Help a lady, get a BHP...

[Dorrin79]

Spent the weekend with family in Houston. Mother-in-law asks me if I mind helping a friend of hers with her late husband's gun collection, which has been sitting in a closet for ten years in an unknown state (loaded? shootable?)

Upon examination, she had quite the pile of guns... fetched a fair price at the local gun merchant. I ended up with a nice Kar98K converted to .270, with a weaver scope; a S&W 1000 12ga autoloader; and a satin stainless Browning HiPower for my troubles (I did pay her for the BHP what the gun guy had offered her, which was $325)

I was wondering if anyone can tell me exactly what kind of BHP I have here. It has browning markings, wood grips with "B" medallions, non-dot fixed sights, and (oddly) a gold trigger. It is stainless steel, highly polished. It was purchased, according to the lady, in the late 80s or early 90s.

Thanks!

 

[Jim Watson]

Browning does not make stainless steel pistols.
They are kind of hung up on that gold trigger bit, though.
You have the Silver Chrome model made 1985 or so. (The 1991 version has adjustable sights and Pachmayr grips.) Probably worth about double what you paid her.

 

[Dorrin79]

Huh. Nice chrome job, then, as it really does look like polish stainless.

Any particular care concerns with chrome?

 

[Majic]

Judging by the price the gun merchant offered for the BHP he probably took the lady to the cleaners for the collection.

 

[Jim Watson]

Yes, I helped a deceased friend's family sell off his guns and gear last year. I urged the widow to price them low so as to move them out; but they still sold for much more than dealer price.

 

[BHPshooter]

Browning does not make stainless steel pistols...
You have the Silver Chrome model made 1985 or so.

I don't know about the years, but Browning has also made Nickeled pistols, which tend to be more 'shiny', so maybe that's what you have.

Does it have a ring hammer or a spur hammer? That fact may help you date it.

At any rate, that's a screamin' deal on one as nice as that.

Wes

 

[Dorrin79]

Jim - if I lived in Houston I might have tried to sell them off privately instead, but she just "wanted them gone" and thought the $1.5K she got for them was OK.

It's spur-hammered, with the older 'small' safety.

I believe that it's chromed, just looks much better than other chromed gun's i've seen.

 

[NEtracker]

If a Silver Chrome Hi Power, in this state it would be worth $699-$750, since we cannot buy new Hi Powers here. $325 was a good price.
I have a '91 Silver Chrome; changed out that awful gold trigger, and wrap around rubber grips.

 

[Dorrin79]

Netracker - how did you change out the trigger?

are chromed ones available from Browning or FN?

 

[NEtracker]

I just swapped in a standard blued trigger. Looks much better!

http://users3.ev1.net/~byronsimpson/guns/detailstrip.html

Stephen A. Camp:
http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/

http://fnhipower.com/index.php

 

[IMtheNRA]

I think it is a nickel plated HP.

Hello, based on your description of the wood grips with "B" medallions and year of manufacture, I'd guess that your gun is nickel-plated. In the early 80's Browning shipped these guns with a finish that looks like brushed stainless. In unfired condition, these sell for around $650-$700 around here on the rare occasions that they come on the market.

The factory hard-chromed BHPs do not have the "B" medallions and do not have a "polished" look - more of a flat white finish like bead-blasted stainless steel. They come with a gold trigger and rubber Pachmayr grips with the Browning "Buckmark" logo in the bronze medallions.

There is another possibility, though it is much, much less likely. You may have a Centennial HP, made in 1978. These are extremely bright polished chrome plated guns that came with an equally shiny magazine, all in a red velvet lined wooden box. If your HP is as shiny as a "proof" coin, then you may have a Centennial.

You can view photos of both at the HP forum: www.fnhipower.com

 

[Dorrin79]

maybe this will help - my gun looks EXACTLY like this one, except it has fixed sights instead of adjustables...

Gun Pic

 

[IMtheNRA]

Yep, thats nickel plated allright. Congratulations on acquiring such a nice pistol.

As you may know, Hoppes and other copper solvents can cause serious finish damage to nickel plated guns. Apparently, the fluid can get into cracks or imperfections in the finish and dissolve the copper which is applied to the steel before the nickel goes on. The loss of copper will lead to the nickel flaking off the gun.

Have fun with your new HP.

By the way, does it appear to have been used or is it still unfired?