Mystery Hi-Power

[polkey]

Picked up this hi-power I little while back and have been trying to figure out what it is.
What little history I have on it is this. The previous owner, who was in his early eighties I believe, received it from his neighbor when he was a teenager. It originally had no serial number but when it was registered at the local police station in the late 50's it had a serial number applied. The neighbor he received it from was apparently a former employee at Inglis. Not sure how much of that info is true, but its the info that came it.

The gun itself has not much to go one, the slide and frame have a serial number on the left side, other than that there are very few markings. The bottom of the grip has what looks like a very small 4, and under the rear sight it has what looks like either the number 89 or 68, and the number 4075. The gun is parkerized, the mag it came with was unmarked, although the aluminum follower that was in it had the same mark/logo cast into it has some other inglis mags I have. The front sight is different than my other inglis and in comparing it to pictures online it looks more like a Belgian version. If anyone has any ideas, im all ears.

 

[machman]

Lunchbox?

 

[maple_leaf_eh]

Lunchbox?

A very common problem with handgun manufacturers is stolen parts being assembled at home by others. No serial number or official markings is the guaranteed giveaway!

BTW, Inglis was not immune. Para Ordnance had the same problem.

 

[polkey]

Lunchbox?

That was my original thought but the front sight looks different than my Inglis.

 

[M1-Garand]

Looks like the Lunchbox special I have,does yours have a slotted backstrap?
On mine the serial # is under the right grip,at the back in very small numbers.

 

[y2k]

I remember hearing a story about a former Inglis guard in his 80s about 30 years ago saying at a gun show that they never figured out how they were being snuck out of the factory even with searches of employees leaving work.

 

[johnny rotten]

Maybe made for the anti-communist Chinese forces
Has the graduated rear sight, and slot in the pistol grip for a wooden stock to slide into
Pretty sure those were both features on all the made for China guns

 

[Horilka]

OP was asking about unusual front sight. I'm not an expert in Canadian HPs, but all I handled had different style. This one indeed is similar to Belgium front sights.

 

[can14]

Maybe a fitted rifle front sight

 

[hnachaj1]

Firs year production for Canadian Army:

 

[polkey]

If anybody on here owns a prewar or immediate post war Belgian hi-power with the tangent sight, I would be curious if it has any of the same stamps that this one has, particularly under the rear sight and on the bottom of the grip.

 

[polkey]

Well looks like it may be an Inglis slide after all, found at least 2 examples of Inglis's with this style of front sight, strangely enough both on Chinese roll stamped versions.
The main differences, best seen from above. What most Inglis's look like on the left, mine on the right.

And a couple of Inglis's with the same.

 

[my72jeep]

Lunchbox?

^^^^^^^^^^this^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[Lee Enfield]

Well looks like it may be an Inglis slide after all, found at least 2 examples of Inglis's with this style of front sight, strangely enough both on Chinese roll stamped versions.
The main differences, best seen from above. What most Inglis's look like on the left, mine on the right.

And a couple of Inglis's with the same.

It is a very early slide - or alternately it has been modified to appear to be a very early slide.

It is a long dust cover slide - so it probably is a legit very early slide.

 

[polkey]

It is a very early slide - or alternately it has been modified to appear to be a very early slide.

It is a long dust cover slide - so it probably is a legit very early slide.

Interesting, something I had not noticed, good to know.

 

[reddog9x19]

Lunchbox?

don't give a $hit! I want it!!!

 

[Leg]

OP was asking about unusual front sight. I'm not an expert in Canadian HPs, but all I handled had different style. This one indeed is similar to Belgium front sights.

Whut?! LOL. We still use the exact same front sight. How is it unusual? It’s been in use for over 75yrs.

 

[Horilka]

Well looks like it may be an Inglis slide after all, found at least 2 examples of Inglis's with this style of front sight, strangely enough both on Chinese roll stamped versions.

Do you have Clive's "Inglis Diamond" book? Because I don't and we need this book to check following theory. Many ppl here have it and hopefully will chime in.
From what I know - Dieudonné Saive (the guy who actually designed HP) and and Rene Laloux from FN arrived to Canada to help to set up manufacturing with original FN technical documentation. What it tells me that first pistols made at Inglis had to have exact look and features as FN made pistols, including front sight. For example I know that early Inglis HPs had round barrel cam, that probably was result of using original FN drawings that for some reason lacking updated to square cam (FN changed to square cam in 1938, unlike popular belief there were no issues with round cam at all, but at certain stage due to one of FN customers' request square cam was accepted and recognized as change worth keeping). Usually when manufacture is adopted by new company and/or for new customers there might be some simplifications/improvement changes. It looks to me that "standard" Inglis front sight is simplification from original design, i.e. looking crude, but less machining operations required, so cheaper to make. I suppose if Clive's book has pictures of the very first slides made at Inglis we might be able to see same pattern of front sight.
Now, do Chinese enrolled slides constitute early slides? Then this fact supports my theory that your slide is early.

P.S. Holly molly, I totally overlooked the picture of barrel in your original post. Man, you just have very early Inglis HP, with round cam and original FN style front sight. I think along with early barrel my theory is very conclusive. Congratulations, Nick, you found very nice Inglis, very special.

 

[Horilka]

Whut?! LOL. We still use the exact same front sight. How is it unusual? It’s been in use for over 75yrs.

Let me re-phrase it, "All Inglis HPs I handled had front sight style that is different from what OP posted". You clearly misunderstood my post.

 

[DOOK]

If anybody on here owns a prewar or immediate post war Belgian hi-power with the tangent sight, I would be curious if it has any of the same stamps that this one has, particularly under the rear sight and on the bottom of the grip.

I'll check mine.