHO. They are not the same in terms of fit, finish or overall quality.

I own or have owned over 10 Hi powers at one time or another. I have looked at hundreds of them over the years. The FMs are simply not the same internally or externally.

They are a good clone substitute if you can find them for the right price. The right price is somewhere near $450 NIB and around $300 used. IMHO

 

[viking499]

Sarco used to have the FM's for under $300. Used to have one. Shot as good as my friends HP. The big difference I saw was in the finish. The FM finish looked like it was painted on.

 

[Rittmeister]

Not to hijack the thread, but what about an FM with the following:

Novak three-dot carry sights
C&S sear
C&S safety (single, not ambi)
C&S no-bite ring hammer
C&S hammer strut/spring
Uncle Mike's rubber grips
Refinished with satin black GunKote

Just curious.

 

[rellascout]

Not to hijack the thread, but what about an FM with the following:

Novak three-dot carry sights
C&S sear
C&S safety (single, not ambi)
C&S no-bite ring hammer
C&S hammer strut/spring
Uncle Mike's rubber grips
Refinished with satin black GunKote

Just curious.

Who did the work? Was it done by a gunsmith? If so who? Parts themselves are worth about $200 If they are installed properly.

It all depends on who did the work and how well its done.

 

[jonnyc]

Not a simple question, as there are three distinct "flavors" of Argentine HPs.
1. True FN pistols made on contract.
2. FM-made pistols produced under FN license.
3. FM-made pistols produced after the FN license expired.
They tend to drop in value from #1 down. A nice pistol in the #1 category is probably worth in the $400-450 range. Rellascout is spot-on for the category #3 pistols.

 

[rellascout]

Jonnyc is right.... I was assuming category 3 because that is what you see 99% of the time.

 

[jonnyc]

Those later M90s and M95s with the straight 1911-ish nose, including the Detective version, are all post-license and considered to be lower quality. My first US-owned HP was an M90. I now own 5 HPs, and that one is no longer here.

 

[Rittmeister]

Quote:
Not to hijack the thread, but what about an FM with the following:

Novak three-dot carry sights
C&S sear
C&S safety (single, not ambi)
C&S no-bite ring hammer
C&S hammer strut/spring
Uncle Mike's rubber grips
Refinished with satin black GunKote

Just curious.
Who did the work? Was it done by a gunsmith? If so who? Parts themselves are worth about $200 If they are installed properly.

It all depends on who did the work and how well its done.

Yes, the work was all done professionally by a gunsmith. Fit and finish is great, functionality is 100%.

FWIW, the gun was sold to me as an FM Hi-Power, but the slide is stamped FN - very distinct. Thus I believe it falls in category #1 up there in post 11.

I'm not trying to sell the gun, but I've been curious about it since I started having work done on it. I bought it originally because I wanted an HP but couldn't afford the real. Now I probably could but I like this gun, so I'll hang onto it.

 

[dogtown tom]

Rittmeister Quote:...the gun was sold to me as an FM Hi-Power, but the slide is stamped FN - very distinct.

After the original FN license expired, FM began marking a "FN Browning" rollmark on the left side of the slide. FN protested and FM quit using that marking.

Need pics to be sure of what you have.

 

[9mmepiphany]

the best buy on an Argentine FN...the ones actually built under contract...were the British captures from the Falklands War

Rittmeister - the value of a customized P-35 can vary greatly depending on "who" did the work. even "big names" beginning with "N" or "C" don't always increase it's value, there are some real dog P-35s out there...now if it was "G" or "B" that would be a different matter

always customize for pleasure or function, not as an investment...no one ever gets their money back on a resale

 

[Rittmeister]

Wasn't counting on it (getting my money back). My other expensive hobby is similar - I'm into cars, and do a lot of my own work/modifications.

I changed things on this pistol I thought needed changing. I was asking about the value out of curiosity, nothing more.