Browning - Inglis 9mm info wanted

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swampdog

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I came across a Browning Inglis 9mm. The owner says it is a WW II gun. It appears to be numbers matching, at least the three numbers visible on the right side, on the frame, slide, and barrel. It has a lanyard ring.

It also has one round maple leaf decal on it, on the front side of the grip. Around the maple leaf is written "Canada" and two other words that likely say Canada in other languages.

The serial number begins with 4T5***. The overall condition is good, possibly remarkably good, for a pistol of this age.

Can anyone tell me the approximate manufacture date, based on the serial number?

And I'm wondering about the value of the pistol, the range of prices (low and high) that these go for.

Thanks for your help!
 
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Much easier to answer with pictures. 4T is a Canadian Army prefix from around 1944, and the decal is from a lend lease pistol to Britian or Russia. Price is hard to say without seeing it.
 
If the decal is perfect - as in no wear at all - and the gun appears new unfired $1200 (ish) if the decal is very very good and the pistol is clean without apparent wear $1000 (ish) then down from there. These are not normally guns that are bought to shoot. Note: unless it has been refinished and fitted with a repro decal - this is possible and it takes someone with a lot of experience to spot.
 
According to Clive Law's "Inglis Diamond: The Canadian High Power Pistol", 153,480 Inglis High Powers (in two versions) were manufactured from February 1944 through October 1945 (over 55% of them in the last five months of that span.) This particular pistol was produced in April 1945.
 
Thank you for your replies. Sorry, no pictures, at least not yet.

If I read the post correctly, enefgee suggested that the pistol might be worth $1000 in near mint but fired condition. The label on this is good, but not perfect. The label has a few small nicks out of it. The finish on the gun is really very good. So that makes me think that it might it be worth $800 or so. Does that sound too low?
 
As others have already indicated, if the gun has been re-finished and the decal replaced with a reproduction, then value is hard to determine. If it is the original finish and decal, then I'd say that value is definitely too low.......

The basic method of determining whether the parkerized finish has been re-done is by the serial numbers on the frame and slide. Inglis serial numbers were engraved on the barrel, slide and frame of finished, assembled pistols, and thus were cut through the parkerizing on the slide and frame, into raw steel.

ingengrv.jpg


The serial number on those two components should accordingly appear "in the white", like this:

inglis7a.jpg


inglsmk3.jpg
 
Here are a few pictures of the Browning Inglis Hi Power referred to above.

The brown inside the barrel on the first picture may be from the flash - anyway, it's not visible otherwise. I can't see any signs of refinishing or touchups. The mechanism works well, although it very well may not have been fired in the past 65 years. The former owner passed away nearly forty years ago, and it sat in a box since. It could use a good cleaning.

browninginglishipower01.jpg


browninginglishipower01.jpg


browninginglishipower02.jpg


browninginglishipower03.jpg


It doesn't show well on the picture, but it has two crossed flags engraved (maybe with an electric pencil or something like that) on the barrel above the serial number on the barrel. Does that signify Canadian Forces? Or??

Any comments appreciated.
 
swampdog said:
Here are a few pictures of the Browning Inglis Hi Power referred to above.

The brown inside the barrel on the first picture may be from the flash - anyway, it's not visible otherwise. I can't see any signs of refinishing or touchups. The mechanism works well, although it very well may not have been fired in the past 65 years. The former owner passed away nearly forty years ago, and it sat in a box since. It could use a good cleaning.

snip...
It doesn't show well on the picture, but it has two crossed flags engraved (maybe with an electric pencil or something like that) on the barrel above the serial number on the barrel. Does that signify Canadian Forces? Or??

Any comments appreciated.
Click to expand...

Nice gun, snap it up. A very nice T series w/o sticker is probably 550-700, with sticker 650-850.

In the original box w/sticker somewhat more...

Original stickers were available until fairly recently, and repros are currently available (if you know who to talk to)...

They are very fragile, if you buy it, use it very gently or not at all. They are a water transfer decal (just like the ones we used to have for model airplanes). 60+ years on they are very subject to flaking away (mine is just a few remaining specs of colour). Nothing you can do to preserve it if you handle it ~ seen guys try everything from packmeyer's to nail polish.

Crossed flags is a military proof marking...Should be on every BHP barrel until replaced with the "duck-foot" maple leaf in the late 1950s.
 
I am a little concerned about damaging the condition of this old pistol by shooting it. Maybe I also need to buy a newer Hi Power to keep the old one company.

Frankly, as you can probably tell, I don't know a lot about the Browning Hi Powers. Can anyone tell me what to look for (or look out for) in a newer model? And is one model of the BHP 9mm better or worse than another?

I'm also wondering how well they shoot? Are they as accurate as, let's say, a S&W Model 27 or something like that?
 
It's been said that something like a pistol a day was stolen from the factory and they never figured out how it was done.
 
RRCo. said:
It's been said that something like a pistol a day was stolen from the factory and they never figured out how it was done.
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Judging by the number of "lunch-box" BHP's I've seen 3300+km from Long Branch, I'd say it might be higher than that.

It's easy to figure out how it was done; the guys doing the stealing were the guys in charge of security...or not subject to security.
 
swampdog said:
I am a little concerned about damaging the condition of this old pistol by shooting it. Maybe I also need to buy a newer Hi Power to keep the old one company.

Frankly, as you can probably tell, I don't know a lot about the Browning Hi Powers. Can anyone tell me what to look for (or look out for) in a newer model? And is one model of the BHP 9mm better or worse than another?

I'm also wondering how well they shoot? Are they as accurate as, let's say, a S&W Model 27 or something like that?
Click to expand...

Are you looking for a shooter?'

Then a good choice would be any MkIII BHP ~ non-pinch hammer, useable ambi safety. I prefer the fixed sights myself, FNs adjustable sights are somewhat chintzee.

Comparing a BHP to a S&W M.27 is truely apples and oranges. In design roots, the S&W is a hunting /target pistol while the BHP is a combat piece. The M.27 was/is S&W's flagship top of the line revolver ~ their equivalent of the Colt Python if you will.

Auto pistols are seldom as consistantly accurate as an equivalent revolver ~ mostly due to half of the gun moving for every shot, and being subject to ammunition and spring tension changes. Having said that, the reality is that I (and probably you) would never notice a difference.
 
swampdog said:
Here are a few pictures of the Browning Inglis Hi Power referred to above.

The brown inside the barrel on the first picture may be from the flash - anyway, it's not visible otherwise. I can't see any signs of refinishing or touchups. The mechanism works well, although it very well may not have been fired in the past 65 years. The former owner passed away nearly forty years ago, and it sat in a box since. It could use a good cleaning.

browninginglishipower01.jpg


browninginglishipower01.jpg


browninginglishipower02.jpg


browninginglishipower03.jpg


It doesn't show well on the picture, but it has two crossed flags engraved (maybe with an electric pencil or something like that) on the barrel above the serial number on the barrel. Does that signify Canadian Forces? Or??

Any comments appreciated.
Click to expand...

Gorgeous looking Inglis, I wish my mismatched No.1 Mk1* was half as nice as that. You should defiantly pick it up. But would use it sparingly like mentioned above. I would not be surprised if that was stolen from Inglis, and simply sat in the old guys closet until he passed away.
 
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